What are three themes in The Tempest?

The Tempestexamines a number of subjects, including forgiveness, betrayal, and greed. Prospero uses magic to seek vengeance on those who have wronged him, but he eventually realizes that “the rarer action is / In virtue than in vengeance.” The spirit Ariel says that Prospero would pity these men if he saw their spell-induced torments. Prospero grasps that if even Ariel, who is not human, feels sorry for the men, he should as well. He...

The Tempest examines a number of subjects, including forgiveness, betrayal, and greed. Prospero uses magic to seek vengeance on those who have wronged him, but he eventually realizes that “the rarer action is / In virtue than in vengeance.” The spirit Ariel says that Prospero would pity these men if he saw their spell-induced torments. Prospero grasps that if even Ariel, who is not human, feels sorry for the men, he should as well. He confronts his enemies but neither kills nor continues to torture them.

Another theme is betrayal. Prospero feels betrayed by the spiteful Caliban, whom he raised from a child. Caliban sees Prospero’s enslavement of him as a betrayal since he “show'd [Prospero] all the qualities o' the isle, / The fresh springs, brine-pits, barren place and fertile.” Antonio convinces Sebastian to kill his brother Alonso in order to become king. Alonso helped Antonio overthrow Prospero, Antonio’s own brother. Ambition leads to treachery in The Tempest, even though the characters ultimately reconcile.

A final recurring topic in the play is dehumanization through greed. When Trinculo sees the odd Caliban, he immediately thinks of making money by putting him on display in England: “when they will not give a doit to relieve a lame beggar, they will lazy out ten to see a dead Indian.” This pointed comment demonstrates how fascination with the exotic can trump compassion. When Stephano sees Caliban, he has a similar idea: “he's a present for any emperor that ever trod on neat's leather.” Stephano and Trinculo enlist Caliban, who is already enslaved by Prospero, as their servant. Mercy, treason, and exploitation are three of many themes in The Tempest.