Book Review: Shakespeare, The Tempest (Signet)

The Dynamics of Prospero’s Persuasion

Prospero fell from his level of prominence. He fell from power. He fell down the ladder of social order, to the bottom rung of exile and insignificance. In exile he strives to obtain some order, some degree of meaning. Prospero seeks, or in essence craves some level of control… over anyone or thing. He will do his very best to uphold a façade, a fake mask of authority to hide his frayed edges. Prospero attempts to balance his own brand of politics through this battered ego to attain power. Throughout this work, The Tempest, the sufficiently complex balance of politics and psychology will play out within Prospero’s inner psyche.

Upon his exile, Prospero and his daughter Miranda take control of a distant island as they claim a new place of residence (hardly a home, but instead just a place of temporary residence for Prospero to plot his reoccupation of power). Prospero takes two slaves to serve beneath him, thus establishing an instant great chain of being on this once peaceful and destitute island. Through Ariel and Caliban, Prospero establishes his need or desire for his reaffirmation of authority. So in essence, Prospero feeds off of the obedience and subservience of Caliban (and Ariel) to boost his own crumbling ego.

Prospero consistently places himself and his goodness on a pedestal throughout the play. Prospero reminds Caliban that it was indeed he that saved Caliban from his primitive nature. He states very bluntly in the novel, "Thou most lying slave, whom stripes may move, not kindness! I have used thee with humane care, and lodged thee in mine own cell till thou didst seek to violate the honor of my child." (lines 343-349 Act 1, Scene 2) Prospero in essence is attempting to persuade Caliban into believing that he is some enormous blessing to Caliban; some gift of civilization, and almost parental guidance that he seems to persuade Caliban he is in need for. It is this persuasive, almost mind control that Prospero exemplifies through Ariel, and he seeks to dominate Caliban in the same fashion.

Ariel is a simple character. He has no real analytical or dramatic significance. He is a servant of Prospero, and he bows to Prospero’s every command. He is the model of a true servant/slave. Ariel is of sexual and physical ambiguity, and serves as a spirit slave. He was rescued by Prospero from Caliban’s mother, Sycorax, and in return serves as servant under Prospero until Prospero releases him from service. Ariel’s metamorphic form and abilities prove to be extremely useful along with Prospero’s magical capabilities. Ariel is mischievous, but basically subservient and obedient.

Caliban, however, displays a very intriguing dynamic. While Caliban resents Prospero, he takes no real action against his rule. Caliban exhibits what seems to be a desire for rule and hierarchy due to his long period of isolation on the island. Caliban claims ownership of the island, but is denied any privileges or authoritative roles on the island.

Caliban is unadulterated by nature, a very distinct nature that was given to him through the union of the evil witch Sycorax and a devil. His tendencies may be primitive, savage, and/or barbaric, but he is capable of an almost poetic thought, a lyrical and emotional language as we see in limited passages throughout the work. The key passage that illustrates this comes from Act 1, Scene 2: "…When thou cam’st first, thou strok’st me and made much of me; wouldst give me water with berries in’t; and teach me how to name the bigger light…" The passage goes on to demonstrate Caliban’s insight and even his streak of sarcasm and rebellion.
Fundamentally, Prospero and Caliban both share one important and equal characteristic: they are both outcasts, removed from their original place of origin and residence. Although they share this same quality, they both act upon it very differently. While one craves power and obedience, the other seeks independence and free will.

Caliban was Prospero and Miranda’s sole guide to the island when they first arrived. Although I believe Caliban had some sort of language already, he also learned language from Prospero, their own language, which Caliban utilizes to curse Prospero and his tyrannical ways. Prospero takes refuge at this island, claiming it, and in this process he is establishing his precedence over Caliban, the peasant inhabitant.

Through the foreshadowed, yet obvious insecurities within Prospero, there becomes a very intriguing dynamic or relationship between Prospero and Caliban. Prospero’s inner insecurity is represented several times throughout this work, for example in Act 5, Scene 1, Prospero rambles on to Sebastian saying, "For you, most wicked sir, whom to call brother would even infect my mouth, I do forgive thy rankest fault- all of them; and require my dukedom of thee, which perforce I know thou must restore." Prospero can not bear to be stricken from his title or level of prominence; it’s like an obsession with power. He goes on later in the very same scene to reflect on his traumatic overthrow and his loss of power. "…That I am Prospero, and that very duke which was thrust forth of Milan…" He can not let one moment go by without assuring everyone of his past prominence.

