the
tempest - who's who? |
Read
on for a quick description of all the main characters in The Tempest…
PROSPERO
Michael Mears |
The
central character of the play and father of Miranda. He was once the
Duke of Milan, but his brother Antonio stole his title, forcing him
to escape in a boat with his daughter. For twelve years he has lived
on the island.
Prospero ultimately controls and manipulates all the events in the play through magic, which is the main source of his power. For the majority of the play Prospero is not a sympathetic character. Despite being wronged by his brother, who plotted with King Alonso, Prospero’s absolute power over the other characters makes him difficult to like. His treatment of Caliban is often vindictive and at times when he loses his temper with Ariel he threatens to return him/her to his/her former imprisonment. Similarly whilst Prospero is the character that sets up the meeting between Ferdinand and Miranda, it is he who then enslaves Ferdinand before allowing him to marry his daughter. By the
final stages of the play Prospero becomes a more likable figure.
Despite his controlling nature and his somewhat questionable acts
of morality, ultimately he shows himself to have a deep sense of
justice through his love for his daughter, the forgiveness of his
enemies, and the final happy ending which he crafts. The great strength
of Prospero is that by the end of The Tempest, he manages to convince
the audience to understand his view of the world. |
MIRANDA Natasha Moore |
Nearly
fifteen years old, she has lived on the island for most of her life.
The only two men she has ever seen are Caliban and her father, and
so she can often seem to be naïve.
Compassionate
and loyal, Miranda is generally quite passive throughout the play.
It is her father who secretly determines that she and Ferdinand
will fall in love, and she is silent when Prospero and her fiancé
are discussing her virginity. However, her proposal to Ferdinand
and her scolding of Caliban are two occasions that suggest she has
a more dominant side. |
ARIEL
Minnie Crowe |
Ariel is a spirit helper and both the gender and physical form of Ariel is questionable. He/she is able to change shape, transport from one place to another instantly and become invisible; all qualities which allow him/her to assist Prospero in his master plan. Ariel can be seen as mischievous. When Prospero arrived on the island he discovered Ariel who had been imprisoned by the evil witch Sycorax because he/she refused to carry out the witch’s evil deeds. In exchange for Prospero releasing him/her, Ariel promises to serve him until Prospero decides otherwise. |
CALIBAN
Simon Jessop |
Often
referred to as a monster, Caliban is the witch Sycorax’s son.
He is the only native of the island, and inhabited the place long
before Prospero arrived.
Caliban insists that the island is his and that Prospero has stolen it from him denying him his title as head of the island in the same way that Prospero’s brother denied Prospero his rightful position as Duke. However Caliban’s lust for power can be compared to that of Antonio. During his drunken conversations with Stefano and Trinculo, Caliban conspires to kill Prospero. Caliban is an unwilling slave to Prospero. Their relationship is uneasy. Originally Caliban showed Prospero around the island, and Prospero taught Caliban how to speak. However Caliban attempted to rape Prospero’s daughter Miranda so he could breed a race of young Caliban’s, again showing his animalistic desires, and presenting him as a beast. Despite his grotesque appearance and often crude language, Caliban does have a sensitive side that not many of the characters get to see. |
FERDINAND
Philip Reed |
Son and heir of King Alonso. In many ways he is as naïve and passive as Miranda. He falls in love with Miranda instantly and in order to gain her father’s approval happily resigns to servitude. |
ALONSO
Simon McLinden |
King of Naples and father of Ferdinand. Twelve years ago he helped Antonio remove Prospero from his position as Duke of Milan. He appears to now know the consequences of his actions, after the banquet scene he shows regret for his acts against Prospero. Similarly when he believes Ferdinand to be dead, he blames himself for marrying his daughter off to the Prince of Tunis. |
ANTONIO
Chris MacDonnell |
Prospero’s brother and seizer of Prospero’s dukedom. He also tries to persuade Sebastian to kill Alonso in order to obtain power. |
SEBASTIAN
Richard Brightiff |
King Alonso’s brother. Sebastian resembles Antonio in that he is power hungry and cowardly. He is easily persuaded to kill his brother and when caught with his sword out makes up a ridiculous story about lions. |
GONZALO
Paul Leonard |
Old Gonzalo was one of the people who helped Prospero and Miranda to escape after he was stripped of his title. He is an honest and loyal Lord, and his speeches throughout the play provide an important commentary of events. |
TRINCULO
Jim Bywater |
Trinculo is a jester and is one of the shipwrecked party. He is often seen with Stefano. He provides slight comic relief to the rest of the characters in the play, along with Stefano. |
STEFANO
Neil Boorman |
Stefano is a drunken butler who is also part of those that have been shipwrecked. Along with Trinculo, he provides a comic release from the power struggles of the other characters. |
