The Other in the Tempest
In order to understand the characters in a play, we have to be able to distinguish what exactly makes them different. In the case of The Tempest, Caliban, the sub-human slave is governed largely by his senses, making him the animal that he is portrayed to be and Prospero is governed by sound mind, making him human. Caliban responds to nature as his instinct is to follow it. Prospero, on the other hand, follows the art of justifiable rule. Even though it is easy to start assessing The Tempest in view of a colonialist gaze, I have chosen instead to concentrate on viewing Caliban as the monster he is portrayed to be, due to other characters that are not human, but are treated in a more humane fashion than Caliban. Before we meet Caliban, we meet Ariel, Prospero’s trusting spirit. Even though Ariel is not human either, he is treated kindly and lovingly by his master who calls him “my quaint Ariel.” Caliban, on the other hand, is called a “tortoise” and a “poisonous slave” by Prospero. As Caliban enters in Act 1 Scene 2, we realise his fury at both Prospero and Miranda. He is rude and insulting and Prospero replies with threats of torture. Prospero justifies his punishment of Caliban by his anger at the attempted rape of his daughter, something Caliban shows no remorse for. Miranda distinguishes herself from Caliban by calling him “a thing most brutish” and inadvertently, a thing that has only bad natures. She calls his speech “gabble,” but doesn’t stop to wonder whether it was she that didn’t understand him because she didn’t know how to speak his language. Surely Caliban communicated verbally with his mother for the twelve years before Prospero killed her? It seems that Prospero and Miranda expect Caliban to be grateful for the knowledge of their language, but Caliban has just learned “how to curse” and justifies his anger by claiming rights to the island. Even though they obviously detest each other, Prospero needs him, as he tells Miranda: “We cannot miss him: he does make our fire/Fetch in our wood, and serves in offices/That profit us…,” Caliban stays on because he is afraid of Prospero’s “art…of such power,” making Prospero the feared conqueror ad dictator. Prospero is the “right duke of Milan” and Caliban is the “savage and deformed slave.” They represent two different extremes on the social spectrum: that of the natural ruler,...
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...e will let Stephano rule- showing himself to be naturally ruled, not ruler. At the end of the play, when he recognises that his choice of Stephano as ruler was foolish, it is not mental reasoning that has led him to this conclusion, but the evidence of his senses and experience. Caliban had mid enough to function as part of society, but training him to become part of that society cannot be abstract, like Prospero’s failed attempt at educating him with Miranda – Caliban’s education must be practical and hammered home with his own senses. If the senses represent something natural and the mind represents an art like knowledge or in Prospero’s case, magic, then we can say that Caliban represents Nature and Prospero Art. While the need for control over nature is asserted continually, the ending suggests that art must ultimately come to terms with nature (hence Prospero’s “this thing of darkness I/Acknowledge mine”); for while Caliban’s limitations are apparent, his wish to improve himself is promising, and his new relationship with Prospero seems to be more stable and more reassuring than the resentment-filled and extremely uneasy jailer-prisoner/master-slave relationship shown earlier
Caliban’s childness is displayed when he rejects Prospero’s castigation, saying that he objects to being subjugated when he was once "mine own king." In yet another instance of Caliban acting childish, he is outraged that Prospero is punishing him when he has, from his point of view, done no wrong. Also like a child, the idea of being his own ruler dominates his thoughts. This is reinforced by his immediate course of action...
...terms with Nature (hence Prospero's "this thing of darkness I / Acknowledge mine"); for while Caliban's limitations are apparent, his wish to improve himself is promising, and his new relationship with Prospero seems to be more stable and more reassuring than the resentment-filled and extremely uneasy jailor-prisoner / master-slave relationship shown earlier.
In the play, The Tempest, by William Shakespeare, Caliban is an important character. Caliban is a character who plays as a victim to be pitied, as well as a villain to watch out for. In this essay, I will show clearly how Caliban is a victim and villain by exploring his relationship with Prospero, Miranda, and the island. Caliban has been a victim of mistreatment for many reasons. Him and Miranda definitely do not have a good relationship, in fact Miranda absolutely hates him and she is frightened by him.
The Tempest reflects Shakespeare's society through the relationship between characters, especially between Prospero and Caliban. Caliban, who was the previous king of the island, is taught how to be "civilized" by Prospero and his daughter Miranda. Then he is forced to be their servant. Caliban explains "Thou strok'st me and make much of me; wo...
During the time of Shakespeare, society had a hierarchical structure. In Shakespeare's play, The Tempest, the characters of Prospero and Caliban, represent two different extremes on the social spectrum: the ruler, and the ruled. Their positions on the social hierarchy are largely due to the fact that Caliban responds almost wholly to passions, feelings of pleasure -- his senses, while Prospero is ruled more by his intellect and self-discipline -- his mind. However, the fight that Prospero has against his own natural tendency to ignore the discipline of his intellect, and give in to pleasures such as vanity and self-indulgence, cannot be ignored.
