The Role Of Prospero In The Tempest

Prospero is the protagonist. Plain and simple. However, he inhibits roles outside the traditional protagonist. In William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Prospero, former duke of Milan and father to Miranda, initiates the play by seeking vengeance on his enemies who have taken his dukedom from him. The play follows his journey into returning to his former status through his use of magic to avenge his enemies, but ultimately forgive them. Protagonists give the audience the story from their point of view, but Prospero does more; he controls the story. From engineering the love between his daughter Miranda and a prince to controlling his slaves, Prospero directly involves himself in all aspects of the play. Yet, the most compelling difference

As Prospero is so invested in his plot to seek vengeance as well as carry out the marriage between Ferdinand and Miranda, the thought of Caliban’s, his slave’s, plot to murder him has escaped his memory. He then launches into a speech about the ceremony he’s holding for Miranda and Ferdinand, but more specifically how the ceremony is as meaningless as their roles on the island. For instance, Prospero elaborates that “These our actors, As I foretold you, were all spirits and Are melted into air, into thin air; And like the baseless fabric of this vision…” (IV.i.165-168). These few lines reveal much on Prospero’s mindset regarding the events transpiring, beginning with “These our actors, As I foretold you”. By calling everyone “actors,” he is demeaning life into a mere play. But it’s not a simple play; it’s a play he is directing. Evident in “As I foretold you,” Prospero admits that he is the one narrating the play, but more so that everyone is a puppet to his play -- and he holds the strings. He continues to debase the play by calling it “baseless” and of “this vision”, and it is important to note that “this” refers to Prospero’s vision, which again demonstrates his role as a playwright and, therefore,