Characters

The cast of The Tempest

The people who make The Tempest move — what they want, who they love, who they hate, and how each one fits the story. Tap any name to read more.

Father of Ferdinand; brother of Sebastians

Alonso

King of Naples, a man of some virtue but susceptible to despair · Middle-aged

Brother: Prosperos

Antonio

Usurper and unrepentant conspirator; Prospero's treacherous brother

Son of the witch Sycoraxs

Caliban

Enslaved native of the island; a figure of dispossession and resistance · Unknown; appears adult

Son of Alonso, King of Naples

Ferdinand

Prince of Naples; young lover caught between servitude and desire · Young man

Father: Prosperos

Miranda

Young woman discovering the world beyond her island home · Fifteen

Miranda (daughter); Sycorax (referenced; witch whose son Caliban he enslaves)s

Prospero

Rightful Duke of Milan; sorcerer and architect of the tempest; father to Miranda · Middle-aged to elderly (implied by references to study and exile)

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Sebastian

Alonso's cynical brother; conspirator in regicide

Other characters

Stephano

A drunken butler; comic schemer and would-be king

Gonzalo

Loyal counselor and voice of wisdom; the only courtier with genuine virtue

Ariel

A spirit of the air, bound to Prospero; agent of magic and instrument of justice · Timeless; appears as neither young nor old

Trinculo

A drunken jester and court fool caught in the island's chaos

The Boatswain

Master of the ship; voice of practical command during the tempest

Adrian

Courtier and minor nobleman in Alonso's retinue