claim: Practical Magic is based on a French novel that was written by Alice Hoffman.
evidence: Sycorax -LSB- ˈsɪkəræks -RSB- is an unseen character in William Shakespeare 's play The Tempest -LRB- 1611 -RRB- .. William Shakespeare. William Shakespeare. The Tempest. The Tempest. unseen character. unseen character. She is a vicious and powerful witch and the mother of Caliban , one of the few native inhabitants of the island on which Prospero , the hero of the play , is stranded .. Caliban. Caliban ( character ). Prospero. Prospero. witch. witch. According to the backstory provided by the play , Sycorax , while pregnant with Caliban , was banished from her home in Algiers to the island on which the play takes place .. Caliban. Caliban ( character ). Algiers. Algiers. Memories of Sycorax , who dies several years before the main action of the play begins , define several of the relationships in the play .. Relying on his filial connection to Sycorax , Caliban claims ownership of the island .. Caliban. Caliban ( character ). Prospero constantly reminds Ariel of Sycorax 's cruel treatment in order to maintain the sprite 's service .. Prospero. Prospero. Ariel. Ariel ( Shakespeare ). Scholars generally agree that Sycorax , a foil for Prospero , is closely related to the Medea of Ovid 's Metamorphoses .. Prospero. Prospero. foil. foil ( literature ). Medea. Medea. Metamorphoses. Metamorphoses. Postcolonialist writers and critics see Sycorax as giving voice to peoples , particularly women , recovering from the effects of colonization .. Postcolonialist. Postcolonialist. Later versions of The Tempest , beginning with William Davenant 's eighteenth-century adaptation , have given Sycorax a vocal role in the play , but maintained her image as a malevolent antagonist to Prospero .. The Tempest. The Tempest. Prospero. Prospero