The Tempest Character Map

By: William Shakespeare

Mapped Out By: Adam Van Noort and Adam Osborne

2. Right Duke of Milan

Prospero, the dynamic protagonist of this play, is a man of intelligence, ambition and a unique form of authority. As Duke of Milan he focused too much on his pursuit of knowledge and not enough on his subjects. This led to the jealousy of his brother, Antonio, who plotted and carried out Prospero’s exile from Milan. With Prospero now living on this island, he waited until the opportune time and stirred up a Tempest to bring all those involved in his exile to his island. He, with the help of his servant Ariel, control the entire plot with great efficiency using a variety of methods from magic and intimidation, to understanding and forgiveness. His attitude towards his new subjects on his island (Ariel and Caliban) is very authoritarian at first but he had a plan all along and when that plan was fulfilled he drastically changed his treatment of his ‘slaves’ for their benefit. He was also unconditionally forgiving to his wrong-doers when he exclaims, "Let us not burden our remembrances with a heaviness that's gone." This sense of forgiveness coupled together with his love of his daughter Miranda make him a much more relatable character at the end of the play than he was at the beginning. The dynamics of Prospero's character are once again questioned when he returns to his pride-filled ways in the epilogue of the play when he asks the audience, in the last line of the play to "let your indulgence set me free." Even with this rather egotistical remark to end the play, there is no doubt that Prospero attained his desires using a rather unique and manipulative technique which he decidided to abandon once his ambitions were fulfilled thus undergoing the dynamic change of personality when it was all over and done with.

Slave of Prospero; Leads Everybody through his magical Powers

Ariel

2. An Airy Spirit

Ariel is a servant to Prospero and is used by Prospero to perform his magic but their relationship is very deep. Even though Prospero does threaten Ariel with imprisonment, they do have a loving relationship. Ariel is loyal to Prospero and carries out all of the tasks that his master gives him. He is empathetic and good but he does show his mischievous side. He did conjure the tempest that brought everyone to the island and played tricks on the people who sent Prospero away. At some points in the story, Ariel acts almost as Prospero's conscience. When Prospero has all of them in his cell, Ariel says, "...The King, his brother, and yours abide all three distracted, and the remainder mourning over them, brimful of sorrow and dismay; but chiefly him that you termed, the good old Lord Gonzalo. His tears run down his beard like winter's drops from eaves fo’ reeds. Your charm so strongly works 'em, that if you now beheld them, your affections would become tender." Ariel is used by Prospero to carry out his intricate plans but the fairy sees himself as much more than meerly an enslaved piece of property and makes those feelings known to the audience.

1. King of Naples

Alonso, the King of Naples, is an understanding and caring ruler who loves his family more than anything. Alonso played a major role in aiding Antonio to become the usurping Duke of Milan and in this play he comes to realize how wrong he was in doing so. When Alonso believes that his son and heir to his throne, Ferdinand, has perished in the storm he is overcome with grief stating that, “Irreparable is the loss, and patience says, it is past her cure.” When he is shown, by Prospero, that Ferdinand is still alive and that he has chosen to marry Miranda he is greatly relieved and excited at the prospect of making amends for his role in Prospero’s exile by blessing the marriage and therefore the uniting of their two families. He blesses the couple by stating, “Let grief and sorrow still embrace his heart that doth not wish you joy!” Alonso started the play as ruler of a great kingdom but a man who had thought he had lost everything that mattered to him. At the conclusion of the story Alonso was no longer King of Naples but he had back in his possession what he really cared about, his family, and for him that is greater than any kingdom in the world.

Ferdinand

1. Son of King Alonso

Prince of Naples

Ferdinand, the son of Alonso and heir to his throne, is no more a love-struck young man than he is a Prince in this play. Ferdinand falls in love with Miranda at first glance claiming that she is “So perfect and so peerless,” and “created of every creature’s best!” His dedication and persistence to prove to Prospero that he is worthy of his daughter’s hand solidifies Ferdinand’s noble qualities that one should expect from a Prince. However, would a petty commoner not also do whatever it took to be able to wed his true love? Ferdinand brings the innocence of young romance and the excitement of a royal engagement into the play, which makes him easier for the audience to relate with than other characters in the production.

