The Tempest – William Shakespeare
Character List
Character Personality
Used to be Duke of Milan
Father to Miranda
Ariel and Caliban are slaves to him
Prospero Has magic
Overarching revenge plot
Shipwrecked on the island for 12 years
Short tempered, easily angered
Daughter to Prospero
First on island age 3, currently 15 (shipwrecked with
Miranda Prospero on island for 12 years)
Sweet-natured
In love with Ferdinand and plans to marry him
Brother to Prospero
Took Prospero’s dukedom from him (with Alonso
Antonio
approval), current Duke of Milan
Plotted to kill king with Sebastian
Smart and witty
Good natured
Gonzalo
Helped Prospero escape after Antonio took his dukedom
Loyal to King
Brother to King Alonso
Wants to be King
Sebastian
Plotted to kill Alonso with Antonio
Rude, snarky
King of Naples
Loves his son Ferdinand
Alonso
Wanted to commit suicide if he couldn’t be with his son
Remorseful for what happened with Prospero
Prince of Naples
Son to Alonso
Ferdinand
In love with Miranda and plans to marry her
Loves his father
Son of Sycorax the witch
Deformed, misshapen
Original inhabitant of island
Caliban
Used to be good friends with P + M but tried to rape
Miranda and now a slave
Taught how to speak by Prospero
Androgenous spirit
Can use magic and become invisible
Ariel Trapped in pine tree for 12 years by Sycorax before
Prospero freed him, now indentured
Wants his freedom badly
, Minor character
Comedic relief with Caliban and Trinculo
Stephano
Brough alcohol on the island and gets everyone drunk
Caliban wanted him to be his new leader
Minor Character
Trinculo Comedic relief with Caliban and Stephano
Gets drunk
Witch
Born in Algiers but was banished to the island
Sycorax
Mother to Caliban
Ariel used to be her servant
Basic Plot Summarised
Prospero and Miranda got marooned on an island 12 years ago after Antonio, Prospero’s brother,
usurped him and took his dukedom. Prospero was abandoning his post as Duke of Milan as he was
focusing on magic. Prospero wants revenge for what has been done to him and his daughter. The
island originally had an inhabitant called Caliban, the son of the witch Sycorax, who loves the island
and was good friends with Prospero and Miranda before he tried to rape Miranda. He is one of
Prospero’s servants. Prospero’s other servant is a spirit called Ariel, who he freed from a pine tree
after being stuck there for 12 years due to the witch Sycorax.
A ship carrying the noblemen of Naples comes near the island and Prospero creates a giant storm
(tempest) illusion out of magic and convinces everyone that the ship is sinking. In reality, the ship is
fine and everyone on board safely arrives on the island, believing they have washed up from the
shipwreck. Miranda sees all of this and is horrified, but Prospero explains what happened to them
(how they got to the island), and they head off to visit Caliban. After visiting Caliban, Ariel drops off
Ferdinand (who believes he is a sole survivor of the wreck) who instantly falls in love with Miranda
(all part of Prospero’s plan), but Prospero doesn’t want to make it too easy and is determined to put
obstacles in Ferdinand’s way.
Meanwhile, Alonso, Antonio, Gonzalo, and Sebastian are exploring the island trying to find
Ferdinand. Prospero’s revenge plan is put into action, and he starts to play around with the
noblemen’s minds for fun. Firstly, he gets Ariel to put Alonso and Gonzalo to sleep. From this we
hear Sebastian and Antonio plotting to kill the king in his sleep. Benefits: Sebastian will be king, and
Antonio will no longer have to pay taxes/tributes to the throne. As they are about to kill them in
their sleep, Ariel wakes them up and Antonio and Sebastian play it off.
On another part of the island, Caliban meets Trinculo and Stephano. This trio is mainly used for
comedic relief throughout the play. Caliban gets drunk of Stephano’s wine and decides that he will
leave Prospero and become Stephano’s new subject. Together they plot to overthrow Prospero and
marry Miranda, however Ariel hears all of this and reports it to Prospero.
Back at base, Miranda and Ferdinand are madly in love and Ferdinand expresses his adoration and
asks Miranda to marry him. Prospero is approving of the marriage and states that they can get
married if Miranda is a virgin on the day of their marriage. While displaying a masque/play with
goddesses in honour of their marriage, Prospero remembers the plot against his life and leaves in a
rush.
