"The Tempest and the Renaissance Idea of Man"

In James E. Phillips article, "The Tempest and the Renaissance Idea of Man", from Shakespeare Quarterly Phillips brings up the concept of the "tripartite", man having three stages within himself, in order to describe the relationship among Prospero, Ariel, and Caliban.

Phillips discusses that the "tripartite" is the three stages that make up man: Caliban, vegetative, Ariel, sensitive/supernatural, and Prospero, the rational side. The vegetative self, or the quickening of the soul, held the functions of "nourishment, growth, elimination, reproduction, and the other instinctive physiological process." It was used to supply the basic needs to the body. The sensitive/supernatural is where the emotional aspects of the person are held. There are moments of feeling, of imagination or fantasy or the feelings of passions and emotions. The third area of the tripartite was the rational soul. It was seen as the highest part of humanity. This third area is what separates humanity and uplifts it above everything else. It is where there is reason and will, it knows and wants to do good.

Phillips describes that when all three aspects of a human work together in harmony in the way that God intended them than life will be good and what God intended. But because of the fall and sin the body "short cuts itself" and the tripartite is unsuccessful. Reason is now in control of attempting to wrangle and keep both the vegetative and spiritual together and working together.

Phillips goes further to describe each section of the tripartite, Caliban, Ariel, and Prospero in further detail.