However, by the end of the play, he comes to the revelation that such methods confront his nature. “This thing of darkness I/ Acknowledge mine” (Shakespeare, 2013, p. When deposed after Antonio’s betrayal, the man attempts to take revenge over his brother, using magic, cruelty, and intimidation (Blair, Pettit and Page, 2018). Though, as stated by Blair, Pettit, and Page (2018), the duke sometimes appears delinquent to his duties, his order is lawful. On the other hand, Shakespeare creates an image of Prospero, a noble and merciful ruler of Milan. Though the man’s intent never comes true, the situation demonstrates the extent of his infamy. Obsessed with the desire for power, Antonio persuades Sebastien to kill his brother, Alonso, following his example of the rule’s expropriation (Blair, Pettit and Page, 2018). Th’ occasion speaks thee, and/My strong imagination sees a crown/Dropping upon thy head” (Shakespeare, 2013, p.
Willing to sacrifice the well-being of his brother in exchange for the crown, he violently seizes power from his relative. On the one hand, Antonio is depicted as a despicable, sordid traitor with little moral principles (Blair, Pettit and Page, 2018). The author uses sharp contrast to emphasize the distinctions in their personalities. Relationships of the two brothers, Antonio and Prospero, lay in the core of Shakespeare’s play. By restoring his lawful rule, Prospero defeats the evil, proving that love is stronger than hate, and forgiveness is stronger than revenge. Realizing the power of forgiveness, the man returns to Milan and blesses the marriage of his daughter, Miranda, and Alonso’s son, Prince Ferdinand (Blair, Pettit and Page, 2018).
#The tempest characters free#
“Thou shalt be free /As mountain winds: but then exactly do/All points of my command” (Shakespeare, 2013, p. However, when Prospero’s plans come to reality, the man unexpectedly decides to grant mercy to Antonio and Alonso in exchange for his dukedom (Blair, Pettit and Page, 2018). Through supernatural powers and deception, the deposed ruler hopes to shipwreck the betrayers and take revenge, eventually regaining his title. As explained by Blair, Pettit and Page (2018), scared by the power of the tempest, the two men do not surmise that the squall can be caused by the magical intervention of Prospero and his mystical friend. The present action begins with Antonio, a Duke of Milan, and Alonso, King of Naples, captured on a ship in a severe storm. Enslaved by the deposed ruler, Ariel, a magical spirit, and Caliban, a native of the island, have to serve Prospero, following his orders. However, through corruption and deceit, Prospero’s brother, Antonio, usurped the power and exiled his relative to the remote island, where he now lives in the company of Miranda, Ariel, and Caliban (Blair, Pettit and Page, 2018). According to Blair, Pettit and Page (2018), long before the present days, the ascendancy in Milan belonged to Prospero, a lawful ruler of the city.
Shakespeare’s play The Tempest is a story of the magical loss and restoration of the man’s power, wherein actions develop in the unchronological order, simultaneously showing past and present events. A brief analysis of the story’s plot, theme, and discussion of the main characters convey the idea of personal liberation through mercy. Dated back to the seventeenth century, the play depicts the power of compassion and forgiveness, showing that men of real integrity can overcome betrayal, raising through confinement to spiritual freedom. In his drama The Tempest, Shakespeare combines the supernatural dimension with real, when describing the details of the royal intrigues in the Kingdom of Naples.