tempest act one

In the first act of The Tempest, Prospero constructs historical narratives and manipulates those around him by using their emotions against them. He narrates his stories at his angle of view and is always changing his nature depending on who he is talking to. He manipulates not only his servants but his daughter too. For example, before he explains to Miranda what his brother stole from him, Prospero described his brother as someone “whom- aside from [her] - [he] loved more than anyone else in the world” (Shakespeare 4). Prospero deliberately throws this image at Miranda, forcing her emotions to unconsciously churn. Because she has no knowledge of any relative, her love pours purely for the thought of having one; however, after hearing the painful past, her love for this unfamiliar relative transforms instead into compassion for her father’s pain. With this, Prospero sets up the perfect scene in which he is the pitiful hero. Also, as Prospero talks with Ariel, he brings up Ariel’s tender past, reminding him of what those days were like, and threatened to “split an oak tree and lock [him] up in it” (13). Prospero is in control because he holds the truth; he takes Ariel’s past and brings forth the fear that hides deep within his heart. By utilizing that fear, he lets him know who is in control and what torment can take place if orders are not followed. In addition, as Caliban explains to Prospero how his love for him changed, Prospero quickly denies his faults and redirects the conversation, bringing up the incident where Caliban “tried to rape [his] daughter” (16). By redirecting the conversation, he takes control over the emotions that come of it, and controls over the conversation itself. With the words coming from his own mouth, he is able to maintain reality in how he sees it; he holds the truth and utilizes it however he wants to, taking control of them with their emotions.