Shakespeare shows the conflict between Prospero and Caliban as a fight over who truly owns the island. Caliban believes the island belongs to him because his mother lived there first, so he feels it was stolen from him. Prospero believes he has the right to rule because he educated Caliban and sees himself as more civilized.

This early conflict shows that their relationship is based on power and not respect. Both characters think they are right, but they use their own reasons to prove it. This makes their problem about control and legitimacy clear from the beginning of the play.