Miranda

A beautiful daughter of Prospero, princess Miranda had grown up on their island, never seeing another human face except for her father’s. She deals only with him and Caliban, while Ariel and other sprites stay invisible for her. Prospero treats her well: for twelve years he’d been upbringing and educating her appropriately, so now Miranda knows much more than most princesses do. Being innocent and naïve, she is clever enough to threat Ferdinand with certain caution, clearly understanding that his seeming beauty and goodness may attract her only because of her lack of human nature knowledge. Luckily, Ferdinand proves to be as good as he looks like, so Miranda inevitably falls in love with him, in complete accordance with Prospero’s plan. At this, she demonstrates a complete obedience to her father’s will but also treats Ferdinand with tenderness and kindness, thus proving her ability to become a loving and respectful wife, ready to share both physical labor and the future burden of power. While Prospero warns Ferdinand not to touch his daughter before the wedding, this fourteen-year-old virgin affords herself a luxury to mention her desires aimed at Ferdinand; their chastity is wonderfully underlined when the couple are playing chess being hidden from everyone by a curtain. A prominent feature of Miranda is her especially keen sense of beauty and goodness in others; while seeing so many new faces of island guests, she exclaims that they all are good and the mankind is beauteous. Moreover, in spite of her being naïve, she has compassion enough to beg her father about saving people on the ship and courage enough to declare her love to Ferdinand. All in all, Miranda is a young girl who looks at the world with wide open childish eyes, awaiting new wonders, and one should thank Shakespeare for treating this lovely character kindly.