At the start of Scene 1, Caliban works and sings in his cave. Ariel interrupts him to talk to him about their relationship. To Ariel, he and Caliban are brothers, united in their desire for freedom. To Caliban, Ariel’s cooperative attitude means he is Prospero’s lackey. Ariel reminds Caliban that Prospero has promised Ariel freedom, but Caliban is skeptical and impatient, and Ariel’s attempt to reason with him seems to anger him more. Ariel suggests a plan: “Destroy [Prospero’s] serenity so that he’s finally forced to acknowledge his own injustice and put an end to it” (27). Caliban scoffs at the notion that Prospero has a conscience, calling him a “pulverizer,” and he refuses to accept that Prospero is as invincible as Ariel claims. Caliban threatens to blow up the island and kill himself and Prospero in the process. Ariel wishes him luck as he says goodbye.

Alonso, Gonzalo, Sebastian, and Antonio familiarize themselves with their new surroundings at the beginning of Scene 2. Gonzalo admires the natural beauty of the island while Sebastian complains of its wildness; to Gonzalo, such “a wondrous land can only contain wonderful creatures” that must be left alone should the island ever be colonized (29).