Port City International University

Department of English

Love Affair between Miranda and Ferdinand in the play The Tampest by William
Shakespeare

Submitted To: Submitted By:

MD.RASHED KHAN MILON MOHAMMAD JAFAR IQBAL
Senior Lecturer ID: ENF 020 05003
Department of English Department of English
Port City International University Port City International University
Chattogram, Bangladesh
Chattogram, Bangladesh
 
“We are such stuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.”

-William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
 William Shakespeare (1564-1616). English poet
and playwright –  Shakespeare is widely
considered to be the greatest writer in the English
language. He wrote 38 plays and 154 sonnets.
Introduction

 William Shakespeare's last play, The Tempest, was first

performed in 1611, although it was the opening play of
his collected works of 1623. The play has long dazzled
readers and audiences with its intricate blend of magic,
music, humor, intrigue and tenderness.
Character of The Tampest

Miranda
 Prospero's only daughter, and so young that she cannot remember anyone she knew before she
came to the island.
 She is intelligent and headstrong, having learned a lot from her father; but, when under Ariel's
enchantment, she follows her father's plan, and falls in love with Ferdinand willingly.
 She and Ferdinand end up together, bound by their mutual infatuation.
Character of The Tempest

Ferdinand
 Alonso's son, and heir to the kingdom of Naples
 Prospero's plot to have Miranda and Ferdinand married is his key to reclaiming his power in
Italy.
 For the brief span of the play, Ferdinand is completely lovelorn and presumed dead by his father
because they are separated during the shipwreck; out of his infatuation with Miranda, he agrees to
become Prospero's servant for a span.
 Prospero finally declares him worthy, and the engagement is at last approved by both Prospero
and Alonso.
Theme of Love

“I am your wife if you will marry me.

If not, I'll die your maid. To be your fellow
You may deny me, but I'll be your servant Whether you will
or no.”

― William Shakespeare, The Tempest

Why do Ferdinand and Miranda fall in love so fast and hard?

 In a real sense, their love begins in

magic. It was Prospero’s magic that
caused the wreck that precipitated
Ferdinand’s arrival. When Ferdinand
meets Miranda, he is following the
“sweet air” of Ariel’s song.
 Is love magic really a thing?

 The association of magic with love has a long and storied

history. Love spells can be found in the literature of ancient
Egypt and Mesopotamia.
 In ancient Greece the gods could make you fall in love with
whomever they choose; it often proved to be an unlikely
person.
 Woman tended to use philia spells to keep their husbands
faithful.
 Men preferred eros spells to inspire desire to opposite one.
Conclusion

 The relationship between Miranda and Ferdinand in The Tempest is important because it provides a
still point at the center of an (appropriately) tempestuous world.

 The main purpose of Miranda's relationship with Ferdinand is to allow her to discover herself as a
human being, who and what she really is. Prior to Ferdinand's arrival she has never seen a single
human being other than Prospero and the somewhat less-than-human Caliban.