The Tempest: Manipulation of a Former Duke.

 

Prospero is one of Shakespeare's more powerful and controlling characters. He is able to manipulate those around him not only with his extraordinary powers, but with his clever use of speech as well. With simple words Prospero is able to twist any situation to make him appear to be the victim so that he can maintain the support of his daughter and servants when he needs to use them for his schemes.  When accused by his daughter Miranda to have conjured up the storm that bared his enemies, he immediately denied having anything to do with the weather claiming that "by accident most strange" the storm had occurred, and that he had taken every care to make sure that "not so much perdition as an hair betid to any creature in the vessel". He then delves into an epic story explaining how he was deceived, robbed and then banished from his Dukedom, by his brother, and marooned on this island. Now of course none of this is true, but because Miranda has grown up with no other company or mentor besides her father, she automatically has to trust and believe everything Prospero says simply because she has no one to tell her otherwise. With no other person to provide her with guidance or company all her life, Prospero has become to Miranda an omniscient god, father, and friend; a consequence he uses this heavily to his advantage.

But Prospero does not use his powers of persuasion exclusively on his daughter. He also uses his rhetoric and powers to manipulate his two servants Ariel and Caliban. Prospero keeps and abuses Ariel and Caliban as slaves, justifying his actions with exaggerated stories that once again, make him appear the victim and they the one’s in debt.  When Ariel requests her freedom, Prospero throws back a fuming no, reminding her, as “he must once in month recount”, how she was enslaved by a horrid witch and trapped in a tree for twelve years before he came along and freed her. Now we don’t know how much if this story is actually true, but the fact that Prospero has to keep drilling it into Ariel’s head every month suggests that this story is too somewhat bogus and that he is brainwashing Ariel into feeling indebted towards him. Because Ariel feels she must continue to repay him, she will continue to serve him until he sets her free. Prospero also defends his reasons of slavery against Caliban, explaining how the reason he went from being treated lovingly to as a slave was because he attempted “to violate the honor of” his child, Miranda. Although Caliban knows the real reason for his mistreatment is Prospero had sucked all of the information he wanted out of him and no longer needed him, he will continue to serve him because he knows how powerful Prospero is and fears that he may use this magic against him. In this way, Prospero is able to maintain control over everyone around him.