Scribd
Upload
14 views

The Tempest - character list

The document provides a character list for Shakespeare's play 'The Tempest,' detailing key figures such as Prospero, Miranda, Ariel, and Caliban, among others. Each character's background, relationships, and roles in the narrative are briefly described, highlighting themes of power, forgiveness, and the complexities of human nature. The list serves as a guide to understanding the dynamics and conflicts that drive the story forward.

Uploaded by

advaybhatia27
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
14 views

The Tempest - character list

The document provides a character list for Shakespeare's play 'The Tempest,' detailing key figures such as Prospero, Miranda, Ariel, and Caliban, among others. Each character's background, relationships, and roles in the narrative are briefly described, highlighting themes of power, forgiveness, and the complexities of human nature. The list serves as a guide to understanding the dynamics and conflicts that drive the story forward.

Uploaded by

advaybhatia27
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 7

The Tempest – character list

Picture this: a wizard, a storm, and a tropical island. In The Tempest,


Shakespeare weaves a magical tale where chaos and comedy meet wisdom and
forgiveness.
Prospero

The play’s protagonist, and father of Miranda. Twelve years before the events of the play, Prospero
was the duke of Milan. His brother, Antonio, in concert with Alonso, king of Naples, usurped him,
forcing him to flee in a boat with his daughter. The honest lord Gonzalo aided Prospero in his escape.
Prospero has spent his twelve years on the island refining the magic that gives him the power he
needs to punish and forgive his enemies.

Miranda

The daughter of Prospero, Miranda was brought to the island at an early age and has never seen any
men other than her father and Caliban, though she dimly remembers being cared for by female
servants as an infant. Because she has been sealed off from the world for so long, Miranda’s
perceptions of other people tend to be naïve and non-judgmental. She is compassionate, generous,
and loyal to her father.
Ariel

Prospero’s spirit helper. Ariel is referred to as “he,” but his gender and physical form are ambiguous.
Rescued by Prospero from a long imprisonment at the hands of the witch Sycorax, Ariel is Prospero’s
servant until Prospero decides to release him. He is mischievous and ubiquitous, able to traverse the
length of the island in an instant and to change shapes at will. He carries out virtually every task that
Prospero needs accomplished in the play.

Caliban

Another of Prospero’s servants. Caliban, the son of the now-deceased witch Sycorax, acquainted
Prospero with the island when Prospero arrived. Caliban believes that the island rightfully belongs to
him and has been stolen by Prospero. His speech and behavior is sometimes coarse and brutal, as in
his drunken scenes with Stephano and Trinculo (II.ii, IV.i), and sometimes eloquent and sensitive, as
in his rebukes of Prospero in Act I, scene ii, and in his description of the eerie beauty of the island in
Act III, scene ii (III.ii.130-138).
Ferdinand

Son and heir of Alonso. Ferdinand seems in some ways to be as pure and naïve as Miranda. He falls
in love with her upon first sight and happily submits to servitude in order to win her father’s
approval.

Alonso

King of Naples and father of Ferdinand. Alonso aided Antonio in unseating Prospero as Duke of Milan
twelve years before. As he appears in the play, however, he is acutely aware of the consequences of
all his actions. He blames his decision to marry his daughter to the Prince of Tunis on the apparent
death of his son. In addition, after the magical banquet, he regrets his role in the usurping of
Prospero.
Antonio

Prospero’s brother. Antonio quickly demonstrates that he is power-hungry and foolish. In Act II,
scene i, he persuades Sebastian to kill the sleeping Alonso. He then goes along with Sebastian’s
absurd story about fending off lions when Gonzalo wakes up and catches Antonio and Sebastian with
their swords drawn.

Sebastian

Alonso’s brother. Like Antonio, he is both aggressive and cowardly. He is easily persuaded to kill his
brother in Act II, scene i, and he initiates the ridiculous story about lions when Gonzalo catches him
with his sword drawn.
Gonzalo

An old, honest lord, Gonzalo helped Prospero and Miranda to escape after Antonio usurped
Prospero’s title. Gonzalo’s speeches provide an important commentary on the events of the play, as
he remarks on the beauty of the island when the stranded party first lands, then on the desperation
of Alonso after the magic banquet, and on the miracle of the reconciliation in Act V, scene i.

Stephano & Trinculo

Stephano, a drunken butler, and Trinculo, a jester, are two minor members of the shipwrecked party.
They provide a comic foil to the other, more powerful pairs of Prospero and Alonso and Antonio and
Sebastian. Their drunken boasting and petty greed reflect and deflate the quarrels and power
struggles of Prospero and the other noblemen.
Boatswain

Appearing only in the first and last scenes, the Boatswain is vigorously good-natured. He seems
competent and almost cheerful in the shipwreck scene, demanding practical help rather than
weeping and praying. And he seems surprised but not stunned when he awakens from a long sleep
at the end of the play.

You might also like