# Prospero — The Tempest character guide

> Prospero in The Tempest by William Shakespeare.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** Prospero Well, Prospero Dull thing, Prospero Fairly, Prospero Mark

**First appearance:** 0000-the-tempest

## Snapshot

A deposed duke who traded his throne for books, Prospero now rules an island through study, memory, and storm-raising magic.

## Who they are

Prospero was Duke of Milan until his brother Antonio, entrusted with governing while Prospero pursued his secret studies, took the dukedom and set him adrift with the infant Miranda. Twelve years later, he has become a master of the liberal arts whose art can command the sea and its spirits, yet he is still the man who confesses he neglected worldly power for private study. In the play's opening movement, he raises the tempest, explains his past to Miranda, and begins arranging the island's encounters with a control that is both paternal and unsettling.

## In the story

### [Scene II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_tempest_se/chapters/act-i-scene-ii)

Reveals his past to Miranda, commands Ariel and Caliban, and asserts his authority through magic.

### [Scene II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_tempest_se/chapters/act-ii-scene-ii)

Referenced by Caliban as the tyrant who torments him through spirits.

### [Scene I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_tempest_se/chapters/act-iii-scene-i)

Watches the interaction from a distance, pleased with the developing love between Ferdinand and Miranda, then leaves to perform magical business.

### [Scene II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_tempest_se/chapters/act-iii-scene-ii)

Referenced as the target of the plot; his books are the key to his power, and his daughter Miranda is coveted by Stephano.

### [Scene III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_tempest_se/chapters/act-iii-scene-iii)

Observes invisibly, praises Ariel's performance, and leaves to visit Ferdinand and Miranda.

### [Scene I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_tempest_se/chapters/act-iv-scene-i)

Blesses Ferdinand and Miranda, stages the masque, and orchestrates the thwarting of Caliban's plot.

### [Scene I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_tempest_se/chapters/act-v-scene-i)

Abjures his magic, forgives his enemies, and prepares to return to Milan.

### [Epilogue](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_tempest_se/chapters/act-v-scene-i)

Speaks the epilogue, acknowledging his lost magic and appealing to the audience for release.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_tempest_se/characters/prospero
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_tempest_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_tempest_se/characters