Miranda is the only major female character in Shakespeare's The Tempest; although Caliban's mother, the witch, is mentioned, she doesn't contribute significantly to the plot.
Miranda grows up on a deserted island with no one but her father and their slave, Caliban. Even though they live far away from any civilization, Miranda and her father both behave as if they are living in Elizabethan society; Miranda is still expected to be subservient to her father, and "womanly values" are still expected to be followed. Her virginity is an important factor that is emphasized throughout the play; in fact, the reason that Caliban is despised so much by Prospero is that he tried to rape his daughter.
When considering the situation of few people being stranded on an island, I would normally expect a Lord of the Flies-like situation. Realistically, I would expect Prospero and Miranda to break from their cultural values, which would include allowing Miranda and Caliban to populate the island. However, such improper behavior was too great a sin for Elizabethan women, and no such thing would have been discussed in a play by William Shakespeare.
In many situations, Miranda is the ideal daughter. However, when Prospero has an opinion that she disagrees with, she will say it flat out, or disobey him altogether. At the beginning of the play, Miranda sees her father casting spells to bring the king and his men to the island; she doesn't want them to be hurt, and strongly voices this to Prospero. In addition, when Prospero pretends to despise Ferdinand, Miranda ignores what he says and continues to spend time with him. When Miranda expresses her strong will, the play becomes more realistic; I wouldn't expect a woman who grew up on an island with only two other people to share values with large societal groups.
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