The Tempest Character Analysis - 1424 Words

â€Å"Good versus evil† is a theme in The Tempest, just as in many fantasy stories. The Tempest shows this theme though its characters. The most obvious pair of characters for this contrast is Ariel and Caliban. Ariel is good and Caliban is bad. This is a common opinion held by many scholars and critics, namely, Charles Boyce and Derek Traversi. However, there are many ways in which these two characters are similar—there are various parallels and similarities which are not always covered by critics. Neither character is purely good or purely evil—they are both round characters with many sides. When critics write on Ariel and Caliban, as noted previously, they point out a lot of things that cause them to seem like opposites. Charles Boyce†¦show more content†¦Some differences are that Caliban is called his â€Å"slave†: â€Å"We’ll visit Caliban, my slave,† and Ariel simply his â€Å"servant†: â€Å"Come away, servant, come!â €  (1.2.310) (1.2.187). However, in the end, Prospero has complete administration over these characters. Also, there are some similarities in how they each follow Prospero. Neither character blindly follows Prospero or does everything he wants without question. Caliban attempts (and, in some iterations of the play, succeeds) to directly disobey Prospero when he refuses to carry logs for him, but he gives in, in the end: Prospero: What ho! Slave! Caliban! / Thou earth, thou! Speak. Caliban: There’s wood enough within. (1.2.315-316) Prospero: Fetch us in fuel†¦or†¦I’ll rack thee with old cramps, / fill all thy bones with aches, make thee roar / That beasts shall tremble at thy din. Caliban: No, pray thee. / I must obey. (1.2.369-375) Later, he condemns his master and plots to kill him. Ariel questions Prospero and asks him for his freedom, but they resolve the issue in the same manner as the issue between Caliban and Prospero: Ariel: Is there more toil? Since thou dost give me pains, / Let me remember thee what thou hast promised, / Which is not yet performed me. Prospero: How now? Moody? / What canst thou demand? Ariel: My liberty. (1.2.242-245) Ariel: Pardon, master. / I will be correspondent to command (1.2.297-298)Show MoreRelatedThe Tempest Character Analysis1047 Words   |  5 Pagesperspective. In William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Prospero comes to realise not only the limitations of his power, but also the importance of love and redemption in redefining one’s place in the world, as well as one’s view of it. Theodore Melfi’s film Hidden Figures represents the importance of new perspectives on the familiar in order to realise the self, in the face of conflicting and controlling views towards casual racism and sexism. The Tempest, as its title suggests, is partly concernedRead MoreThe Tempest Character Analysis948 Words   |  4 Pagesget it. Yet it is how they obtain this power that shows their true nature. 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Before this question can be considered, one first has to interpret these terms. Perhaps bitter wisdom and fragile hope are fairly simple concepts to understand, lost illusions is somewhat less clear, particularly in the case of The Tempest.    There are three main interpretations of lost illusions that could be madeRead MoreThe Tempest By William Shakespeare1705 Words   |  7 PagesLiterature Mr. Nath 5 December 2014 The Tempest Written between 1610 and 1611, The Tempest by William Shakespeare is the final play penned by the famous Bard. The play portrays the illusory struggle of power and conscience through the character of Prospero and his egocentric motives. Politically, the play can be seen as an analysis of important political issues relevant to that of oppression and imperialistic tendencies of the time. Artistically, The Tempest emphasizes the nature of art, more prominentlyRead MoreEssay on Isolation of the Individual in Society in The Tempest1458 Words   |  6 PagesIndividual in Society in The Tempest In William Shakespeares play, The Tempest, characters such as Caliban, Prospero, Miranda and Ferdinand, experience varying degrees of consequences, due to their change in behaviour, while isolated from society. Although isolation from society affects the characters in different ways, some see it as being advantageous while others see it as being a curse. This essay will show how characters in The Tempest suffer consequences due