Prospero: Good or Evil

2002 Morally ambiguous characters - characters whose behavior discourages readers from identifying them as purely evil or purely good- are at the heart of many works of literature. Choose a novel or play in which a morally ambiguous character plays a pivotal role. Then write an essay in which you explain how the character can be viewed as morally ambiguous and why his or her moral ambiguity is significant to the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary.
 

     Morally ambiguous characters are those who could be viewed as both good and evil, and are found in many stories and plays. The Tempest features a morally ambiguous character, Prospero. Prospero can be viewed as both good and evil because of his kindness and intelligence to some characters, such as his daughter Miranda, which conflicts with his harshness and unkindness to other characters, such as Caliban. 
   At the opening of the novel, Prospero is introduced as a "good guy." We feel sorry for him because he lost his title and status to his own brother, and it does not seem like he did anything wrong. He raised his baby daughter to be an intelligent and beautiful young woman on a deserted island. He rescued Ariel and educated Caliban. Throughout the story he expresses his sadness about fighting and even ends up giving his daughter to a man he seemed to not like. Prospero is forgiving to those who tried to hurt him.
     However, it can be argued that Prospero is an evil character. First of all, he caused the terrible storm which, in turn, caused the shipwreck. He let Alonso believe that his son was dead. He used the shipwreck and his magic to manipulate all of the characters. He manipulated Ferdinand and Miranda's relationship by acting like he didnt approve to make the other sound more enticing and create more curiosity. He caused the shipwreck to bring the noblemen from Milan together and charm them into giving him back his throne. He invaded the island and made Caliban and Ariel his slaves which was hypocritical, because he his own throne had just been usurped from him. Prospero seeks revenge throughout the entire play. 
      Throughout the play, Prospero's good and evil actions are usually paired together, making it hard to determine if he is good or evil. For example, he rescued and educated Ariel and Caliban, however he stole their island. He forgives the man who stole his throne, however seeks revenge and steals it back. The good and evil qualities highlight each other and make it difficult to pin Prospero as fully good or evil.
        Prospero displays both good and evil qualities and actions. This morally ambiguous character's different sides contrast each other and are used to highlight each other. His forgiveness and love for his daughter make him seem good, however, his desire for revenge and his enslavement of the island natives could be used to show his evilness.

The End

Act 5, Epilogue

Now my charms are all o'erthrown,

And what strength I have’s mine own,

Which is most faint. Now, ’tis true,

I must be here confined by you,

Or sent to Naples. Let me not,

Since I have my dukedom got

And pardoned the deceiver, dwell

In this bare island by your spell,

But release me from my bands

With the help of your good hands.

Gentle breath of yours my sails

Must fill, or else my project fails,

Which was to please. Now I want

Spirits to enforce, art to enchant,

And my ending is despair,

Unless I be relieved by prayer,

Which pierces so that it assaults

Mercy itself and frees all faults.

As you from crimes would pardoned be,

Let your indulgence set me free.

I think this is a reference to Prospero's earlier statement about how life is like a play and we are all actors. I think Shakespeare incorporated that quote earlier in the play so that he could end the play this way. Im glad he apologized for his faults and asked the audience to consider their faults when he asks them to forgive him. 

Prospero's Short Lived Joy

Act 4 Scene 1

The scene begins with Ferdinand and Miranda getting Prospero's blessing to get married. Three goddesses come and give the couple gifts which are for prosperity in the future. However, during the celebration, Prospero realizes that Caliban wants to kill him. He displays his disdain and sorrow for Caliban when he says,"There is not only disgrace and dishonor in that monster, but an infinite loss." 

Later, Prospero says "...These our actors, as I foretold you, were all spirits, and are melted into air, into thin air, and, like the baseless fabric of vision, the cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces,the solemn temples, the great globe itself,yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve and, like this insubstantial pageant faded, leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with sleep."

This monologue by Prospero is his comparison of humans to actors. I think he is expressing that he thinks human life is so short that "shall dissolve" and that he shouldn't be wasting his time and leaving the celebration of his daughter's engagement to fight or be unhappy. 

Love After a Few Days, Common To Other Shakespeare Plays

Act 3 Scene 1

INTERTEXTUALITY/ CONNECTIONS:   

"The mistress which I serve quickens what's dead, and makes my labours pleasures. O, she is Ten times more gentle than her father's crabbed, And he's composed of harshness." This quote from The Tempest reminds me a lot of "With love's light wings did I o'er-perch these walls; For stony limits cannot hold love out, And what love can do that dares love attempt;Therefore thy kinsmen are no let to me," from Romeo and Juliet. 

Both plays are written by Shakespeare, both involve a very young girl falling in love with a boy she met just days before, of whom her father does not approve.

"O heaven, O earth, bear witness to this sound,and crown what I profess with kind eventIf I speak true; if hollowly, invertwhat best is boded me to mischief: I,Beyond all limit of what else i' th' world,Do love, prize, honour you." also reminds me of "But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,Who is already sick and pale with grief,That thou her maid art far more fair than she."

You Taught Me the Language, Now I Know How To Curse

Act 1 Scene 2

Caliban: "You taught me language, and my profit on't is, I know how to curse. The red plague rid you for learning me your language"

I think Caliban is angry with Prospero for invading the island that once belonged to him and changing everything, although it wasn't really his to change. I agree with Caliban and I think Prospero is using the "education" that he gave Caliban for a guilt trip and tries to make Caliban look like the bad guy when really he didnt do anything to deserve being basically enslaved by the person who stole his island. I dont think it is fair that  Prospero felt entitled to change Caliban to be more like himself and to adapt to his way of life.

"The Tempest"

Act 1 Scene 1

This scene introduces the tempest, or the storm that causes the characters to be shipwrecked. The tempest is what brings all the characters together. I think the storm might be representative of the conflict that links the characters from previous arguments or “storms.”   Gonzalo mentions that he would "give a thousand furlongs of sea for an acre of barren ground" and that he would rather "die a dry death," which illustrates the severity of the storm and how much everyone wants to get off the ship and away from the sea. 

The Tempest Through Other Media

-First screen appearance was in 1905

-Many modern-day adaptations have been produced including versions made in 1960, 1979, 1982, 1998, and 2010 .

-Many movies such as Yellow Sky, Forbidden Planet, Prospero's Books, and Disney's Pocahontas are all said to have been based on The Tempest