Prospero's books, from Shakespeare's "The Tempest"

The central character of "The Tempest", Prospero, is one of Shakespeare's more enigmatic protagonists. He is a sympathetic character in that he was wronged by his usurping brother, but his absolute power over the other characters and his overwrought speeches make him difficult to like. He appears to be pretentious and self-important, yet his repeated insistence that Miranda should pay attention suggests that his story is boring her. Once Prospero moves on to a subject …

…to be monstrously unjust. Caliban's darkish appearance, his forced servitude, and his native status on the island have led many to interpret him as a symbol of the native cultures occupied and suppressed by European colonial societies, which are represented by the power of Prospero. And Prospero's power are books and the kind of practical knowledge which is used for the sole purpose of acquiring wealth, maintaining supremacy over the weaker and insuring material prosperity.