How does the fact that Prospero is in control but behind the scenes affect the way we perceive

him both as a person and as a central character of the play?

A play cannot simply consist of one character regardless of it being the main one. Then there is the question of what makes a character central. The Tempests story line involves looking at the past sins of Alonso and Antonio and of their consequences, which leads to Prospero and Mirandas banishment. The other characters can be thought as minor: Caliban, Ariel, Stephano, Trinculo, and Ferdinand. Prospero is not afraid to use the full extent of his power to fulfil his ambition, to attain his goal he treats both Ariel and Caliban as inferior beings. He controls Caliban harsh with cramps and pinches, All exercise on thee; thou shalt be pinched. He also exercises stern control over Ariel along with mixture of affection and irritation, using a blend of praise and threats. This portrays him as an ambiguous figure, harsh, demanding, and at times impatient. It is clear he is a slave-owner and a master. Caliban might have been the main character because of the amount of complexity his character involves yet he holds a lot less power and control than Prospero. However, the fact that Prospero looks down upon him as an inferior causes Caliban himself to appear as an inferior character. The way Prospero treats other characters not only reflects on his own character but the others as well. Prospero is very much like a theatre director. He stages the opening of The Tempest, and has the power to change the direction of the story plot in the play, so in that perspective, he can be said to be the central character. Despite being behind the scenes and not appearing on stage that often, he is directing the actions of some of the characters and his presence is strongly felt. In scene 1, through Ariel, he ensures that Alonso and Gonzalo are asleep as to provoke and prevent the murder attempt by Antonio and Sebastian. He directly controls Ariel, and indirectly controls the other characters such as Alonso, the mariners and Ferdinand. He caused Alonso to believe that his son is dead, by keeping Ferdinand in his grasp. One could even say that if Prospero were not so cruel to Caliban, then he would not have had to resort to conspiracy with Stephano and Trinculo. And the only reason Stephano and Trinculo arrived onto the island was once again due to Prospero, for he indirectly created the tempest, Ariel may have been the one to conjure it yet but only on the act of Prosperos command. He is the unseen observer of the love that blossoms between his daughter and the Prince of Naples, Ferdinand. Prospero plans that his daughter Miranda should marry the man of his choice, Ferdinand, and so achieve the union of Milan and Naples. This shows two of Prosperos characteristics as a person. His trial with Ferdinand was to ensure his daughters happiness, which is a wise decision on his part as being a father. The second portrayal defined of Prospero is a well-intentioned magician, a serene old man whose project was to restore harmony and achieve reconciliation. As a man, we can see the beginning of Prosperos development from a powerful magician and potential revenger to a vulnerable and merciful human being. Prospero uses his magic to cause other characters to fear and wonder. He is a scholar who has learned to practice magic. His books and his spirits enable him to control the natural world, yet in the play, we do see that he finds it difficult to control human nature, other peoples and including his own. For example, Ariel opposes Prospero in Act 1, Scene 2, Let me remember thee what yet performed me. Even Miranda ventures a protest against Prospero on Ferdinands behalf. The illusion of the banquet and the masque transpires only because Prospero commanded it so. The masque is thematically crucial because it reflects Prosperos intentions. Masques ended in the triumph of virtue, with harmony rested under a rightful monarch. That harmony after discord is symbolised in Iris, goddess of the rainbow (where the rainbow shows the storm is ended- this reflects on the beginning of the play, back to the tempest that Prospero created). And the masques celebration of bounty and fertility represents the future children that Miranda and Ferdinand may have, creating a dynasty for Prospero and uniting Milan and Naples. In conclusion, as a central character, Prospero can be seen to be the director behind the story line of the Tempest. As a person there are a number of characteristics one can interpret him as for example: a noble ruler, a tyrant, a necromancer (dealing with the black arts), colonialist, an exiled, manipulative wizard, a benevolent, god-like, justified ruler of the island and obsessed with control.

The Tempest