Introduction
Miranda is a fourteen (some say fifteen) years old girl who is the only female character in the play [We are not counting Goddess Juno as she was merely a spirit]. She is the most charming figure of Shakespeare. She is also a romantic figure of the play who immediately falls in love with King Alonso's Son, Ferdinand and who has not eyed any human-being other than her father and Caliban. She was rescued by her father when they were thrown out by Antonio. Overall, Miranda possesses a beautiful heart with positive sympathy. [Let's find out]
Her Sympathetic Nature
Miranda's meek heart cannot see anyone in trouble. When her father raises a storm in the oceans through his magical powers. She requests her father to end the storm as the plightful cries of the ship-wrecks made her miserable too. [means she feels the suffering of the people struck by the terrible storm]. She expresses her sorrows for the desperate, "Poor souls, they perished,". She, then, says that if she had been a powerful goddess, she would have sent the ocean to the bowels of the earth before it dared to crash the ship. Then her father narrates his hairbreadth escape from the tempest hatched by the Nature itself. After having heard the stormy account of her father, she says that she might have created trouble for her father. Prospero says that they were helped by an old Lord named Gonzalo who gave them eatables and other necessary items for the survival. Miranda is, again, moved by the help and she wishes that she would meet [and say thanks] Gonzalo.
These incidents show Miranda's sympathetic behaviour but it is only limited to the good people only. She hates Caliban for a sound reason as once, that "monster" tried to "fill the island with Calibans" by raping her. She protests her hatred against Caliban as follows,
Tis a villain, sir,
I do not love to look on.
Miranda's Deep Love for Ferdinand
Miranda is a romantic character in a worldly sense because of the love affair which ensnares both the prince and princess entirely. Having spent twelve years on a remote island, Miranda has not met any human other than her father. That is why she startled to see a princely figure standing in front of her and she mistakes Ferdinand, the royal son of the majestic king of Naples, Alonso, for a spirit,
What is it? A spirit?
Lord, how it looks about!
It carries a brave form. But 'tis a spirit.
She believes Ferdinand a spirit until she is corrected by her father who says that Ferdinand is a human being who eats and sleeps like them. Ferdinand's good looks make Miranda immediately fall in love with him at first sight [a well crammed romantic scene 😀]. When Mr. Prince tells him about his father who has drowned in the sea, she expresses her sympathy for him, praying: "Alas! May God have mercy upon your father!" When Prospero, on his purpose, scolds Ferdinand, she shows her anxiety as thus, "Why speaks my father so urgently?"
When Prospero becomes pre-occupied in his book reading, she secretly meets Ferdinand and requests him to share his labour which is assigned by her father. Ferdinand rejects her proposal and replies that he must complete his work in the given time. When Ferdinand praises her beauty in eloquent terms, she replies, owing to her modesty (apny shaysta/umda rawaye ki qassam khaty huy), that she loves no one other than him, he replies that he loves her, honours her and values her more than anything in this world. She is greatly moved by his sincere confession that happy tears begin to flow from her eyes. Manifestly, it is clearly evident that her love for Ferdinand is immeasurable.
The Most Charming Output from Shakespeare's Pen
The character of Miranda is the most charming creation ever sketched by the pencil of the noble playwright, Shakespeare. Although there are no clear references to her unparallel beauty in the play, yet she strikes her appearance as a modest, sympathetic, cheerful, simple and innocent girl. Ferdinand sees her perfect and peerless. Prospero admires her daughter by saying,
O Ferdinand,
Do not smile at me that I boast of her,
For thou shalt find she will outstrip all praise
And make it halt behind her.
Some Controversies among the Critics
In Act I Scene ii, when Miranda chides Caliban for calling names upon Prospero, these lines are often reattributed to Prospero by several critics. According to them, these lines might be associated with Miranda for a typing error because these lines collide with the cheering attitude of Miranda. Critics also assert that the language used by Miranda strongly resembles that of Prospero and throws her out of her innocent character which Shakespeare gifted us. But some critics go in favour of the lines, being spoken by Miranda as it is later confirmed by Caliban that it was Miranda who taught the beast what the moon and stars were [quite romantic for Caliban, haan?]. They also argue that the language of these lines is weaker than Prospero's if he had spoken at that moment.
Conclusion
Resultantly, Miranda is a cheerful personality with her innocent sympathy for those who are caught entrapped in the tyranny of Nature and Prospero. Her romantic character makes us forget about any terrible happening of the past and present.
Sources, References and Suggested Readings
- Critical Study of The Tempest by Rajinder Paul - Published by Rama Brothers - 2007 Edition - Pages 110 (Character of Miranda)
- https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/literature/tempest/miranda
- https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Tempest/character-analysis/
- https://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/tempest/character/miranda/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miranda_(The_Tempest)?oldformat=true
- The Tempest - No fear Shakespeare Translation
