The Females and the Non-Humans in Julie Taymor’s The Tempest

In Julie Taymor’s film version of Shakespeare’s The Tempest (2010), Prospero is changed into a female, Prospera. As almost all the original lines and plots are retained, the film would appear to be a ‘straight’ film version of Shakespeare. However, changing the sex of the main character sheds a new light on the original play and proves the film to be an inspiring adaptation. By examining the relationship between the female characters (Prospera, Miranda) and the non-humans (Caliban, Ariel) in the film, this paper will show how deeply sexuality is related to the power struggle and the final reconciliation.