Essay Questions

How does Peter Greenaway use Prospero to bring out the irony of love?

As the novel starts, the reader predicts that it is going to have a bad ending. The story starts by showing signs of hatred because Prospero is seeking reprisal of all the individuals who were after his fall from royalty to exile. He is full of anger and he wants to ensure that those who have made him suffer pay for their mistakes. It is ironic that the story ends on a happy note without any form of revenge. For instance, Prospero marries off his daughter to the son of his enemy. An iconic wedding is done to celebrate his daughter’s wedding to the son of his worst enemy. The victorious end story of love is ironic because it contradicts the expectations of the reader who expects Prospero to vengeance at the end.

How does Peter Greenaway develop the theme of frustration in Prospero’s Books?

The author builds the theme of frustration using the character Prospero who is the narrator of this book. The author focuses on the struggles and difficulties that Prospero is going through as he tries to reconcile with his enemies. As the story progresses, the reader is almost sure that Prospero is going to revenge and make his enemies pay for subjecting him to suffering. He goes through disenfranchisement and he often thinks that he is cursed. From the beginning of the story, Prospero is seen as a rich man with a good amount of wealth. But, as the story progresses, his enemies remove him from his royal life to exile. Therefore, the theme of frustration is evident and it is built around the character Prospero.

Explain how Peter Greenaway builds the imagery of loneliness.

Prospero's loneliness is evident on the island. The description of him on the island provides a visual signal to the reader to understand the difficulties and challenges one goes through when isolated from the larger society. The imagery of loneliness, therefore, depicts the sense of sight to the reader. For instance, through the description of Prospero's life on the island, the reader can form a visual image and see the suffering of Prospero. Similarly, through the feeling of Prospero's loneliness, the reader can see the reason why he wants revenge on his enemies.