This section explores the characters in the play The Tempest by William Shakespeare. The Tempest, one of William Shakespeare's final plays, is rich in themes such as power, magic, revenge, forgiveness, and colonialism. The characters in the play are key to understanding these themes, as they are carefully crafted to embody different ideas and motivations. Below is an exploration of the main characters in the play, focusing on their roles, characteristics, and relationships.
Prospero
Role: The central character of The Tempest, Prospero is the rightful Duke of Milan who has been overthrown by his brother Antonio and exiled to an island.
Prospero’s Characteristics:
Powerful and Controlling: Prospero is a magician who controls the island and its inhabitants, including the spirit Ariel and the monster Caliban. His use of magic gives him god-like power, which he uses to orchestrate the events of the play.
Vengeful but Ultimately Forgiving: At the beginning of the play, Prospero’s main motive is revenge against those who wronged him. However, by the end, he chooses to forgive his enemies, relinquishing his magical powers and seeking reconciliation.
Manipulative: Prospero manipulates those around him, including his daughter Miranda, and stages the tempest itself to bring his enemies to the island.
Patriarchal: His relationship with his daughter Miranda is deeply patriarchal; he controls her fate, ensuring that she marries Ferdinand, though he claims to do so out of love for her.
Miranda
Role: Miranda is Prospero’s daughter, who has lived most of her life on the island. She is innocent and has little knowledge of the outside world.
Miranda’s Characteristics:
Innocent and Naïve: Having been sheltered on the island, Miranda is unaware of the complexities of courtly life. Her simplicity contrasts with the other characters, who are often deceptive or power-hungry.
Kind and Compassionate: Miranda’s kindness is shown when she expresses pity for the shipwrecked men, despite not knowing them. She also shows compassion towards Caliban, though she acknowledges his brutishness.
Obedient: Miranda is largely obedient to her father, accepting his decisions without question, especially regarding her relationship with Ferdinand. She embodies the idealised Renaissance woman—chaste, passive, and loyal.
Romantic: Her love for Ferdinand develops quickly and seems to represent pure, idealised love. Their relationship is one of the few elements in the play free from manipulation.
Ariel
Role: Ariel is a spirit who serves Prospero, helping him carry out his magical plans. Ariel’s actions are pivotal in creating the illusion of the tempest and manipulating events on the island.
Ariel’s Characteristics:
Obedient and Loyal: Ariel is bound to serve Prospero, but frequently reminds him of his promise to grant freedom. Ariel’s obedience is a contrast to Caliban’s rebelliousness.
Magical and Ethereal: Ariel’s magical abilities allow him to perform feats that influence the other characters, such as causing the tempest, luring Ferdinand to Miranda, and bewitching Alonso and his court.
Yearning for Freedom: Ariel’s ultimate desire is to be freed from Prospero’s service, a desire that symbolises the theme of freedom vs. servitude in the play. Though loyal, Ariel subtly reminds Prospero of his promise of liberation, hinting at a complex, semi-autonomous nature.
Caliban
Role: Caliban is a native of the island, described as a half-human, half-monster figure. He is Prospero’s slave and resents his servitude.
Caliban’s Characteristics:
Oppressed and Resentful: Caliban resents Prospero for taking control of the island, which he believes rightfully belongs to him as the son of the witch Sycorax. His bitterness leads to his plot to kill Prospero, reflecting themes of colonialism and the subjugation of indigenous peoples.
Brutish yet Poetic: Despite being described as monstrous and savage, Caliban has a deep connection to the island and speaks beautifully about its natural wonders. His eloquence contrasts with his brutish behaviour.
Complex Villainy: Caliban attempted to assault Miranda, which presents him as dangerous and villainous. However, his portrayal as a slave to an oppressive master also invites sympathy, especially in postcolonial readings of the play.
Symbol of Colonisation: Some critics view Caliban as a symbol of colonised peoples, who are dispossessed of their land and subjected to the rule of European colonisers like Prospero.
Ferdinand
Role: Ferdinand is the son of Alonso, the King of Naples, and becomes Miranda’s love interest. He is shipwrecked on the island and manipulated by Prospero.
Ferdinand’s Characteristics:
Noble and Honourable: Ferdinand is portrayed as noble and honourable. His love for Miranda is sincere, and he willingly submits to Prospero’s trials to prove his worthiness.
Loyal Son: His concern for his father and his grief at the thought that Alonso might have died in the shipwreck demonstrate Ferdinand’s loyalty and filial duty.
Ideal Romantic Hero: Ferdinand is the embodiment of the ideal Renaissance prince; brave, honourable, and chivalrous. His relationship with Miranda forms the romantic subplot of the play, providing a counterpoint to the themes of revenge and power.
Alonso
Role: Alonso is the King of Naples and father to Ferdinand. He is one of the figures responsible for Prospero’s exile, having supported Antonio’s usurpation of the dukedom of Milan.
Alonso’s Characteristics:
Remorseful: By the end of the play, Alonso is filled with guilt over his role in Prospero’s downfall. He believes that the shipwreck, and the presumed death of his son Ferdinand, are punishment for his past actions.
Contrite and Reconciled: Alonso’s eventual remorse leads him to seek reconciliation with Prospero. His contrition aligns with the play’s overarching theme of forgiveness.
Antonio
Role: Antonio is Prospero’s brother who usurped his position as Duke of Milan. He is ambitious and power-hungry, traits that mirror Prospero’s initial thirst for revenge.
Antonio’s Characteristics:
Cunning and Ruthless: Antonio’s betrayal of Prospero shows his ruthless ambition. He also attempts to persuade Sebastian, Alonso’s brother, to murder Alonso and seize the throne of Naples, further revealing his unscrupulous nature.
Unrepentant: Unlike Alonso, Antonio shows little remorse for his actions. He remains defiant even when confronted by Prospero at the end of the play, highlighting the theme of human stubbornness and corruption.
Sebastian
Role: Sebastian is Alonso’s brother, who is manipulated by Antonio into plotting to kill Alonso and claim the throne of Naples.
Sebastian’s Characteristics:
Ambitious and Easily Swayed: Sebastian’s readiness to kill his own brother for power reveals his ambition, but it also suggests that he is easily manipulated by Antonio.
Cowardly: When the plot to murder Alonso fails, Sebastian quickly abandons the plan, showing his lack of true resolve or courage.
Gonzalo
Role: Gonzalo is an honest and loyal counsellor to Alonso. He helped Prospero and Miranda escape when Antonio usurped the dukedom.
Gonzalo’s Characteristics:
Kind and Loyal: Gonzalo’s kindness is shown in his care for Prospero and Miranda when they were cast away. He is an optimist, always looking on the bright side of situations.
Wise and Philosophical: Throughout the play, Gonzalo provides wisdom and reflection on the events around him. He is also a source of comic relief at times, particularly in his musings about the ideal commonwealth.
To Summarise
Each character in The Tempest serves as a representation of various human desires and emotions, from Prospero’s quest for justice and control to Caliban’s rebellion against oppression. The relationships between the characters highlight central themes such as the struggle for power, the possibility of redemption, and the dynamics of servitude and freedom. Understanding these characters is crucial to grasping the complex moral and philosophical questions that The Tempest poses.
Click on the links below for more detailed character overviews.
