The Tempest Research Paper

“[T]he baseless fabric of this vision”:

The Education of Prospero In Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Prospero, deposed from his dukedom in Milan by his false and wicked brother, receives an opportunity to punish by means of his magic. He causes a violent storm, one of the many tempests of the play, to come upon the ship of them who have acted wicked against him. Surprisingly, however, Prospero does not not kill or even physically torture them. Through a series of spiritual spectacles, Prospero seeks to educate them so that they can receive repentance. The old man hubristically, assumes the power of God, nature, and the spiritual realm, seriously erring. Prospero too must be educated. in The Tempest, Prospero learns primarily the importance of faith,

While having the court party and his family strictly under his power, Prospero almost forgets the upcoming attempt on his life by the fool party that includes Caliban. Prospero is quickly given over to his passions in a harsh fit of emotions despite his attempt to control his passions. Afterwards, deeply reflective and somber, Prospero is forced to face his humanity and weakness. He imparts, “Our revels now are ended...And like the baseless fabric of this vision...We are such stuff / As dreams are made on, and our little life / Is rounded with a sleep...Bear with my weakness” (Shakespeare’s The Tempest, 4.1. 165-176). Prospero pridefully believed that he could control and overcome the obstacles of reality to perfect himself and others. However, time and human weakness impose themselves on Prospero. He is unable to perfectly educate others, such as Miranda, in a way that prosperity is guaranteed because he himself is imperfect and unable to rule himself well. The passions ought to be nurtured and cultivated, not excessively tempered as Prospero seeks to do with himself and Miranda and Ferdinand. Prospero fails to peer within and better his inner soul, consumed in a spiritual tempest. A thorough inner reflection would reveal that Prospero’s high position over others on the island as a tyrant is unnatural and

Principally, Prospero frees Ariel, a spirit enslaved to him. Ariel differs from his former master in the way he leads others. Telling Prospero about the means he employed to mislead the fool party, he says, “Then I beat my tabor.. So I charmed their ears / That, calf-like, they my lowing followed…” (4.1. 194-199). Ariel leads the fool party astray with music. Prospero instead relies on physical force, such as violent tempests or vicious harpies, to achieve his ends. Shakespeare here demonstrates the clear difference between liberty and enslavement. The fool party, unlike the court party of the beginning, retain the ability to turn away from the music, thus retaining their freedom. One is capable of leading without resorting to physical or mental harm. Additionally, Prospero fails to free Caliban, dismissing him to be a natural slave who is incapable of self-government. As discussed, this reasoning is faulty because Prospero himself is incapable of perfect self-government. Proper acceptance of the need for freedom is part of Prospero’s