Characters

Prospero

 

Prospero is Latin for 'I cause to succeed, make happy and fortunate.'

There are many different physical representations of Prospero, the protagonist of The Tempest, although the majority of these interpretations present the character as a God-like figure with supreme magical powers who manipulates all other characters. Prospero is the rightful Duke of Milan who was usurped by his brother. He has an extreme interest in magic and the supernatural and because of his studying to learn the art of magic, his brother believed that Prospero would not be an effective Duke of Milan so plotted, with the help of the other members of the royal entourage to banish Prospero. These men put Prospero, and his young daughter, on a boat, with few possessions and this is how Prospero and Miranda come to inhabit the island. Shakespeare uses this to create sympathy for Prospero, but his self-importance and control of the other characters make Prospero a character who the audience remain unsure of, as he is manipulative and deceitful, yet it can be argued that he only acts in this way to create positive results - such as Miranda's wedding to Ferdinand which create the play's happy ending. However, the events from his past have cause Prospero to become fearful and bitter and he still has some paranoia regarding civilisation. For example, in Act 1 he questions whether Miranda is really his daughter.

 

Prospero may been seen as representative of British colonialism in foreign countries as he, despite Caliban's claims that the island is his, enslaves the natives of the island to carry out his bidding. He also treats Caliban harshly, threatening him with painful punishments and threatening Ariel with total imprisonment. He is also an autocratic character who demands attention from the other characters. At the start of the play, when telling Miranda a story, he is eager for her to listen and ensures that her full attention is given to him. His imperative language towards may suggest that he is patriarchal, and in the time the play was written this would not have been unusual or undesirable. Prospero may have left civilisation and surrounded himself with magic and supernatural beings, he has still replicated a hierarchal human system of moral judgments and rules, despite the possibility that he and Miranda, and the spirits already on the island, could live with total freedom. This may suggest that humans are in need of rules to govern themselves effectively, yet Prospero abuses these rules, and makes himself superior which may be a comment by Shakespeare to criticise the nature of human beings.

Prospero's plans and plots are central to the events of the play and this may be symbolic of Shakespeare being central to the writing of the play. For example, it can be argued that Prospero is an artist in the way that he creates events and this is similar to Shakespeare, as writing is an art, who creates the play, the plot and the characters. Some critics even suggest that Prospero is a representation of Shakespeare, allowing the audience to explore the importance of art in society. This is supported by some of Prospero's speeches, near the end of the play, where he likens himself to a playwright, and makes references to the theatre.

 

Miranda

Miranda, one of the principal characters in The Tempest, is the daughter of Prospero, who was exiled to the island when she was very young so she cannot remember much about mainstream civilisation and this has allowed her to become extremely pure and innocent as she has no experience with other humans - all she knows she has learnt from her father. She is gentle and extremely compassionate - during the storm she tries to convince Prospero not to hurt the men  'I have suffered with those I saw suffer' (Act 1, Scene 1) - and she is devoted to her father. For example, when she disobeys, unintentionally, her father's demand that she does not tell Ferdinand her name she is dismayed and upset. Yet, she does use imperative language towards her father, such as 'Sir, have pity', which may suggest that Miranda is not controlled by her father and that she has an innate sense of morality. This morality in the character of Miranda is used by Shakespeare to introduce Rousseau's theory that all humans are inherently good, and that it is only society which corrupts, and this theory poses a large question throughout the play.

Her naivety is shown through her love at first sight feelings for Ferdinand. Some critics have suggested that her feelings for Ferdinand are unreasonable and foolish because she may not know what love is as she has never met another young male. The only male acquaintances she has are her father and the monster of Caliban. Contrastingly, some believe that this is true love, because she does not want to meet any other man, and she is extremely happy to marrying Ferdinand immediately.

