The Use of Costume in The Tempest

I believe that the costume designers of the 2010 film adaptation of “The Tempest” did an amazing job. Each character’s costume reflects his or her personality. Miranda is dressed in white, reflecting the virginal and innocent quality of the character. Trinculo and Stephano both wear bright and jovial colors, mirroring the humor they bring to the movie. Prospera wears blue, a color just as complex as her character. While the color blue subconsciously is associated with trust, it also can be seen as very cold. Prospera is a character of contradictions. The audience feels sympathetic for her because of the hardship she has faced and her clear love for her daughter, but one cannot overlook her treatment of Ariel and Caliban. Perhaps the most telling of the costumes (or the lack there of) are those that belong to Caliban and Ariel. Both characters are practically naked reflecting their status and treatment in the play. They are slaves to Prospera and are treated as animals (especially Caliban). Plays and movies allow audiences to both hear and see a story. Costumes are incredibly effective in portraying status of the character, the time period of the work, and even the personality of the character.