"We are such stuff as dreams are made on." The Setting: A remote island in the Mediterranean, and home to Ariel and Caliban. For the last twelve years it has also been the home of the exiled former Duke of Milan, Prospero, and his now fifteen year old daughter, Miranda.
Powerful and learned sorcerer, who was once the Duke of Milan until his brother, Antonio, usurped him with the aid of Alonso, the King of Naples. He is a character of wisdom, having many plans in which each character in the play has a part. He is the master of two spirits: the airy spirit Ariel,the original inhabitant of the island, and Caliban, the offspring of a witch. Prospero creates the illusion of a tempest in order to bring the members on board the ship to the shore. (Those on board are: Alonso, Antonio, Sebastian, Ferdinand, Gonzalo, Sebastian, Stephano, and Trinculo.)
The pure, innocent daughter of Prospero who was only three when she arrived on the island. She has never seen any men in her life by her father, and is therefore marvelled by the appearance of Ferdinand, and immediately falls in love with him. (Scroll to the bottom for a more complete character sketch of Miranda)
The son of Alonso, and therefore the Prince of Naples, he is the perfect gentleman, and, is immediately besotted with Miranda. He is a passionate man, and shows the signs of chivalry. He works at the hard tasks that Prospero sets him too, such as gathering fire wood, as he finds the mere thought of Miranda (his reward) is enough to make the burden seem light.
King of Naples who, after arriving on the island, grieves at the belief that his son, Ferdinand, has been drowned. He helped Antonio in the plot to over throw Prospero from his Dukedom. He often seems weary, and it is likely and Antonio’s wicked tongue had more than a hand at convincing the King to deceive Prospero, over whom he suffers from guilty thoughts.
The wise, if not somewhat simple seeming (a paradox), advisor to Alonso, and kind saviour to Prospero. Gonzalo was the one how organised to have Prospero and the daughter sent out in a small boat with a good supply of belongings, in the hopes that they would escape death. His words are easy, and though he sometimes seems oblivious to underhanded plots around him, he may just not be letting on to all that he knows. Gonzalo is a loyal man and one of the more likeable characters of the play.
The wicked brother of Prospero. He plotted the “failed” death of Prospero, taking over his Dukedom and wastes no time in plotting the death of Alonso and Gonzalo, enlisting the aid of Sebastian. He is the basic baddie, whose plot is quickly foiled by the intervention of Ariel. He is one of the only characters to show neither remorse nor guilt over his actions, and could easily be interpreted as a very ambitious and egotistic character.
Brother to Alonso. Briefly indulges in the idea of killing his brother to gain the throne of Naples, but never goes through with it. It rather appears that he was talked into the whole situation by the cunning of Anotonio. Has a witty humour, and amuses himself by poking fun at Gonzalo.
The comic relief of the story. He is a simple minded, yellow bellied, clown, who wastes no time latching onto Stephano and Caliban with their plot to kill Prospero. Despite his simple mind though, he is sober enough to tell that it is ridiculous for Caliban to worship Stephano as a god.
More comic relief. He is a drunken bulter with delusions of grandier. He enjoys picturing himself as the king of the island almost as much as he enjoys a drink.
The offspring of a witch, Caliban lived on the island long before Prospero and Miranda arrived. He is one of the lowliest creatures, often called a “monster”, yet even he is offered the chance to speak some beautiful poetry, revealing that he is at least superior to Trinculo and Stephano. Once the drink wares off he also berates himself forever calling Stephano a god. Caliban has an extreme disliking for Prospero, feeling that he stole his island. (Some newer interpretations of the play see Caliban as the “native” and Prospero and the “coloniser” of lands that don’t belong to him.)
An airy spirit that does the bidding of Prospero. He is often invisible to all but his master, and sings beautiful, is not enigmatic, songs.
Other Characters:
Ceres (represented by a spirit)
Juno (represented by a spirit)
Iris (represented by a spirit)
Boatswain
Boats master
Miranda is a pure character who is passionate about love. She is innocent and often meek, but has moments of courageous independence and confidence. Her purity, empathy, and strong connection to her emotions are made most evident when she cries at seeing the ship sink in the storm, and when Ferdinand asks her: “Wherefore weep you?” a moment before she confesses her love. At moments of emotional intensity she is not a character who fails to react, in this case with gentle tears.
Miranda is also humble, recognising her “unworthiness” to “take what [she] shall die to want”, namely Ferdinand’s love. Yet despite her maidenly shyness, she can be forward about her desires, doing away with “bashful cunning”, as she says bluntly to Ferdinand: “I am your wife, if you’ll marry me”. There is an endearing quality to her ignorance about the etiquette of love wooing, and her inexperience with it, as she plainly proposes to the man. This, though, reveals her free-spiritedness, and although she is knowledgeable, spinning elegant speech in verse, she has an untamed quality that results from her growing up on the lush, magical island.
Miranda’s words to her love, Ferdinand, give away her loyalty as well, and her belief in “agape” love, that which is unconditional and unending, for she will happily love him forever, whether he returns her love or not. Such unbridled giving of love emphasises her genuinely pure, unspoilt nature, her lack of experience with the cruelties of the world. While speaking to the man she loves, Miranda even calls upon “plain and holy innocence” to “prompt” her with words to communicate her love and desire for marriage. She, herself, calls outright for that which she respects most fully, and exemplifies most perfectly: innocence.
Copyright 2002, written by Ginny Sue
