Character Analysis in The Tempest

Antonio's claim that "what's past is prologue" is one of Shakespeare's more memorable quotes. In addition to saying that what has happened in the past provides a foreground for the future, this line is also an example of metadrama, meaning that characters in a play discuss their situation as if they were in a theatre. In this way, Antonio views himself as a playwright, manipulating events and people to gain power. This is very similar to his brother’s orchestrations with the storm and commands to Ariel; however, as we will see, Prospero has the real power of storyteller in The Tempest.

Gonzalo imagines a kind of utopian society in which everyone is equal, no one has to work, and there is no conflict. On the one hand, Gonzalo’s ideal world highlights his fair and honorable nature: Gonzalo is not hungry for power and does not wish to enslave people, unlike many other characters in the play. However, Gonzalo’s vision is reminiscent of the larger colonial narrative of the time: to discover a rich, abundant island and govern it as one sees best. European colonizers had a similar way of thinking, which ultimately meant that the native populations were oppressed and enslaved, as the colonizers attempted to create their ideal nations. Gonzalo’s dream society may seem wonderful, but the reality of it is problematic.

Having told Sebastian that with Ferdinand’s death Sebastian is now the heir to the throne of Naples, Antonio claims in this passage that the tempest has provided them with an opportunity to gain more power. His speech reveals his cunning and persuasiveness that he used to betray Prospero before because he avoids telling Sebastian to murder Alonso directly, preferring to plan the idea in Sebastian’s mind to convey the notion that everything is a part of his fate.

A “spendthrift” is a person who spends money profusely or wastefully. To say that Gonzalo is a spendthrift “of his tongue” is to say that he talks too much. Antonio and Sebastian mock Gonzalo for his optimistic attempts to comfort Alonso, which further characterizes Gonzalo as friendly and compassionate in comparison to Antonio and Sebastian.

Ariel has put most of the men to sleep, and during this time Antonio has revealed his plan to murder Alonso and make Sebastian King of Naples. Antonio encourages Sebastian to carry out the plan by referring to his own power grab when he got rid of Prospero and took the title of Duke of Milan for himself. When Sebastian asks if Antonio has any qualms about having done this, Antonio states that "twenty consciences" would “melt ere they molest,” meaning that he has absolutely no remorse. Such a claim reveals Antonio to be a villain with few complications to his character beyond a shameless and simply desire to acquire as much power as possible for himself. The acquisition and perpetuation of power is a theme throughout the play, and Antonio’s ambition provides an example of power taken by force and violence.

Antonio reminds Sebastian that he has performed a similar power grab before when he took his brother Prospero's title of Duke of Milan. When asked if his conscience is troubled by ousting Prospero, Antonio asks Sebastian to look at how well his clothing fits him. Since clothing is often used as a symbol to reflect station, Antonio’s boast reveals that he has no problems with having taken power by force from his brother.

To free himself from Prospero’s slavery, Caliban chooses to become a slave to Stephano, calling him a god because of the power of his liquor. Trinculo’s and Stephano’s treatment of Caliban provides a metaphor for the abusive and ignorant way that European colonizers took advantage of colonized populations. Furthermore, Trinculo’s calling Caliban “ridiculous” and “strange” is similar to the dehumanizing language Prospero uses with Caliban.

Having been enslaved by Prospero on the island that is supposedly his inheritance, Caliban is portrayed as an angry character. Here Caliban boldly expresses his hatred towards Prospero by cursing him, hoping that all possible infections from “bogs, fens, flats,” or, in other words, wet muddy grounds and swampy areas will cause Prospero to rot away “inch-meal” or little by little.

Prospero has played matchmaker, meticulously manipulating the entire exchange between Ferdinand and Miranda so that they will fall in love with one another and get married. As Prospero secretly watches his plan unfold, his portrayal as a playwright with the play is emphasized.

Caliban offers this well-spoken speech about the nature of the island to reassure Stephano and Trinculo that there is nothing to worry about. Such a speech provides a markedly new presentation of Caliban as a character: until now, he has been bitter, crude, and vile, but here we see him talk about the natural world in beautiful language. From a colonial lens, this could be criticism against the colonizers view of native lands but it could also be a European depiction of the Noble Savage, a stereotype of non-European cultures as having a natural simplicity and virtue that hasn’t been corrupted by European civilization.

