Question

Read the following passage from Act I, scene ii of The Tempest, in which Prospero explains to Miranda how Antonio usurped him.

Answer 1

"The Tempest" is considered a revenge tragedy. The usurpation of Prospero's dukedom from Antonio, his own beloved brother, is an indication of his distemper. Words that can create a tone of reproach and melancholy for the past are: "evil nature", falsehood", "perfidious" which are attributed to the dishonest brother. Miranda appears to live in a dream place where corruption and malevolence do not exist. However, Prospero's negative attitue towards Antonio expresses that there is evil in human nature and it can even come from close acquaintances and family.