Broken Communication in The Tempest

The Tempest is remarkable for its extraordinary breadth of imaginative vision. The world of the play is based on magic and illusion. It contains tremendous amount spectacle, but things are not often as they seem, therefore there is a certain amount of broken communication. Most of this broken communication is shown through Prospero and Miranda. Miranda doesn’t take notice of what her father tries to explain to her. This emphasizes the distance between father and daughter. We notice that her relationship is tender, yet also surprisingly one-sided. Prospero charms her to sleep, so that he can set about a plan to get her a husband although he hasn’t discussed this with her. The only thing Prospero can do with his powers is to bring a man to her; he can’t manipulate their feelings for each other. When she first meets Ferdinand, the prince makes perfectly clear who he is, yet Miranda not only shows no sign of connecting him with the story she has just heard, but also seems ge...