Essay written for extra work relating to the theme of Silencing Characters in the Tempest.
Note: the essay was a practice essay submitted to a teacher prior to studying quotes and hence, it focuses predominantly on the theme and not the quotes.
The theme of silence appears in various forms throughout the story of Shakespeare's "The
Tempest." The play centers on Prospero, Duke of Milan, who was usurped by his brother
Antonio and sent to an island. There, he interacts with the island's inhabitants, including the
spirit Ariel and the native Caliban, as well as the passengers who were lost in the ship.
Prospero's treatment of Caliban is one of the most prominent examples of silence in the
play. Prospero is quick to assert his power over Caliban, who is an island native. He is willing
to use force to control Caliban, describing him as a "monster" and "savage." By denying
Caliban agency and autonomy, Prospero silences Caliban's voice and opinions. As another
method of exerting control over Caliban, Prospero uses magic to physically silence him when
he puts him to sleep.
Prospero's treatment of Ariel in the play is another example of silence. Prospero uses Ariel,
a spirit bound to his service, to exert control over the island's other inhabitants. The way
Prospero treats Ariel is similar to how colonizers frequently exploit native people for their
own benefit, taking advantage of their labor and resources. Prospero, who employs magic to
direct and sway Ariel's actions, also silences Ariel's voice and opinions.
Prospero's manipulation also silences the shipwrecked passengers, including Antonio and
his crew. By influencing the actions and thoughts of the shipwrecked passengers, Prospero
uses his power to control them and silence their voices. By including them in his plan to
reclaim his dukedom, Prospero also mutes their voices, rendering them unable to act on
their own initiative.
As Caliban and Ariel come to accept their oppressed state and internalize Prospero's
negative view of them, the play also explores the concept of self-silencing. In addition,
Prospero's character exemplifies the colonizers' superiority mentality and justification for
their actions; he silences and renders the colonized invisible.
In conclusion, Prospero's treatment of Caliban and Ariel, as well as the shipwrecked
passengers, all play into the theme of silence throughout "The Tempest." Shakespeare
explores the dehumanization, exploitation, and control of the native population and the
colonized by using these various forms of silence. The oppressed come to accept their
situation, internalize the negative views that are imposed on them by the oppressor, and
silence their own voices in the play. The play also shows how the actions of the colonizer
silence and render the voices of the colonized invisible.
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