The Tempest. Act I

     As I was reading through Act I, I realized that Prosepero was no where near the man he described himself to be. He conjured up stories in ways to make he himselfdo no wrong, and that he was the one who helped everyone's misfortunes on the island. This idea is twisted from actual reality.
      The first example prensenting this manipulation is when Prospero is telling the story to his daughter Miranda of how they came to the island. His story makes out his brother Antonio to be a wretched man who took everything pertaining to Prospero's country right from his fingertips; Antonio was " the ivy which had hid my princley trunk, and had sucked my verdure out on't." The reader is not sure of whether or not Antonio is at  fault for taking over Prospero's country, or if the country ran to his help to escape Prospero's evil ways. There are always 3 sides to every story, but in most cases the person at fault still creates a nontruthful story to make himself look innocent. Relating this statment to "The Tempest", Prosepero had no intentions of making himself look like the one at fault for losing his country, so he placed the blame on his own blood brother.
      Another example of Prospero's manipulative ways is with Ariel, his servant. Although Ariel has done everything asked of him, Prospero refuses to release him to freedom, twisting all of Ariel's pleas around to make him seem ungrateful. "Though best know'st what torment  I did find in thee.Thy groans of ever angry bears." Ariel was never givin the option of being free; he went from being imprisoned to being enslaved. Though he was Prospero's slaved, he was always promised to be let free every time he was ordered to do something. This is a way of manipulation to get Ariel to do any and all work to help Prospero. He is slowly realizing of what is happening behind the scenes, yet he still is forced to cooperate. Prospero has Ariel rapped around his fingers through threats and promises.
     Caliban too is a manipulative tool of Prospero. He was born to be taken over by Prospero, and soon after being born he too was enslaved. Caliban stated the lines " When thou camest first, thou  stok'st me and made much of me." Prospero did at one time love and take care of Caliban as if he was a son, but soon enough he took advantage of him and made him serve to his every whim. Caliban had no one else to help him out, other than Prospero's own daughter, but she too was under her father's control. This quote does show that Prosero hs love deep down inside, though his thirst for power trembles over his love.