This island's mine, by Sycorax my mother,
Which thou takest from me.
Introduces the theme of
colonialism
Colonialism in its infancy in Jacobean England e.g. Magellan in Patagonia (heads in chests)
Act 1 sc. 1 said by Caliban to Prospero
Shows ownership of the island is disputed
Social hierarchy dictates that Caliban should not own
land
'Caliban cannot rule the island because he is not
fully human' (Butler)
but I feel not This deity in my bosom: twenty consciences, That stand 'twixt me
and Milan, candied be they And melt ere they molest!
'deity in the bosom' suggests the idea of an omnipotent god - he must be obeyed
The melting of the consciences suggests that they have no impact, like an
ice dagger that has melted
Link to Machiavelli - do whatever is necessary, ignore morality.
thou didst seek to violate The
honour of my child.
If Miranda had been 'deflowered', a 'deflowered daughter
would have tainted the family. (Butler)
According to Montaigne 'primitive societies' had different sexual norms. This was abhorrent to western
minds
I'll break my staff ... drown my
books'
Uses his magic for good; neo-platonic science
'For all Propseros, the price of forgiveness is the
requirement to forgo magic' (Butler)
'You are three men of sin'
By their actions they set in motion the play. Without the act of usurpation, there is no play.
The motif of usurpation is seen again in the play: Sebastian and Antonio plot against Alonso; Caliban plots against
Prospero.
'...this thing of darkness I acknowledge mine'
'He has taken all the necessary archetypes and integrated them within himself. We have
seen the unconscious played out as fantasy and then a return to reality.'(Barry Beck)
Prospero is acknowledging the
dark side of his personality
(Jungian interpretation)
Prospero's forgiveness has its limits - no sign of real forgiveness here.