Gonzalo ( ) is a fictional character in William Shakespeare'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 outlook, and is described as noble. For example, when Prospero 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 {{lit-char-stub