The Prospero's Gender Change in The Screen Adaptation and Its Influence on The Storyline

Mother vs. Father

While the changed gender of Prospero (renamed Prospera) in the movie adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest does not majorly affect the plot, it has an effect on the relationships between characters. Julie Taymor’s version, Prospera, seems more compassionate while in Shakespeare’s version Prospero seems gruffer. Even though both Prospero and Prospera are able to forgive their wrongdoers in the end, Prospera seems to care more for the other characters. Now that Prospera is Miranda’s mother instead of her father, there is more of a bond between the two women than between father and daughter. They seem to be more comfortable around each other—hugging and touching each other while in the play there almost no physical contact. When Prospera gives Miranda to Ferdinand, they hold hands, not letting go until Miranda is too far away to reach her mother. Prospera’s motherly disposition can also be seen with her interaction between the other figures on the island.

Prospero in the book is a commanding figure who treats Ariel and Caliban like servants than as his children. The movie scenes between Ariel and Caliban make Prospera seem more like a stern mother than a master. In the first scene between Prospera and Ariel, Ariel demands his liberty and Prospera scolds him for forgetting that she had saved him. Ariel hangs his head and mumbles scornfully, “No, ma’am,” like a rebellious son. In the play, Ariel seemed like a subservient creature and responded respectfully to any of Prospero’s scolding. Prospera and Ariel also have a much more intimate relationship than in Shakespeare’s version of Prospero and Ariel. Like with Miranda, Ariel and Prospera have more physical contact. Another mother-son relationship shown in the movie is Prospera and Caliban. The audience sees Prospera unable to face Caliban when he recounts his story: “…thou strok’st me and made much of me…and I loved thee and showed thee all the qualities o’ th’ isle…” This gives the impression that she does feel guilty about enslaving Caliban when she obviously used to care for Caliban much more. At the end of the movie, when Prospera forgives everyone including Caliban, they share a scene where Prospera looks sadly after Caliban as he leaves, who pauses at the doorway as though expecting some sort of comment from Prospera like a son wanting approval.

Although the movie provides visual of what Shakespeare’s play may have looked like, Prospero’s female-version provides a different insight on the character than in the book. Through her interactions and expressions on the screen, one will find that Prospera is a much more compassionate individual than Prospero.