The Tempest is a captivating play that follows the afternoon of a wizard and his revenge plot against diplomats that banished him to a deserted island with his daughter. The themes nature and nurture are compared and contrasted in order to explain the various behaviors presented by each character. According to the theme of nature in The Tempest, people and things are categorized as either naturally good or bad. It is believed that bad nature should be controlled. Nurture is also predominantly displayed in the play through Caliban and Prospero. The theme of nature shows the differences between Miranda and Caliban. My production will continue to explore the relationship between nature and nurture in the development of the characters Miranda, Caliban, and Prospero. This raises the question whether people are naturally good or bad, or a product of one’s environment. In my production I would emphasize the complex relationship between nature and nurture. I chose nature verses nurture because it is slightly unconventional compared to the more prominent themes in the play and it has modern connections since the debate between nature and nurture continues today.
In the play, nature will be predetermined as either good or bad and depending on which, the characters will reflect their nature accordingly through their actions and dialogue. Miranda, Prospero’s daughter, was predetermined as naturally good by Prospero when he says “Thy mother was a piece of virtue, and she said thou wast