Sycorax

Sycorax, a powerful witch, was banished from her home in Algiers to an island. She gave birth to Caliban on the island and died several years before the main action of the play begins. Caliban claims ownership of the island because of his connection to Sycorax. Prospero, the hero of the play, constantly reminds Ariel of Sycorax's cruel treatment to maintain the sprite's service. Sycorax is closely related to the Medea of Ovid's Metamorphoses and is seen by postcolonial writers and critics as giving voice to peoples, particularly women, recovering from the effects of colonisation.