Write a short essay on the following topic.  In Shakespeare's "The Tempest" Prospero commands his servant Ariel to present Alonso and his company with visions of splendor and horror.  What is the purpose of these visions and how do they impact the characters affected and serve Propero's purpose?   Identify Propero's objective or objectives and include appropriate quotations from the text of the play.
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In Shakespeare's "The Tempest," Prospero commands his servant Ariel to present visions of splendor and horror to Alonso and his company. These visions serve Prospero's purpose of exacting revenge and restoring his rightful place as Duke of Milan.

The visions are meant to evoke feelings of fear, guilt, and remorse in Alonso and his men. Through the visions, Prospero hopes to make them realize the gravity of their actions in betraying and banishing him. He also seeks to manipulate their emotions and force them to confront their own conscience. As Prospero explains to Ariel:

"Hast thou, which art but air, a touch, a feeling
Of their afflictions, and shall not myself,
One of their kind, that relish all as sharply,
Passion as they, be kindlier moved than thou art?" (Act 1, Scene 2)

Prospero wants to use the visions as a tool to make the men feel remorse and ultimately seek his forgiveness. He tells Ariel:

"I will pour some in thy ears.
Do but look up, my boy,
And let thine eye be a messenger
To the next adjacent cloud; behold in this one
The complexions of the element, for every atom
That's in it shall be as vile as that
Which now appears to be a marvel, as thou seest it." (Act 5, Scene 1)

The visions of splendor and horror have a profound impact on Alonso and his men. They are shown a banquet and a wedding feast, only for it to disappear and be replaced with a hellish landscape. They are terrified and filled with guilt, with Alonso exclaiming:

"Oh, it is monstrous, monstrous!
Methought the billows spoke and told me of it;
The winds did sing it to me, and the thunder,
That deep and dreadful organ-pipe, pronounced
The name of Prosper: it did bass my trespass." (Act 3, Scene 3)

The visions serve as a means of manipulating the men's emotions and conscience, making them feel remorse for their past actions. In this way, Prospero is able to achieve his objectives of revenge and restoring his rightful place as Duke of Milan.

In conclusion, the visions of splendor and horror in "The Tempest" serve a crucial role in Prospero's plan for revenge and redemption. Through these visions, he is able to manipulate the emotions and conscience of Alonso and his men, ultimately achieving his objectives.
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