In Shakespeare's The Tempest, Ariel expects to be freed from slavery, so he does

everything Prospero commands. Caliban, on the other hand, fulfills Prospero's

commands to avoid punishment. He also scorns Prospero openly.

Which central themes of the play are best illustrated by these events?

Answer: The central themes of the play illustrated by these events are:

Colonization Freedom and confinement

Explanation:

The Tempest is a story about a magician named Prospero, who arrives on an enchanted island. Upon his arrival, Prospero enslaves Caliban, who is the only real inhabitant of the island. Prospero teaches him language and gives him tasks that Caliban must carry out, but Caliban remains defiant, curses all the time and listens to his master only because he has to. Caliban's mother was the ruler of the island, and Prospero, basically, has stolen Caliban's right to rule the island. The relationship between the two perfectly resembles the relationship between the colonizer and the colonized, which illustrates the theme of colonization.

Prospero has rescued Ariel from being captured a pine tree, which is why Ariel remains obedient and carries out all the tasks without a word of complaint. He, however, has been promised freedom, and makes sure to remind Prospero of his promise: "Is there more toil? Since thou dost give me pains ... " Caliban, on the other hand, was free before Prospero's arrival. His life suddenly changed for worse. Due to his behavior, Caliban is aware that he would not become free, but must obey his master so as not to be punished. This illustrates the theme of freedom and confinement.