The Tempest- Expository Essay

By: Lily Boehm

POW! Girl power in the Shakespeares The Tempest has just risen with the recasting of

Prospero to Prospera in the movie The Tempest. The director made a good decision in casting a

female in Prosperos role.

The new casting of Prospera shows a trend in movies. Female director Julie Taymor

decided that women needed to be more influenced by a lead female role. 39% of lead roles in

films from female writers and directors were women, whereas women were 4% of the lead

characters in films from male filmmakers. With more films starting to make more female leads,

women and girls are getting more influenced to be a lead role or a leader in a situation, whether

it's a movie or real life situation.

Prospera has a stronger motherly connection with Miranda, stronger than if Miranda had

been raised by only a father. Miranda and Prospera had a closer bond than if it were Prospero

and Miranda. For example, in the scene where Miranda and Ferdinand are getting married, she

is more sincere and more understanding of why they want to be together. Women tend to have a

stronger connection with other women, so with the new role of Prospera, their connection is

much stronger than if it was Prospero.

Another difference between the movie and the play is with Prosperos backstory. In the

play, Prosperos throne was taken over by Antonio, even though Prospero fully deserved and

owner it. In the movie however, Prospera says she still only wants to do her studies, so she
allowed Antonio to do some of her duties. Antonio then pushed her out of the throne and took

over. The change to Prospera was an important and different piece in the movie.

Julie Taymor made a great decision in casting a female in Prosperos role in her film

version of The Tempest. In the future, I hope that more women get cast as the lead role in more

movies and plays. This will result in women hopefully getting more confident in themselves.