Desperation can fuel a false sense of love when people think they will not find anyone else to love, leaving them susceptible to others taking advantage. In William Shakespeare’s play The Tempest, the prince of Naples, Ferdinand, finds himself shipwrecked on an island where he meets Miranda and Prospero. While he and Miranda fall in love, Prospero carries out his plan for revenge against his rival Alonso, Ferdinand’s father and King of Naples. Miranda and Ferdinand believe they fall in love-at-first-sight, but it soon becomes apparent that they are desperate for the company of other people; Prospero takes advantage of it as part of his revenge. When Miranda and Ferdinand first meet on the island, they immediately declare love for each other. Her first reaction to seeing him is to call …show more content…
He devises a secret plan to encourage Miranda and Prospero’s relationship: "But this / swift business / I must uneasy make, lest too light winning / Make the prize light" (1.2.542-545). He promotes their love by pretending to disapprove of them. By doing so, Ferdinand must fight for Miranda and will consider her worth the struggle. He involves himself in their relationship right from the beginning. This act is merely a part of solidifying his revenge to ensure he will be related to the royal family. At the end of the play, Gonzalo reflects on everyone’s experience on the island and wonders if everything occurred so Prospero’s children “Should become kings of Naples?" (5.1.247). Gonzalo acknowledges that Prospero gains from the relationship. Having his daughter marry the prince of Naples gives Prospero power and an incentive to support their relationship. Through the marriage, he inherits more power. He goes from solely being Duke of Milan to being a duke with ties to the royal family. Prospero’s secret support right from the beginning of Miranda and Ferdinand’s relationship is solely driven by