The Tempest Epiphany Essay

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In The Tempest, by William Shakespeare, the main character is Prospero, a magician, who is wrongfully banished to an island with his daughter Miranda. The illuminating episode to take place is the epiphany shown in Prospero, by his enslaved spirit Ariel. Though Ariel is a good spirit, the acts Prospero often asks of him are far from his good nature, and because of this and the fact that Prospero is forcing him to stay it is Ariel’s good spirit that is Prospero’s overall cause of epiphany. Ariel can be seen as the Christological Figure in the play because of his character and because of the fact that he is a good spirit. Throughout the play Ariel asks when he will be set free and Prospero lashes back recalling how he freed him from his past. The most notable example from the play would be when Ariel says to Prospero, “Mine would, sir, were I human.”(V.i), when referring to making Gonzalo suffer for no reason. Christ was also immortal, He just took on the figure to become like humans to save…show more content…
This is the third man that e’er I saw; the first that e’er sigh’d for: pity more my father to be inclined my way!” (I.ii), showing she is even appalled by his recent behavior. Not much more of this could continue without change. Though Ariel is Prospero’s bridge to epiphany, epiphany is found within. Author B.J. Sokol entertained the idea that Prospero’s courageous love could be this cause of self-recollection, stating, “Eventually, in The Tempest, Prospero's courageous love overcomes his resistance to acquiring self-knowledge. This knowledge was formerly resisted in him by means of tactics of self-blinding (resembling Alonso's).” (Sokol N.P.). Epiphany must come from within, though outside aid can be a major factor just as Ariel was for Prospero, but no one will change until they’re ready to change for
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