The document discusses the character of Prospero from William Shakespeare's play The Tempest and Aime Cesaire's postcolonial adaptation A Tempest. Prospero is the protagonist who uses magic to control the other characters, including Ariel and Caliban. In The Tempest, Prospero is portrayed more positively as using his power for good, while in A Tempest Cesaire presents a more critical view of Prospero as representing colonial oppression. The document analyzes Prospero's use of power and magic, his treatment of other characters, and how his character develops over the course of the two plays.

1. Topic: The Tempest and A Tempest
_ Prospero’s Character
Paper: 11
Paper Name: The Postcolonial Literature
Prepared by: Drashti Mehta
Roll No:7
PG Enrollment No:PG13101021
Sem:3
Email id: drashti.mehta.111993@gmail.com
Submitted to: Smt. S.B. Gardi, Department of English,
Maharaja Krishnakumarsinghji Bhavnagar University
Bhavnagar University
Bhavnagar(Gujarat-India)

2. Aime Cesaire
•"A Tempest” (1969) -is a play by Aime Cesaire

3. William Shakespeare
•“The Tempest” is William Shakespeare's play, written around the year 1610

4. A Tempest by Aime Cesaire
Cesaire -a renowned poet, essayist and
playwright.
• A Tempest, translated -French to English, stunning
masterpiece.
• The author -insightful views on the psychology behind
Prospero and Caliban’s action.
It follows the original version, but it has an
African Twist.
• Where Ariel, a mulatto, slave, attempts to win over his
master and Caliban speaks outright and demands.
• Cesaire's version: the themes of colonialism and
Negritude

5. Prospero
He is the protagonist and central
character
He generates the plot of the play
single- handedly
Prospero is the Duke of Milan
Father of Miranda, Master of Ariel and
Caliban

6. Godlike figure:
Prospero functions as a
god on the island,
manipulating everyone
within his reach.
He is Godlike in his
control of those around
him and in his knowledge
of all that transpires.
Like a god he punishes
the guilty and demands
repentance.

7. Treatment - Natives
• He is polite in The
Tempest and Rude in A
Tempest.
• He occupies the Land in
both

8. Prospero V/s Caliban
“ And now, Caliban, it’s you and me!
What I have to tell you will be brief:
Ten times, a hundred times,
I’ve tried to save you, above all from yourself.
But you have always answered me with wrath and venom,
Like the opossum that pulls itself up by it’s own tail
The better to bite the hand that tears it
From the darkness.
Well, my boy, I shall set aside my
Indulgent nature
And henceforth I will answer
Your violence with violence!
“Well I hate you as
well!
For it is you who
have made me
doubt myself for
the first time.

9. Prospero’s use of Magic:
He use his magic
to make a storm,
to frighten
servants, to
control enemies,
and for marriage
of his daughter
etc.

10. White
magic of
Nature not
black magic
of evil.
White
Magic
Uses white
magic to
carry out
his designs.
Never
injure his
enemies.
Magic -
pure
illusion.

11. Prospero’s Art
He planned
well, creates
beautiful
wedding
masque
A Show
A skillful
director.
Role as a
presenter is
important
• In between he is supervising
and directing the
performance of his spirits , he
informs Ariel:
“ I must use you in such another
trick.”

12. Bitter Old man
Earlier in the play, Prospero
appears Callous and Cruel
He is defensively
autocratic with Ariel.
His punishments of
Caliban are petty and
vindictive, his spirits
pinch Caliban - curses.
Ariel reminds his master his
promise-Prospero bursts into
fury- threatens him-imprisonment
and torment
Unpleasant- Ferdinand, leading
him to his daughter and then
imprisoning and enslaving him.

13. Power over the other
characters and his
overwrought speeches -
difficult to like.
Beginning -
puffed up and
self-important,
superhuman
power that is
humanly limited.
His possession and use
of magical knowledge
renders him extremely
Use power first
badly and then
for good
purposes
He is a powerful
magician
powerful
Power

14. Caliban’s speech
“Prospero, you are the master of illusion
Lying is your trademark.
And you have lied so much to me
(lied about the world, lied about me)
That you have engaged by imposing on me an image
of myself.
Underdeveloped, you brand me, inferior,
that’s the way you have forced me to see myself
I detest that image! What’s more it’s a lie!
But now I know you, you old Cancer; and I know
myself as well.”

15. Knowledge
• Really likes his books.
• Mathematical mind
• He put theory into practice
• Use magic
• Dr. Faustus

16. His Roles

17. Miranda
His
daughter,
her only
duty in his
eyes is to
remain
chaste.
Completely
deprived of
freedom by
her father.
Miranda
and
Ferdinand
marriage
The less-prominent
women
mentioned
in the play
Completely
internalised
the patriarchal
order of things

18. Humanity
Prospero’s
humanity is
clearly seen,
in his
treatment
of Antonio,
whom he
calls Traitor
but whom
he acclaims
to treat as a
traitor.
Prospero’s
goodness
appears
when he
stops
Alonso
from
apologizing
to Miranda,
telling him
that there
is no need
for more
amends.
At the end
he forgives
his
enemies

19. Time: Calculation
Close
observation
of time,
He
follows
the
rhythm
of time
Time
Conscious

20. Limits
his
power
Power
corrupts
Choiceto
return to
Milan,
Remain
human,
abjure magic
Dr. Faustus
He knows
much about
control and
balance
He reveals
guilty

21. In Shakespeare's ‘The Tempest’,
Prospero leaves at the end, but in
Cesaire's ‘A Tempest’, Caliban and
Prospero lives there, at the end
Prospero grants Ariel his freedom,
but retains control of that island and
of Caliban.