Top 5 Quotes About Power in The Tempest
Explore Shakespeare’s island of control, manipulation and justice
In The Tempest, power shapes every relationship,
between rulers and servants, parents and children, spirits and mortals. Whether it’s Prospero’s magical dominance or the raw ambition of characters like Antonio and Caliban, Shakespeare uses the theme of power to explore questions of justice, control and morality.
These five exact quotes reveal different aspects of power in the play and are perfect for GCSE and A Level students aiming to write perceptive, evidence-led responses.
🔹 1. Prospero: “I’ll break my staff… I’ll drown my book.” (Act 5, Scene 1)
🔍 What It Shows
At the end of the play, Prospero chooses to give up his magical powers, signalling forgiveness and a return to human leadership.
🧠 Zoom In
The verbs “break” and “drown” suggest destruction and finality. Prospero’s staff and book are symbols of his power. Giving them up shows that true power lies in the choice to forgive and relinquish control.
💬 Model Sentence
Shakespeare presents power as something that must be handled with responsibility, suggesting that Prospero’s moral strength comes from giving up dominance.
❓Quick Questions
Why does Prospero destroy his tools of magic?
How is this moment different from how he uses power earlier in the play?
🔹 2. Caliban: “You taught me language, and my profit on’t is, I know how to curse.” (Act 1, Scene 2)
🔍 What It Shows
Caliban reminds Prospero that language, a tool of education and civilisation, has become a weapon for him. This line highlights the power dynamics between coloniser and colonised.
🧠 Zoom In
The noun “profit” is ironic here. Caliban has gained no benefit from being taught. Instead, Shakespeare shows that knowledge without equality only fuels resentment and oppression.
💬 Model Sentence
Shakespeare critiques colonial power through Caliban, showing that forced education and control breed resistance rather than gratitude.
❓Quick Questions
What does this line reveal about Caliban’s relationship with Prospero?
How does language function as a form of power?
🔹 3. Ariel: “Do you love me, master? No?” (Act 4, Scene 1)
🔍 What It Shows
Ariel questions Prospero’s emotional connection to him. Though obedient, Ariel longs for freedom and recognition.
🧠 Zoom In
The direct question “Do you love me?” adds vulnerability to Ariel’s character. It also shows the imbalance of power, as even a magical being must ask for emotional validation from their master.
💬 Model Sentence
Through Ariel’s question, Shakespeare explores how power can silence affection and create emotional distance, even between allies.
❓Quick Questions
What does this line tell us about Ariel’s hopes and fears?
How does Prospero’s response shape our view of him?
🔹 4. Antonio: “What’s past is prologue.” (Act 2, Scene 1)
🔍 What It Shows
Antonio uses this line to justify plotting another political betrayal, manipulating history as a tool for personal ambition.
🧠 Zoom In
The phrase implies that everything up to now is just a setup for what’s next. Shakespeare uses Antonio to show how power-hungry characters rewrite meaning to suit their desires.
💬 Model Sentence
Shakespeare warns that ambition without conscience can lead people to justify betrayal, as Antonio uses the past to excuse future wrongdoing.
❓Quick Questions
How does this quote link to themes of fate and free will?
In what ways does Antonio abuse his power?
🔹 5. Prospero: “Thou most lying slave… I pitied thee.” (Act 1, Scene 2)
🔍 What It Shows
Prospero accuses Caliban of betrayal, but also admits he once felt sympathy for him. This line captures the complicated and often abusive dynamic between them.
🧠 Zoom In
Calling Caliban a “lying slave” shows how Prospero sees him as both ungrateful and inferior. The phrase “I pitied thee” suggests that power can be patronising when it lacks justice.
💬 Model Sentence
Shakespeare shows that power mixed with prejudice can turn pity into dominance, as Prospero shifts from sympathy to scorn.
❓Quick Questions
Why does Prospero feel betrayed by Caliban?
How does this moment reflect colonial themes in the play?
✅ Revision Recap
In this post, we have explored five powerful quotes about power in The Tempest. These quotes show:
The dangers of ambition and betrayal
The balance between punishment and mercy
The role of magic, language and emotional control
How power plays out between master and servant, coloniser and colonised
Each quote gives you evidence for writing about character, theme or dramatic structure.
💭 Try This:
Choose one quote from Prospero and one from Caliban. Write a paragraph comparing how each character uses or responds to power.
In Act 1, Scene 2, Shakespeare presents Prospero as… while Caliban…