Falls in love with

Miranda

2. Daughter of Prospero

As a young woman, Miranda shows that she is a round and complex character. She's beautiful, meek and apathetic but she also embodies the characteristics of an assertive and powerful woman. When she proposes to Ferdinand we see that her isolation on the island has allowed her to become someone who may not necessarily follow the usual conformities of society. Her seclusion from the rest of civilization has also made her very curious and inquisitive about what goes on outside of the island. Her sense of curiosity is overwhelmed when she sees all of the men her father has brought to their island and she exclaims, “O brave new world that has such people in it!”

Daughter Of...

Brother of...

Antonio

1. Usurping Duke of Milan

Antonio is the brother of Prospero who temporarily took over power while Prospero focussed on his magic. He was greedy for more power and exiled Prospero and Miranda out of Milan on a ship to die. People believe that this character was used in Shakespeare's play to represent his critics. In the end of the play he makes Antonio feel like a fool just as his critics look foolish after his successful career.

Sebastian

1. Brother of King Alonso

Sebastian is the brother of King Alonso and is jealous of him. After seeing what Antonio has done to Prospero he plans to kill his brother. Sebastian and Antonio are the richer, less drunk versions of Stephano and Trinculo. Even though they are sober they make bad decisions to kill the king and Prospero. "The next advantage will we take throughly." They are fools like Stephano and Trinculo, the difference being they have more money.

Plot to kill...

King Alonso

Lord of Alonso's Court

Gonzalo

1. Honest Old Councillor

Gonzalo plays the story’s optimist who is sometimes too nice and too optimistic for some the character’s likings. This older Lord helped Prospero and Miranda when they were exiled after Antonio usurped Prospero’s dukedom. In times of seemingly great peril like during the tempest and after they had washed up on to shore, Gonzalo was always talking positively and seeing the good in every situation. “Beseech you, sir, be merry; you have cause of joy; for our escape is much beyond our loss.” Gonzalo plays an important role in keeping the mood of the play away from that of a tragedy and his lines tend to give us a narration of what is happening at this point in the story. Gonzalo is the old, caring elder who is around to remind the characters and the audience that there is a lot of good out there and a lot to be thankful for.

Men of Alonso's Court

Adrian

1. Lord of King Alonso's Court

Francisco

1. Lord of King Alonso's Court

Boatswain

Captain of King Alonso's Ship

All three of these characters play rather insignificant roles in the play. They have few uses except for stage presence and for being further optimistic sources. They embody the people who just tend to go with the flow of things and take more of a back seat role when it comes to matters of importance which can be a relatable role for some members of the audience.

Caliban

2+3. Child of Sycorax

Enslaved to...

Prospero

Caliban is portrayed as an ugly, lazy and sensitive monster. He is a simple creature in search of satisfying his simple needs. He wants sex, freedom, and thanks to Stephano, alcohol. He tries to attain these things in the easiest way possible. Caliban is also thought of by many scholars to be the symbol of Shakespeare's views regarding colonialism. The relationship between him and Prospero can be seen as an allegory for the oppressive European settlers and the opressed native cultures in the days of the numerous European empires.

Meets and Gangs up With...

Drunken Friends

3. Butler of King Alonso

AND

3. Jester of King Alonso

Stephano

Stephano is a boisterous, drunken fool. He is the butler of King Alonso and to take himself away from his pathetic life he drinks. When he lands on the island he is not controlled by anyone, in fact after giving Caliban alcohol he becomes Caliban's master. He enjoys being in a position of power and agrees with Caliban when he says he's been dropped from heaven. "Out o' th' moon, I do assure thee; I was the Man i' th' Moon, when time was." The main purpose of placing Stephano in the story was for comic relief. Along side Trinculo and Caliban they bumble their way through the island like The Three Stooges. Their singing, dancing and drinking significantly lightens the mood of the play.

Trinculo

Trinculo and Stephano are basically the same character and are used in the story to play off of each other as a drunken, dim-witted duo. Trinculo also works for King Alonso as his jester. Trinculo is a character purely used for comic relief and therefore doesn't change or move the story along. As we see in Act 4, Scene 1 Trinculo, Stephano and Caliban have a scene right after Sebastian and Antonio plan on killing King Alonso because the comic relief they bring really lightens the mood in the play.

We also get to find out a little more about the King's jester from Russel Brand himself...

The Tempest

By: William Shakespeare

Brothers

Legend

Members of Alonso's group on the island.

1.

2.

3.

Members of Prospero's group on the island.

The drunken fools.