The concept of cruelty is a blurry gray area of morality, as the kinds of actions or behaviors that are considered to be cruel changes from culture to culture, and even person to person. In The Essays, Michel de Montaigne discusses the topic of cruelty, defining it as inflicting physical torture upon people and beasts. He deems all unnecessary acts of pain and injury as cruel, and labels it “…the ultimate vice of them all.” (Montaigne 178) In Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Prospero is initially portrayed as a cruel sorcerer who summons the storm in order to take his treacherous brother and the king captive, so that he can have his revenge. Later on, however, Prospero is revealed to be a merciful and benevolent character. Considering his purely
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At the beginning, during the tempest that is the play’s namesake, Miranda sees the ship destroyed and bemoans the people who perished in the storm. Prospero reassures his daughter, saying “Be collected, / No more amazement. Tell your piteous heart / There’s no harm done.” (Shakespeare I.ii.13-15) Later, it is revealed that Prospero gave Ariel specific instructions that no one on the ship is to be harmed, and when Prospero expresses concern for their safety, Ariel replies, “Not a hair perished. / On their sustaining garments not a blemish…” (Shakespeare I.ii.218-219) Despite knowing that the ship held the people responsible for his deposition and banishment, Prospero nevertheless took care that they came to no harm, even though he could just as easily have drowned, or at least injured, the people on the ship. Montaigne would approve of this action, as it is the kind of mercy he would display in Prospero’s situation. “But I am so soft that I cannot even see anyone lop the head off a chicken without displeasure, and cannot and cannot bear to hear a hare squealing when my hounds get their teeth into it…” (Montaigne 178) Here Montaigne admits his weakness for witnessing death and suffering. With this in mind, he would definitely not have been able to watch the ship with its …show more content…
“Now does my project gather to a head. / My charms crack not, my spirits obey, and time / Goes upright with his carriage.” (Shakespeare V.i.1-3) Here Prospero attests to having absolute control over the events of the play, and that everything is proceeding according to his plan. This shows how powerful he truly is, and also implies his potential to use his powers to commit evil deeds. The early scenes of the play seem to paint Prospero as a cruel character, conjuring the tempest to strand the king and his party on the island, and keeping Ariel and Caliban bound to his servitude. He is even shown to threaten both of his servants to force them to obey him. “If thou more murmur’st, I will rend an oak / And peg thee in his knotty entrails till / Thou hast howled away twelve winters.” (Shakespeare I.ii.297-299) Here, Prospero threatens Ariel with imprisonment akin to what he was freed from. However, even though he strikes a malevolent image at first, Prospero’s intentions turn out to be completely virtuous, as is evidenced toward the end when he reclaims his title as the Duke of Milan, frees both Ariel and Caliban, and forgives all of his enemies. This shows the underlying good intentions behind all of Prospero’s schemes from the very beginning, and proves him to be a man
At the beginning, during the tempest that is the play’s namesake, Miranda sees the ship destroyed and bemoans the people who perished in the storm. Prospero reassures his daughter, saying “Be collected, / No more amazement. Tell your piteous heart / There’s no harm done.” (Shakespeare I.ii.13-15) Later, it is revealed that Prospero gave Ariel specific instructions that no one on the ship is to be harmed, and when Prospero expresses concern for their safety, Ariel replies, “Not a hair perished. / On their sustaining garments not a blemish…” (Shakespeare I.ii.218-219) Despite knowing that the ship held the people responsible for his deposition and banishment, Prospero nevertheless took care that they came to no harm, even though he could just as easily have drowned, or at least injured, the people on the ship. Montaigne would approve of this action, as it is the kind of mercy he would display in Prospero’s situation. “But I am so soft that I cannot even see anyone lop the head off a chicken without displeasure, and cannot and cannot bear to hear a hare squealing when my hounds get their teeth into it…” (Montaigne 178) Here Montaigne admits his weakness for witnessing death and suffering. With this in mind, he would definitely not have been able to watch the ship with its …show more content…
“Now does my project gather to a head. / My charms crack not, my spirits obey, and time / Goes upright with his carriage.” (Shakespeare V.i.1-3) Here Prospero attests to having absolute control over the events of the play, and that everything is proceeding according to his plan. This shows how powerful he truly is, and also implies his potential to use his powers to commit evil deeds. The early scenes of the play seem to paint Prospero as a cruel character, conjuring the tempest to strand the king and his party on the island, and keeping Ariel and Caliban bound to his servitude. He is even shown to threaten both of his servants to force them to obey him. “If thou more murmur’st, I will rend an oak / And peg thee in his knotty entrails till / Thou hast howled away twelve winters.” (Shakespeare I.ii.297-299) Here, Prospero threatens Ariel with imprisonment akin to what he was freed from. However, even though he strikes a malevolent image at first, Prospero’s intentions turn out to be completely virtuous, as is evidenced toward the end when he reclaims his title as the Duke of Milan, frees both Ariel and Caliban, and forgives all of his enemies. This shows the underlying good intentions behind all of Prospero’s schemes from the very beginning, and proves him to be a man