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This lesson continues our exploration of The Tempest's themes, focusing on forgiveness and reconciliation, the nature vs nurture debate, and the interplay of magic, illusion, and reality.
The movement from vengeance to forgiveness is the play's central moral arc.
START END
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Anger -----> Punishment -----> Turning Point -----> Forgiveness
(Storm) (Torment of (Ariel's plea) ("The rarer
enemies) action is
in virtue")
In Act 5 Scene 1, Ariel describes the suffering of Prospero's enemies:
"Your charm so strongly works 'em / That if you now beheld them, your affections / Would become tender." — Ariel, Act 5 Scene 1
Prospero replies: "Dost thou think so, spirit?" Ariel: "Mine would, sir, were I human."
This is a crucial moment: a non-human spirit teaches a human being about compassion. It is Ariel's words that prompt Prospero's decision.
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