8.1.6

Alonso

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Alonso Character Summary

Alonso is King of Naples and head of the royal party that finds themselves on a ship in a treacherous tempest in Act 1, Scene 1.

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Betrayal

  • In Act 1, we find out about Alonso’s role in Prospero’s downfall.
  • On an annual visit to Antonio, Alonso agreed to support a plan to draw up an army to march on Prospero and drive him out, allowing Antonio the room to move in as Duke of Milan.
  • We also hear from Sebastian and Antonio that they were on the ship, returning from the wedding of Claribel, Alonso’s daughter, and an African Prince.
  • It is suggested that this union was purely for political gain on Alonso’s behalf, quite similar to what Prospero does with his daughter Miranda.
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Loss of his son

  • In Act 2, Alonso insists on 'mak[ing] further search / For my poor son' despite his obvious exhaustion from the trauma of the shipwreck.
  • At the start of Act 2, he shows his grief: 'O thou mine heir / Of Naples and of Milan, what strange fish / Hath made his meal on thee?'
  • You could argue that Alonso is distraught purely because his 'heir' is apparently dead. But the fact that his thoughts seem suicidal - 'the best is past' and 'I wish / Myself were mudded in that oozy bed / Where my son lies' - imply that his distress is genuine as a father, not merely as a King.
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Redemption

  • When faced with Ariel as a harpy and reminded of his crimes against Prospero, Alonso is evidently distraught, calling 'O it is monstrous, monstrous!'
  • In Act 5, Alonso seems to be genuinely sorry for the wrong he did Prospero. His repentance results in him being forgiven. Prospero charges him: 'Most cruelly / Didst thou, Alonso, use me and my daughter.'
  • At this, Alonso asks for mercy, 'thou pardon me my wrongs' and reinstates Prospero as Duke of Milan.

Key Quotations - Alonso

Here are three key quotations that highlight aspects of Alonso's character:

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'The name of Prosper'

  • 'The name of Prosper. It did bass my trespass. / Therefore my son i' th' ooze is bedded, and / I'll seek him deeper than e'er plummet sounded, / And with him there lie mudded.'
    • Alonso admits what he has done wrong - something that Sebastian and Antonio seem incapable of. Both Prospero and Alonso are much more self-aware.
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'Thy dukedom I resign'

  • 'Thy dukedom I resign and do entreat / Thou pardon me my wrongs. But how should / Prospero / Be living and be here?'
    • Alonso is willing to seek forgiveness and admit his wrongdoings. He also seems a little clueless as he cannot understand how Prospero was exiled.
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'A vision of the Island'

  • 'If this prove / A vision of the Island, one dear son / Shall I twice lose.'
    • It seems too good to be true that Ferdinand is not dead. Alonso is cautious that this all might be a trick of the island. It also shows how deeply he felt the loss of his son that he cannot bear to go through it again.

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