Character Relationship Map: The Tempest

Characters

• Prospera (played by Helen Mirren) — protagonist

  Duchess of Milan who was secretly denounced as a sorceress and usurped by her brother. Cast adrift with her three-year-old daughter, she survives on a remote island, enslaves Caliban, frees Ariel, and...

• Miranda (played by Felicity Jones) — protagonist

  Miranda is Prospera's daughter, living with her mother on the island and knowing little about their former life. She grieves for the people she believes drowned in the storm, until Prospera assures he...

• Prince Ferdinand (played by Reeve Carney) — supporting

  Prince Ferdinand is King Alonso's son and one of the people scattered across the island after the shipwreck. Drawn by strange music, he meets Miranda, and Prospera watches and manages their encounter....

• King Alonso (played by David Strathairn) — supporting

  King Alonso is the ruler whose ship is caught in Prospera's magically caused storm. He survives the wreck and becomes separated from the other members of the party on the island. While he is asleep, S...

• Caliban (played by Djimon Hounsou) — supporting

  Caliban lives under Prospera's authority and resents being confined and forced to work. He curses Prospera after she accuses him of threatening Miranda, but ultimately obeys her commands. After meetin...

• Gonzalo (played by Tom Conti) — supporting

  Gonzalo is one of the shipwrecked companions of King Alonso and is with him when Sebastian urges Antonio to kill the sleeping king and Gonzalo. Ariel wakes them before the attack can proceed. The grou...

• Sebastian (played by Alan Cumming) — supporting

  Sebastian is King Alonso's brother and a member of the shipwrecked royal party. While Alonso and Gonzalo are asleep, Sebastian urges Antonio to kill them, promising political advantage. Ariel wakes th...

• Antonio (played by Chris Cooper) — supporting

  Antonio is Prospera's brother, who previously usurped her position with the King's help, as established in his existing profile. After the shipwreck scatters the party on the island, he is urged by Se...

• Ariel (played by Ben Whishaw) — supporting

  Ariel is a spirit who serves Prospera and carries out her commands. After the shipwreck, Ariel uses music and illusion to influence the stranded visitors. Ariel also wakes King Alonso and Gonzalo when...

• Trinculo (played by Russell Brand) — supporting

  Trinculo survives the storm and encounters Caliban on the island. He is with Stephano when Caliban, impressed by Stephano's liquor, treats Stephano as a god and offers to guide him around the island....

• Stephano (played by Alfred Molina) — supporting

  Stephano survives the storm and meets Caliban on the island. After drinking Stephano's liquor, Caliban treats him as a god and offers to guide him around the island. Stephano joins Caliban and Trincul...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• King Alonso → Sebastian (Family Brothers) — While Alonso sleeps on the island, Sebastian urges Antonio to kill him for political advantage.

  The character information identifies Sebastian as King Alonso's brother.

• King Alonso → Prince Ferdinand (Family Father And Son) — Their separation after the wreck makes Ferdinand's whereabouts a concern for the party.

  The character information identifies Ferdinand as King Alonso's son; the shipwrecked party later searches for the king's missing son.

• Prospera → Prince Ferdinand (Power Controller Of His Courtship) — Prospera actively oversees Ferdinand's encounter and developing connection with Miranda.

  Prospera watches Ferdinand meet Miranda and manages what happens between them.

• Prospera → Ariel (Power Magical Master And Servant) — Ariel carries out Prospera's magical plans, including using music and illusion to guide events.

  Ariel is described as a spirit who serves Prospera, and Prospera commands Ariel to help influence the stranded visitors.

• Miranda → Prince Ferdinand (Romantic Emerging Romance) — Their meeting begins a romantic connection that Prospera watches and influences.

  Ferdinand is drawn by strange music and meets Miranda on the island; Prospera manages what happens between them.

• Prospera → Miranda (Family Mother And Daughter) — Prospera reassures Miranda after the shipwreck and begins explaining their shared past.

  The plot says Miranda is Prospera's daughter and that they survived being cast adrift together.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Ariel → King Alonso (Alliance Magical Protector) — Ariel's intervention prevents the sleeping king from being attacked in that moment.

  Ariel wakes the sleepers before Sebastian's proposed attack on King Alonso and Gonzalo can proceed.

• Caliban → Trinculo (Rebel Alliance) — Trinculo becomes part of the group Caliban urges to carry out the planned attack on Prospera.

  Caliban encounters Trinculo and Stephano, and the plot later describes Stephano and Trinculo as joining Caliban's rebellion against Prospera.

• Caliban → Stephano (Rebel Alliance) — Caliban recruits Stephano into a rebellion against Prospera and guides him around the island.

  After encountering Stephano and being impressed by his liquor, Caliban treats him as a god, offers to guide him, and joins a plan to rebel against Pro...

• Prospera → Antonio (Conflict Usurped Sister And Usurping Brother) — Antonio's past betrayal is central to Prospera's reason for orchestrating the shipwreck.

  The character information says Antonio secretly denounced Prospera and usurped her position; the ship carrying Antonio is later wrecked by Prospera's...

• Prospera → King Alonso (Conflict Adversary) — Alonso's part in Prospera's displacement makes him one of the targets of her island plan.

  The character information says Alonso aided Antonio in usurping Prospera, and Prospera later orchestrates a tempest that wrecks the ship carrying her...

• Sebastian → Gonzalo (Conflict Would-Be Assailant And Target) — Gonzalo is endangered by the attempted plot, but Ariel wakes the sleepers before it proceeds.

  Sebastian urges Antonio to kill the sleeping Gonzalo as well as King Alonso.

• Sebastian → Antonio (Conflict Co-Conspirators) — Sebastian tries to enlist Antonio in a plot against Alonso and Gonzalo.

  Sebastian urges Antonio to kill the sleeping King Alonso and Gonzalo, promising political advantage.

• Caliban → Miranda (Conflict Accused Threat) — The accusation contributes to the hostility and control between Caliban and Prospera.

  Prospera accuses Caliban of threatening Miranda.

• Prospera → Caliban (Conflict Captor And Resistant Servant) — Their relationship is marked by Prospera's control and Caliban's resentment and resistance.

  Prospera keeps Caliban under her authority and accuses him of threatening Miranda; Caliban resents being confined and forced to work, curses Prospera,...

Story Analysis

On an island shaped by Prospera's magic, shipwrecked visitors and rival schemes converge while authority, resentment, and new attachment shape the unfolding conflict.

Plot Progression

1. Storm and Reassurance — A violent storm endangers the ship, and the Boatswain struggles to control it amid the passengers' fear. On the island, Prospera assures Miranda that the wreck was deliberately caused by magic and tha...
2. Island Authority and Resentment — Prospera begins revealing their past to Miranda and commands Ariel, who serves her. Caliban resents his confinement and forced labor, disputes Prospera's authority, and ultimately obeys her.
3. Strangers and Alliances — The shipwrecked party scatters across the island, and Ferdinand meets Miranda after following strange music. Caliban encounters Stephano and Trinculo, and their alliance begins turning toward rebellio...
4. Plots and Intervention — Ariel uses music and illusion to influence the visitors while Sebastian urges Antonio to kill Alonso and Gonzalo. Ariel wakes the sleepers before the attack proceeds, and the party searches for Ferdin...
5. Illusion and Imminent Confrontation — Prospera conjures a spectacle, dismisses it as an illusion, and reflects on the passing nature of things. As Ariel reports that the rebels are drunk and trapped in a filthy pool, Prospera's preparatio...