The Tempest

The Tempest - Magic Theme

Infuses the play with a sense of wonder and spectacle
Uses his magic to control the supernatural and the natural world, but not black magic like sycorax
Prospero's books in the play symbolize his power. Caliban even knows that without his books, Prospero is nothing
Prospero has taught his daughter from these books but in many ways she is ignorant as she has only ever known the people on the island
Magic is nothing in Milan and he must relinquish his magic in order to regain any sort of power or to enter back into society in Milan
His magic is responsible for his rise but also his downfall
Magical characters - Prospero, Ariel, Sycorax
Magic also about appearance - Caliban is not considered to be human

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Miranda and Prospero say very little to show that they see Caliban as human
Before Miranda taught him language he 'gabbled like a thing most brutish'
Calibans nature remains quite ambiguous
Prospero calls him 'Devil, born devil'
Can his 'devilish' nature ever be overcome with nurture?
Caliban was kind to Prospero until he imprisoned him. Prospero stopped being kind after Caliban threatened to **** Miranda
However Caliban has some of the most beautiful language in the whole play

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Prospero has found in isolation the perfect place to school his daughter
Caliban laments that he had been his own kind before Prospero got there
When Caliban suggests to Stephano to kill Prospero, Stephano envisions his own reign
Only person colonised is Caliban
However Prospero also takes over and takes control of the spirit Ariel

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