A variant of Prosperity, Prospero arguably serves as the primary manipulative authority throughout Shakespeare's play, The Tempest. Through a postcolonial reading of the text, one can discern that The Tempest is filled with native characters, forced servitude, assimilation of language, and ultimately Prospero's own construction of the characters' fates. Summoning the storm itself to marry his daughter Miranda and reclaim his lost power, Prospero aims to build on the play's accomplishments by repeatedly manipulating those around him. Often referring to his "art", Shakespeare's ambiguity leaves the reader wondering what or who Prospero's "art" actually is. Throughout The Tempest, Shakespeare constantly questions both the source and legitimacy of Prospero's powers. Through the manipulation of denotations in Prospero's dialogue, Shakespeare subtly reveals that Prospero's art is nothing more than a carefully constructed illusion of power, while simultaneously undermining his authority within the text and characterizing him as the quintessential colonial hegemon desperate for power. Say no to plagiarism. . Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The ambiguous nature of Prospero's art is repeatedly referenced throughout the play by both secondary characters and Prospero himself, entrenching its relevance as the work's main speculative argument. At a rather manipulative moment in the text where Prospero seduces Ferdinand to love the island and his daughter, he begins his proclamation: “Spiriti, che per mia arte” (IV.i.120). Responding to Ferdinand's astonishment and the question of whether the spirits are actually present, Prospero chooses to highlight his powers over them in a grand way. By using the term “art” – something considered a skill often the product of knowledge or practice – Shakespeare demonstrates to both Ferdinand and the reader that spirits and the supernatural arise from Prospero's efforts. By repeatedly highlighting diction that denotes individual skill and worth, Shakespeare creates an image of Prospero's narcissism. By constructing a man of such valiant and experienced character, he also alludes to the manipulative language that Prospero uses when addressing other characters. Prospero not only proclaims the existence of art but also takes note to vocalize it as “my art.” The presence of this possessive diction reflects the ownership and ownership that Prospero asserts over the art, further grounding it as something unique to his character and skill. By so vividly asserting his agency and ability in the supernatural, Prospero positions himself as authoritative and omniscient to those around him. This rather arrogant insistence of his own power reinforces his status as the island's hegemon, as he implores the other characters to unquestioningly control a magic they cannot even imagine. While "art" immediately illustrates Prospero's power, Shakespeare's surrounding diction in contrast, works to undermine his assertion of authority. The spirit entities themselves diminish Prospero's claims to dominion. By beginning Prospero's response to Ferdinand with the subject “Spirits,” Shakespeare elicits an interrogative ambiguity that suggests the double meaning of the word. The two probably most influential interpretations of the term “spirits” contrast sharply: one suggests that the term denotes a temporary separation of the immaterial and material parts of the human being while the other explains it as an entity distinct from anything physical or material. Therefore, this leads to the question of whether spirits areimmaterial extensions of Prospero himself or completely autonomous and unaffiliated beings. By selecting such highly ambiguous diction as the subject of the dialogue, Prospero's power and control over his art corrodes at the same time.presence of spirits; Shakespeare plants the seed that art is most likely a completely separate entity from Prospero. As the dialogue continues, Prospero forcefully, and rather manipulatively, asserts his control over the spirits. However, the image of control over spirits that develops in the next two lines separates Prospero from the source of power, instead revealing his goal to take and control “the art.” Shakespeare continues Prospero's response by writing, "From their confines I am called to act/My present fancies" (IV.i.121-122). The assertive possession denoting “to have,” for Prospero's commands to the spirits, implies his strength and control over the situation. However, the ambiguity about the source of power extends further when recognizing a colloquial use of “have”: an act of deception or deception. This interpretation of Shakespeare's diction elicits a direct reference to Prospero's schemes. The subtle use of this lesser-known colloquialism undermines Prospero's asserted control over art, instead conveying his manipulative hoax in the pursuit of power. Furthermore, the use of “called” reflects a scene in which Prospero forcefully and authoritatively commands the spirits. This image of active control explains Prospero's role as ruler of the play. By requiring the action of the spirits, he proclaims his authority over others on the island and positions himself as a bloodthirsty from what is, arguably, their “art.” Shakespeare's depiction of the "boundaries" in which spirits are kept furthers Prospero's characterization. as a colonial ruler within the work. Denoting “boundaries” as an enclosure or limitation of boundaries – or even borders – Shakespeare's precise choice of this diction isolates the spirits from the physical island. By removing them, and their powers, from the material world, Shakespeare reveals that spirits are remote essences through the image of their boundaries. This not only corrodes Prospero's connection to "art" by physically detaching it from the earth, but also characterizes him as a manipulative authority eager for control. Already bound within the island setting, the characters in Shakespeare's play are confined within the natural confines of the landscape. Prospero's assertion of the further “boundaries” of the spirit, beyond the mere geography of the island, illustrates his desire to develop boundaries for those around him, firmly distinguishing him as the colonial authority of the text. This assertion of dominion and restriction over the spirits' habitat cements Prospero as the aggressor and further distances him, across physical boundaries, from an art he claims as his own. Toward the close of Prospero's brief dialogue with Ferdinand, Shakespeare quite clearly dismantles the concept of Prospero as the complete possessor of power. Proclaiming that the Spirits are present to “enact/[his] current fancies” (IV.i.121-122), Prospero's slip of the verb “enact” highlights the spirits as actors in the art. Denoted as a performance, the verbiage gives acclaim to the spirits rather than Prospero himself. This use of “enact” demonstrates Prospero's role as a manipulator, rather than a possessor of art. Furthermore, closing the dialogue with the notion of “fantasies” indicates that the acts of magic are simply fantasies of Prospero's creation. Considering the use of "fantasies" as an illusion of the senses, or better yet, an illusory imagination or hallucination, Shakespeare's diction evokes the idea that Prospero is deluding.