1999-05-04
The Theme: W. Shakespeare, THE TEMPEST
The Task: Ariel is talking to himself about his life, his relationship with Prospero and his plans for the future. Write a monologue. (In your own words, of course, not in "Shakespearian English"!) Good luck!
Do you think that Ariel is gay? I certainly thought this, when I wrote this little piece. Well, tell me.
"Oh my! Things are changing so quickly nowadays. It seems like yesterday to me that Prospero freed me from the pine tree and so much has happened. Like little Miranda, she was such a small kid and now she has become a, well, gorgeous young woman! Too bad that I do not care about women, otherwise Prospero would probably have had the same problems with me as he had with Caliban. Oh, Caliban, this wild stupid creature. I hated him from the very day he came to the island. First the little boy who played tricks on me and later, when Sycorax banned me into that pine tree, just laughing with the foolish grin of a retarded young man. Anyway, he will die. He will die like his mother did and like all the other beings that are on this island. Even Prospero will die some day. The great Prospero. Oh how I love him for having rescued me and for being my comrade ever since. I know, he rules over me and I have to do everything he wants me to but he would never do anything wrong. He promised me to let me be free one day and now that this day seems to be approaching, I do not wish to let him go! I will be alone again. Alone on this island where there is no fun, no people to talk to and with Prospero's cell that will always remind me of the better days I would have had. New people will come to the island and leave again. They will probably build hotels here, call the island Mallorca, Prospero's cell may be named "Ballermann 6" and Caliban will sit there, drinking sangria... but none of the people I will see in the future will be as nice, as warm, as fair as Prospero! What a pity!"