"I boarded the King's ship/...I flamed amazement. Sometimes I'd divide/ and burn in many places/...
On their sustaining garments not a blemish,/
But fresher than before."Summary
Scene i
The play opens up with a ship and its crew in a tempest the likes of which no one has ever seen. On board is the crew, consisting of a shipmaster and a boatswain. King Alonso of Naples, his son Ferdinand, and his entourage, Sebastian, Antonio, and Gonzalo. Upon realizing that the ship is going to crash, the crew panics and most of them jump ship. However our main characters remain, since they have faith in their obedient, if rude, crew. The scene ends with Gonzalo crying aloud that he would give everything he could to "die a dry death."Scene ii
The wizard Prospero and his daughter Miranda have been living on an uninhabited island for twelve years; and until now, Prospero has refused to tell Miranda why. But now, after having destroyed that ship, Prospero decides to tell his daughter the tale of their origin.
Prospero was once the Duke of Milan, but due to his immense and obsessive interests in the humanities (i.e. math, science, history, and basically anything other than theology), he let his brother Antonio rule in substitution, meaning that he would act as the Duke without actually being the Duke. As time passed on, Antonio convinced himself that he was actually the Duke of Milan. So, to secure his dukehood, Antonio secured his position with the people by doing all the things a political zealot needs to do to ascend. Furthermore, Antonio paid Alonso, King of Naples, innumerable favors to help him overthrow Prospero and seal Antonio's dukedom once and for all. One sudden night, the traitorous troops of Milan burst in, took Prospero and baby Miranda, stuck them on a raft with but a few worldly possessions and some food and water (provided by Gonzalo, a nobleman of Naples) , and shoved them off to sea. And now all those who betrayed Prospero and a few more are on the island because he crashed their ship. After telling Miranda all this, he puts her to sleep so he can talk to his enslaved spirit, Ariel.
Prospero interrogates Ariel about the ship he destroyed for his master. Ariel describes it with much joy, saying the ship went up in flames as the wind and the ocean flung it about. Everyone aboard was cast in various places around the island, save King Alonso, whose ship was safely harbored in a cave, and the crew, who Ariel shipped back to Italy. Delighted to hear of the perfect execution of his plans, Prospero declares that there is more work to be done, but Ariel reminds him that he promised him his freedom. Prospero is infuriated by this back-talk, and sternly reminds Ariel that he freed him from the tree that the evil witch Sycorax trapped him in for twelve years and threatens to trap him for twelve more. Ariel concedes with his tail between his legs, and listens for Prospero's instructions. He tells him to turn into an invisible water nymph, and he leaves. After Ariel leaves, Prospero awakens Miranda, who claims that his tale made him faint. Prospero and Miranda then visit their slave, Caliban, who is the son of Sycorax. After exchanging several slurs, we learn that Caliban became Prospero's slave because Prospero nurtured and taught Caliban when they met him on the island, so Caliban serves Prospero and Miranda out of fear of Prospero's magic. Caliban exits to fetch some fuel, and Ferdinand, Prince of Naples, enters. Miranda instantly falls instantly and madly in love with the handsome man while Ariel, invisible, plays a song around him, convincing him that his father has died. Ferdinand's eyes finds Miranda, who instantly loves her in return. However Prospero intercedes and accuses Ferdinand of being a spy and a traitor, and that he'll torture him for daring to come to the island. Ferdinand draws his sword, but Prospero uses his magic to freeze him there. Miranda, desperate to save her new-found lover, beseeches her father to let him live. At her demands Prospero has mercy on the boy, only on the condition that he be disabled enough to keep him from revolting against him but able enough to move. Prospero forbids Miranda from speaking to Ferdinand, and everyone exits.
Prospero was once the Duke of Milan, but due to his immense and obsessive interests in the humanities (i.e. math, science, history, and basically anything other than theology), he let his brother Antonio rule in substitution, meaning that he would act as the Duke without actually being the Duke. As time passed on, Antonio convinced himself that he was actually the Duke of Milan. So, to secure his dukehood, Antonio secured his position with the people by doing all the things a political zealot needs to do to ascend. Furthermore, Antonio paid Alonso, King of Naples, innumerable favors to help him overthrow Prospero and seal Antonio's dukedom once and for all. One sudden night, the traitorous troops of Milan burst in, took Prospero and baby Miranda, stuck them on a raft with but a few worldly possessions and some food and water (provided by Gonzalo, a nobleman of Naples) , and shoved them off to sea. And now all those who betrayed Prospero and a few more are on the island because he crashed their ship. After telling Miranda all this, he puts her to sleep so he can talk to his enslaved spirit, Ariel.
