The Tempest, based on the play of the same name by William Shakespeare, is written and directed by Julie Taymor. The play's main character was Prospero, and Taymor changed the character's gender to cast Helen Mirren as Prospera. In Shakespeare's play, Prospero was the Duke of Milan. In the adaptation, Prospera is the wife of the duke. She is "more overtly wronged" than Prospero; when the duke is killed, his brother Antonio (played by Chris Cooper) accuses her of killing him with witchcraft. Antonio makes the accusation to rid of Prospera and claim her royal title. Taymor said, "She had her whole life taken away from her because she was a woman." Prospera wants to prevent the same thing from happening to her daughter