# Stephano — The Tempest character guide

> Stephano in The Tempest by William Shakespeare.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Stephano Trinculo, Enter Stephano, Stephano Ay, Stephano Prithee, Stephano Moon, Stephano Moon - calf, Stephano Monster, O king Stephano, Stephano Mum

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

## Snapshot

A drunken butler who washes ashore with a bottle of wine, crowns himself king of the island, and recruits Caliban for a bungled coup.

## Who they are

Stephano stumbles out of the wreckage clutching sack and quickly becomes the center of the play's low comedy, trading songs with Trinculo and accepting Caliban's worship as his due. He dreams aloud of a kingdom where he'll have his music for nothing, and his bloody thoughts grow bolder with every drink even as his plans stay absurdly small. His alliance with Caliban and Trinculo turns rebellion into farce, letting Shakespeare show how tyrants are made from vanity and liquor as much as from ambition.

## Relationships

### [Caliban](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_tempest_se/characters/caliban)

_friendship_

Caliban idolizes Stephano as a god and ally in his plot against Prospero, while Stephano exploits him for power.

### [Ariel](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_tempest_se/characters/ariel)

_rivalry_

Ariel torments Stephano and Trinculo with magical tricks to disrupt their drunken conspiracy.

### [Sebastian](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_tempest_se/characters/sebastian)

_social_

Sebastian and Stephano are both part of the shipwrecked party but have no meaningful interaction.

### [Sebastian](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_tempest_se/characters/sebastian)

_social_

Sebastian and Stephano are both part of the shipwrecked party but have no meaningful interaction.

### [Caliban](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_tempest_se/characters/caliban)

_friendship_

Caliban idolizes Stephano as a god and ally in his plot against Prospero, while Stephano exploits him for power.

### [Caliban](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_tempest_se/characters/caliban)

_friendship_

Caliban idolizes Stephano as a god and ally in his plot against Prospero, while Stephano exploits him for power.

### [Ariel](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_tempest_se/characters/ariel)

_rivalry_

Ariel torments Stephano and Trinculo with magical tricks to disrupt their drunken conspiracy.

## In the story

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

Sings drunkenly; shares his wine with Caliban; accepts Caliban's worship and plans to inherit the island.

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

Drunk and ambitious, agrees to kill Prospero and make himself king, with Miranda as queen; beats Trinculo for interrupting Caliban's tale.

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

Gets distracted by the fine garments, delaying the murder plot, and is driven away by spirits.

## Links

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