The characters in Shakespeare's Othello and The Tempest use stories to explain personal history or change the course of events. These are not simple stories; rather, they are complex and challenging means of enriching each play and moving the action forward. This article examines some of the stories told in each play. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay First, to successfully woo Desdemona, Othello provides her with tales of his military experience that tell of his courage and honor. Questioned by the Duke and Brabantio, Othello pleads his case against the charge of deception. He recounts his introduction to Desdemona and how she knew “the story of my life,” declaring that “She loved me for the dangers I had overcome, / And I loved her that she pitied them” (1.3.128,166-7 ). The telling of this story becomes a story in its own right, as it convinces the Duke to clear Othello of any wrongdoing; the purpose of the passage is to provide the first layer of narration from which the reader can draw the characterization of Othello and, conversely, of his preliminary adversaries. Just as the story manages to convince the court, so it also manages to convince Desdemona of Othello's worth as a soldier and, as a result, gets the general a wife and “a world of kisses” (1.3.158). The significance of the stories, explained specifically in this passage and alluded to in others, is that they create a drastic contrast between the descriptive story of what actually happens to Othello and what Iago says. Iago depends on the power of voices to satisfy his desire. to kill Othello. Simple murder would be too easy; Iago wants to shatter his adversary's life, to create the “net/ That shall send them all” (2.3.355-6). So Iago tells stories that create deeply rooted feelings of jealousy and resentment in Othello's mind. Ultimately, the most destructive rumor that Iago spreads is that of Desdemona's potential infidelity. This story and the chaos it causes reveals a new side of Othello. Up to this point the reader knows of Othello's impressive military victories only as he describes them to the Duke; once Iago interferes, we see a violent and jealous side to Othello. As Iago describes it to Othello, there is a "monster in thy thoughts / Too horrible to be shown!" – that is, Othello is thinking of something for which, Iago postulates, he is not responsible (3.3.111-2). Iago makes it seem like he has nothing to do with the change in Othello, which helps achieve his goal: Othello's complete mental breakdown. Iago's stories trap Othello in a web of lies and cause him to exhibit ignoble traits and commit shameful acts that culminate in the murder of his wife. Just as Iago's voices further the plot of the play "Othello" and ruin his adversary, Prospero's stories he tells Miranda and the audience clarify the striking parallels between his past and that of his "slave" , Caliban. Although it initially appears that the master and slave are opposites in title and description, the stories told by each are strikingly similar. As The Tempest begins, Prospero provides his daughter with the long-awaited truth about their past in Milan; Prospero was the “Duke of Milan, and his only heir/And princess no worse” (Storm, 1.2.58-9). He then goes on to tell the story of his deposition by his brother Antonio, to whom he had initially entrusted "the administration of my state" (1.2.70). While Prospero devoted his time to studying the “liberal arts,” he gave his brother full governmental control which ultimately caused the depositionand the exile of Prospero and his daughter. While this story provides a backdrop against which the audience can compare the wizard's acts of vengeance, a more interesting comparison emerges when the creature Caliban is introduced. The reader learns that Caliban was the original host who greeted Prospero and Miranda upon their arrival on the island and it was, in fact, he who provided them with food and shelter so that they could survive. The language of each character's personal presentation reveals that Prospero and Caliban actually experienced relatively similar depositions and, at the end of the play, contemporary ascensions. As Prospero tells of Miranda, after his brother came to power, Antonio quickly became adept at perfecting "how to grant causes, / How to deny them, who to advance, and who / To trash by excess" (1.2.79-81). Antonio had, effectively, taken control of the "creatures" that originally belonged to Prospero and used them to further his own goals (1.2.82). With control of the government, Prospero's brother had "both the key / Of officer and the office" and "set all the hearts I declared / To what tune pleased his ear," i.e., he did exactly what he wanted without consulting the government. original “first Duke” (1.2.83-5, 72). Antonio, Prospero notes, had betrayed him in the most ferocious way; his “trust,/ Like a good parent, bred from him/ A lie” (1.2.93-5). While delivering a speech that mirrors the language of Prospero's conversation with Miranda, Caliban characterizes the magician in ways similar to how Prospero described his disloyal brother. The creature tells how he initially welcomed Prospero and, after being taught "to name the greatest light and as the least," "then loved [Prospero]" and "showed him all the qualities of the island" (1.2.338 -40). At first Caliban trusted Prospero completely, just as the Duke trusted his brother. Then, just as Antonio had done to Prospero, so did the wizard to Caliban, usurping the creature's control of the island and claiming it as his own. Over the course of a few pages, the reader encounters two stories that at first seem to distance the cultured, erudite, and civilized magician from the primitive, foul-mouthed Caliban, but in reality show that the two characters share much more than just the island on which they live. With Prospero's plan a success and his Duchy awaiting him in Milan, he hints that he will leave the island and return with his daughter, future son-in-law, and the rest of the castaways. Before Prospero closes the show, he orders Caliban to leave after receiving a rather false apology from the offending creature. Although the stage directions do not note that Caliban digresses in this passage, it appears that he is speaking directly to the audience after chastising himself for following Stephano and Trinculo. After receiving Prospero's mercy, Caliban states "I will be wise henceforth," referring to how he will behave when other new guests arrive on his island in the future (5.1.298). From this statement and audience members' knowledge of Prospero's intentions to return to Milan, it appears that the magician will resume his role as Duke and Caliban will once again become the ruler of his island. Please note: this is just a sample. Get a custom article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay While these narratives and tales present themselves as mere background to the casual audience member, closer examination reveals both their dramatic and thematic importance within each play. The story and its narrative allow Othello to successfully woo Desdemona and, at the same time, Iago to devastate the life of the general and his wife. In Othello the tales are used to.