From the first interactions between Caliban and Prospero, we see the seeds of conflict over  who the true ruler of the island is. Does Caliban have the ultimate claim to the island? Or does Prospero, as the more civilized human, have the right – or even the duty –  to take control? Is it ironic that Prospero, who was overthrown by his brother, has robbed Caliban of his inheritance?

In many of his sonnets, Sidney personifies concepts such as “Love,” “Desire,” and “Virtue.” What is the effect of personifying these ideas? Does it emphasize the effects of emotions of the speaker? Does it elevate the importance of the concept to that of a universal truth? Or does it shift the source of the emotions from the speaker to an origin outside of the speaker, reducing him to a more passive role?