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• The Tempest is a play by English playwright William Shakespeare. It was first performed in 1611.

• Prospero is the central character of the play. He is a powerful magician who was once the Duke of Milan.

• However, Prospero’s brother, Antonio, betrayed him and took his title, banishing him to live on an island with his daughter Miranda.

• At the start of the play, Prospero and Miranda have lived on the island for 12 years.

• Prospero creates a storm to punish his enemies and shipwreck them on the island. Although he wants to see his enemies suffer, by the end of the play he has forgiven them.

The phrases ‘in a pickle’, ‘into thin air’ and ‘brave new world’ were first recorded in The Tempest.

Click through the slideshow to see Prospero’s key moments

Prospero is a magician who used to belong to Milan’s nobility before he was banished to an island.

Educated

Prospero reads a lot and is very knowledgeable. He has taught himself to use magic and control nature.

Powerful

His power as a magician allows him to control people and events on the island. He uses the spirits on the island, including Ariel, to increase his power. He punishes Caliban with magic when he doesn’t do as he is told.

Controlling

Prospero controls Ariel and Caliban. He is protective of his daughter Miranda and tries to control her actions on the island. He even uses magic to send Miranda to sleep at the start of the play, to prevent her asking any more questions about their past. He also controls the relationship between Miranda and Ferdinand.

Forgiving

Ariel encourages Prospero to become more forgiving and by the end of the play he has forgiven his enemies.

Directors of Shakespeare plays sometimes change the gender of a character, which can have an interesting impact on the play. For example, Prospero is sometimes played by a woman.

Miranda

Prospero has a close relationship with his daughter. He has educated and cared for her on the island. He is a protective father and, although he approves of Ferdinand as a potential match for Miranda, Prospero still wants Ferdinand to prove himself before he agrees to the marriage.

Caliban

Prospero treated Caliban well until Caliban attacked Miranda. After the attack Prospero enslaved Caliban. Caliban has no choice but to complete work for Prospero, who threatens him with magic.

Ariel

When Prospero came to the island, Ariel had been trapped in a tree by Caliban’s mother, the witch Sycorax. Prospero rescued him and then made him his servant. Prospero becomes angry when Ariel asks to be set free, but he does grant him freedom at the end of the play. He seems to have feelings of affection for Ariel and says that he will miss him.

Prospero at the start of the play

At the beginning of the play, Prospero is vengeful and uses magic to punish his enemies harshly, including making Alonso think that his son has died. He treats Caliban, whom he has enslaved, cruelly and refuses Ariel’s request to set him free.

Prospero at the end of the play

Ariel manages to convince Prospero to be more forgiving and at the end of the play Prospero keeps his promise to Ariel and sets him free. Prospero welcomes Miranda and Ferdinand’s engagement, organising a masque to celebrate. Prospero also forgives his enemies, and by the end of the play has given up magic.

Some historians believe that The Tempest is the last play Shakespeare wrote. At the very end of The Tempest, Prospero speaks to the audience in an epilogue. Some people see this epilogue as a goodbye speech from Shakespeare himself.