Gender Roles In The Tempest

Prospero the protagonist in Shakespeare's The Tempest, struggles to position herself as a paternal/maternal figure and protector of Miranda. Upon arrival of Ferdinand to Prospero's safe –place the island, Miranda falls head over heals for Ferdinand, and him likewise, exploring their attraction on an intellectual level, forcing Prospero to trust her daughter's expression of self, beyond the control of her supernatural powers. The Julie Taymor screen adaptation of the playwright portrays Ferdinand as feeble, not a major threat to Prospero or Miranda, as well as a maternal Prospero who takes on the identity of a female, demonstrates gender identity to plan a minute role. Familial relations are explored through the sporadic nature love Miranda and Ferdinand share, lending themselves as the vehicle to changing familial relations of Prospero. The father of Miranda, Prospero is also the ruler of the island, with Caliban under her control, a native islander who raped Miranda. On the island for twelve years, Miranda has only been influenced by Prospero's teachings and ideas, until Ferdinand arrives on the island and challenges Miranda to think and act for

Prospera observes her daughter's development and her familial responsibility transform from leader to a supporter. The female Prospera would encompass a quality of understanding a protective quality unseen to a father. The maternal nature of Prospera is sensitive to male dominance and provides for the reader an awareness of violence subjected towards females. Julie Taymor's adaptation of Shakespeare's script lends itself to a maternal reading of Prospero's character, navigating her position in the familial relationship between her daughter and self, demonstrating the importance in understanding human expression as a support and indulgence for another