Now further into the novel of The Tempest, we are starting to feel
acquainted with the characters. We have watched Prospero interact with his
daughter, Miranda, on many occasions. On page 23-24 Prospero says as an
aside "They are both in either's powers. But this swift business I must uneasy
make, lest too light winning make prize light." What do you interpret from this?
Does he plan to just test Ferdinand and see how great he is, or is he trying to
make their marriage or relationship more of a challenge to attain so that Ferdinand doesn't get
Miranda too easily and therefore get bored with her and mistreat her. Is
Prospero a good father to Miranda? Why or why not? You may take into
consideration that he waited 15 years to tell her about his lost kingship. Was
this for her benefit?
Prospero is testing Ferdinand. He says that quote to show what his true intentions for Miranda and Ferdinand are even though he might not say it aloud. Prospero wants Ferdinand and Miranda to eventually get married, but Prospero does not want give over Miranda easily. He does not want Ferdinand to think that he will get Miranda easily. Prospero wants Ferdinand to work for the prize that Miranda is and make sure Ferdinand falls in love with Miranda for the right reasons. A relationship that is rushed into usually does not last as long or is as strong as a relationship which takes longer to progress and is worked at. Prospero is a great father. While he does neglect to tell Miranda certain things as a child, he waits for the right moment when Miranda is mature enough to tell her. He provides for her on an island that did not have supplies or any other people to help him on it (except Caliban). He protects her from Caliban, and he gives her a great education. Lastly, he sets up Miranda up with a handsome Prince. This Prince happens to be the prince of a rich and powerful country, Naples.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. Even waiting to tell her about the ship wreck isn't that big of a deal because she's only fifteen in the story. Before that she probably wouldn't have understood everything he was trying to tell her about the politics involved in losing his ruling position. His testing Ferdinand also shows he cares because he wants to make sure this guy he's setting up with his daughter is really the right person. He's never had to trust Miranda with anyone else before, he's raised her all alone (which is not common for high born kids), and he needs to make sure she'll be cared for
DeleteI completely agree with Jamie on this. I think a good father should give his future son-in-law a hard time to prove his worthiness.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the fact that Prospero waits to tell Miranda all his secrets and the story behind their lives, I think it's the right move. A father must allow his daughter some innocence in order for her to have a decent childhood. My father kept things from me when I was a child, and told me about them as I got older. I'm sure he still has things that he won't tell me until I'm older. Either way, I'm happy he didn't tell me at a young age, because I know my little brain wouldn't have been able to handle it.
I give Prospero an A. Not an A+, because he calls his daughter a wench, but an A nonetheless.
I don't know that I fully agree with Jamie and Lauren that waiting so long to tell Miranda about his past kingship was a good idea, but I understand that he might not have found a time to tell her sooner. It is hard to expose your daughter to such a significant experience of your past when she has no idea about it and has been living on an island her entire life. The storm Prospero created gave him reason to tell her about his past and about his brother. However, I agree with Jamie that the quote of Prospero’s aside is Prospero being a good father and wanting Ferdinand to eventually marry Miranda. I think it’s smart not to let the young lovers rush into their relationship too soon, because they are most likely to act irrationally since they have never loved before and Miranda has never seen a man besides her father and Caliban prior to meeting Ferdinand. I think everything Prospero does it to protect Miranda and to benefit her. This is why he tests Ferdinand and doesn’t Miranda over to him very easily. I can also see how he had Ariel disguise himself to reel Ferdinand in. This is all so that his daughter can live the best life possible, making Prospero a very good, caring father.
ReplyDeleteI also think that something only Jamie's mentioned is important to remember: Prospero is setting Miranda up with the PRINCE of Naples. She will be a queen in the future. Prospero is basically securing her and possibly himself a great future by getting the prince on their side. If the king finds his son who he thought was dead, he'll probably listen to him, and even if he doesn't, he won't be king for much longer. By pairing Miranda with Ferdinand and not anyone else, and by making her so hard to get that Ferdinand really feels like he's been rewarded with the best prize for his work, Prospero has ensured she WILL be queen.
ReplyDeleteJust for the sake of argument, you could base a strong case against Prospero off of what Rebecca said. Is Prospero setting Miranda up with Ferdinand out of selfishness? It makes sense. He could want to get off the island and still be a high authority figure with his daughter as queen of Naples.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Rebecca at the moment. Prospero is not only securing his future in setting up Mirand with Ferdinand, but he is securing the future of his daughter. By making Miranda hard to get and basically turning her affection into a prize, Ferdinands instinct compels him to work and fight for her love. Making Mirandas love a prize makes Ferdinand only want her more and more, and when he has won the prize he feels that he has accomplished something. Also, it is a good thing that Prospero waited to tell Miranda his past because as a young child she would not have been mature enough to comprehend the information presented. This only makes sense to tell her when she has become a mature, young woman.
ReplyDeleteThey way i look at it Prospero is a great dad. He clearly cares about Miranda more that anything. The native that showed Prospero the ways of the island and taught him to survive attempted to rape his daughter and in response prospero basically turned him into a slave. He formed a brilliant plan to allow himself and his daughter to get of the island, but he also included setting his daughter up with a husband before she gets back to society. He thinks about his daughter first and she effects all of his decisions.
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to give a shout out to CAL 105 Knowledge, Nature, and Culture. Professor Morgan is a boss.
ReplyDeleteArt is some important shit
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ReplyDeleteHit me up on twitter; @henryhunter23
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