A Review of The Tempest
- Charles Cowden Clarke is the critic who wrote the review below. It is found in his book: Shakespeare-Characters: Chiefly Those Subordinate, published by Smith, Elder, & Co., 1863, and found on pages 273-92.
[Inspite of ] all our admiration of and sympathy with the illustrious magician, we perforce must acknowledge Prospero to be of a revengeful nature. He has not the true social wisdom; and he only learns Christian wisdom from his servant Ariel. By nature he is a selfish aristocrat. When he was Duke of Milan he gave himself up to his favourite indulgence of study and retired leisure, yet expected to preserve his state and authority. When master of the Magic Island, he is stern and domineering, lording it over his sprite-subjects, and ruling them with a wand of rigour. He comes there, and takes possession of the territory with all the coolness of a usurper; he assumes despotic sway, and stops only short of absolute unmitigated tyranny. His only point of tender human feeling is his daughter; and his only point of genial sympathy is with the dainty being Ariel. And yet withal, beneath Prospero's sedate experience, we find there lie real kindness and affection for the little embodied Zephyr; for when, with a sportive question and childlike, Ariel says, "Do you love me, master?" " No," the master replies, "Dearly, my delicate Ariel"
(IV. i. 48-9). And again, afterwards, "I shall miss thee; but yet thou shalt have thy freedom" (IV. i. 95-6), showing that he has a heart to comprehend the eagerness of the airy sprite to be at liberty amidst the boundless elements of which he is the creature. The best of Prospero's social philosophy is, that it consists not in so obstinate an adherence to its tenets, but that it suffers itself to be won over to a kindlier and more tolerant course when convinced that it has hitherto held too strict a one. His purpose of revenge gives way to mercy when assured that his injurers repent ( 279-80).
Source: Charles Cowden Clarke, a review of The Tempest, in his Shakespeare-Characters: Chiefly Those Subordinate, Smith, Elder, & Co., 1863, pages 273-92.