The Use of Manipulation in Shakespeare's The Tempest (Act I)

When reading Act I of The Tempest it introduced me to the world of Shakespeare, and his mysterious leading character Prospero. Because of Prospero’s vindictiveness and absolute power over the other characters in the play, it makes him very hard to like or admire, regardless of his unfortunate past.

When sharing with Miranda, his daughter, about their past experiences, Prospero in my eyes seemed to have an attitude of arrogance, and constantly asked Miranda if she was ‘paying attention’. “To what tune pleased his ear, that now he was the ivy which had hid my princely trunk, and sucked my verdure out on ’t. Thou attend’st not.” Prospero was able to gain self-respect and pity from his daughter by telling her the story of how he was taken out of power in Milan by his brother, Antonio. By manipulating her perception of her past, Prospero is able to win over her loyalty and trust.

It is evident in the play that Prospero uses violent powers as a means of controlling the world around him. For starters, he used his powers to conquer a terrible storm in the beginning of the play. “If by your art, my dearest father, you have put the wild waters in this roar, allay them” (Act I, Scene 2). Also, he threatened Caliban to comply with his wishes; otherwise he would use his powers of magic against him. After the treat, Caliban remains hesitant and rude, but ultimately follows orders; secretly wishing harm upon Prospero.

Additionally, Prospero seems to take advantage of the debts Ariel possesses to him. Ariel was a servant to Sycorax; who treated him terribly. She ended up locking him up in a pine tree; who died before she could let him out. Only people with magical powers could let him out, and Prospero did just that. However even after her debt was payed, Prospero still believed she had another year remaining.