Prospero vs Ferdinand


When Prospero first landed on the island, he befriended Sycorax who ruled the island.  He ended up imprisoning her until she died and made her child grow up enslaved under his control.  I found Prospero's actions to reflect the hierarchy and lifestyle he came from in Milan.  His expectations of becoming King of Milan rolled over in his castaway.  He assumed his role as king by enslaving Sycorax and Caliban.

As Ferdinand becomes stranded on the island, his actions mimic Prospero's when he first landed.  He continued his role of being apart of a higher social class by asserting his dominance on Prospero.  Although Prospero planned his enslavement by Ferdinand, Ferdinand's actions still reflect a hierarchy that was established in Europe at the time.

I found that the similarities between Prospero and Ferdinand's reactions to being stranded on an island with natives that appeared to be below them in the hierarchy.  It seemed that Prospero and Ferdinand placed themselves above others on the island based on their heritage and intelligence.

Comments

  1. I think you offer good insight into the paralells between Propsero and Ferdinand. It definitely seems as though they enjoy being in power and thinking themselves superior. It is interesting, however, that Prospero is able to control the high on his horse Ferdinand when it comes to wooing his daughter Miranda. He forces Ferdinand to prove that he truly loves Miranda and proves to himself and others that he is truly the most powerful person on the island.

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