It is under Prospero's order that in the beginning of the play, the tempest takes place "Hast thou, spirit, perform"d to point, the tempest that I bade thee?" As Prospero exercises his power to control nature throughout the play, it can be seen that Prospero's relationship with nature is one based on exploitation of, rather than respect for nature. Prospero's viewpoint is parallelled in The Explorers by James Cook's attitude towards Australia. Cooks report is very factual and scientific; he never forms a personal opinion in his assessment of the land, showing a detachment from nature. Cook is an explorer for the English government, who at the time of Cook's explorations were looking to expand their empire, so he evaluates the land in relation to it's potential for future colonisation. Cook claims the Australian land for England's own, by causing "the English colours to be displayed ashore every day, and an inscription to be cut in one of the trees near the watering place". Cook's attitude towards nature is like Prospero's that nature is there to be made use of, purely a means to be used for human purposes. Explorer Jan Carstenz also shows a perspective of nature based on Eurocentrism. Carstenz writes of the lack of "anything that we could make use of" on the Australian landscape, and hence his exploration of nature is purely motivated by economic interest, also suggesting a perspective that natures primary use is as a human resource. Carstenz's piece portrays a negative attitude not only towards the land, but also towards its native inhabitants. He refers to them as "the most wretched and poorest creatures that I have ever seen in my age or time", and continues on to call them "malignant and evil natured". Carstenz's perspective on the Aborigines shows that people of Eurocentric viewpoint not only wish to exploit nature, but also humanity. This view is also seen in The Tempest, through Trincolo and Stephano, who wish to exhibit Caliban in order to make a profit "Were I in England now - as I once was - and had but this fish painted, not a holiday-fool there but would give a piece of silver".
