Daugther, Mother, Child...

Claribel was sent to be married to the King of Tunsia by her father's orders. It was seen as a way to expand their family's reach to Africa. This would be good for their family. Even though the Africans were seen as a people of "wild" background, completely unrefined comparitvely to how Claribel lived in Europe. Daughter of a King she would of course be well read and educated to a level above her subjects in Africa. Because Claribel weds the King of Tunis, her father will now be able to benefit from the union as well.

Sycorax, is a an unfortunate soul that arrives at the island because she is exiled from Algeria. Her eviction from her home is likely one of shame due to the pregnancy. This is very typical of a woman that not virtuous and allows herself to fall to the passions of a man whom she is not betrothed to or promised to wed.  This makes me think that Sycorax came from a home where the values weren't instilled in her to wait for the proper man. Rather than her family embrace her they are shamed and send her away to what could well have been her death.

 
When Miranda sees Ferdinand she is in love with him nearly immediately. Her father begs of her to please understand that the world is not merely made up of monstrous beings like Caliban and the attractive Ferdinand. Prospero watches over his daughter Miranda when she is in contact with Ferdinand most likely because he wants her wed to someone with promise. Ferdinand is the furture King of Naples and therefore a perfect mate for his only child. However he cannot help but ensure his daughter's virtues remain in tact, by saying:

"Then, as my gift and thine own acquisition

Worthily purchased take my daughter: but

If thou dost break her virgin-knot before

All sanctimonious ceremonies may

With full and holy rite be minister'd,

No sweet aspersion shall the heavens let fall

To make this contract grow: but barren hate,

Sour-eyed disdain and discord shall bestrew

The union of your bed with weeds so loathly

That you shall hate it both: therefore take heed,

As Hymen's lamps shall light you." (4.i.14-24)

Miranda the meek...

Miranda is a weak player in the Tempest. She follows along with her father and does as she is expected. When her father mercilessly calls Caliban a slave upon other terrible names, she does the same. The island Caliban grew to believe was his was taken out from under him by a bully, Prospero. Miranda stands by her father and doesn't try to implore him to treat Caliban better even though he took great efforts to teach them how to survive on the island.

Miranda is nothing like Juliet or Beatrice in terms of having a voice of her own and being outspoken. Even Lady Macbeth displayed strength in her character although there seems to be quite an age difference between the two. The feel of Miranda is one of a young girl without a true voice in the world. Not until Caliban upsets her in cursing her when she has taken such efforts to teach him to speak.  There seems to be more of a paralell between Miranda and Katharine, from Taming of the Shrew, Miranda behaves as her father commands her in much the same way Petruchio commanded Kate to adhere to his orders.

In the photo found depicting Miranda with her father Prospero she is behind him almost turned away from him. It almost appears as she is fearful of him too. Caliban is seen cowering from wrath of Prospero even thought he appears very strong in body - he is obviously weak in mind. Caliban has been beaten down by Prospero to believe he is not worth the same as them. The feel from the play is also that Miranda is suppressed by Prospero different sort of slave to her father. She does as he commands, perhaps without a choice because he performs spells to put her to sleep and to rouse her.

Lady Macduff, innocence lost

Lady Macduff is the personification of a mother in Elizabethan times. She guarded her son fiercely while the guards came to kill them. Lady Macduff is a true parent protecting her son and loving him. This is far unlike Lady Macbeth's speech about dashing out the brains of her babe. Lady Macduff speaks kindly to her child she is protective and loving. This was not like anyone else. The Witches, Hecate or Lady Macbeth were vile, nasty without conscience. Lady Macduff was angry with her husband for abandoning their family. 

LADY MACDUFF	Wisdom! to leave his wife, to leave his babes,
	His mansion and his titles in a place
	From whence himself does fly? He loves us not;
	He wants the natural touch: for the poor wren,
	The most diminutive of birds, will fight,
	Her young ones in her nest, against the owl.
	All is the fear and nothing is the love;
	As little is the wisdom, where the flight
	So runs against all reason. (6-14) Act 4, Scene 2

 http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/macbeth_4_2.html

 She questions her husbands decision to leave and tend to business over his family. A woman should not question her husband but Lady Macduff does and rightly so!  She and her son share the sweetest conversation in the play. They discuss how they will manage to get through this difficult time. Her son conveys how easy it would be to kill an honest man because there are so many liars and swearers in the world. It is one of the saddest and most poignant parts of the movie watching this conversation take place. It humanizes her character in comparison to the other players.