 

Caliban

The character of Caliban is a complex character and functions as one of the main protagonists of the play. He is the son of the evil witch Sycorax and the devil, and is the only known native of the island. He is portrayed as a dark and earthy being, associated with nature, who is enslaved by first Prospero, and secondly by Stephano. As a result of his enslavement, and his belief that he is the rightful rules of the island, Caliban is insolent and rebellious, often complaining about Prospero's control, but fulfills his orders because he is afraid of the pain that Prospero can cause through his magic. Although Caliban is a native, and this may mean that he is justified in his claims for power, he is yet another character who wishes to control the island. Caliban even goes as far as to plot Prospero's murder with Stephano and Trinculo, but as he only wished to kill Prospero in order to gain freedom, we can sympathise with him, unlike Stephano and Trinculo who merely aim to commit murder to gain power for themselves.

Caliban, contrasts Prospero's other servant, the ethereal spirit of Ariel in their very nature. For example, Caliban is dark and associated with the earth whereas Ariel is light, and associated with floating, the air and the water. However, these two servants do contrast each other through their attitudes towards Prospero - whilst Ariel is willing to serve, Caliban is resentful and belligerent towards Prospero. Some have suggested that Caliban also mirrors the character of Ferdinand as they both enter Act 3 carrying out menial tasks for Prospero - Caliban entering with 'a burden of wood' and Ferdinand 'bearing a log', they both express a sexual attraction to Miranda, but Caliban merely intends to impregnate Miranda whilst Ferdinand, a member of civilisation, wishes to marry her, which shows that Caliban does not live by the moral codes of civilisation.

The audience may feel sympathy for Caliban as even when he finds Stephano and Trinculo, allies willing to kill Prospero, they also enslave him and never manages to escape his imprisonment of Prospero's control on the island. This may suggest that he is naïve and innocent, as he believes the newcomers to the island will help him, although they have already planned to enslave him. He reacts in a childlike way to events, acting without thinking and rationalising the situation which may reinforce the image of Caliban as the child of nature - uneducated and unrestrained by civilisation.
However, he is initially presented negatively through his unpleasant appearance and uncivilised behavior, he represents the black magic of his mother, Sycorax, and he attempts to rape Miranda, so the audience may have mixed views of this character.

In comparison to this poor image, Caliban has a nobler and more sensitive side which Shakespeare also presents through Caliban's language. Caliban speaks some of the most beautiful and eloquent poetry of the play and this may be used by Shakespeare to critique Prospero's and Stephano's attempted control of the native. For example, many critics believe that the character of Caliban is a tool for Shakespeare to criticise Western colonisation which suppressed native cultures - Prospero 'teaches' Caliban how to speak English and both Prospero and Stephano enslave him.

It has also been suggested that Caliban is symbolic of the natural base instincts of man and Shakespeare.

Ariel

Ariel is a source of mystery throughout The Tempest. The audience is never quite sure about what the spirit is exactly. The characters has no gender and its each interpretation presents Ariel very differently - from an ethereal, feminine spirit, to a mischievous male character. Ariel's name suggests that the character is a spirit of the air and in the list of characters Shakespeare calls the character an 'airy spirit'. Ariel is presented through a variety of forms in the play, for example: a flaming light during the storm, a harpy during the banquet and as Ceres in the Masque scene (Act 4, Scene 1).

 

We do not learn how Ariel came to be on the island but we do discover that Ariel was previously imprisoned by the ruler of the island, the evil witch Sycorax, and was punished by her when he refused to do her bidding by being trapped inside a tree. When Prospero takes over the island he discovers and frees Ariel, temporarily, and then re-enslaves the spirit. Ariel fulfills Prospero's every demand in the hope that Prospero will one day free him/her and throughout the entire play Ariel yearns for freedom. For example, Ariel is the one to cause the storm which brings the royal entourage to the island as the spirit believes that this event will allow Prospero to provide him/her with the freedom he/she has asked for.

The relationship between Ariel and Prospero is a difficult one to term. Prospero seems to have an ambivalent attitude towards his spirit-servant - he is sometimes abrupt and dismissive, referring to Ariel as a 'moody' and 'malignant thing', and in other circumstances he is affectionate towards Ariel, calling the spirit 'bird', 'chick' and 'my fine spirit' which creates an uncertain atmosphere regarding their relationship. Critics are unsure about whether there is a bond between Ariel and Prospero, and if there is, is it emotional or sexual?

