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Each of the characters in The Tempest finds themselves in bondage. However, by the end of the story, the same characters are set free from whatever enslaves them. A few characters one can see enslaved are Prospero, Miranda, Ariel, and Caliban. Prospero is in bondage to his magic. Since his exile by his brother from his dukedom in Milan, he has had but a few books to help pass the twelve long years. During this …

…his looks are immutable. Although the action in the play is simple, the meaning behind the characters is important to recognize. Without recognizing the theme of bondage and liberation, the characters are flat and uninviting. The liberation of the characters at the end of the play ties in with the fact that the play is a comedy. The happiness of liberation fits very nicely with the happiness of promise of marriage and forgiveness to come.