Prospero Is a very dominant character. He exudes power, and portrays it by controlling people while making them believe that they are loved. He asks Ariel “Hast thou forgot the foul witch Sycorax, who with age and envy was grown into a hoop? Hast thou forgot her?” He tells her how she is loved by him, and that she should not forget that he is responsible for her sparing. She should find freedom in his love.
While Caliban Is describing how he loved Prospero when he first came to the island, and that now he penned him “in this cave and you don't let me go anywhere else on the island,” Prospero says “You liar you respond better to whip than to kindness.” He loved Caliban in the beginning until he got what he wanted, and then attained the rest of his rule by spreading fear onto Caliban. This is similar to 1984 in the way that total control is attained in the end by fear. Caliban does not only seem like someone vile to Prospero, but also to Ariel and Miranda.
Furthermore Prospero controls Miranda, and you could say that he has the most control over her. He tells her the story of his bother, and without doubt she believes him. He continues to ask “Dost Thou attend me?” He continually prompts her, and asks her to pay attention. He controls her in the end when she falls in love and when he is tested his only response is “What is that the daughter knows more than the father?”
Propero is constantly asking questions which act more like prompts. the have only one answer and it is what Prospero wants to hear. through this he is able to hold complete control over the island, along with the powers he has with his magic.
You always have super cool pictures to go with your blog, i love it! So i totally agree with you, Prospero is very controlling of all those around him. He continually reminding everyone about how he has made their life better in someway or another. With Caliban it's that he educated him and treated him as one of his own children. With Ariel it's how he freed him from 12 years of pain. And with Miranda it's how he has taught her more then most girls would have learned. Him always reminding them of how he has done them some great good keeps them doing whatever he wants. I like the point you made about the questions he ask only having one answer, the one he wants to hear. It shows how controlling he truly is. I'm sure were going to see a lot more of that latter in the play. Awesome job. :]
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