The Tempest Act 1

In the first act of The Tempest, the official Duke of Milan, Prospero, is planning to restore his and his daughter’s title by manipulation everything around him. Although the most apparent way was the storm he created in order to bring his enemies to the island, his manipulations did not stop there. Prospero manages to control and govern all the creatures and spirits of the island, and Ariel is one of them. Even though Ariel seems somewhat willing to serve Prospero, in a closer look we can see that he is enslaved by Prospero’s manipulations. Prospero has rescued Ariel from a tree in which the witch Sycorax had trapped him in and he has made a point to never let Ariel forget. He warns Ariel that he will “once in a month recount what thou hast been, which thou forget’st.” He constantly reminds Ariel of how great his life has been ever since he was rescued. He talks about the horrible demands of Sycorax and reminds Ariel about the “torment I did find thee in” before he saved him. This way, Prospero is able to manipulate Ariel by making him feel guilty and extremely grateful. What Ariel fails to understand is that he is still a slave and his life is no better.

Over the years, Prospero has also managed to obtain complete power over his daughter, Miranda. Since the age of three, Miranda has been separated from the outside world. She has never seen another human being other than herself and her father. She sees the world and the people in it through her father’s eyes. This way, she shares her father’s ideas and believes his words without needing much proof. So, when Prospero goes on to tell the tale of how they came to live on the island, Miranda immediately believes him. Prospero can therefore manipulate his daughter into believing anything he says.