Prospero interrogates Ariel about the ship he destroyed for his master. Ariel describes it with much joy, saying the ship went up in flames as the wind and the ocean flung it about. Everyone aboard was cast in various places around the island, save King Alonso, whose ship was safely harbored in a cave, and the crew, who Ariel shipped back to Italy. Delighted to hear of the perfect execution of his plans, Prospero declares that there is more work to be done, but Ariel reminds him that he promised him his freedom. Prospero is infuriated by this back-talk, and sternly reminds Ariel that he freed him from the tree that the evil witch Sycorax trapped him in for twelve years and threatens to trap him for twelve more. Ariel concedes with his tail between his legs, and listens for Prospero's instructions. He tells him to turn into an invisible water nymph, and he leaves. After Ariel leaves, Prospero awakens Miranda, who claims that his tale made him faint. Prospero and Miranda then visit their slave, Caliban, who is the son of Sycorax. After exchanging several slurs, we learn that Caliban became Prospero's slave because Prospero nurtured and taught Caliban when they met him on the island, so Caliban serves Prospero and Miranda out of fear of Prospero's magic. Caliban exits to fetch some fuel, and Ferdinand, Prince of Naples, enters. Miranda instantly falls instantly and madly in love with the handsome man while Ariel, invisible, plays a song around him, convincing him that his father has died. Ferdinand's eyes finds Miranda, who instantly loves her in return. However Prospero intercedes and accuses Ferdinand of being a spy and a traitor, and that he'll torture him for daring to come to the island. Ferdinand draws his sword, but Prospero uses his magic to freeze him there. Miranda, desperate to save her new-found lover, beseeches her father to let him live. At her demands Prospero has mercy on the boy, only on the condition that he be disabled enough to keep him from revolting against him but able enough to move. Prospero forbids Miranda from speaking to Ferdinand, and everyone exits.
Analysis
Something that I noticed that kept arising in the text was the usage of the four elements: air, earth, water, and fire. The usage of the four elements as well as the excessive references to witches and magic might possibly foreshadow the strangeness of the story that will ensue; all societal norms will break down and anything can happen.
Furthermore, the characterization of Prospero is...mysterious. He builds himself up to be a great man and a victim to his daughter, but after he puts her to sleep he is revealed to have not one, but two slaves. So, perhaps Prospero and Antonio are truly brothers in that they disillusion the people to serve their own ambitions: Antonio painted himself as a great man to the people of Milan so he could ascend to Dukehood, but Prospero painted himself as a great man to his daughter to maintain his relationship with her. Furthermore, he wants to use the love between Miranda and Ferdinand to get back at Antonio and Milan. Their relationship obviously centers around each other because, with the exception of Caliban, they are the only two on the island. So, if their relationship is lost, they could risk their sanity.
Caliban provides an interesting look into how humans treat foreign humans. At first, Prospero tried to teach Caliban the finer things, but when Caliban actively expressed his lack of desire to learn those things, Prospero enslaved him because he thought he'd be put to better use. One could conclude from this action that humans are initially good, yet have the capacity to be evil.
Thanks for reading,
Nick
Furthermore, the characterization of Prospero is...mysterious. He builds himself up to be a great man and a victim to his daughter, but after he puts her to sleep he is revealed to have not one, but two slaves. So, perhaps Prospero and Antonio are truly brothers in that they disillusion the people to serve their own ambitions: Antonio painted himself as a great man to the people of Milan so he could ascend to Dukehood, but Prospero painted himself as a great man to his daughter to maintain his relationship with her. Furthermore, he wants to use the love between Miranda and Ferdinand to get back at Antonio and Milan. Their relationship obviously centers around each other because, with the exception of Caliban, they are the only two on the island. So, if their relationship is lost, they could risk their sanity.
Caliban provides an interesting look into how humans treat foreign humans. At first, Prospero tried to teach Caliban the finer things, but when Caliban actively expressed his lack of desire to learn those things, Prospero enslaved him because he thought he'd be put to better use. One could conclude from this action that humans are initially good, yet have the capacity to be evil.
Thanks for reading,
Nick
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