The Tempest seems to be a play that deals with power and control. The first scene of Act I opens with the tempest itself, a powerful storm that is capable of destroying the ship and everyone on board. The chaotic scene introduces the characters and their power-relations to each other. The characters on the boat are divided into nobles, such as Antonio and Gonzalo, and servants or professionals, such as the Boatswain and the mariners. The mortal danger of the storm upsets the usual balance between these two groups, and the Boatswain, attempting to save the ship, comes into direct conflict with the hapless nobles, who, despite their helplessness, are extremely irritated at being rudely spoken to by a commoner. The characters in the scene are
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He creates the power of the tempest and holds the ability to completely destroy his enemies if he so chooses. Prospero’s retellings of past events to Miranda and Ariel also illustrate how Prospero maintains his power. Prospero seems to know that controlling the past enables one to control the present—that is, that one can control others by controlling how they understand the past. Prospero thus tells his story with a highly rhetorical emphasis on his own good deeds, the bad deeds of others toward him, and the ingratitude of those he has protected from the evils of others. By controlling the way Ariel and Miranda think about their lives, he makes it difficult for them to imagine that challenging his authority would be a good thing to do, and by threatening Ariel with magical torture, he sets very high stakes for any such rebellion. Prospero’s treatment of Ferdinand at the end of this scene re-emphasizes his power and his willingness to manipulate others to achieve his own ends. Though he is pleased by his daughter’s obvious attraction to the powerful young man, Prospero does not want their love to get ahead of whatever his plan may be for the rest of the people who on the wrecked ship. As a result, he has no qualms about enchanting Ferdinand and lying to Miranda about Ferdinand’s unworthiness as a
He creates the power of the tempest and holds the ability to completely destroy his enemies if he so chooses. Prospero’s retellings of past events to Miranda and Ariel also illustrate how Prospero maintains his power. Prospero seems to know that controlling the past enables one to control the present—that is, that one can control others by controlling how they understand the past. Prospero thus tells his story with a highly rhetorical emphasis on his own good deeds, the bad deeds of others toward him, and the ingratitude of those he has protected from the evils of others. By controlling the way Ariel and Miranda think about their lives, he makes it difficult for them to imagine that challenging his authority would be a good thing to do, and by threatening Ariel with magical torture, he sets very high stakes for any such rebellion. Prospero’s treatment of Ferdinand at the end of this scene re-emphasizes his power and his willingness to manipulate others to achieve his own ends. Though he is pleased by his daughter’s obvious attraction to the powerful young man, Prospero does not want their love to get ahead of whatever his plan may be for the rest of the people who on the wrecked ship. As a result, he has no qualms about enchanting Ferdinand and lying to Miranda about Ferdinand’s unworthiness as a