Can we make a list of all the different displays of Prospero’s magical powers?

1) He knows that a ship full of his enemies is approaching the island. How long has he known that? Were they coming near his island originally or did he have something to do with them coming that way?

2) He doesn’t actually cause the tempest, ironically enough — Ariel does.

3) Speaking of which, he’s got whatever powers he needed to not only free Ariel from his imprisonment, but to keep the spirit as his own servant. Consider how powerful Ariel must be – not only causing the Tempest, but keeping all the sailors safe and unharmed – and what sort of power Prospero has over him.  Or is it a power at all?  Is it just repayment for freeing him from the tree? Ariel certainly seems like he’d leave if he could, at some points.

4) He regularly causes Caliban physical pain (“pinches” and “cramps”).

5) He puts Miranda to sleep at will.

6) He “charms” Ferdinand, whatever we choose for that to mean. I like to imagine Prospero actually animating Ferdinand’s frozen limbs like a puppet master, walking him around against his will. He tells Ferdinand “I can disarm you with my stick from here” but that doesn’t necessarily mean that he does.  But how cool would a martial arts sword-versus-staff battle have been?

7) When he wants to watch the vanishing banquet and Ariel’s harpy act, he turns invisible.  Unclear how much of that is Ariel and how much is Prospero.

8) He and Ariel chase Caliban and the others with hounds that appear out of nowhere. Unclear if this is suppose to be a trick of Ariel’s, or Prospero’s.

9) He brings forth the goddesses to bless his daughter’s marriage, as a show of his power.

Are there any other overt displays of his work?

He gives us another list of things that he can do, when he’s talking about leaving the island:

I have bedimm’dThe noontide sun, call’d forth the mutinous winds,And ‘twixt the green sea and the azured vaultSet roaring war: to the dread rattling thunderHave I given fire and rifted Jove’s stout oakWith his own bolt; the strong-based promontoryHave I made shake and by the spurs pluck’d upThe pine and cedar: graves at my commandHave waked their sleepers, oped, and let ’em forthBy my so potent art.

My favorite part of that speech is “graves at my command have waked their sleepers, oped, and let ’em forth.”  So, basically, zombies?  Awesome.

How much of Prospero’s magic is the from the island itself, do you think?  Even if he didn’t break his staff and drown his books, would he have retained his powers after he returns to Milan?

Went over to talk to a coworker today who is getting married at the end of the month.  Another coworker was also there.

“How was your weekend?” asked coworker #2 of engaged coworker, whose fiance travels.

“Good,” she replied, “Scott’s home. He told me he wants to read The Tempest.”

My arms shot into the air, fists raised, like I’d just scored the winning goal.  “Woo!” I exclaim, “Tempest!” I tend to do that.  “Is there a particular reason, or is that entirely random?”

She informs me that he “heard there’s a boat in it.”  I’m ok with that. The boat may only be in one scene, but it’s a good one. 🙂

Original coworker then comments something to the effect of, “I could only ever read Shakespeare when it was assigned to me. If I just pick it up and start reading I get totally lost.”

“You’ll need to read my next book,” I tell her.  “It comes from this very situation that’s happened to me so many times, where grownups tell me that they’ve got nothing against Shakespeare, it’s just that they feel like if they walked into trying to read it or see it they’d be completely lost because they have no idea what’s going on.”

Coworker nods, “Well, exactly.”

“So what I’m doing is working on a series of small guides, just a few dozen pages, that speak directly to this situation. They describe character, plot, famous quotations, important concepts and ideas to watch out for, that sort of thing.  Not in a help-you-study-for-your-English-exam kind of way, but just enough so that you can go to a performance of The Tempest and actually feel like you’re going to understand what the heck is going on, and maybe even enjoy it.”

Engaged coworker tells me that maybe her soon-to-be-husband should read it.  Other coworker tells me that it’s an idea that “sounds awesome.”

I should have asked for their credit card numbers. 🙂  Always Be Closing!