The Tempest is generally considered to be Shakespeare's last sole-authored play. The play draws a number of oppositions, some of which it dramatises, and some of which it only implies. Prospero, a figure exhibiting many resemblances to the Elizabethan idea of the 'Mage', (of whom the best known is probably Dr. John Dee), is opposed to both his corrupt brother, usurper of his role as Duke of Milan, and to Sycorax, an evil witch and mother of the 'deformed slave' Caliban. Sycorax does not enter the action of the play, having died before it opens, but enough is made of her evil disposition and behaviour to show Prospero as a model of human virtue in comparison. This despite Prospero's own use of magic to accomplish his will, and his bullying of the spirit Ariel and his threats to and punishments of Caliban. Prospero's role is central to the play, he is in control of the action throughout, through the exercise of his 'Art'. A further contast is drawn between Miranda, Prospero's daughter, and caliban. Bothe were brought up together by Prospero since his arrival on Caliban's Island, but Caliban has not responded suitably to Prospero's civilising education. Miranda, however, in line with the tenor of Shakespeare's late plays in particular, is a model of chastity and virtue. Caliban's 'ingratitude' would seem to result from what we would call his genetic inheritance. Miranda calls him
The Tempest consists of “a series of rebellion, treacheries, mutinies and conspiracies against authority” but the overall view of the dramatic action is much more complex. Many other aspects and themes such as illusion and the supernatural (magic) also play a very important part in shaping the plot. Power struggle is evident from the beginning, way back when Prospero’s brother, Antonio, seized his status as Duke of Milan and banished him to a barren place and left for dead. “In scene 2.1, pg 141, Sebastian remarks, “I remember/You did supplant your brother Prospero.” And Antonio replies, “True;/ And look how well my garment sit upon me,”. Antonio betrayed Prospero, and yet he feels no remorse for his treacherous act: ‘I feel not/ This deity in my bosom”, his conscience is not bothered by what he did to Prospero. Another sibling conspiracy in the play came in Act II when Sebastian is encouraged by Antonio to kill his brother, Alonso, which would put him next in line for the throne but first, they attempted to kill Gonzalo, the Alonso’s faithful advisor. Scene 2.1, pg “Draw together,/and when I rear my hand do you the like/TO fall it (the sword) on Gonzalo.” Their evil plot is interrupted and plans ruined as Ariel wakes the sleeping party (Alonso and Gonzalo). But perhaps the most prominent resistance against authority comes from Caliban, the slave of Prospero who feels that the island is rightfully his, “The island’s mine by Sycorax my mother,”. He goes on to state that Prospero “tak’st from me.” In order to regain or gain his rulership, Caliban plots with Trinculo and Stephano to kill Prospero and take over the island. Act 3, scene I, pg 160 “Why, as I told thee, ‘tis a custom with him I’ th’ afternoon to sleep. There thou mayst brain him Having fisrt seized his books; or with a log Batter his skull, or paunch him with a stake Or cut his weasand with thy knife.”
Caliban is a servant to Prospero, the right duke of Milan. Caliban is a monstrous, and ugly creature. He is often referred to as servant-monster by others characters. At the start of the play, Caliban curses at the authority of Prospero because his dislikes him. (Act 1 scene 2 line 321-324)
Caliban, the son of the evil witch Sycorax, is the perfect brute, who would be petted and patted, given food and drink, and taught to speak. Caliban learns language only to turn it against itself. He becomes vindictive and rewards his master's, Prospero, efforts with curses. His developed consciousness leads him into deeper enslavement, inducing him to overeach his limits by attempting to murder his lord. Earlier, he became rebellious and attempted to "violate" his master's daughter, the innocent, pure Miranda. He later, after getting drunk, turns on Prospero and professes his loyalty to Stephano.
In this whimsical play, Prospero, the former Duke of Milan, after being supplanted of his dukedom by his brother, arrives on an island. He frees a spirit named Ariel from a spell and in turn makes the spirit his slave. He also enslaves a native monster named Caliban. These two slaves, Caliban and Ariel, symbolize the theme of nature versus nurture. Caliban is regarded as the representation of the wild; the side that is usually looked down upon. Although from his repulsive behavior, Caliban can be viewed as a detestable beast of nature, it can be reasonably inferred that Shakespeare’s intent was to make Caliban a sympathetic character.
Caliban is one of the primary antagonists in William Shakespeare's play The Tempest. It is impossible to understand the Tempest without first understanding the character of Caliban. Through the exploration of the character of Caliban the reader gains an understanding of his importance within the play and that he is simply not just black and white, there is also a great deal of grey. It is the characters ambiguity that enables him to be human inside although appearing bestial on the outside.
He shows himself to be academically more superior to both Stephano and Trinculo, and towards the end of the play, we notice that they are both tricked by Prospero’s distraction. Prospero has used shiny clothes so that Stephano and Trinculo are distracted from their mission; to kill Prospero. Caliban notices this distraction immediately and furthermore brings to our attention his superiority:
Caliban represents man, instinct, and nature in their rawest forms. Part fish, part man, but not really either because he is more mentally sophisticated than a fish, but devoid of any characteristics generally associated with civilized beings. He displays promise in becoming civilized, but eventually it becomes evident that it is impossible to fully tame a wild animal, which is what Caliban essentially is. Caliban is more of an animal rather than a monster. While he is labeled a monster throughout the play due to his appearance, he is in fact an animal. He is not inherently evil or malicious, but relies on his own instincts and skills that he has learned to adapt to his surrounding and survive. What is vital to survival in society is not necessarily important in nature; and vice versa.
Prospero appears to be a ruthless tyrant that strikes fear into Caliban to make him work but further on in the text we learn that this is not the case. Caliban's foul-mouthed insults,
In Shakespeare’s play The Tempest, there are two characters who appear to be polar opposites. The characters of Caliban and Ariel both play very important roles in the play. The term caliban is defined as “a brutish or brutalized man,” and the term ariel is defined as “a spirit of the air” (Dictionary). The definitions of these two characters names even show the huge difference in the two characters before readers or viewers even get to know the characters. There are also differences in how the two characters feel about the self-proclaimed king of the island, Prospero. However, regardless of their many differences the one thing that they do have in common is the fact that they are both oppressed by Prospero who has deemed himself king of the island and seek freedom.