Compare and Contrast the Ways in Which Prospero Talks to...

The Tempest is about Prospero who is trapped on an island with his daughter Miranda. Prospero used to be the Duke of Milan; he is a magician and controls the spirit Ariel. Ariel was once enslaved to Sycorax how died but her son Caliban is alive. Caliban is part human part beast and he is Prospero’s slave. Prospero has different relationships with each of the characters, so he talks to them differently. Miranda and Prospero enter for the first time in the second scene. Miranda is asking Prospero whether he started the storm and if anyone had been injured. When Prospero talks to Miranda it is very loving, by calling her dear, ‘of thee my dear one’. This is him telling Miranda how much he cares for her. However sometimes when†¦show more content†¦The ‘v’ in veins makes hard sound, this relates to the mood that Prospero is in. When he is angry he appears to be quite insistent,’ speak. Tell me’. This is very authoritive use of language, which contrasts with when he was asking a question before the argument,’ hast thou, spirit, performed to point the tempest that I bade thee?’ When Prospero says this he is being relatively polite to Ariel, whereas in the quote after that he is being arrogant as though Ariel needs his permission to speak. Then Prospero is enraged and he threatens Ariel with putting him back from where he rescued him. This is quite an over reaction from just a simple question that Prospero answers quite calmly once he has finished shouting at Ariel. Prospero is nevertheless very kind to Ariel when he wants something done, ‘hence with diligince’. Here he is warning Ariel to be careful this implies that he is only worried about Ariel when he is using his magic for Prospero. Caliban is Sycorax’s half human, half beast son, and is now Prospero’s slave. We can tell from the way Prospero talks to Caliban that he detests him. One of the first things that Prospero says to Caliban is, ‘thou poisonous slave’. This shows instantly the depth of Prospero’s hatred, not only does he refer to Caliban as ‘slave’ the whole way through but he is also constantly threatening and calling him rude names. All of the offensive names that Prospero uses on Caliban usually refer to some kind ofShow MoreRelatedEssay about Shakespeare’s Characterisation of Caliban1378 Words   |  6 PagesCaliban is arguably one of the most complex characters in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, despite his low position in the social hierarchy. Primarily, we form our first impression of Caliban through what Prospero says about him. Prospero draws parallels between Caliban and his other servant Ariel, who was ‘too delicate’ to perform the ‘abhorred’ commands of the witch Sycorax. He then goes on to compare Ariel with Caliban; â€Å"a freckled whelp hag born – not honoured with/A human shape.† In line 317 of the