The+Tempest

//**The Tempest**//
Please respond to **one** of the following questions. Afterwards, write your name and grade. Thanks, Mr. Moore.

1. Who is the most moral character in the play and why?

2. What do you make of Prospero's treatment of Caliban? Is it morally justifiable?

Wesley Moore's responds to question 1. Obviously, if we must choose the "most moral" character of the play, we immediately dismiss the villains Alonso, Sebastian, and Antonio, which leaves us with Ferdinand, Gonzalo, Miranda, Ariel, and Prospero. I'd eliminate Ferdinand and Miranda because of their innocence and, paradoxically, their love. Both seem rather too enamored of beauty for beauty's sake and strike me as rather shallow - though each does exhibit admirable qualities, e.g., Ferdinand's continuing to gather wood despite Miranda's suggestion that his shirking won't be discovered and Miranda's pleading to her father for compassion. Ariel is perhaps too obedient to his master's often sadistic treatment of Caliban, who is after all - as many post colonial critics have pointed out - the rightful possessor of the island. According to this reading, Prospero is Eurocentric and assumes arrogantly that Caliban the native should welcome completely altering his way of life, and should a demi-monster/mooncalf be punished so severely for trying to mate with Miranda? Now were down to Gonzalo and Prospero, and I'm going to go with the former, who, although he doesn't do much good also doesn't do any harm. You could argue that Prospero deserves the mantle of most moral because of his forgiveness and for his taking responsibility for Caliban at the end; however, his enslavement of Ariel and Caliban and his ill-humor throughout I find off-putting. Although many have likened Prospero to Shakespeare himself, I find Prospero ultimately to be unlikeable. ~Wesley Moore, Faculty.

2. Prospero generally treated people in a manipulative manner- however, his cruel treatment of Caliban was the most obvious. When considering this treatment, also bear in mind the behavior of Caliban; Prospero was originally kind and generous to him, teaching him manners and language, in return for Caliban's knowledge of the island. Caliban, though, reverted to his instinctive nature and attempted to rape Miranda, which would have made her impure, and therefore would have ruined Prospero's plans for her. Caliban's perverted behavior earned him punishment, just as it would any human being. Prospero viewed Caliban as an inferior, due to his appearance and lack of manners, and could therefore easily justify his enslavement. Viewing Caliban as a beast made the punishment worse than it would be for any human being; therefore, using Prospero’s eyes, we see that his treatment was justifiable, but only in the sense that Caliban was a beast. From the reader’s point of view, though, we see that Caliban had elegant speeches, but he used words which Prospero taught him to say, not ones which he knew from the beginning. This introduces the idea that Caliban had the capacity to learn correct behavior, but due to his lack of a good upbringing, his manners were not what they should have been; nature may or may not have contributed to his savage behavior, while his nurture was certainly the cause of his behavior. Had Prospero taken more time in teaching him the correct ways of society, perhaps Caliban would not have become a beast in Prospero’s eyes. –Savannah Cash, 11

I’d tend to agree with Mr. Moore about Gonzalo’s position as the most “moral” character in the play; he seems the only character we can deem a “free” moral actor, someone not compelled, entranced, or deluded into admirable moral action. (Ferdinand and Miranda are in Prospero’s—and love’s—thrall; Ariel and Caliban under Prospero’s command; Antonio and Sebastian seemingly innately immoral, unable to grow and change; Alonso—initially—too deluded and blind to do much of anything other than aid and abet villainy he doesn’t even seem to comprehend.) Gonzalo is seemingly the only character capable of compassion free from narcissism or gain; he quietly provides for Prospero through the sheer dint of his humanity. When Alonso and Prospero have their moment of mutual grief at the end of the play (for having apparently “lost” their children), their shared compassion is tinged with personal gain. Gonzalo does what he does because he has a moral imagination that allows him to consider others as “others” and not merely pieces or reflections of himself.

