| Term | Definition |
| Prospero | Duke of Milan, exiled to an island |
| Miranda | Prospero's Daughter, falls in love w/ ferdinand |
| Antonio | Prospero's Brother, persuades Sebastian to kill Alonso |
| Alonso | King of Naples, aided Antonio in unseating Prospero |
| Sebastian | Alonso's Brother |
| Ferdinand | Alonso's son, falls in love w/ miranda |
| Gonzalo | Counsellor of Naples, honest; helped Prospero escape to the island |
| Ariel | An airy spirit attendant upon Prospero; gender ambiguous; used to be Sycorax's servant |
| Caliban | A Savage and deformed native on the island, Prospero's slave |
| Trinculo | Alonso's jester |
| Stefano | Alonso's drunken butler |
| Boatswain | only appears in first and last scenes of the play |
| Claribel | Daughter of Alonso, gets married |
| Sycorax | Caliban's mother |
| Setebos | Caliban |