Argumentative Paper about “Prospero’s Manipulation” In the Tempest

A persuasive essay on “Prospero’s Manipulation” A mysterious character named Prospero appears in William Shakespeare’s drama The Tempest. He gives off an air of haughtiness and usurping authority. Due to his use of magic and the excessive power he holds, he exudes total dominance over the other characters and becomes haughty in his quest for their allegiance and trust. He takes advantage of the remaining supporters to exact revenge on his sibling for removing him forcibly from the Milan dukedom.

Prospero has no qualms about using his position of authority to further his personal goals. At the beginning of the play he uses the magical powers to conquer a terrible storm saying: “If by your art, my dearest father, you have put the wild waters in this roar, allay them” (Act I, Scene 2). He intentionally intimidates those he relates to in way that reminds them of his magical power. When talking to Caliban he threatens to comply with his wishes or otherwise use his powers against him. Caliban is cowed and remain hesitant and answers rudely. He however grudgingly agrees to Prospero’s instructions later. Caliban I forced into complete enslavement having unleashed on him some malicious acts that he intends to cast on him. He inwardly wishes for the harm of Prospero’s and clear indication of how he loathes him. Prospero thus achieve to earn Caliban servitude through intimidation as well as having a tight grip on his mother (Shakespeare). Caliban’s freedom is consequently limited. Caliban is the rightful ruler of the island but Prospero strips away his leadership just as his dukedom had been snatched by his brother. His ruthlessness to Caliban is further enhanced by his continue complains and desire to reinstate dot leadership. This makes Prospero suspicious and therefore intends to keep him fully in submission.

The use of manipulation by Prospero’s can be traced to the pain of the lost duke ship that he endures when he is dethroned. He therefore endeavours to ensure that his future relationships are skewed towards earning him trust and loyalty. The thoughts of losing influence and power further entrenches him to use unconventional tactics aided by the magical powers .The manipulation behaviour in Prospero knows no boundary seeing that he wittingly manipulates his young daughter. He limits her past view of reality by and alters it to his own terms. In Act II Prospero appear to be having a genuine and loving relationship with his daughter. This changes as the play progresses with Prospero power of manipulation remaining active over his daughter. It is clear that he start having excessive influence over reality when he narrates to her how he lost the dukedom and how they ended up living on the island. Prospero creatively plays victim and paints a picture of the good duke that he was endearing and earning sympathy of his daughter.

Miranda unknowingly agree to this ploy and surrenders her loyalty and trust to her father. Her naivety an innocence can be blamed for her falling for the story. He desires her to view the past in his own perspective and loathe all the people that he hates. He explains how his evil brother usurped and dethroned him from power held. Prospero manipulation works perfectly that Miranda comments of how she had been a burden to him as he underwent all the troubles from his brother. Prospero is a skilled manipulator who turns the story and influence his victims to view the world in his perceptive. The discourse to his daughter lifts hi above the maliciousness of his enemies and further cements his daughter loyalty (Shakespeare). The lack of any other perspective for Miranda to believe make her fall for her father side of the story without questioning its validity.

Prospero’s manipulation further entraps Ariel. Ariel was a servant o Sycorax an Algerian witch whom he banishes when he arrives on the island. Sycorax had trapped Ariel on a tree and refused to free him. When Prospero lands on the island he frees Ariel form the charm and makes him his servant. He often promises to make him free but fails on often times. When Ariel complains to him Prospero is quick to dig up the past and remind him how ungrateful he is despite being saved. ”You lie, you nasty, ungrateful thing! Have you forgotten the horrid witch Sycorax, stooped over with old age and ill will? Have you forgotten her?”(Act 1 Scene 2). This constant reminder of the past intimidates Ariel from requesting freedom from Prospero. Ariel is therefore manipulated into positon of eternally paying back the debt of being saved. The continuous state of indebtedness makes is therefore used as an incentive to keep Ariel in servitude. It is important to note that Prospero had initially promised to release Ariel after serving him. He intentionally fails to give a timeline or the duration of servitude as manipulative move leaving Ariel at his mercies.

Ariel is the most favourite servant of Prospero who he easily uses to manipulates others As king Alonso and Antonio are sailing back to Italy following marriage celebration in Tunis Prospero raises a tempest storm that shipwrecks them and land theme on the beach of the island that he resides in (Dryden). This is the same beach that Prospero had landed twelve years previously. He intends to lure the men to himself forgive them for what they had done to him when he was dethroned for the dukedom. The manipulation of Prospero further includes the weather. The action intimidates the rest of the characters and entrenches fear in them

Ariel in his servitude to Prospero in manipulated to lure Ferdinand who he want to marry Miranda. Ariel manipulates the men in song and leads them into a cell where Prospero intend to portray his humble and forgiving nature. For you, most wicked sir, whom to call brother would even infect my mouth, I do forgive thy rankest fault – all of them. (Dryden) Prospero has hatched a plan to have his daughter married by prince Ferdinand of Naples. He desires to use her to regain power. Through this he manipulates the future of her daughter even without asking for acceptance and forces her into marriage. He threatens Ferdinand aby treating him cruelly as slave as move to show her daughter his noble character. This further show the reach of his manipulation to his son in law. The hard challenge presented to both Miranda and Ferdinand may have driven them into more affection as Prospero had planned.

William Shakespeare manages to entrench them manipulation theme in the paly by portraying a scene where Ferdinand and Miranda are playing chess. This clearly resonates with the manner in which Prospero’s moves the rest of the character to fit his purposes.

The theme of manipulation through the play is significant and would have been very well received by the seventeenth century audience. Prospero was a learned man who due to his habit of studying numerous books and magic. It is further believed that this might have been the reason he was exiled from Milan (Dryden). Throughout his mastery of magic he gains an upper hand that enables him to manipulate the rest of the characters into his plans. Although a master of manipulation Prospero is also a victim of his brother Antonio. He engages in insidious actions and unjustly exiles him from the dukedom in Milan. This act greatly affect Prospero and can be claimed to have been the source of his rile and immense manipulation in throughout the play.

In conclusion it is far believed to have been for King James I he was largely believed to loves books and magic. The use of brutal and inhumane manipulation would have been enjoyed by the seventeenth century audiences. The audience would have loved to see the use of magic in controlling people’s actions as well as the restoration of balance in the society. However in the post-colonial view Prospero’s actions are inhuman and abominable. He deliberately hurts his victims as he huger to regain his past glory and power through the use of magic (Culler 112). The play creatively re-enacts the role of colonialism on the subjects where they were brutally disfranchised and uprooted form their way of living as well as economic activities.

Works Cited

Culler, Jonathan. “Identity, Identification, and the Subject.” Literary Theory: a very short introduction (1997).

Dryden, John. “Preface to the Enchanted Island.” The Tempest, or the Enchanted Island. A Comedy liam Davenant and John Dryden. London 1670: A2-A3.

Ashcroft, Bill, Gareth Griffiths, and Helen Tiffin, eds. The post-colonial studies reader. Taylor & Francis, 2006.

Shakespeare, William. The Riverside Shakespeare. Vol. 2. Houghton Mifflin, 1974. (Culler 112)