He once had power and prestige. He was the Duke of Milan, a man of great import. He could, at that time, guarantee his daughter a good life. Ousted by his own brother and lucky to survive, he now wallowed in exile, cursing his own incompetence.
“Look at me now,” he thought to himself. “I am nothing. I am served only by a spirit, who serves me only due to his debt to me, and a monstrous character who I must exploit and who threatens the only one who I love.”
Prospero had to constantly remind Ariel that he was Ariel’s savior, to motivate him to continue his work, and he had to constantly monitor Caliban’s behavior. After Antonio’s betrayal, Prospero wanted to ensure that those around him were, if not loyal, willing to follow his orders. Prospero felt guilty for the way he treated his subordinates- or at least, the way he treated Ariel. After Caliban had attempted to harm Miranda, Prospero no longer felt pity for the monstrous servant in the way he had before. Caliban chafed under his rules and his injustices- but he needed the servants for his future plans.
Prospero was also painfully aware of his own limitations. Upon arriving on the island, he had gained new skills in his magical ability, but he felt powerless nonetheless- there was a whole world beyond the ocean, that he could no longer influence. He did not like the magic he had learned, and would be happy to give it up once he had left the island. But until then, there was much that he wanted to accomplish, and the time that he had spent on the island was otherwise wasted.
Nevertheless, as Prospero gazed out into the distance, he was also filled with a profound sense of hope. For he could, just barely, see a world of possibilities, and a world of opportunities. And as the sun rose over the ocean, Prospero knew he could succeed: he was patient, and he could manipulate. He would wait for the right time, gain his former power back, release Ariel from his servitude, foil Caliban’s plots, and most importantly ensure that Miranda would have a bright future.
Prospero smiled. For on the sea, in his mind’s eye, he could sense the approach of a ship, carrying a few useful passengers. He turned and walked back inland- it was time for a storm.
Analysis:
Much of our analysis of the Tempest focused on Caliban- seeing from his perspective, analyzing his role in the play, and understanding who he is. With this short story, I wanted to analyze a different character, with different motivations: Prospero. When we analyze the Tempest from the perspective of Caliban, it’s really easy to start thinking of Prospero as a villain and a slaver. Perhaps Prospero is in fact a villain, and his role is at the very least more complicated and morally gray than just “hero”. With that said, I wanted to use this short story as an opportunity to see from Prospero’s perspective. To that end, I wrote the story as an inner monologue, as Prospero stares out to sea- hoping for an opportunity to change his dire circumstances for the better.
I used Prospero’s lines at the very end of the play, in the epilogue, as inspiration:
“Now my charms are all overthrown,
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 pardon'd the deceiver, dwell
In this bare island by your spell…” (Epilogue.1.1-8)
Beyond that, I mostly used my understanding of his motivations, and my own creative liberty, to characterize him in a way I found interesting. I believe that my short story might have made Prospero’s character more relatable, and more heroic. It shows that he is guilty for some of the actions he has taken (like manipulating Ariel) and shows that he is able to recognize his own faults. It also shows us his longing for the life he used to have, and his motivations for wanting that life: to protect Miranda and give her a good life. My version of Prospero may have lost something that Shakespeare’s version had, though: his air of mystery and magic. In the Tempest, Prospero is powerful, magical, and a master manipulator. He is able to capsize a ship by creating a storm, and successfully weds Miranda and Ferdinand. We, as the audience, never quite know what the limits of his capabilities are- and we never will, since he loses his powers at the end of the play and succeeds in all of his other goals. Furthermore, Prospero is serious, and acts like the royalty that he is even while on the island. In my version, Prospero is humanized a little; the limits of his magic are never explicitly discussed, but they are alluded to. We see him with mistakes, flaws, and regrets- he is even somewhat melodramatic. With this humanization, some of the mystery that surrounded him, and some of the “royal” aura, is lost.
BY VIKRAM VENKATRAM
Bibliography:
Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. Ed. Virginia Mason Vaughan, Alden T. Vaughan. London: Bloomsbury Arden Shakespeare, 2011. Print.