Character Analysis: Prospero & Miranda

Prospero and Miranda are the emotional heart of The Tempest. This lesson explores Prospero's complex, contradictory nature and Miranda's significance as both character and symbol, with key quotes and grade 9 model paragraphs.

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Prospero

Prospero is the play's protagonist and controlling force. He is simultaneously:

                        PROSPERO
                     /    |    |    \
               Magician  Duke  Father  Coloniser
                 |         |      |        |
              Controls   Rightful  Protects  Enslaves
              Ariel &    ruler of  Miranda   Caliban &
              the island Milan              commands Ariel

Prospero as Magician

Prospero's "art" (magic) is the source of his power on the island. He uses it to:

• Raise the tempest that brings his enemies to the island
• Command Ariel and other spirits
• Create illusions (the banquet, the masque, the harpy)
• Punish Caliban with cramps and pinches
• Ultimately restore justice

"I have bedimmed / The noontide sun, called forth the mutinous winds, / And 'twixt the green sea and the azured vault / Set roaring war" — Prospero, Act 5 Scene 1