Gonzalo ( ) is a fictional character in
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's ''
The Tempest''.
An honest and trusted adviser to King Alonso of
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
, he has a good heart and an
optimistic
Optimism is an attitude reflecting a belief or hope that the outcome of some specific endeavor, or outcomes in general, will be positive, favorable, and desirable. A common idiom used to illustrate optimism versus pessimism is a glass filled ...
outlook, and is described as noble. For example, when
Prospero
Prospero ( ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of William Shakespeare's play '' The Tempest''.
Prospero is the rightful Duke of Milan, whose usurping brother, Antonio, had put him (with his three-year-old daughter, Miranda) to se ...
and his daughter,
Miranda, were set adrift at sea, Gonzalo took pity on them, supplying them not only with the food and water necessary to survive but also with those things that make life easier. In addition, Gonzalo is the only character able to see
Caliban
Caliban ( ), son of the witch Sycorax, is an important character in William Shakespeare's play '' The Tempest''.
His character is one of the few Shakespearean figures to take on a life of its own "outside" Shakespeare's own work: as Russell H ...
as more than a
demonic beast. Gonzalo first arrives on Prospero's island with Alonso, Ferdinand, Sebastian, Antonio, Stephano, and Trinculo during a storm while returning from the wedding of Alonso’s daughter. During their time on the island, Gonzalo repeatedly attempts to lighten the mood by discussing the beauty of the island. An old, honest lord, he speaks cheerfully of the miracle of the reconciliation of the lords.
[The Tempest, Act V, scene 1] Many see Gonzalo as the
mouthpiece of the play, who mirrors Shakespeare's
relativist
Relativism is a family of philosophical views which deny claims to objectivity within a particular domain and assert that valuations in that domain are relative to the perspective of an observer or the context in which they are assessed. Ther ...
beliefs. The role has been played by many actors.
Gonzalo, Prospero, and Miranda
Gonzalo was a nobleman from Naples. He had been chosen to carry out the plan to carry Prospero and Miranda to the sea and kill them there. However, instead of killing them, he gave them clothes, linen, and other necessities. Knowing how much Prospero cherished his books, he arranged for books from Prospero's library to be saved and available on the island.
Characters' Quotes about Gonzalo
PROSPERO:
onzalohad given us out of the kindness of his heart.
MIRANDA: I wish I could see that man
onzalosomeday!.
References
Literary characters introduced in 1611
Male Shakespearean characters
Characters in The Tempest
Fictional Italian people in literature
Fictional nobility
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