The Tempest Passage Analysis

Throughout The Tempest, Prospero, a sorcerer and the rightful Duke of Milan, plans his revenge when his brother, Antonio, who usurped his throne, was shipwrecked onto his island. The reader expects Prospero to punish his brother for wronging him but Prospero chooses a different path. Prospero ends up forgiving the people that have wronged him which becomes a major theme in the play. The above passage is a soliloquy from Prospero when he realizes he will not enact revenge against his brother. Using metaphors, allusions, and comparisons, forgiveness is conveyed throughout the play. The theme of forgiveness is expressed through Prospero breaking his staff, drowning his book, and his super-human abilities.

In Prospero’s monologue he states, “I’ll

His book represents knowledge and knowledge is power. He learned how to do magic from his books. This metaphor is important because it symbolizes that his action can never be undone. Putting a book underwater smears the words and ruins the pages. This action is irreversible but Prospero is still willing to give up his powers. This reference to water can also be to compare Prospero to Alonso. Alonso states “The name of Prosper. It did bass my trespass. /Therefore my son i’th’ooze is bedded, and I’ll seek him deeper than e’er plummet sounded/ and with him there lie mudded. (3.3.104-107)”. Alonso is the king of Naples who helped Antonio, Prospero’s brother, usurp Prospero and who thinks his son, Ferdinand, is dead. Alonso wants to drown himself instead of being haunted with the thought of what he did to Prospero. To forgive, Prospero feels that giving up his powers is enough but Alonso would give up his life to be truly forgiven. Once Prospero has given up his powers, he is allowed to return to Milan. Drowning his book is symbolic of him returning home. His book represents isolationism. He was content with ruling the island with only Miranda to keep him company. His ability to forgive allows him to finally leave the island and his powers behind. This is difficult for Prospero because his powers give him

He seems to control all the actions and big moves. With these powers, he seems to have a strong relation with nature. He mentions in the passage above that he can command the seas, storms, and fire. Fire and water are binary opposites and important for understanding Prospero’s vast powers and his control of all aspects of nature. He gives out punishments, manipulates people into seeing illusions, and controls Ariel and any inhabitants of the island. He is always in control of the situation. He is seen as a god-like figure and uses his powers and wisdom to enact justice. Prospero also acts like Jesus when he forgives and wants reconciliation instead of revenge. This reference to Jesus represents Christian values in the play while there are also language references to polytheism as in ‘Jove’s oak’. The structure of the Tempest is interesting because Shakespeare leads the reader to believe it will become a tragedy filled with revenge but the above passage is a turning point in which the resolution follows with