Ferdinand appears in several scenes and is a big part of the story. He is also definitely not a dynamic or a round character in the way that, say, Prospero is. A dynamic character is a character who goes through an important change during the course of the story (Ebenezer Scrooge is a good example, as are most main characters). Similarly, a round character is someone who is more fully developed and has a complex personality. Again, this is important for main characters, but can be less so for side characters.
Ferdinand doesn't undergo any changes of character through the play; while he does fall in love with Miranda, this hardly seems out of character for him. This makes him a static character (the opposite of dynamic). He also has a pretty cardboard cutout type personality. Unlike the round character of the tragic hero, who has several heroic qualities and a fatal flaw, Ferdinand seems to have a pretty simple, straight-forward personality. He is a flat character because he is just as he seems on the surface: kind, genuine, and quick to fall in love. There just isn't much more to him than that.
For a deeper explanation of flat vs round characters, check out the links below!
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