Since these three have been together, they have continued to drink and get progressively more drunk. Stephano has decided that he shall rule over the island with Caliban as his faithful servant while Trinculo has continued to mock Caliban, causing Stephano to threaten to hang him. However, Caliban informs them about Prospero and Miranda, saying that Stephano can gain great power if he kills Prospero. The promise of this power provides an opportunity for them to stop bickering. While this scene is largely meant to be humorous and serve as a reprieve from the more serious scenes, the foolishness of these characters and how easily they fight and reconcile with one another demonstrates the fickle and deceitful aspects of human nature, particularly when opportunities for power present themselves.

Prospero’s statement that Caliban is “a born devil” who would be incapable of learning to behave any differently, reflects a common colonialist belief that native populations were inherently “savage” and “uncivilized.” Some Europeans believed that the native peoples could be taught the ways of the “civilized,” and colonizers would thus seek to “civilize” the local populations by forcing their own language, beliefs, and customs on them. Others claimed that non-European populations were naturally inferior and that it was impossible to “civilize” them, as Prospero does. These racist claims were essentially used as justification for enslaving the native populations, and Prospero’s comment echoes this violent ideology.

By “thing of darkness,” Prospero is referring to Caliban. We again see Prospero denying Caliban’s humanity, referring to him as a nonhuman “thing” rather than a man, which Prospero has done numerous times throughout the play. The term “darkness” refers to Caliban’s skin tone, further emphasizing Prospero’s racism. Prospero believes Caliban is his property and treats him as if he were his pet or possession. Considering that the play was written only a few decades before the Atlantic slave trade began, during this time colonizers would have referred to indigenous people as “thing[s]” to justify their enslavement of them. Viewed through this lens, Prospero’s comments echo this imperial mindset.

Notice that all of the characters have been brought together here, even those that have been presumed dead. Gonzalo points out that although the storm wreaked havoc on the group, the natural order has actually been restored: Prospero has regained his dukedom, and Ferdinand and Miranda have fallen in love. Gonzalo again illustrates his caring and optimistic nature here, emphasizing that although the characters have faced much adversity, they have all found themselves even “when no man was his own.” However, while Gonzalo describes the ways in which Italian society has been improved upon by the storm, he ignores the ways in which the natives of the island have been affected. Gonzalo’s celebratory comments may be coming from a place of compassion, but they also indicate his ignorance of and indifference to the plight of the natives.

Prospero’s response to Ariel’s inspiring him to be more compassionate towards others once again portrays Ariel in a noble way despite being only “air.” Prospero uses this as a comparison for his humanity and Ariel’s non-humanity, saying that Prospero should sympathize even more for Alonso and the others because they are human, and if Ariel can have such compassion, then Prospero should have even more.

While Prospero does have magical power of his own, Ariel has done nearly all of the work in carrying out Prospero’s plan. In addition to Ariel’s power, he has also acted with more compassion, intelligence, and restraint than most of the characters in the play. Keeping this in mind, it is somewhat ironic that this humble comment reminds the audience that Ariel is not human because of his actions and the advice he gives Prospero. Ariel’s role then, like Caliban’s, can be viewed as another example of a colonized subject, obediently doing Prospero’s work and passively accepting Prospero’s without claiming a right to equal status.

Prospero finally sets Ariel free with these words. Though certain earlier scenes in the play may suggest that the relationship between Prospero and Ariel could be interpreted as a form of slavery, Prospero’s word choice here clearly shows that the relationship is very different from the hate-filled one between Prospero and Caliban. Prosper calls Ariel a “dainty,” or excellent, spirit and admits that he will miss Ariel.

Prospero’s statement further reinforces the master and slave relationship between him and Caliban. Also, calling Caliban a “thing of darkness” reveals Prospero’s disgust towards the slave; at the same time, the three words dehumanize and demonize Caliban.

Miranda’s first impression of humankind reflects her overwhelming innocence that has resulted from being stranded on the island for twelve years with only Prospero and Caliban. Miranda calls the men from the shipwreck “beauteous,” showing her shallow knowledge of humankind. At the same time, seeing other humans has created a “brave new world” in her mind. “Brave” in this context refers to “fine,” “noble,” and “splendid.”