William Shakespeare’s last play The Tempest is a story about Prospero (the rightful duke of Milan). He is betrayed by his brother Antonio and left on a ship with his daughter Miranda to die. Only things are not going according to plan and Prospero and Miranda arrive on an island. Prospero is seeking his revenge. Coming back from a wedding in Africa a ship containing Prosperos enemies is attacked by the tempest and scatters its passengers about the island. Prospero exhibits three major character traits: forcefulness, protectiveness and forgiveness.
Prospero is a very powerful person and using his spell books he is able to conjure up some mighty magic. Possibly the most powerful thing he controls is Ariel (a spirit). An example of this is when Prospero says “Hast thou, spirit, Preformed to point, the tempest I bade thee”.(718) Ariel had the power to create a great sea storm and Prospero had the power to control Ariel which gave him great power. Another reason why Prospero is powerful is because of his knowledge of Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculos plot to kill the king. So when Prospero reclaims his place in Milan again he’ll have some mighty blackmail just incase he needs any favors or they try any thing stupid. This way they’ll think twice before going against Prospero. Especially considering that Miranda will become queen. These are the reasons why Prospero is powerful.
Prospero is protective of those who are close to him especially Miranda. Throughout The Tempest Prospero slowly makes sure Ferdinands and Mirandas love wont faid quickly. Prospero even called Ferdinand a traitor just to make Miranda seem harder to get. This way the couple wouldn’t become a lost cause. When Prospero says “They are both in either’s powers. But this swift business I must uneasy make lest too light winning make the prize light” (726) he is revealing his true plan to Ariel that he wants to make Miranda harder to get. This is because Prospero feels their love will be stronger if it is harder to obtain. Prospero is also protective when he says “the strongest oaths are straw to th’ fire I’ th’ blood”(764) this was said to Ferdinand after Prospero makes him promise not to have sex with Miranda before they are married. He is stunned to see that after his promise Ferdinand is playing around with Miranda.
After Apple Picking
After Apple Picking
Throwing all sexual connotations aside, “After Apple Picking” is about a dying man who is pondering the accomplishments in his life, and contemplating on the opportunities that he has let pass by. As our narrator drowses off into his final sleep, he is tired of having had so many options, but still he knows that his mind will have time to think and wonder if he should regret.
As the poem starts, he is standing on his long ladder pointed towards heaven, and looking down on the apples that he didn’t pick. But, he shows no sign of regret, for he admits that he is “done with apple-picking now.” Though he seems quite confident in this declaration, the reader questions his sincerity as he looks down at the barrel he didn’t fill. For this is his last waking hour, and questions are sure to come while “the essence of winter sleep is on the night.”
Our narrator goes on to talk about his strange view of the “hoary grass” through a small sheet of ice. As he is looking through this piece of “glass”, it begins to melt, thus symbolizing how his view of the world is about to end. Although completely aware of his waning time, he is comforted by knowing “What form [his] dreaming was about to take.
With a somewhat optimistic outlook, he is confident of the positive nature of his thoughts in the afterlife. He supposes that his “dreams” shall be of his many accomplishments; a “stem” to “blossom” overview of his life’s works. The narrator also figures that his dreams will show him how he was sturdy, swaying little, when boughs of the trees were bending in the wind. He will see himself as strong under the heat of a barrage of apples come rolling in.
After admitting that he has had too much of apple-picking, he seems ready to watch the “Highlights” in his dreaming. While thinking of how successful he has been in his “apple-picking”, he begins to wonder of the fruitful opportunities that he has let slip through his hands and fall through to the ground.