Character Sketches

from The Tempest

_____________________________________

Instructions: In the table below, fill in some details about each character in The Tempest,
along with evidence to support the traits you have noted.

Character Traits Evidence (Examples / Quotes)

Alonso ● disobedient ● He ignores the boastwain’s orders to

stay in his cabin. (Act 1.1)

Gonzalo ● authoritative ● Gonzalo warns the irritated

● respectful boatswain to watch how he speaks
● reasonable to the King when he is trying to
● optimistic command them to stay in their
● religious cabins. (Act 1.1)
● Gonzalo does not shout at the
boatswain and call him names like
Antonio and Sebastian do. (Act 1.1)
● Gonzalo appreciates the boatswain’s
efforts to save them and the ship and
believes that they will not drown
because the boatswain seems to
have “no drowning mark upon him.”
(Act 1.1)
● At their “final hour”, Gonzalo offers to
pray and says let “the wills above be
done.” (Act 1.1)

Sebastian ● rude ● He calls the boatswain a “bawling

● arrogant blasphemous incharitable dog” (Act
 ● impatient 1.1)
● hot-headed ● He ignores the boastwain’s orders to
● disobedient stay in his cabin. (Act 1.1)
● disloyal ● He and Antonio choose to “take
leave of” the king. (Act 1.1)

Antonio ● rude ● He calls the boatswain a dog (cur)

● arrogant and a “whoreson insolent
● impatient noisemaker” (Act 1.1)
● hot-headed ● He ignores the boatswain's orders to
● disobedient stay in his cabin. (Act 1.1)
● disloyal ● He calls the sailors “drunkards”; he
calls the boatswain a “wide-chopped
rascal” and wishes he would drown.
(Act 1.1)
● He and Sebastian choose to “take
leave of” the king. (Act 1.1)

Miranda ● empathetic ● ”O, I have suffered with those I saw

● sympathetic suffer” (Act 1.2)
● innocent / naive ● “The cry did knock against my very
● optimistic heart—poor souls, they perished”
(Act 1.2)
● “A brave vessel—Who had, no
doubt, some noble creature in her”
(Act 1.2)

Prospero ● loving ● He calms Miranda down when she is

● manipulative upset and concerned about the
people on the ship; he assures her
several times that there has been no
harm done to them and he tells her
that everything he does is for her
(Act 1.2)
● He puts Miranda to sleep at will
 anytime he wants.

Ariel ● ●

Caliban ● ●

Ferdinand ● ●

Trinculo ● ●

Stephano ● ●