Sir, she is mortal;
But by immortal Providence she’s mine.
I chose her when I could not ask my father
For his advice, nor thought I had one. She
Is daughter to this famous Duke of Milan,
Of whom so often I have heard renown,
But never saw before; of whom I have
Received a second life; and second father
This lady makes him to me.
– William Shakespeare
The Tempest, Act 5, Scene 1. Ferdinand tells his father Alonso that Miranda is not a goddess but a mortal human being. By the grace of God she is his. He chose her when he could not ask his father Alonso’s permission because he thought he was dead. He tells Alonso that she is daughter to the Duke of Milan Prospero, who gave him a second life and is a second father to him. The irony is that all the others, and the audience, know who Prospero is and how he was cruelly usurped.