Ariel is the character who is able to teach Prospero about forgiveness and pity through his/her childlike willingness to serve, 'What shall I do? Say what?' Prospero and his demands, and his attempts to win freedom.

Critics have argued that Ariel is symbolic of Prospero's imagination, or a representation of the imagination as a whole and the character may also be symbolic of spirituality, the soul or intelligence.

 

Gonzalo

Gonzalo is referred to as an elderly counselor to the King of Naples who is known to be trustworthy and honest by Shakespeare in the cast listing at the beginning of the play. He helped Prospero to survive, and provided him with his magical books, when Prospero is banished from Naples, and he is extremely loyal to Alonso. This suggests that Gonzalo, unlike the villains of the play Antonio and Sebastian who are mocking and cynical, has integrity and sincerity as he resists their taunts about Ferdinand's death. He is unselfish and optimistic - trying to cheer the entourage after the storm by talking about the 'miracle of their survival', and refusing to see the negative aspects of people.

 

The character of Gonzalo serves to introduce the idea of an innocent utopia - when compared with the hierarchal structure of Prospero's island. He talks of an island 'For no kind of traffic/ would I admit; no name of magistrate/ Letters should not be known; riches, poverty/ and use of service, none;' (Act 2, Scene 1) where people do not need to work, where the concept of money does not exist and where everyone works in harmony to help each other.

Antonio

The character of Antonio - Prospero's younger brother - within The Tempest functions to present Western civilisation as foolish and hungry for power as he allows Prospero to be usurped in order to become Duke of Milan himself. He motivates his actions through envy and to further his own position. For example, he plans to kill Alonso, convincing Sebastian to assist him, in order to take control and power from the King.

 

 

Antonio, even at the end of the play when he has been terrified by Prospero's spirits and when the other members of the royal entourage make amends with Prospero, shows no remorse for his actions and does not attempt to reconcile the relationship with his brother. This may be a comment from Shakespeare to suggest that Western ideals of colonisation and superiority are irrational and unreasonable ideas which limit society by controlling it too restrictively.

  

Ferdinand

The character of Ferdinand is the son and heir of the King of Naples, Alonso. He, through Prospero's plan, is isolated on the island after the storm until he meets Miranda, Prospero's daughter - Prospero has planned this in order to make the couple fall in love so he can get revenge on Ferdinand's father. Ferdinand experiences love at first sight with Miranda and even agrees to servitude in order to win Prospero's approval to be with her. This may suggest that Ferdinand is naïve and pure as he is quick to fall in love and promise a stranger the title of Queen and his wife. However, he does make several comments about women he had previously been with and he does seem to have some elements of arrogance, which may oppose this idea. Yet, he does respect Prospero's rules regarding Miranda and promises not the break Miranda's 'virgin-knot' (Act 4, Scene 1) before their wedding night which may suggest that he is honorable and earnest.

 

Ferdinand may be a way for Shakespeare to present the colonial world in a positive way, as the majority of the royal entourage are presented in a poor light. For example, as we have seen Ferdinand is honorable and principled - unlike the antagonist of Sebastian - which could be used to balance the cruel and manipulative nature of the other colonial royals.

 

Alonso

Alonso is the King of Naples and is a character that the audience remain ambivalent about for the entire play. Although he is an enemy of Prospero, he does not take any real vindictive action himself - he is easily persuaded into plots by others, for example Antonio, but he can also be persuaded into good actions by his counselor Gonzalo.

 

Alonso experiences intense and swaying emotions, for example crying over the death of his son, or searching avidly for him, and we can see that Alonso is a naïve characters through his belief that Ferdinand is definitely dead, or through his maintained relationships with traitors such as Sebastian and Antonio.

However, Alonso is able to redeem himself by admitting his flaws and mistakes and showing sincere remorse. For example, when the harpy (Act 3, Scene 3) reminds him how he had wronged Prospero by banishing him, he is genuine in his regret and sorrow and he returns Prospero's dukedom to him at the end of the play. Yet, we can still argue that Alonso is reluctant to confront his mistakes as he does not account for them until he is made to by another.

