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.
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)
Sebastian
Alonso's cynical brother; conspirator in regicide
Stephano
A drunken butler; comic schemer and would-be king
Antonio
Usurper and unrepentant conspirator; Prospero's treacherous brother
Gonzalo
Loyal counselor and voice of wisdom; the only courtier with genuine virtue
Caliban
Enslaved native of the island; a figure of dispossession and resistance · Unknown; appears adult
Miranda
Young woman discovering the world beyond her island home · Fifteen
Ariel
A spirit of the air, bound to Prospero; agent of magic and instrument of justice · Timeless; appears as neither young nor old
Alonso
King of Naples, a man of some virtue but susceptible to despair · Middle-aged
Trinculo
A drunken jester and court fool caught in the island's chaos
Ferdinand
Prince of Naples; young lover caught between servitude and desire · Young man
The Boatswain
Master of the ship; voice of practical command during the tempest
Adrian
Courtier and minor nobleman in Alonso's retinue
Hear every line of The Tempest, narrated.
