The Tempest Compare And Contrast Essay

“When you initially forgive, it is like letting go of a hot iron. There is initial pain and the scars will show, but you can start living again.” –Stephen Richards In William Shakespeare’s comedic play, The Tempest, first performed in 1611, Shakespeare introduces many complex, and seemingly very different characters, yet further analysis reveals similarities that run much deeper than surface level appearances. This particularly evident in Prospero, the king of an island, and Caliban, his subhuman slave. Prospero and Caliban show much conflict throughout the entirety of the play, yet each of them is in similar situations, and Caliban can be illustrated as a symbol of Prospero’s pent up anger. Shakespeare utilizes this similarity between characters who demonstrate much animosity towards one another, and their eventual acceptance to show the link between

During his reign he became consumed in his studies of magic, and was neglecting his people, as a result was exiled to a desolate island, by order of his brother Alonzo. On this island Prospero met another outcast to society, just like himself, named Caliban who is native to the island. Caliban originally trusted Prospero, but due to misunderstanding of events, Prospero claimed Caliban as his slave and the island as his own, and thus Caliban hates Prospero for taking his island. Even though these two have little in common, they both feel as though something has been wrongfully taken from them, Prospero in his Dukedom and Caliban with his island. Up until the later acts of the play, Prospero is filled with hatred and desire for revenge on those who took his Dukedom from him, very similar to the hate that Caliban has toward Prospero for betraying him. Prospero’s hatred manifests itself against Caliban, as shown through the verbal abuse Caliban suffers from Prospero, along with the magic abuse he endures as