A spirit and Prospero's servant. Prospero rescued Ariel from a prison in which he was placed by the dead witch Sycorax. Now Ariel uses magic to carry out Prospero's commands. Ariel wants his freedom, which Prospero has promised to grant someday. In the meantime, Ariel serves Prospero loyally, and seems to enjoy the mischievous tricks he pulls on Prospero's enemies. At the play's end, Ariel's compassion for those enemies moves Prospero to release and forgive them.
Ariel Quotes in The Tempest
The The Tempest quotes below are all either spoken by Ariel or refer to Ariel. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Act 1, scene 2
Quotes
Full fathom five thy father lies
Of his bones are coral made;
Those are pearls that were his eyes;
Nothing of him that doth fade,
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange.
Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell.
Hark, now I hear them, ding dong bell.
Of his bones are coral made;
Those are pearls that were his eyes;
Nothing of him that doth fade,
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange.
Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell.
Hark, now I hear them, ding dong bell.
Related Symbols:
The Tempest
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Act 5, scene 1
Quotes
Mine would, sir, were I human.
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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?
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?
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Explanation and Analysis:
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Ariel Character Timeline in The Tempest
The timeline below shows where the character Ariel appears in The Tempest. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Act 1, scene 2
Prospero summons his servant Ariel, who greets Prospero as his "great master," then gleefully describes how he created the illusion...
(full context)
Prospero thanks Ariel. Ariel reminds Prospero that he had promised to reduce Ariel's time in servitude if Ariel...
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Nearby, the invisible Ariel sings a haunting song to Ferdinand, Alonso's son, who has awakened to find himself alone...
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Act 2, scene 1
Ariel enters, invisible, and plays music that makes Gonzalo and Alonso fall asleep. As they sleep,...
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...to go ahead with the plot, and Sebastian and Antonio draw their swords. Just then, Ariel enters again, and sings a soft warning. Gonzalo and Alonso awaken. Caught with their swords...
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Act 3, scene 2
Ariel, invisible, enters just as Caliban begins to describe Prospero's ill treatment of him and to...
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...power. He entices Stephano by promising Miranda as a prize once the deed is done. Ariel listens in and makes plans to tell Prospero of the plot.
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...begin to sing loudly in celebration but cannot recall the tune they want to sing. Ariel supplies it, throwing Stephano and Trinculo into a fright. Caliban reassures them, delivering a lyrical...
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...lord of such a wonderful island "where I shall have my music for nothing" (3.2.139–140). Ariel exits, still playing music, and the three men follow the bewitching sound.
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Act 3, scene 3
Before any of them can eat, a clap of thunder sounds and Ariel appears in the form of a harpy. A flap of Ariel's wings makes the banquet...
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Act 4, scene 1
Prospero orders Ariel to gather his band of spirits to put on a celebratory masque, or performance, for...
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Prospero summons Ariel, who reports that he has led the drunken conspirators on a torturous walk through briar...
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Prospero and Ariel set a trap for the conspirators: they set out some flashy opulent clothing on a...
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Ariel and Prospero send spirits shaped like hunting dogs to chase off the conspirators. Prospero orders...
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Prospero says that all of his enemies are now under his control, and he promises Ariel that he will soon have his freedom.
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Act 5, scene 1
Prospero asks Ariel how Alonso and his men are doing. Ariel reports that he has confined them, spellbound,...
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Ariel leads the courtiers onto the stage, still spellbound by Prospero's charm. Prospero addresses them—praising Gonzalo...
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Ariel enters with the mariners. The Boatswain reports that the sailors awakened to find the ship...
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Prospero gives Ariel the final task of ensuring the ship a safe, speedy voyage back to Italy, then...
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