The Tempest

Explain how Ariel and Caliban serve as character foils for each other. Be sure to consider their physical appearance and their roles as servants to Prospero.

In the world of The Tempest , Ariel, the airy spirit, and Caliban, the earthy monster, can be described as character foils. Unlike and contrasted as they are, they have some traits in common. They both have an aversion to labor and a longing for liberty. Also, they have a primitive sense of humor, a fondness for tricks and pranks, and a spontaneous and unsophisticated love of nature. Furthermore, deeper inside them, one has a fear of a higher power and the other a craving for affection and approbation. Thus, the contrast between them is heightened.

Ariel and Caliban symbolize, respectively, pure language and pure body. The name of Prospero's language is Ariel, who symbolizes his word in action, the precise fulfillment of his desires, who operates as an extension of Prospero's body. In a way, Prospero, through his creative word, Ariel, can be seen as being omnipresent. However, Ariel chafes under his master's control, desiring a liberty that would ironically reduce him to nothingness, dispersing him into thin air.

Caliban, the son of the evil witch Sycorax, is the perfect brute, who would be petted and patted, given food and drink, and taught to speak. Caliban learns language only to turn it against itself. He becomes vindictive and rewards his master's, Prospero, efforts with curses. His developed consciousness leads him into deeper enslavement, inducing him to overeach his limits by attempting to murder his lord. Earlier, he became rebellious and attempted to "violate" his master's daughter, the innocent, pure Miranda. He later, after getting drunk, turns on Prospero and professes his loyalty to Stephano.

In conclusion, Ariel is considered to be beyond humanity at the spiritual end of the scale and Caliban is beneath humanity at the animal end of the scale. In addition, Ariel rides "on the curl'd clouds" and Caliban liveson "this hard rock." Caliban and Ariel exist at opposite sides of the spectrum and because of this, they are characters foils to each other.

#3 Describe Miranda. How is she a product of "nurturre rather than "nature"...

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...e all his faults in his earlier life. He uses magic to make things better and fix all his problems. In a way, magic is his way of getting around what he can't figure out himself. But now he has come to realize that if he wants to retain his Dukedom he needs to give up his magic and live a normal life as the Duke of Milan. Magic solved his problems for him once in his life, but now he realizes that a good Duke would face the problems just as everyone else does.

In his last line of the play, Prospero says " I'll deliver all; and promise you calm seas, auspicious gales, and sail so expeditious that shall catch your royal fleet far off." He then continues to give Ariel his send off of freedom. What he means in this last line of the play is that he is now going to leave this island, but before he does this he wants to mend all ties with those who are there. Next, he renounces his magic as he realizes that he is a new man with new responsibilities. He is off to be the Duke of Milan and serve as a trustworthy and honest Duke, one which all can live under and abide by fairly. He has his Dukedom back, he feels as though he no longer needs his magic.