The notion that his son could have survived is a non issue at as far Alonso is concerned. It doesn’t take much for Alonso to be thoroughly convinced that his son is head, batting away any words that offer any hope. The first illusion that Prospero casts is planting the idea that Ferdinand has drowned during the shipwreck firmly within the mind of his father Alonso. Prospero’s motivation behind all this manipulation is to provide the group of nobles, mainly Alonso and Antonio, to become of aware of their wrongdoings, repent for stripping away his dukedom and casting him out to isolation. Prospero’s control of the scene is put on display with these characters, as Wright explains further, “From the moment they arrive on the island to the time of their release and pardon, they are almost continually guided, prompted, and motivated by visions that Ariel, acting for Prospero, weaves before them and by the spells he casts upon them” (251). Most of Prospero’s trickery is aimed towards them, with just intent. The key figures in Prospero’s plan are the group of nobles who were on the ship, Alonso’s entourage. In regard to the secondary characters, Wright explains “… confronted with circumstances and events that descend upon them from a higher world about which they know little or nothing” (244). This lack of experience that a majority of the other characters are confronted with is what allows Prospero to operate freely among the island. Wright embellishes further stating “it is the world of illusion that is the established order, not the ordinary world of experience” (Wright 244). The presence of Prospero’s magic establishes a dichotomy between this play’s world compared to Shakespeare’s other works, Neil H. Prospero manipulated the reality of the situation, leaving the survivors unaware that they were never in danger the entire time. The tempest that begins the play engulfs the ship and leaves its occupants throughout the island, each believing that they were the only survivors.
The huge storm and the ensuing shipwreck is our first introduction to the world of the play and as we later find out the first part of Prospero’s elaborate plan. The first demonstration of Prospero’s powerful illusions occurs during the very first scene of the play. These contrasting perceptions can be applied to the characters in the play as well What are mere illusions to Prospero is reality for everyone else on the island. Because the audience is not directed involved with the play’s plot, they cannot be strung along by Prospero’s magic, allowing for objective viewings of what is actually occurring. This almost omniscient power that is presented pushes the audience to question what is real and what is not. Prospero orchestrates the events of the play with ease, his magic giving him the power to manipulate the characters and environment around him. Throughout the play, Shakespeare is stating that illusions can distort reality, but in the end reality will always makes itself apparent.
The duality between illusion and reality, the contrast between the natural and unnatural are being represented and questioned by Prospero’s magic. In William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest,” the line between the realm of reality and illusion is blurred by Prospero, who through the use of his magic, is able to manipulate and control both the island and those who are stranded on it.
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