How Does Prospero Use Power In The Tempest

Human’s aspire to be powerful and feel superior among other humans. Power is significant for humans because it gives them the ability to enslave or acquire freedom. This desire creates competition and conflict. Shakespeare’s play The Tempest demonstrates this determination and misuse of power with the characters Prospero, Caliban and Ariel. Prospero takes advantage of his strength by enslaving Caliban and Ariel, while they desire power to free themselves from Prospero’s control. After Prospero was banished into the ocean with his daughter, he discovers and colonizes Caliban’s island. Caliban became Prospero’s servant and he “used [him] with human care..till [he] didst seek to violate the honor of [his] child”(page 524). Prospero felt betrayed that Caliban attempted to sexually assault Miranda, even though he treated Caliban with respect and kindness. This motivated Prospero to use his power to inflict pain on Caliban, in attempt to punish him for his actions. Miranda feels that “[he] hast deserve more than a prison”(page 525). Miranda also feels betrayed by Caliban because she was also kind and taught him to speak, but he attempted to make her feel imprisoned by sexual assaulting her. Consequently, she believes that he deserves to be imprisoned in his own island.

Prospero saved Ariel when he “arrived and heard [Ariel], that made gape the pine, and let [Ariel] out”(page 523). Ariel was promised freedom by Prospero after being released from a spell that trapped it in a tree. In return of Ariel’s freedom, it completes his desired tasks. Prospero feels that Ariel can be ungrateful for its rescue when he “must once in a month recount what [he] hast been, which [Ariel] forget’st”(page 522). Prospero gilts Ariel to perform his tasks and reminds it of its inferiority. Prospero uses his power to enslave Ariel to take advantage of its magic and complete his plan to get his dukedom