It is no secret that Shakespeare’s The Tempest is often read through a postcolonial lens. And indeed, Prospero possesses all the qualities of a traditional colonizer and oppressor: a manipulative white man who utilizes fear as his primary tactic, distorting and blurring the identities of those that are colonized. There is not much character development for both Ariel and Caliban, who are entrapped both internally and externally under Prospero’s dominion.  

In particular, I was always fascinated that Ariel, who could be a potentially interesting and powerful character, was silenced and erased by Prospero and Shakespeare. 

at times, I begin brainstorming by writing notes,