The Tempest has some magic elements. I tend to think of The Tempest as a play that has love and betrayal on it. Caliban represents the slave who wants to freed from his former kind master, Prospero, the real and exiled Duke of Milan, uses him because he was the only person in the island. Let’s just say Prospero represents the Christian who was betrayed by his only kin brother and takes his anger out on Caliban because he was displaced in life. He has a daughter called Miranda whom he loves with his every last breath. Ferninland, the son of the King of Naples, was Prince Charming and Miranda was Cinderella. But alas, let’s forget, Christians do not practice sorcery and magic, so let’s place Prospero as a wizard who wants revenge on the three men who wronged him. Prince Charming (Ferinland) and Miranda (Cinderella) both eventually got permission from Prospero to start dating, but Prospero, the wizard who wants to takes his revenge, decides to hulimate the three that banished him from Milan. Caliban decides to find people to displace Prospero. Caliban represents the rebellious slave who wants out from their masters because they have enough of their treatment of suffering, now they want revenge, just like the rebellions of Nat Turner and Gabriel in the early 17th century.

Alonso, Antonio, and Sebestian represents the betrayers. Let’s say Alonso, who had enough of the violence he did, was a sinner who wants to be forgiven by Prospero. Having lost his only son, he had lost his joy in life and would do anything to have his son back and be forgiven by the wizard Prospero. Antonio and Sebestian were unrepentant men who would kill and do bad deeds and they were not satisified with Prospero out of the throne. Now they want Alonso out of the throne, too. Antonio and Sebestian represents the Judas (Antonio, who betrayed his brother for the kingdom, just like Judas betrayed Jesus for money) and Sebestian represents another Judas (who wants his brother’s kingdom, too). However, I called Prospero a Christian (partly, not fully, because of his magic) because he has forgiven the three that betrayed him a decade ago. In Christian rules, you must forgive your enemies before God will forgive you. Despite being forgiven, Antonio and his sidekich Sebestian want to continue being evil, even though Ariel, who represents an angel that does the bidding of its master, for revenge against Prospero’s enemies. Caliban the slave was caught in his act and was fearful of being punished by Prospero. Perhaps Prospero has forgiven Caliban, too, after all, if he had forgiven the three that stole his kingdom a decade ago, perhaps Caliban the slave would be forgiven? There are different answers to this question.

Do you think Caliban would have been forgiven by Prospero because he had forgiven the three men that betrayed him in the past? Here are my opinions:

YES! After all, if Prospero could forgive the three that upsurped his throne, surely he can forgive Caliban, who was a slave’s son who tried to rape his daughter and disobeyed Prospero by rebelling. Perhaps Prospero would be merciful to even a slave….

NO! Caliban tried to rape Miranda when she tried to help him. Angry at the fact that his daughter almost got raped by the hag Synxax’s son, Prospero decides not to forgive Caliban (which conflicts forgiving the other three villians) because Miranda was the pearl of Prospero’s eye. Perhaps it might take time for Prospero to forgive Caliban? We shall see….