“Both Prospero and Felix convey the significance of not harbouring anger and thoughts of

revenge if one is to find contentment in life.”

To what extent do you agree that this is one of the main messages to take from a
comparative study of Prospero and Felix?

Prospero and Felix originally use the emotional feelings behind their motives in order to gain
what they acquire. Although, throughout the two texts eventually allow for the two main
characters to overcome these emotions in order to fulfil contentment in their lives.
Prospero overcomes his emotion of being “a Prince of Power” due to Ariel’s statement
about not wanting to ruin someone’s life, but instead forgive them for what they’ve done.
This allows for Prospero to be reminded of the Christian tenets of compassion and
forgiveness. It also allows for him to realise that he has compromised his humanity “Hast
thou, which art but air, a touch, a feeling of their affections, and shall not myself, One of
their kind, that relish all as sharply passion as they, be kindlier moved than thou art?”. Felix
on the other hand uses his emotions of losing his beloved and child in order to fuel his
actions towards the other characters. These actions usually come across as him being
arrogant and the “star of the show”. Felix was imprisoned by his emotions. Therefore
creating him to be more focused on revenge than that of Prospero, but like Prospero, he
overcomes a transformation in the novel. He eventually comes to realise his downfall “No,
not dead, but changed. In the gloom, in the gloaming, it has been transforming itself,
slowing coming alive… Rich and strange. The many pearly eyes twinkle at him from the
underwater darkness.” It is from these changes that the two learn to forgive. Prospero is
more focused on finding the grace of God, whereas Felix finds solace and learns to forgive
himself. This allows for the main messages of the comparative study to acknowledge that
instead of harbouring anger and thoughts of revenge, they find contentment in life from
serenity.