Relationship between Prospero, Caliban and Ariel in The Tempest

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Relationship between Prospero, Caliban and Ariel in The Tempest

Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest is set on a mysterious island surrounded by the ocean. Here the magician Prospero is ruler of the isle with his two servants Caliban and Ariel. Caliban is the abrasive, foul-mouthed son of the evil witch Sycorax. When Prospero was shipwrecked on the island Prospero treated him kindly but their relationship changed when Caliban tried to rape Prospero's daughter, Miranda. Caliban then became Prospero's unwilling servant. Caliban serves his master out of fear Prospero's wrath. Prospero's other servant Ariel is a graceful spirit who has courtesy and charm. Ariel has put her services at Prospero's disposal out of gratitude for his kind actions towards her. Prospero saved Ariel from the confinement of Sycorax who held her prisoner.

Prospero treats his two servants in very different ways as their behavior and attitudes towards him are contrasting. From this, the question arises why he treats his equally hard-working servants in different ways and if he is wise in his actions.

Prospero treats Caliban in a very strict, even ruthless manner insulting him,

'Thou poisonous slave, got by the devil himself' 1/2/319

and threatening him with harsh punishments that he can inflict by his powerful magic,

'...tonight thou shalt have cramps...

Thou shalt be pinched...

each pinch more stinging

Than bees made 'em. ' 1/2/325

Prospero appears to be a ruthless tyrant that strikes fear into Caliban to make him work but further on in the text we learn that this is not the case. Caliban's foul-mouthed insults,

'...blister you all over.' 1/2/324

portray his degraded, brutish nature. In Act 1 Scene 2 Caliban complains of how Prospero used h...

... middle of paper ...

...te therefore becoming impractical and lacking in common sense. Shakespeare tries to show in the form of the wise Prospero, the balance of the two sides, the baser and the nobler. If you let one side dominate your personality you lose sight of your own individual person and you lose the balance.

Woks Cited and Consulted

Cahn, Victor L. Shakespeare, The Playwright Praeger Publishers. Westport CT. 1996

Charney, Maurice. "Bad" Shakespeare Associated Univeristy Press. London, England. 1996

Howe, James. A Buddhist's Shakespeare Associated University Press. Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. 1994

Hylton, Jeremy. Complete Works of WilliamShakespeare, Oct 4, 1999. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Kathman, Dave. Dating The Tempest Personal site http://www.clark.net/pub/tross/ws/tempest.html

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