A LEVEL: Eng.Literature, Ferdinand's Profile for 'The Tempest'

Ferdinand

Basic overview of his character

Ferdinand is the song of King Alonso who usurped Prospero. Ferdinand is the first to jump the ship in Act 1, Scene 1 and also the first to come into contact with both Prospero and Miranda. Believing that his father, Alonso has died in the tempest, he attempts to challenge Prospero’s power. However he fails to gain the upper ground and instead appears to fall in love at first sight with Miranda but is given a series of laborious tests by Prospero (carrying the logs). Notice the last scene, Miranda and Ferdinand are playing a game of chess which is also a game about power and control. The final move is to capture the King, perhaps a symbol of usurpation or that Prospero had played his last move and gives up his power as a magic user. This could be part of Roland Barthes critical theory, he stated that narratives were laced with codes, in this case it would be a semantic code (additional meanings from the connotations of words). As with Miranda there is no evidence stating that Ferdinand has taken part in the corrupted task of usurpation and such like, and so he can also be looked upon as a symbol of hope for the new generation. 

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Themes

Challenge to authority & Power struggles: 

• When Ferdinand attempts to stand up to Prospero.
• Challenges Prospero’s power over Miranda.
• Plays a game of chess with Miranda. 
• Loses in power with Prospero and is forced to carry the logs.
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A device for change:

• First to jump ship. 
• Is the first cause that makes Miranda disobey Prospero
• The first to be found on the island and to find Prospero and Miranda. 
• The odious task of carrying the logs is not a job fit for a future King, but by doing so, perhaps the logs represent the sins that his father, Alonso committed against Prospero. This may explain why Alonso is more willing to admit his wrongdoing in the final scene.

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Relationships:

Alonso: King Alonso, is the father of Ferdinand, which makes Ferdinand the Prince of Naples. Alonso is an interesting character, he easily usurps Prospero from his seat of power as the Duke of Milan, but he seems to portray real parental love for his son, Ferdinand calling it ‘So is the dearest of the loss’, similarly, in Act 2, Scene 1,  Alonso remains silent most of the scene perhaps due to grief.  

Prospero: The audience presumes that Prospero becomes Ferdinand’s father in law. After the tempest has died down, it is implied that Prospero may have separate Ferdinand from the rest of the stranded group on purpose this suggests that t Prospero may have been playing matchmaker to Miranda and Ferdinand. 

Miranda: Ferdinand’s betrothed and lover. He falls in love with Miranda at apparently at first sight, but the reader questions the credibility of their love, as the one of the first things that he says to her is: ‘If you be mad, or no?’. He is immediately concerned as to whether Miranda still has her virginity. However, the union between the two lovers does work as a symbol of hope. With reference to contextual background, Religion was a big part of life and Shakespeare would have played on this aspect of forgiveness and love (‘Love thy neighbour’). It appears that the deeper the two fall in ‘love’, similarly it is interesting how Ferdinand is so willing to fall into servitude for Miranda (‘mistress which I serve’). It once again reinforces how Miranda is not the typical weak female lead, and instead Ferdinand bows his head indicating how Miranda is the one in control of the progress of the relationship. 

Ariel: Is the first island inhabitant that Ferdinand first makes contact with although the contact is indirect. Although Prospero is implied to be the character that brings the two together, this is only done by Ariel’s work.  

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Quotes:

• ‘the first man that leaped; cried ‘Hell is empty, / And all the devils are here.’’ (Act 1, Scene 2, Ariel)
• ‘the waters,/ Allaying both their fury and my passion’ (Act 1, Scene 2, Ferdinand)
• ‘My spirits, as in a dream, are all bound up.’ (‘Act 1, Scene 2, Ferdinand to Prospero)
• ‘Which I do last pronounce is - o you Wonder -‘ (Act 1, Scene 2, Ferdinand to Miranda)
• ‘No, as I am a man.’ (Act 1, Scene 2, Ferdinand to Prospero)
• ‘My mistress, dearest, / And I thus humble ever’ (Act 3, Scene 2, Ferdinand to Miranda)
• ‘Makes this place paradise.’ (Act 4, Scene 1, Ferdinand to Prospero) 
• ‘Thought the seas threaten, they are merciful’ (Act 5, Scene 1, Ferdinand to Alonso)
• ‘Received a second life; and second father’ (Act 5, Scene 1, Ferdinand d to Alonso and Prospero)

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Critics:

- Miss O’Brien (Shakespeare's Young Men, in the Westminster Review): ‘she puts Ferdinand and Florizel (of The Winter's Tale) together: "They are as much alike in nature as their charming companions, Miranda and Perdita […] fresh and natural for the products of court training; both fall in love swiftly and completely; both have that tender grace, that purity of affection, shown in many others, but never more perfectly than in them. Theirs is not the wild passion of Romeo and Juliet; there is nothing high-wrought and feverish about their love-making; it is the simple outcome of pure and healthy feeling; and it is difficult to say which gives us the prettier picture — Ferdinand holding Miranda's little hands on the lonely shore, or Florizel receiving Perdita's flowers among the bustle of the harvesting.

- Ed. William J. Rolfe (Shakespeare’s Comedy of The Tempest. New York: American Book Company, 1904): ‘He cannot make Ferdinand and Miranda love each other. He can bid Ariel bring them together’