#chapter 216

For those who doesn't know the tempest

About Prospero

With the help of Ariel, his servant spirit, everyone survives and gets separated into different groups, all according to Prospero’s plan. He actually not only plots to regain his title and marry off his daughter to Ferdinand, he also wants to take revenge on his enemies. This is what it looks like, at least. Prospero is one of Shakespeare’s most enigmatic characters, and his motivations are not always clear. His behavior could look superficial, stereotyped, and sometimes rageful, but Prospero might actually be more complex and moral than we think. It seems that throughout the story he acts according to an extremely rational and moral plan; rational processes guide him, making sure the plan does not fail, but we also notice a broad sense of compassion towards his fellow humans, his enemies too, even though he plans to make them understand that what they did was wrong.

About Ariel

Ariel is a spirit who works in Prospero’s service. Prospero first encountered Ariel soon after landing on the island. He found Ariel trapped in a cloven pine tree and freed the spirit from his prison. In return, Ariel promised to serve Prospero faithfully for a year, after which time Prospero would give Ariel back his freedom. We don’t know how long Ariel has already worked for Prospero when the play begins. Prospero has been on the island for twelve years, so Ariel might have been in his service for many more years than their agreement required. Then again, possibly Prospero freed Ariel from the tree only a year prior to the events of the play. Either way, Prospero’s unwillingness to set Ariel free stems from the fact that Ariel possesses immense power. As the spirit explains in his first lines in the play, not only does he have an impressive range of abilities, but he also commands a host of lesser spirits. Given Ariel’s extraordinary magical abilities, Prospero leans heavily on him to execute his complex revenge plot. Ariel has spent a lot of time around humans and he learned a thing or two about them. In Act V, for example, he appears to take pity on the castaways. He tells Prospero that if he were human his “affections” would be “tender,” convinces Prospero to stop using magic and reconcile with his enemies. Ariel effectively manipulates Prospero by appealing to his humanity, and in doing so he ushers himself closer to freedom.

Another analysis about Ariel's feelings

The Tempest suggests that there is a love between Prospero and Ariel that eventually converts the former toward the act of forgiveness. Ariel's relationship with Prospero in the play is necessarily marked by her identity as Prospero's slave. She must obey. But he wants more than this master-slave relationship.

So. After reading this it's pretty clear, that Ariel stands for Sebastian. And Prospero for Ciel.

Even if not hinted, the cover tells us all. Yana couldn't make it clearer by anything, that we reached a new level of Ciel's and Sebastian's relationship.

She may not show us a romance even if this screams like a date Yana just hinted that Sebastian wants to be more than just Ciel's servant, and that he feels love for him.

Sebastian Michaelis

Lineart and coloring: Namisiaa

Original art: Toboso Yana, Kuroshitsuji: Chapter 216

What did the comparison in Chapter 216 really mean?

Please read Part 1 before this and Part 3 after.

What I love here is that Ciel does not deny he and Sebastian are akin to Prospero and Ariel but rather he expresses the fact he is troubled by the fact Sebastian has had a prior relationship with Modri Vladis (if that is true). He instead calls back to the end of the previous chapter where he had straight up said he is cleaning up after Sebastian's past affair. He's sort of rubbing the fact that he is doing something for Sebastian's sake in his face. Anyway, the relationship between Prospero and Ariel is not explicitly* romantic or parental. But it is fascinating.

*Well... I'll get to that.

In the final act, Prospero regards letting go of Ariel as setting them free but also calls them very fondly. He does so multiple times in this scene.

Kuroshitsuji calls The Tempest a romance. The main plot of this Shakespearean story is not romance. In fact, it is more of a tragicomedy than anything. The side plot however is a romance. Miranda, Prospero's daughter, and Ferdinand, Prince of Naples, develop a romance and end up together. But these two characters are quite obviously foils for Prospero and Ariel whose relationship is trapped in the mould of master and servant; while Miranda, despite ending up at Ferdinand's wife, says she is willing to be his servant if he does not take her as his wife.

Miranda, unlike the inherently tragic relationship between Ariel and Prospero that remains secret and ends with separation, ends up marrying her love Ferdinand, rather than ending up his servant. But, despite this, she still treats Ferdinand as a master even as they play chess and she accuses him of cheating, calling him 'Sweet Lord' (Ariel also calls Prospero 'my lord') and claiming she does not care if he cheats and takes over the world. Sebastian is also shown as Miranda in the chapter cover.

Her attitude of servitude in their game of chess is rather familiar. It echoes the way Sebastian and Ciel engage in chess, Ciel breaks the rules and cheats while Sebastian supports him wholeheartedly. In Prospero and Ariel's case, Prospero too is cheating against his enemies using Ariel.

Not much more to say. I'll leave you all with this.

Very cute of a comparison, considering these two were... romantically charged. To say the least.

"Do you love me, master, no?" (Act 3, Scene 1) / Ariel claims Prospero is tender, causing him to forgive his brother (Act 5, Scene 1) / Ariel dresses Prospero and after being given an order, says he will return before Prospero's heart beats twice (Act 5, Scene 1)

Highly recommend reading this and how Ariel's one-sided love changed Prospero.