Ariel (Shakespeare)

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Ariel is a fictional sprite who appears in William Shakespeare's play The Tempest. She is bound to serve the magician Prospero, who rescued him from Sycorax, the witch who previously inhabited the island; this may be a bond of honor, as Prospero greets disobedience with a reminder of that Ariel owes Prospero her freedom. Ariel, much like Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream, is given many of the play's most lyrical passages, which are sung by Ariel to befuddle and enchant the other characters. Ariel's abilities certainly include illusions.

The name, which is a variation of the word "air" from which the spirit comes, is reused in later literature for other sprites, most notably in Alexander Pope's mock epic The Rape of the Lock.

Ariel's gender is not made clear in the play's dramatis personae. She is listed with the women under Miranda and above the other spirit characters. Because Caliban, a male inhuman character in the play, is listed with the men, this may indicate that Ariel and the other spirits are meant to be female, or it may simply indicate that they are neither. In most versions Ariel is referred to as "she", by herself and others, though during Shakespeare's time this would have made no difference as all characters were played by male actors. In performances today Ariel may be played by either sex.