Sebastian 

 

Sebastian is Alonso's brother, who is willing to attempt murdering the King after Antonio's negative influence in order to advance his own hierarchal position on the island. He is an aggressive and cowardly character and this easily led manner may present Western civilisation as foolish and thoughtless as he mocks Gonzalo's dreams of an utopian society of harmony and peace.

 

 Stephano

Stephano is another of The Tempest's antagonists, but he is a comedic, drunken character. He is the butler of the royal entourage who's petty and greedy nature encourage him to create a plan to kill the King and rule the island. He is yet another character used by Shakespeare to criticise the Western ideal of colonisation as Stephano's aims are purely selfish. For example, when he first discovers the native Caliban his instinct is to capture him to sell when he returns to Naples and he imprisons Caliban to be his 'foot-licker'.

 

Trinculo

The character of Trinculo acts as a jester within The Tempest and he also aids the evil plots of Stephano and Caliban to kill Prospero. He and Stephano act as comedic counterparts to the true villains of Antonio and Sebastian through their ridiculous, drunken attempt to kill Prospero and take control of the island.

 

Iris

The Greek Goddesses of Iris appears in The Tempest during the Masque, in Scene Four, Act 1. She is the 'many coloured messenger' of the Gods who is often portrayed as a rainbow, and is referred to as the Goddess of the Rainbow. She provides a calming influence on the excitement of the Masque through her disdain of lustful powers, such as the Goddess Venus - who, it is argued, attempted to lure Miranda and Ferdinand into promiscuous activities.

 

Within The Tempest Iris is called a 'watery arch' and 'rich scarf' which supports the idea of Iris and a rainbow. This image may be symbolic of the interpretation that Iris functions to show how nature can provide the bridge for humanity to solve its problems. For example, this scene blesses the marriage between Miranda and Ferdinand which unites the two families after years of conflict.

Iris may also be representative of Prospero giving Miranda and Ferdinand freedom, as he is now an advocate of peace and harmony rather than revenge.



Juno

The ancient Roman Goddess of Juno only appears within the Masque (Act 4, Scene 1) of The Tempest. Juno is the Queen of Gods, Goddess of Childbirth, and the protector and counselor of state. She is known as the matron and guardian angel of all, to create a sense of community and to bless marriages.

 

The appearance of this Goddess serves to, most obviously, bless the upcoming marriage of Ferdinand and Miranda and to create a sense of prosperity and harmony for the remainder of the play - which suggests that the play may be nearing its end as its issues are being resolved.

Ceres

Ceres is the ancient Roman Goddess of Fertility and the Goddess of Agriculture. She appears in the Masque (Scene 4, Act 1) and functions to suggest that The Tempest will end happily, with fruitfulness and harmony for the characters.

 

Sycorax

We never actually meet the character of Sycorax in the play, she is merely alluded to, so we do not know what she looks like, or much about her character. We are told that she is the mother of Caliban, and that she was a vicious and manipulative witch who was banished to the island and taught Caliban to worship the demonic God Sebetos.

As Sycorax was an inhabitant of the island before Prospero, Caliban uses her to support his argument that he is the rightful heir of the island after her death and not Prospero, who is an intruder. This also reinforces the idea that Prospero's actions are representative of the typical British colonial beliefs.

We know that Sycorax was a cruel character through Ariel's sincere and crippling fear of her. The mere mention of Sycorax's name by Prospero is enough to terrify Ariel into agreeing to serve Prospero, despite Prospero's statement that he would free Ariel. We learn that Sycorax also imprisoned Ariel when the spirit refused to do her bidding any longer by trapping Ariel in a tree for all eternity - until Prospero frees Ariel and then again enslaves the spirit to serve him.

It is argued by some that Sycorax is the foil of Prospero yet there are several similarities between the two characters. For example, both colonise the island, and insert themselves as the leaders, both were exiled with their children, and both enslave the spirits of the island - namely Ariel - to carry out their desires. However, we can also argue that the two contrast each other through their use of magic. Many believe Prospero's magic to be of the white - pure and innocent - variety, whereas Sycorax uses black magic to deceive and hurt. Yet, Prospero does use his magic for negative purposes, mainly to get revenge on the royal entourage.