Discussion Topic

Exploration and resolution of conflicts in The Tempest

Summary:

In The Tempest, conflicts are explored through themes of power, betrayal, and forgiveness. Prospero's struggle to reclaim his dukedom and seek revenge on his usurping brother, Antonio, is central. The resolution comes through reconciliation and forgiveness, as Prospero forgives his enemies, renounces his magical powers, and restores order, ultimately leading to his return to Milan and the marriage of Miranda and Ferdinand.

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What conflicts occur in The Tempest?

The majority of conflicts in Shakespeare's The Tempest swirl around Prospero, former Duke of Milan, whose brother, Antonio, usurped his dukedom and set Prospero and his daughter, Miranda, adrift on the sea. This is how Prospero and Miranda came to be marooned on the island on which they've lived for twelve years, which Prospero rules with magic and spells.

The major conflict is between Prospero and Antonio, who was aided in his overthrow of Prospero by Alonso, the King of Naples.

Prospero causes a violent storm which shipwrecks Antonio, Alonso, and others on Prospero's island. Prospero intends to effect some kind of revenge against Antonio and Alonso, although Prospero's not quite sure what form that ultimate revenge will take, except to punish Antonio and Alonso and restore himself as Duke of Milan.

A secondary conflict involves Prospero and Caliban, an ill-tempered son of Sycorax, a witch. Prospero enslaved Caliban when Prospero and Miranda were first marooned on the island.

Prior to Prospero's arrival, Caliban ruled the island, but he was overcome by Prospero's magic, and Caliban now plots against Prospero with Alonso's jester, Trinculo, and buffoonish Stephano, who were shipwrecked on the island with Antonio and Alonso.

Prospero is also involved in a lesser conflict with Ariel, a kindly spirit who Prospero also enslaved when he came to the island. Prospero takes advantage of Ariel's good nature and repeatedly fails to keep his word to free Ariel from his servitude to Prospero.

A minor conflict arises between Prospero and Miranda regarding Ferdinand, Alonso's son, with whom Miranda has fallen in love at first sight. Prospero calls him a traitor and mistreats him with magic spells, for which misdeeds Miranda calls Prospero to task.

One conflict to which Prospero isn't a party involves Antonio and Alonso's brother, Sebastian, who conspire to kill Alonso and set up Sebastian as the king of Naples.

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How does The Tempest explore and resolve conflict?

The main conflict in this play occurs within the psyche of the powerful Prospero, who is often said to be a representation of Shakespeare. It is the conflict between revenge and mercy.

Prospero and his daughter have been abandoned for many years on a largely deserted island, due to the treachery of Prospero's brother, Antonio, who has usurped the dukedom of Milan from him. Alonso, the King of Naples, colluded with Antonio on the overthrow. When a ship holding both Antonio and Alonso sails near the island, Prospero sees his chance for revenge.

He uses his command of magic to raise a storm that shipwrecks the crew on his island, where the sprite Ariel then uses magic to trick, confuse, and scare the shipwrecked passengers.

Just when Prospero is in a position to exact his final revenge, however, Ariel tells him in some distress that he feels their enemies have already suffered enough. They are frightened and disoriented. Ariel says he feels sorry for them.

Prospero is so impressed and humbled that an airy spirit who is not even human can feel such compassion that he, too, is moved to be merciful and forgiving. In the conflict between mercy and revenge, Prospero takes the humane and higher course and chooses mercy and forgiveness, even where, in the case of Antonio, there is no genuine sign of repentance for what has been done.

If the aging Shakespeare meant to express his own thoughts through Prospero in this final play, it is a touching tribute of forgiveness on the part of a great playwright who must have had much to feel wronged over in the rough and tumble world of theater.

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How does The Tempest explore and resolve conflict?

Clearly the play contains many different and varying forms of conflict from the conflict between Prospero and Caliban and Ariel to the conflict between the island's more worldly incomers. However your question seems to point towards a more general theme of the text that concerns reconciliation. At the end of the play, Prospero seems reconciled to leaving the island and losing his magical powers. He is also reconciled to his brother, Antonio. Likewise, Caliban, that much abused personage in the play, seems to undergo some form of "repentance," accepting his position and place in the order of things of the island. As he leaves, he says, "I'll be wise hereafter, / And seek for grace," that suggests that he has learned from his experiences of being tricked by Stephano and Trinculo and will not be taken in so easily again.

However, due perhaps to the brevity of the play, there exists a certain amount of ambiguity in these apparently neat and tidy resolutions, and the audience is left with more questions than answers. How will Prospero cope with the loss of his magic and the power that this gave him? Will he find "normal" life satisfying with the loss of these privileges? Is Antonio really reconciled towards his brother or will he try to engineer his downfall yet again so he can be Duke of Milan once more? Perhaps key to all of these questions is: does the play illustrate any serious and permanent change of character? Considering these questions perhaps leaves us with more doubts than hopes about the resolution that is offered to us.

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