What I ultimately find so compelling about the play’s sense of moral action is precisely Shakespeare’s worry that morality itself is somehow innate—that we can’t quite mature into moral thinkers and agents if that original impulse or moral imagination isn’t there. While Prospero is clearly the “author” figure in the drama—the one who stages the action; orchestrates the masque; bequeaths others with language, memory, and motive; ultimately tells us the story—we could argue that he essentially fails to alter any of the characters fundamentally. Despite the fact that the play seems to focus thematically on transformation, people essentially are who they are despite changes in setting and lived reality. When Gonzalo poignantly notes in the final act that we reveal ourselves and show our true colors when we’re removed from the particulars of our circumstances (“all of us [have found] ourselves / When no man was his own” [V.1; 212-13]), he’s pointing to the idea that there might be something immutable in the human animal, some core that can’t be fixed or taught. In the scope of the play, at least, sadly we are who we are regardless of changes around us: if Prospero really possessed a powerful magic, wouldn’t he alter the very natures of Antonio and Sebastian? Their dark sides seem too powerful for his “dark arts,” as if they’re utterly beyond repair. We may be “such stuff as dreams are made on,” but, in the harsh light of day, our cores might not be all that dreamy. --Aaron Lehman, faculty

1. The most moral character in The Tempest would have to be Miranda. I say this because of her young age and concern with making right choices throughout the play. Miranda also gets married to Ferdinand, also one of the most moral characters. Mianda has sympathy and compassion for the lost lives of the shipwreck. This is a great example of how Miranda displays her gentle kindness in the play. She additionally represents this moral attitude by speaking up for herself about her sexuality. After Caliban's attempt to rape Miranda, she begins to remonstrate with Caliban about his actions. This is way I believe Miranda is the most moral character in The Tempest. Paul Vincent 10th

====2. Prospero Treated Caliban very cruelly. I think that Prospero was very disappointed in the way his slave Caliban was acting. Prospero had taught a lot to Caliban so that Prospero could Learn about the Island that he was on. From Caliban's view, I think that what Prospero was doing is unjust and inhumane, but saying it was inhumane goes with Caliban who happens to be inhumane in the sense that he is beast not a human. Prospero Treated Caliban as a slave which is why this act of Cruelty was justifiable, it was justifiable because he isn't a human and doesn't need to be treated as a human and, he tried to rape Miranda. By doing that he deserved a punishment. Prospero was only trying to ultimately help out Caliban which I think if Caliban Obeyed he would have been successful. --Will Friedman 9th Grade====

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2. Prospero treated Caliban just like a slave. Granted that Caliban was in service to Prospero, He did everything Prospero asked of him. Still, Prospero treated him horribly which eventually led to Caliban's behavior in such rash ways. Prospero called him a beast constantly simply because of his form caused by his witch of a mother. Prospero treats all people as inferior to himself, and generally in literature this behavior leads to negative effects on the person. Eventually this horrid treatment of Caliban pushes him to actions which are even more awful. However, Prospero was ultimately trying to free Caliban, but his overall treatment of Caliban was enough to cause Caliban to act like the beast he appeared to be. =====

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1. I think that the most moral character in the book is Ferdinand because he has done nothing wrong to anybody but fall in love with Miranda. Later on Ferdinand and Miranda get married and not much is said about Ferdinand. He does nothing wrong so I think that he is one of the most moral character in the whole book. Miranda could also be thought as the most moral character because she tries to help in many ways, and she weeps over the losses of the lives from the ship. You could also think that Miranda is the most moral character, I believe that the most moral character is a tie between Miranda and Ferdinand --Reid Gilchrist 9th Grade =====

2. I think that Prospero's treatment of Caliban is harsh. Prospero threatens Caliban by saying if he doesn't do what he is told he will be punished and be cursed by his magic. Also Caliban is like a slave to Prospero, and Prospero came to his island and took over. The way they describe Caliban is that he is a monster so it is hard to decide if it is the right way to treat a living thing even though Caliban is a monster. In the end I think that the way he treats Caliban is not the right or moral thing to do. -Jack Gilchrist, 9

===1. This play is filled with a variety of characters and personalities. The most moral character, in my opinion, is Miranda. She exemplifies this trait through her loving and kind nature. This characteristic can be seen in her genuine care for those people who lost their lives in the shipwreck. In addition, Miranda can be seen as a very moral character because of her attraction to Ferdinand who contains similar traits.===

