mix and matchmaking: character cards •€os†r‚ the met: live in hd the enchanted island...

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THE ENCHANTED ISLAND

Pros�roSHAKESPEARE PLAY: e Tempest

CHARACTER DESCRIPTION: Prospero is a wise man, well acquainted with magic

and science. He was once the Duke of Milan but was exiled many years ago in

a political conspiracy. He has lived on a desert island for years with his teenage

daughter Miranda and his two servants—a sprite named Ariel and a monster

named Caliban. He would like to get off the island. He would also like to arrange a

romantic match for his daughter.

PERSONALITY: Imperious and domineering. He wants things to go his way.

Main actions and events:

• Performs a magic spell to create a storm at sea. As a result, a ship carrying the King of

Naples, his son, Prince Ferdinand, and others sinks. The voyagers wash up on the island.

• Performs a spell to put Miranda to sleep so he can arrange for her to fall in love with

Ferdinand

• Gathers information from Ariel, who flies around the island and reports back to him

• Orders Ariel to perform various magical spells on the shipwrecked voyagers

• Enslaves Ferdinand to increase his desire for Miranda

• Pretends to dislike Ferdinand

• Frees Ferdinand and enables him and Miranda to marry

• Reveals himself to the shipwrecked voyagers, forgives them for banishing him to the

island, and decides to sail back to Italy with them, Ferdinand, and Miranda

• Gives Ariel his freedom

CLASSROOM ACTIVITY

Mix and Matchmaking: Character Cards

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SycoraxSHAKESPEARE PLAY: e Tempest

CHARACTER DESCRIPTION: Sycorax is a sorceress and the mother of a monster

named Caliban. She never appears in the play, but other characters talk about her.

PERSONALITY: Unknown; according to Prospero, she’s evil.


• Ruled over the island before Prospero and Miranda arrived

• Trapped Ariel in a tree when he refused to do her bidding

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CalibanSHAKESPEARE PLAY: e Tempest

CHARACTER DESCRIPTION: Caliban is a monster, the son of the sorceress

Sycorax. He is also the slave of Prospero, ruler of the island. He dreams of

overthrowing Prospero, marrying Miranda, and taking control. As the play begins,

Prospero and Miranda are the only humans he has ever seen.

PERSONALITY: Big, noisy, and self-pitying. Cannot hold his liquor.


• Tried to force himself on Miranda (before the action of the play begins)

• Does manual labor for Prospero

• When one of the shipwrecked voyagers offers him a drink of liquor, decides this man is

a god

• Tries to convince one of the shipwrecked voyagers to kill Prospero

• Tries to kill Prospero during the celebration of Miranda and Ferdinand’s wedding

• Promises to repent when Prospero leaves the island

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ArielSHAKESPEARE PLAY: e Tempest

CHARACTER DESCRIPTION: Ariel is a sprite who lives on Prospero’s island. He is

Prospero’s eyes and ears, gathering information about goings-on on the island to

help Prospero rule. Years ago, Ariel was imprisoned in a tree by Sycorax. Prospero

freed him from the tree on condition that Ariel would serve him. But Prospero has

promised to set Ariel free one day, which gives the sprite hope.

PERSONALITY: Responsible and resourceful, Ariel frequently takes initiative to

help and protect his master, Prospero. While he doesn’t want to offend Prospero,

he deeply longs for freedom.


• Arranges the storm at sea and the shipwreck

• Pleads for freedom

• Is invisible to anyone but Prospero

• Plays tricks on the shipwrecked voyagers, at Prospero’s behest

• Arranges for Ferdinand and Miranda to meet

• Puts people to sleep and wakes them up

• Goes free when Prospero leaves the island

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MirandaSHAKESPEARE PLAY: e Tempest

CHARACTER DESCRIPTION: Miranda is a teenage girl. In Shakespeare’s day,

she would have been of age to marry, so her father Prospero wants to make the

best match possible and for her to become Prince Ferdinand’s wife. Prospero is

the only man Miranda has ever seen. When she first casts eyes on Ferdinand, she

famously exclaims, “How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world, that has such

people in it!”

PERSONALITY: Sweet and naïve


• Talks with her father

• Falls in love with Ferdinand

• Becomes engaged to Ferdinand

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Fer/nandSHAKESPEARE PLAY: e Tempest

CHARACTER DESCRIPTION: Ferdinand is a strong, handsome young man, heir to

the throne of Naples. He is on the ship that gets caught in the storm whipped up

by Prospero and Ariel and becomes stranded on the island.

PERSONALITY: Noble, dignified, cooperative, and modest


• Wakes up alone on shore

• Wanders around the island, unknowingly led by the invisible Ariel

• Sees Miranda and falls in love

• Works for Prospero, carrying logs

• Becomes engaged to Miranda

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DemetriusSHAKESPEARE PLAY: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

CHARACTER DESCRIPTION: Demetrius is a handsome young man. At the begin-

ning of the play, Hermia’s father wants him to marry Hermia, but she refuses:

she loves another young man, Lysander. On a trip to the forest, Hermia accuses

Demetrius of killing Lysander, who has disappeared. Ve fairy Puck (who does not

appear in e Enchanted Island) puts a magic liquid in his eyes, causing him to fall

in love with Helena, who has been pursuing Demetrius without success. Demetrius

and Helena marry at the end of the play.

