Ferdinand and Miranda Relationship in the Tempest (Essay Example)

In William Shakespeare’s play The Tempest, Ferdinand, the prince of Naples, and Miranda, a sorcerer’s daughter, fall in love at first sight. The two meet on an island after Ferdinand, his father, and other royalties and their servants survive an apparent shipwreck. Prospero, Miranda’s father, creates an illusion of a tempest and separates Ferdinand from his father and company. Alonso, Ferdinand’s father, is the King of Naples and is also searching for his “long lost son.” While Ferdinand searches for his father, he stumbles upon Prospero and Miranda. Immediately after Ferdinand and Miranda lay eyes on one another, they feel a rush of joy and affection. Their story of love truly follows the saying of “love at first sight.” Prospero is very cautious about this relationship, so he decides to put Ferdinand through a series of tests to see if he is worthy of his daughter. His cautiousness stems from his and Miranda’s past experiences with a character named Caliban after Caliban attempts to rape Miranda. Shakespeare creates Prospero’s overbearing nature, Alonso’s position as king, and Caliban’s past experiences with Miranda to convince the audience of the play to admire Ferdinand and Miranda’s love. 

Prospero’s overbearing quality is one of many that Shakespeare highlights throughout the play. During his encounters with Caliban, Prospero is strict, commanding, and unsympathetic. All these qualities transfer over to his analysis of Ferdinand, while he enforces an obstacle course for Ferdinand to go through, to reach Miranda. Shakespeare’s tactic of portraying Prospero as an overarching parent comes in handy when he finally approves of Ferdinand and Miranda’s relationship: “Your compensation makes amends, for I Have given you here a third of mine own life—Or that for which I live—who once again tender to thy hand. All thy vexations Were but my trials of thy love and thou Hast strangely stood the test. Here, afore heaven, I ratify this my rich gift. O Ferdinand, Do not smile at me that I boast of her, For thou shalt find she will outstrip all praise And make it halt behind her” (4.1.3-12). As Prospero acknowledges all the tests that he has put Ferdinand through, he demonstrates that he now trusts him with his daughter. Shakespeare’s tactic of having Prospero use phrases such as “I ratify this my rich gift” indicates his level of authority, as if anything coming from him, comes from a powerful figure. When the audience witnesses this line, they acknowledge that Prospero accepts their engagement, so they, too, accept their engagement. Prospero’s commanding and strict qualities come out when he tells Ferdinand to “not smile at [him when he] boasts of her.” Even though he supports and accepts their relationship, he still demands respect from his future son-in-law. Shakespeare’s use of Prospero as a pawn in Ferdinand and Miranda’s relationship for the audience grants them admiration and acceptance of the fast-paced relationship.

One factor that Shakespeare designs well, is Ferdinand’s relationship with his father, as the prince of Naples. This factor steers the relationship, especially when Ferdinand offers “[his] hand” (3.1.91) “with a heart as willing As bondage e'er of freedom,” (3.1.90-91). Alonso’s role in Ferdinand’s family tree affects the significance of the relationship because allegedly, Alonso is dead when Ferdinand proposes to Miranda, so he is offering to make her Queen of Naples. Before Ferdinand proposes to Miranda, she “pray[s] [he], Work not so hard. [She] would [wish] the lightning had Burnt up those logs that [he] enjoined to pile!” (3.1.16-18). Even though she knows that he is the prince of Naples, she still cares for him and does not let that affect her feelings about him; her feelings do not relate to his status as prince or king, instead, she loves him for who he is. Having only lived with Prospero, she has never experienced romantic love or even other men. Shakespeare’s decision to make Ferdinand the son of Alonso also ensures that the audience admires their relationship because of the obstacles and temptations that they go through. 

The last character to impact Ferdinand and Miranda’s relationship is Caliban. With Caliban’s history with Miranda, her ideas around relationships, romantic or not, have been developed. Shakespeare creates Caliban’s actions of attempting to assault Miranda to demonstrate the growth that she goes through, being able to love Ferdinand without any altered ideas about what he might do to her. Shakespeare does this so that the audience recognizes how passionate and powerful Ferdinand and Miranda’s love is. Even with her past trauma with Caliban, Miranda still insists that “[She will weep] at [her] unworthiness, that dare not offer What [she] desires to give and much less take What [she] shall die to want… [She is his] wife, if [he] will marry [her]. If not, [she]’ll die [his] maid. To be [his] fellow [He] may deny [her], but [she]’ll be [his] servant Whether [he] will or not (3.1.77–86). Her desire to “die his maid” even if “he may deny her” creates a narrative for the audience: Miranda is so desperate for Ferdinand, that she would accept a rejection from him, rather than no opportunity at all. Shakespeare uses this clever tactic to show the growth that Miranda goes through after her past with Caliban. 

Although Ferdinand and Miranda’s relationship is only one element of the play, it impacts much of the story. Ferdinand’s relationship with his father as a king, Miranda’s relationship with Prospero as a former Duke, and Miranda and Prospero’s relationship with Caliban all affect how the play comes to an end. The admiration that the audience feels for the couple accounts for the lack of respect for Prospero after he treats everyone else as something with a smaller value, compared to him. Because Prospero has so much control over many characters, such as Ariel, Caliban, and Miranda, his decisions about their romance impact how the audience view his character. Shakespeare takes all of these elements into perspective to create the perfect ratio of Ferdinand and Miranda’s love story and how other characters in the play impact that relationship.