Renaissance poets often raised controversial themes and ethical dilemmas, responding to a rethinking of society’s fundamental attitudes. A prime example of such rethinking is Prospero in Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Prospero is a wizard and a once-exiled duke who has settled on a virtually uninhabited island. The wizard puts a curse on the ship of the King of Naples, and his retinue to crash off the island’s shores in order to arrange the fate of his daughter Miranda. The Neapolitan king’s son, Ferdinand, falls in love with Miranda due to the enchantment placed upon him and then passes the Prospero test and proves his love. Despite the former duke’s tragic history, his desire to help his daughter, and to give freedom to Ariel’s spirit, Prospero is the antagonist and victim.
The antagonistic nature is evident in Prospero’s decisions, which are implemented unethically despite his well-intentioned goals. Prospero frees the imprisoned spirit Ariel, imprisoned by the old witch, but does not grant him freedom but forces him to submit to himself indefinitely (Shakespeare, 2021). Regarding his daughter, he wished to give her a happy life of marriage: he casts a curse on the ship. Even persecuted by the usurper of the throne, Prospero, finding himself on a stranger island, does not try to reconcile with local creatures like the son of the witch Sycorax but submits him and forces to do all the black work. Thus, Prospero skillfully manipulates humans and creatures through magic and the power of persuasion, which reinforces his position as an antagonist.
A deeper analysis of Prospero’s motivation allows to determine that the goals above were only superficial and that the wizard’s desires were a lust for once-gone power. Prospero, the former Duke of Milan, had been overthrown by the brother with the support of the King of Naples. The desire for revenge was paramount to Prospero instead of settling the fate of his daughter. This is partially confirmed by Prospero’s words when he tells the spirit of Ariel that it is the wizard who is now the master of the island, set to the sound of his bold music (Shakespeare, 2021). Prospero makes up for his tragedy and tries to establish himself on the island, and after a successful plan with the shipwreck, he regains his power in Milan.
At the same time, Prospero can be seen as a victim of circumstances. Deprived of power and banished from his native country, betrayed by his brother, and forced to flee to an almost uninhabited island with his daughter, the wizard finds himself in absolute despair. In an attempt to at least help himself and his daughter, he casts a magic dream on her and seeks to regain his former power through magic. This confluence of circumstances plays a vital role in the character’s motivation to take Antonio’s power back.
It is worth noting that Shakespeare has created an ambiguous character who can hardly be described as an unambiguous antagonist who desires evil. Instead, the poet creates a complex image of Prospero, desperate for the circumstances of life and seeking every opportunity to regain stability and security in life. The multiplicity of the wizard’s character is confirmed by his actions, which, although implemented immorally, have in their foundation the well-intentioned goals of protecting his daughter and regaining the comfort of life. Prospero is thus antagonistic because of his manipulation and desire for power, but he is also the victim of his brother’s betrayal.
Reference
Shakespeare, W. (2021). The Tempest. Independently Published.