The Tempest Essays

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The Tempest
How does Shakespeare use language to convey Prospero’s character in Act 1 Scene 2? The Tempest is one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays. It was written in 1610 and it is also his last play. One of the main characters in the ‘Tempest’ is Prospero, an old wizard. The play opens with a mighty Tempest strikes the ship when Alonso the King of Naples, Ferdinand the prince of Naples, Sebastian Alonso’s brother and the current duke of Milan, Prospero’s brother Antonio along with Trinculo who is a jester and Stephano a drunk butler return to Milan from the wedding of Claribel Alonso’s daughter in Tunis. The passengers on board began to fear for their lives. Act 1 Scene 2 opens when Prospero and his daughter Miranda on the shore of their island after witnessing the shipwreck. Miranda worries about the people on board the ship. Prospero consoles her and tells her that no one was harmed. He also decides that it time for Miranda to learn about their past. His begins his tale but doesn’t finish it. To overthrow Prospero, his brother Antonio made a truce with the King of Naples Alonso, Prospero’s rival. Together with the help of Sebastian, Alonso’s brother they plotted to kidnap Prospero and his daughter Miranda and set them adrift on a raft for them to die. Fortunately they survived because Gonzalo the kind adviser of King Alonso loaded their raft with supplies and Prospero’s books of magic, the sources of his power. This tale is never finished because Prospero explains to Miranda that good luck has brought all his enemies to the island and puts her into a deep slumber. After he uses his charms on Miranda, he calls his spirit, Ariel. Their conversation shows that Prospero and Ariel are responsible for the frightful storm. This conversation also tells us that Prospero is concerned about the people on board the ship and Ariel has scattered them across the isle.

Shakespeare shows his characters to be unique. They each have extraordinary characteristics and personalities in the play. The main character whom I am going to concentrate on is Prospero. I will be focusing on his gestures and language and how this suits his character in the tempest. Prospero is a powerful, sharp, determined and a loving farther. He is willing to change and can also become mercurial at times. Prospero is considerate yet stern. So how does Shakespeare use language to convey Prospero’s’ character? Example one: Prospero uses similes, metaphors and detailed description to emphasis the horror of Ariel's situation before he came to the island.
Prospero is anxious, and hurls questions at Ariel, Prospero is relying on Ariel to do all his work and tasks for him. Prospero fires Ariel a series of short and fast
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