The narrator of the poem rides a horse into the early morning sun. Seeking a release from bodily and societal restrictions, the speaker sheds clothes and "dead stringencies" to merge with the natural environment. This physical momentum leads to a symbolic rebirth in the "cauldron of morning."

A female horse that carries the speaker into the morning sun. Her name references both the Hebrew translation for "Lion of God" and the supernatural spirit from William Shakespeare's *The Tempest*. She supplies the physical velocity required for the speaker's transformation.

A central figure in the Confessional poetry movement who draws upon her own mental illness and family trauma to write. She composes "Ariel" on her 30th birthday during a period following her separation from her husband. Her work utilizes dense literary allusions and myth, separating her from peers who rely solely on direct autobiography.

A fellow poet who marries Plath within five months of their first meeting. He has an affair with another woman, leading to the couple's separation in 1962. This separation directly precedes the writing of the *Ariel* collection.

Sylvia Plath's father, who studies insects at Boston University. His early death from diabetes complications in 1940 acts as a defining trauma for his family. This loss causes his daughter to abandon her Unitarian upbringing and inspires several of her famous later poems.

Sylvia Plath's younger brother. Following his birth, the family relocates to Winthrop, Massachusetts, to live closer to their maternal grandparents.

Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes's daughter. She is born during the period her mother attends poetry seminars in Boston and writes the poems for *The Colossus*.

Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes's son. He is born shortly before his parents separate and his mother begins writing the *Ariel* collection.

A prominent poet who leads poetry seminars in Boston. He teaches attendees to draw directly from their personal lives, helping to establish the Confessional poetry movement.

A contemporary poet who attends Robert Lowell's Boston seminars. She uses poetry to discuss transgressive topics and mental illness directly, operating with less metaphorical distance than Plath.

A supernatural entity in William Shakespeare's *The Tempest*. He performs magical feats under the command of his master. The poem appropriates his name and history of servitude to explore ideas of feminine power and artistic creation.

A powerful magician in *The Tempest*. He breaks a witch's spell to free a native spirit, only to force that spirit into his own servitude. He relies on his captive to execute his magical commands.

A legendary figure who protests oppressive taxation by riding naked through the town of Coventry. The poem's speaker identifies with her act of shedding clothes, interpreting it as an assertion of power and purity rather than an act of vulnerability.

An English lord who levies severe taxes on his tenants. His wife's public protest ultimately forces him to reduce the financial burden on his subjects.

A witch in *The Tempest* who originally traps the spirit Ariel. Her spell is eventually broken by another magician, though her initial captivity sets a precedent for the spirit's ongoing subjugation.

A later addition to the Godiva legend. He violates the town proclamation by spying on the noblewoman during her protest ride.

A poet admired by Sylvia Plath. Her failure to meet him during her time working for *Mademoiselle* magazine triggers her first major depressive episode.

An American poet associated with the Confessional movement. He writes works directly influenced by his interactions with psychotherapists, incorporating his internal life into his art.