Caliban’s capabilities of thought, foresight, poetic lyric, and deception establishes an important role on the island… one of the oppressed peasant that resents the social order, or hierarchy in place within his life. Caliban may be primitive to Prospero’s (European) standards, but on this particular island there exists standards of their own. Caliban is indeed self-sufficient and capable of learning and adapting to his surrounding circumstances. He was in fact his own "master" free of restraint until Prospero arrived and sought to remove his independence.

Caliban’s deceptive tendencies, or capabilities, come into play when he plots against Prospero through Stephano. Caliban’s distain for Prospero drives him to convince Stephano to overthrow Prospero, although his efforts are futile. This is an extremely intense and powerful scene in the play because it sets up an interesting dynamic… that Prospero and Caliban may be more closely related that unrelated. They both share common characteristics in nature and intent. Caliban seeks to overthrow Prospero through Stephano, while Prospero seeks to reclaim power through the marriage of his daughter. They both seek external vessels to utilize in their own plans of reclaiming power. Caliban seeks to reclaim his island and Prospero seeks to reclaim power in Milan.

Caliban’s attempt to overthrow Prospero also demonstrates a dramatic effect of insubordination, in his very language when he says, "Why, as I told thee, ‘tis a custom with him I’ th’ afternoon to sleep. There thou mayst brain him, having first seized his books, or with a log batter his skull, or paunch him with a stake, or cut his wezand with thy knife." (Act 3, Scene 2: lines 91-100) Caliban’s long period of subservience drives him to this point of rebellious hatred so deep, his primitive, savage inner workings surface with these very words.

Prospero’s traumatic exile or betrayal drives his every breath towards his goal. Caliban’s distain and hatred for Prospero drives his every motive toward his goal. Throughout the play, the descriptions and language of each character seem to paint distinct pictures. Caliban seems to be painted as this primitive, unclean, savage creature, while Prospero is painted as a well dressed, noble, and intellectual ruler. Through the tempest, or storm, it is as if the paint was washed away and both characters are revealed for what they really are, similar in nature and intent. They both use deception and their individual convictions to strive for their own selfish desires.
Prospero’s character has another note-worthy aspect that lies within his magical power.

Through his staff and magic book(s), Prospero’s primary force of persuasion and power reside in his newfound magical powers. It is through these powers that Prospero creates the tempest and manipulates the fates of all the men aboard the ship that wash up on the island’s shore. Prospero’s capabilities in this fashion give him a great advantage over those he seeks to control. In essence, without this power, Prospero would have nothing but his books and his ego.

When the play begins to come to an end, we see that all the dynamics that have been building up throughout the work begin to culminate into resolution. Prospero relinquishes his magic power, and becomes what seems to be humanized to some great extent out of his love for his daughter. His somewhat capricious ways now seem more sensible, as he releases all power over Ariel and Caliban, and they no longer serve as slaves. Prospero will also lose any dominance over Miranda as he returns to Naples and Miranda marries Ferdinand. Caliban receives his freedom and his "ownership" of the island upon Prospero’s absence.

The basic concept of this play, the use of persuasion and power, plays out in such distinct and captivating ways. Prospero’s character consistently attempts to use his knowledge and insight to persuade, through a mind controlling fashion, Caliban and successfully Ariel, into doing his bidding. His instant establishment of hierarchy from the very beginning exhibits his need for importance, maybe even worship, from those he deems of lower significance. Although successful with Ariel, Prospero fails to completely control Caliban, the rebellious island inhabitant, and never truly achieves his dominance on the island.

The Tempest is a very insightful work and deserves much recognition for it is in a sense a pioneer work as it dispels the fanatical hierarchy that was in place during Shakespeare’s time. It is written to appease the Kings and Lords of the day, but it still hides underlining contradictions of social order.