-JoJo Howell

2 In //The Tempest,// by William Shakespeare, Prospero has a slave named Caliban. Whether Prospero's treatment of Caliban is morally justifiable is a matter of opinion. Prospero did try to help Caliban in the beginning by teaching him manners and how to speak english. However, Caliban was still "evil" in his core. Prospero tried to teach him, but then Caliban tried to rape Miranda. At that point Prospero gave up trying to teach him and saw him as evil and a monster. Therefore, I believe that Prospero's treatment of Caliban is morally justifiable because he at least tried to help Caliban in the beginning. One example of evidence is Prospero's other slave, Ariel. Prospero came to this island and freed Ariel from the inside of a tree trunk. Because of this Ariel remained his servant and follower for the next couple years. Ariel and Caliban could be considered foils because both are slaves, but because of their personality and actions, they are treated completely differently. Caliban is treated as a true slave, with little to no kindness and mostly cruelty because he tried to rape Miranda. Ariel is treated as more of a servant and friend then a slave. This is because Ariel has worked hard and has been kind to Prospero. -- Travis Barnett, 9

1) I believe that Miranda is the most moral character in the play. Alonso, Antonio, and Sebastian are obviously not in the running, nor are the drunken Stephano and Trinculo, who are both willing to kill for the sake of power. Caliban is pitiable, no doubt, and were it not for his obsession with revenge, he could possibly be a very moral character. As it is, he is not. Gonzalo, though he proved his kindness when he supplied Prospero with provisions twelve years before the story, sympathizes too easily with the king and therefore is not the most moral character. Ariel seems to have no morals; he obeys his master and ignores all that does not affect him directly. Ferdinand quickly forgets his grief for his friends and family upon seeing Miranda, but Miranda is distressed when she sees a ship in trouble even though she knows none of its passengers. She doesn’t understand why her father is acting so strange and begs him to have compassion for Ferdinand because her perfect innocence has not been destroyed by society.

—Katherine Fair, 10

1. Of all the characters in Shakespeare's The Tempest, the one exhibiting the strongest moral character is Prospero. Although he takes revenge on the people who have betrayed him, including his brother Antonio, he forgives them and is even merciful by not harming them when he forces the tempest upon their ship and by guaranteeing them a safe journey home. Prospero forces those who stole his kingdom from him to return it to him but this was only fair considering that they had stolen it from him by attempting to kill his small daughter and him by throwing them into the sea. The fact that he was eventually able to forgive his brother, Antonio, for his part in this terrible act, demonstrates Prospero's moral trait of forgiveness. Prospero also is moral, especially in the religious and ethical sense, in that he tells Ferdinand, his soon to be son in-law, that he is not allowed to sleep with his daughter until they are married or else they will have a cursed marriage. He shows great compassion for his daughter by allowing Ferdinand and her to be together even though Ferdinand's father Alonso did great wrong to Prospero. Prospero freed all of his servants which shows that he values hard work and loyalty. At the very end of the play, he says that the only way for him to be relieved from his despair is to pray, which will, along with mercy, free all his faults. While some of the other characters in the play, such as Gonzalo, may show some moral characteristics, Prospero most consistently displays high moral character. ~ Katherine Ham, 11

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2. Prospero treats Caliban in a very unkind way. He is somewhat hypocritical while treating him poorly because his brother, Antonio, was also cruel to Prospero. Prospero could possibly be heartless to Caliban because he wanted to take his anger out on someone, and Caliban was the closest living being to him. His treatment towards Caliban is not morally just because you can't be cruel to someone just because another person was acting the same way towards you. -- Larkin Dobson, 9=====

