The Tempest (Character List)

Prospero Father of Miranda. He used to be 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. He spent his 12 years on the island refining the magic that gives him the power he needs to punish & forgive his enemies.
Miranda The daughter of Prospero, she was brought to the island at an early age and has never seen any men other than her father and Caliban. She tends to be naive.
Ariel Prospero’s spirit helper. His gender and physical form are ambiguous. Rescued by Prospero from a long imprisonment at the hnds of the witch Sycorax, Ariel is Prospero’s servant until Prospero decides to release him. He is mischevious, able to traverse the length of the island in an instant & to change shapes at will.
Caliban Another of Prospero’s servants. The son of the new-deceased witch Sycorax, acquainted Prospero with the island when Prospero arrived. He believes that the island rightfully belongs to him & has been stolen by Prospero. His speech & behavior is sometimes coarse & brutal.
Ferdinand Son & heir of Alonso. He seems in some ways to be as pure and naive as Miranda. he falls in love with her upon first sight & happily submits to servitude in order to win her father’s approval.
Alonso King of Naples & father of Ferdinand. He aided Antonio in unseating Prospero as Duke of Milan 12 years before. He blames his decision to marry his daughter to the Prince of Tunis on the apparent death of his son. he regrets his role in the usurping of Prospero.
Antonio Prospero’s brother. He is power-hungry and foolish. 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 & Sebastian with their swords drawn.
Sebastian Alonso’s brother. He is aggressive and cowardly. he is easily persuaded to kill his brother & he initiates the ridiculous story about lions when Gonzalo catches him with his sword drawn.
Gonzalo An old, honest lord. He helped Prospero and Miranda to escape after Antonio usurped Prospero’s title.
Trinculo & Stehpano Trinculo: a jester Stephano: a drunken butler,are two minor members of the shipwrecked party. Their drunken boasting and petty greed reflect and deflate the quarrels & power struggles of Prospero and the other noblemen.
Boatswain Appearing only in the 1st and last scenes, the boatswain is vigurously good-natured. Competent & almost cheerful in the shipwreck scene, demanding practical help rather than weeping & praying. He seems surprised when he awakens from a long sleep at the end of the play.
July 31, 2019