PERSONALITY: Brash and determined to get his way—although Puck’s magic

changes the object of his desire!


• Expects to marry Hermia

• Follows Hermia and Lysander into the forest, intending to seize her

• Rejects the love offered to him by Helena

• Falls in love with Helena due to Puck’s magic

• Learning that Lysander has fallen in love with Helena as well, challenges Lysander to a

duel

• Is led astray by Puck until he falls asleep

• Wakes to find Lysander in love with Hermia again

• Marries Helena

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HelenaSHAKESPEARE PLAY: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

CHARACTER DESCRIPTION: Helena is a tall fair-haired young woman, oZen

compared to her shorter dark-haired friend, Hermia. Helena feels that men are not

attracted to her but prefer Hermia.

As the play begins, Helena is in love with Demetrius, but he is engaged to

marry Hermia. When Hermia runs off to the forest to meet the man she loves,

Lysander, Helena tells Demetrius. Once all four are in the forest, the fairy Puck

(who does not appear in e Enchanted Island) gets confused and makes both

Demetrius and Lysander fall in love with Helena.

Helena thinks the men are making fun of her, and that Hermia is party to

the joke. Puck puts all four to sleep and corrects his error. When they awake,

Demetrius falls in love with Helena at last and they marry.

PERSONALITY: Insecure, somewhat suspicious due to her low self-esteem, envious

of Hermia


• Tells Demetrius that Helena and Lysander are going to meet in the forest

• Follows Demetrius into the forest

• Cannot believe that Lysander (under Puck’s spell) is in love with her

• Cannot believe that Demetrius (under Puck’s spell) is also in love with her

• Quarrels and trades insults with her friend Hermia

• Marries Demetrius

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LysanderSHAKESPEARE PLAY: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

CHARACTER DESCRIPTION: Lysander is a handsome young man. As the play

opens, he is in love with Hermia, but her father wants her to marry Demetrius

instead. Lysander and Hermia arrange a secret meeting in the woods, where they

are soon joined by Demetrius and Helena. Ve fairy Puck (who does not appear

in e Enchanted Island) tries to put magic drops in Demetrius’s eyes to make

him fall in love with Helena, so Lysander can be with Hermia. But Puck chooses

the wrong man: he puts the drops in Lysander’s eyes, and Lysander falls in love

with Helena, spurning Hermia. AZer some confusion, Puck corrects his error.

Lysander marries Hermia.

PERSONALITY: Decent and passionate


• Runs off to the forest with Hermia

• Falls in love with Helena, due to Puck’s magic

• Learning that Demetrius has fallen in love with Helena as well, challenges Demetrius

to a duel

• Is led astray by Puck until he falls asleep

• Wakes up in love with Hermia again, also through Puck’s magic

• Marries Hermia

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HermiaSHAKESPEARE PLAY: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

CHARACTER DESCRIPTION: Hermia is a short, dark-haired young woman, whose

best friend is the tall fair-haired Helena. As the play begins, Hermia is in love with

Lysander, but her father wants her to marry Demetrius. She tells Helena that she

and Lysander have set a secret rendezvous. Helena tells Demetrius, and all four

end up in the forest.

In the forest, the fairy Puck (who does not appear in e Enchanted Island) gets

involved with the four humans, upon orders of his master, the fairy king Oberon

(who does not appear in e Enchanted Island either). Puck casts spells on both

Demetrius and Lysander, causing them both to fall in love with Helena. Hermia is

flabbergasted. Ve two friends argue, throwing barbs about each other’s height.

Puck puts all four to sleep and casts a spell causing Lysander to fall back in love

with Hermia. When they wake up, Lysander and Hermia return home and marry.

PERSONALITY: Feisty and quick-witted


• Loves Lysander

• Goes to the woods to meet Lysander

• Trades insults with Helena when Lysander and Demetrius, under Puck’s spell, fall in love

with her friend, Hermia

• Marries Lysander

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NeptuneSHAKESPEARE PLAY: does not appear in a Shakespeare play

CHARACTER DESCRIPTION: Ve Roman god of the sea

PERSONALITY: All-powerful, as far as the oceans are concerned

CLASSROOM ACTIVITY


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Mix and Matchmaking: Plot Point Card

Subject

Prospero

Sycorax

Caliban

Ariel

Miranda

Ferdinand

Demetrius

Helena

Lysander

Hermia

Neptune

Object

Prospero

Sycorax

Caliban

Ariel

Miranda

Ferdinand

Demetrius

Helena

Lysander

Hermia

Neptune

Action

(feel free to add other actions)

is led astray by

marries

apologizes to

tries to kill

works for

forgets his/her true love,

falls in love with

casts a magic spell on

is sent on a mission

rules over

gets angry at

refuses to marry

quarrels with

insults

Act

Scene

Plot Point #

mix and matchmaking: character cards •€os†r‚ the met: live in hd the enchanted island...

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