1) The many characters in Shakespeare's The Tempest have unique personalities with both flaws and attributes. When it comes to the question of who is the most moral, one can rule out Prospero, as although it is evident how deeply he cares for Miranda and does not harm anyone with his tempest, the revenge that consumes him make less suited for the title of 'the most moral character', as does his treatment of Caliban. Ariel cannot be described as overwhelmingly moral either as he does Prospero's bidding and often does not stop to think of the moral implications. He simply does his master's bidding in the hopes to soon be set free. Caliban cannot even be considered as he is consumed with rage, and like Ariel does Prospero's bidding. However, Caliban is cruel to Miranda who is quite innocent and his cruelty to her banishes all thoughts of his morality. Antonio and Sebastian are destined to be questioned on their morality due to their past actions. Miranda is extremely sweet and thoughtful. She weeps over the thought of people being hurt and is constantly worried about keeping people safe, and making the right decisions. She is not afraid to stand up for herself and she clearly knows right from wrong. Although she is indeed in love with Ferdinand, I don't believe this makes her less moral as Ferdinand is quite moral himself. If she had been in love with someone like Caliban and overlooked all of his flaws of immorality then maybe her love cold keep her from being one of the most moral characters; but since she is in love with Ferdinand, who is extremely moral, her love does not flaw her but makes her morality stronger. It is confirmed that Ferdinand is extremely moral as it is not just Miranda who thinks highly of him but also Prospero and other characters. Ferdinand is probably equal to Miranda where morality is concerned, but since there are more example of Miranda being extremely moral, I have to say that the most moral character in Shakespeare's The Tempest is Miranda. Chandler Elliott-Fehle, 11

2. Prospero is the brutal master of Caliban. This harsh, unremitting treatment of Caliban is unfair and reminiscent of the relationship between master and slave. In the 21st century humanity has morally condemned slavery. It is noteworthy that Shakespeare depicts Caliban as monstrous and deformed. In literature, as well as the human subconscious, monstrous appearances are traces of other more internal and moral monsters. Somewhat ironically (__The Tempest__ is riddled with irony), Prospero's treatment of Caliban is monstrous. Appearance does not justify Prospero's behavior. If we add a Machiavellian twist to this analysis, we must ask if it is better to be loved or feared. Prospero clearly feels the latter option is more important as he rules over Caliban's will with an iron clasp. However Machiavelli believed in realpolitik as opposed to moralpolitik. While the treatment of Caliban is more realistic, it is significantly less morally justified Jonathan Ellison, '11.

2. I think the treatment of Caliban in the book is justifiable. If you see the way Caliban acts to Prospero, then it makes sense why he has to treat him more harshly. Caliban does not act like the other servant Ariel. Ariel does what Prospero says and she never talks about reject his orders. She is a loyal and reliable servant. In return she is set free and is treated better than Caliban. Caliban however talks back at Prospero and he always complains about doing his work. In return he is treated badly because Propero does not trust him and thinks he needs to be pushed to do his work. He also treats him harshly to keep him loyal. He thinks if he scares him enough he will stay loyal to him from the fear of beating and such. However this does back fire on Prospero when Caliban become loyal to Stefano. William Mulbry '14

2) I believe that what Prospero did to Caliban was deserving and un-deserving. Caliban did show Prospero the island and Prospero tried to educate him, so they were doing a favor for each other. But, then Prospero starts ordering Caliban around, and treating Caliban like a slave when Prospero did technically land on Caliban's island. Prospero is being to harsh by threatening all the time that if Caliban does not do what he says, that he was curse him with magic. But, I do think that what Prospero did is indeed morally justifiable. Prospero did try helping Caliban in some ways more than others, like teaching him how to speak, but Caliban also tried to rape Miranda. Caliban is a monster, as well. He's the son of a wicked witch, so he'll always be evil within. -Claire Hughes, 9

2) Morally, Prospero is somewhat justified in the way he treats Caliban. He is in the right because Caliban did try to rape Miranda which would have made her ineligible to marry Ferdinand. Also Caliban acts very disrespectful to Prospero and hates doing any work he is told to do. Prospero does not see Caliban as his equal and thinks of him more as a beast than human. Prospero is blind by his prejudice towards Caliban's appearance and how he acts, which he uses as his justification to enslave Caliban. Though it is morally wrong to us to enslave anyone no matter who they are. It is hard to say for sure if Prospero is in the right, they both seem to be at fault one way or another. Although Prospero could have been less strict to Caliban, but it is somewhat understandable from Prospero's point of view. -AJ Beane, 11