“Beyond the Traditional Analysis”

In his play, The Tempest, Shakespeare conveys themes through different character pairs. Each pairing is a guise for a different theme in the play's plot. For instance, Ariel and Caliban are thought to be grouped together because they show two contrasting sides of servitude. Other examples lie behind Miranda and Ferdinand's "love at first sight", as well as the forgiveness that Alonso, Antonio, and Prospero receive. Each grouping of characters is placed strategically throughout the play by Shakespeare to exemplify different themes.
Ariel and Caliban are both under Prospero's servitude, and are actually foils for one another. However, while Ariel abides by Prospero's rules willingly, Caliban only serves Prospero out of fear. They are both obligated to serve Prospero and do his bidding, but while Caliban is only trusted to do the simplest of tasks, Ariel is the equivalent to Prospero's second in command. He is constantly a major aide in Prospero's grand plan, and he is privy to Prospero's secrets. "All hail great master! Grave sir, hail! I come to answer thy best pleasure,"(Shakespeare 14). Ariel says this to his master, living with the hope of soon being free. He could behave as Caliban, but Ariel is trusted enough to help Prospero complete his master plan. Ariel even influences Prospero's decision on whether to forgive the ones who have wronged him.
At the end of the play, Prospero's other servant Caliban, turns out to be one of the ones who have wronged Prospero, and he himself begs for forgiveness. Caliban is described as "a born devil on whose nature, nurture can never stick,"(Shakespeare 71). His solitude had been interrupted years ago, when Prospero and Miranda first arrived on the island, and he has disliked Prospero since. Caliban is often described as a beast, so one would assume that this means that his intellect is not