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How Does Shakespeare Present Miranda In The Tempest

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Once Miranda learns from her father, she becomes under the impression that she has gained an authoritarian position. Interestingly, it is not Prospero, who relays knowledge upon Caliban, rather it is Miranda. Just as her father takes responsibility in teaching Miranda, Miranda admits that she “took pains to make [Caliban] speak, taught [Caliban] each hour” the knowledge bestowed upon her (Shakespeare, 1.2. 354). In this instance, Miranda seems not only to have overcome her status as a barbarian, but she seems to have a position equal to that of Prospero. Just as Prospero was the schoolteacher of Miranda, Miranda was the schoolteacher of Caliban. There is, however, a contradictory element to this position. Miranda claims that she not only taught Caliban, but that she was able to transform Caliban from one who “didst not… know thine own meaning” …show more content…
Directly before Prospero summons Ariel, he addresses Miranda and tells her that she must “cease more questions/ [And that she] art inclined to sleep; 'tis a good dulness,/And give it way: I know thou canst not choose” (Shakespeare, 1.2.184-186). Before this point, Prospero willingly answers any questions that Miranda poses. However, once Miranda asks about Prospero’s powers, Prospero declines to give her an answer, therefore, drawing a boundary between what is acceptable knowledge and what is unacceptable for her. Prospero thus controls the knowledge that Miranda receives, as did many in the Early Modern Era since “the idea of educating a girl at all was not universally accepted” (Shin, 382). At the same time, Miranda’s knowledge does not differ from “Caliban’s education [which is] limited after his estrangement from Prospero” (Shin, 380). Prospero denies Caliban his education by physically imprisoning him and forcing him to labor, Prospero denies Miranda her education by verbally imprisoning

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