Prospero

For other meaning see Prospero (disambiguation)

Prospero is the protagonist in The Tempest, a play by William Shakespeare.

He was the Duke of Milan who (with his daughter, Miranda) was sent off on a boat to die by his brother Antonio so that he could become duke. As Milan is a landlocked city, it is not clear how Antonio did this. Prospero and Miranda survived on the boat and found exile on a small island. He had learned sorcery and while on the island he uses it to control the other characters. On the island, he became the master of Caliban and Ariel.

By chance, Antonio sails near this island and Prospero conjures the eponymous storm that forces him (and others) ashore. Prospero regains his dukedom from Antonio through the events of the play.

His final soliloquy is considered to be one of the most memorable speeches of Shakespeare. Because of his powers, some believe that Prospero represents Shakespeare, James I or God. It is likely that the character was based on or at least inspired by John Dee, a philosopher with a reputation as a magician in Shakespeare's time.