Freedom and Enslavement in the Tempest

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Freedom and Enslavement in the Tempest Upon first look at The Tempest it is obvious that the two characters most affected by the theme of freedom and enslavement are Caliban and Ariel. After all, Prospero does in fact call Caliban ‘slave’ early on in the play (I.ii.319-320): Thou poisonous slave, got by the devil himself Upon thy wicked dam, come forth! Each of the two characters serve Prospero begrudgingly, and both seek freedom above all else. Yet these two characters aren’t the only captives on the island, and they certainly aren’t the only ones in servitude to Prospero. Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio and Ferdinand, along with the rest of their merry men, unwillingly become pawns trapped on the island, held against their will by Prospero, with the help of Ariel. Under the guise of a great tempest, Prospero uses magical powers to overcome and imprison his enemies, and in a tormented plot for revenge his captives are separated into three groups and marooned on the island; continually harassed and bent against their will. They too seek freedom from their hellish nightmare, and although they don’t know it at the time, they have become enslaved by a very conflicted magician. It is unclear exactly what Prospero has in mind for his captors, for he seems to be making it up as he goes. It’s obvious he wants to punish his brother and co-conspirators for what they did to himself and Miranda, yet he is a just man, and as his plan unravels, an unforeseeable event takes place, prompting Prospero to change his game plan a little. Miranda and Ferdinand fall rapidly in love and wish to marry. This certainly seems to throw everything off kilter for Prospero, who thought he had everything in control up until that point (III.i.92-96):
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