Love or Power?

During both the fish bowl and the schools of literary criticism discussions concerning The Tempest, the question of whether Prospero’s motivations for marrying his daughter off were selfish or loving was asked. Personally, I tend to see his actions as manipulative and calculating rather than caring. He brought Ferdinand to island not because he wished to find happiness for his daughter, but rather to seek revenge on his enemies. Miranda was his way of finding a path back to power in Italy. Had Ferdinand not fallen for Miranda, I firmly believe that Prospero would have manipulated his emotions using magical powers to ensure a marriage between the two. Someone in class brought up a great point that Miranda is like a prop throughout the play. Her entire story is dictated by other characters. When Ferdinand asks permission to wed Miranda, Prospero remarks that he gives his daughter fully to Ferdinand. While a common phrase at the time, hence fathers “giving their daughters away” when they walk them down the isle, this statement furthers the idea of Miranda simply being a prop or object in the eyes of Prospero. I am not saying that he does not love his daughter because I think it is clear that he does, but he does not view her as having her own rights. Instead, she is more like a loyal subject in his eyes. Someone he cares for, but should not make her own decisions.