The Tempest is a play centered on the concept and theme of imprisonment. This fixation, both literal and figurative, can be seen as the work manifesting this concept in many different ways. Literally, the play centers on the story that Prospero and his daughter Miranda are exiled to a remote island and forced to live there in solitude. Prospero goes on to enslave Caliban, the only native inhabitant of the island, as well as free and "rescue" Ariel, a sprite, from captivity in a pine tree, to do all of his bidding. This literal theme is continued figuratively through the play's epilogue, whereby Shakespeare suggests that throughout the play, the actors and playwrights are held captive by the expectations set by the audience who may or may not approve of Shakespeare's work, whereby Prospero states that the public must “free him from [his] bands”. (Shakespeare, 2011, Epilogue). Does the term "slavery" then refer to the characters in the play, or rather the audience, and the way they interpret the play? This essay serves to reveal the issue of slavery within the play, as well as discussing the many instances of slavery and how the play challenges them. The presence of slavery in this play helps to create the atmosphere for the play, as the three main protagonists of the play, namely Prospero, Ariel and Caliban, are involved in a triangular relationship between "slave and master". Prospero adopts the role of "master", with Ariel and Caliban acting as his slaves. This, in Caliban's eyes, is seen as an injustice, as he believes the island is rightfully his. This can be seen when he says, "This island is mine, by Sycorax, my mother, that you take from me." (1.2.3)However, this role he adopted……middle of paper……I hope to adopt the main role of teacher. The theme of slavery in The Tempest is seen as a problem, as it is compared to the slavery practiced in the New World at the time, whereby the victims of European colonization are closely related to Caliban. The many parallels in comparison seem to underline the suffering of the victims, as the character of Caliban shows the exploitation, disinheritance and subjugation of the nation. Like Caliban, they endured enslavement by European usurpers, Prospero in the play, and were also torn between their indigenous culture and a culture that was imposed and superimposed on them by their conquerors. It can therefore be concluded that this work insists on both a literal and figurative fixation on the slavery and captivity of the times, and at the same time offers Shakespeare's critique of European colonization and its victims..