Act I of The Tempest opens with a brushed-up portrayal of a shipwreck emphasizing the characters’ incapacity to read what nature will throw at them and serving in some way as a prelude to the emotional conflict to come. The undertone of moral degradation, in this case, usurpation of power by individual Prospero, is uncovered as he recounts how he became the Duke of Milan together with his daughter Miranda. When there is a struggle within her to seek freedom from Prospero, Ariel’s appearance makes the contradiction between liberty and servitude very clear. The pull of Caliban’s entrance also broadens the naive humanistic approaches to power, with the uprise aside. Centering on love as optimism and hope further points out the other side, for remembering the theme and practice of revenge, betrayal, and violence. The meeting between Ferdinand and Miranda prepares the audience for the relationships that will be formed throughout the rest of the play.

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