Caliban the Human Monster and the Demigods Caliban is a one of the main characters in William Shakespeare’s play The Tempest. Caliban can be described as a human with monster like characteristics and is the only sole habitant on the island in the play. Caliban can be also be compared to the demigods of Greek Mythology since Caliban and the demigods are similarly complex characters. Numerous times throughout The Tempest, Shakespeare uses the magic behind the island to show Caliban’s powers; likewise, demigod have god like powers. Similar to demigods, Caliban is a half-human son with believed powers, demands revenge by manipulating or persuasion, and both have emotional and physical vulnerabilities related to their human side. Caliban is the half-human son of the witch, Sycorax and the devil which is stated in the play by the lead Prospero. This is compared to a demigod because demigods are produced between a mortal human and god parent. Demigods are known for their strength and courage, resemble much like man (Blackboard 1) Demigods may have distinguished themselves in life by their existence over other mortals and believe in this power to rule over man. As Caliban lived by himself on a deserted island, he developed his own perceptions of himself as a monster human and also
One of Caliban’s weaknesses is his constant frustration with Prospero. His constant drive to kill Prospero overcomes him and effects his thought process. Both Caliban and demigods were defenseless to things such as wounds and emotional suffering from their human like qualities. Demigods each have their own weakness and vulnerability to their monster sides. Demigods often resembled humans with their feelings, marrying and having children, and searching for nutrition to regain strength (Blackboard 1). Demigods’ worst weakness is the lack of faith by followers, without faith they may cease to
In the poem Caliban says that he is “damaged by history” and “the man in the darkness”. This quote from the poem shows an example of characters in the play saying Caliban is rude. Caliban is a character hurt from events in his past, so he acts rude, and lashes out at people.
If the scene is run in this way Caliban is developed as more human and less
Shakespeare shows this by having Prospero, the rightful duke of Milan and Usurping ruler of the island, call Caliban. “A devil, a born devil on whose nature nurture can never stick” but then having Miranda, Prospero’s daughter, say. “I pitied thee, took pains to make thee speak, taught thee each hour one thing or another.” Prospero is saying that Caliban is a “savage” who can not be educated, yet we hear that Miranda has taught him to speak, amongst other things. This gives a conflicting view of the character of Caliban.
The great chain of being is an important theme in Shakespeare’s The Tempest because it gives order and an unbreakable, restrained structure for the characters. In this play, Caliban is Prospero’s slave for life. In Shakespeare's The Tempest, Prospero and Caliban’s words using imagery and form demonstrate how there can be no change of social status in the great chain of being. The great chain has forced Caliban to be a slave to Prospero because of both of their positions in it, Caliban has a very barbaric nature because of his placement in the chain, and Caliban cannot be move up in society because the great chain limits his freedom.
Even Miranda, Prospero’s daughter, speaks in a way that categorizes Caliban as an uneducated and uncivilized savage. “I pitied thee, Took pains to make thee speak, taught thee each hour […] When thou didst not, savage, know thine own meaning […]” (1.2.356-359) Miranda doesn’t stop there; she continues labeling Caliban, “But thy vile race, though thou didst learn, had that in’t which good natures could not abide to be with; therefore wast though deservedly confined into this rock […]” (1.2.361-364). Exactly this kind of discourse turns Caliban into a subject. If Caliban had not been alone on the island, then Prospero and Miranda would have categorized a whole group of human beings rather than just one.
A notable difference between the two versions of Shakespeare’s play lies in how the character of Caliban is portrayed in relation to Prospero and the dynamics of his relationship with Prospero. This beast in Forbidden Planet is a reimagined version of Caliban in the sense that like Caliban, it is antagonistic toward its version of Prospero, Morbius. The beast and Caliban are also either portrayed or described as being “beastlike” and inhuman. The individuality of the two “Calibans” is different, however. Caliban and Prospero are two distinctly separate entities in the original version and their relationship is that of a slave and his master. Prospero has power over Caliban, whom he had enslaved. In contrast, the “Caliban” of Forbidden Planet
When Caliban is first introduced in the play it is as an animal, a lazy beast that tried to rape Prospero’s daughter, Miranda. Prospero wastes no time referring to him as, “Thou poisonous slave, got by the de...
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.
As some of essays about The Tempest would conclude, the core of The Tempest seems to be the colonialism. Then without any question, the most crucial character under this conclusion, Caliban becomes the symbol of oppressed occurs of colonialism. However, did Shakespeare address this issue intentionally? Is colonialism just an interpretation from a modern perspective? Probably we assert the statement too fast to contemplate author’s focus of his work. As Vaughan mentioned in his essay: “... most Third-World authors who borrow emblems from The Tempest ignore, as irrelevant, Shakespeare’s sources and intentions. The Third World interpretation of Caliban is symbolic, not historic; it adopts Caliban for What he represents to the observer, not for what Shakespeare may have had in mind.” (Vaguhan, 291). Building such a connection between colonization and the exotic characters and settings simply make the fantasy accessible to the audiences, yet it doesn’t necessarily fit the situation at that time. Since colonization evolved throughout the time. “New situations give the play’s characters new meanings.” {Vaguhan, 291). If we delete the cultural background of ourselves and focus on the age of Tempest being created exclusively, we might not see Caliban as a black
Caliban is described as “naturally evil”. Despite any efforts, his nature cannot be changed. His natural evil in The Tempest will always triumph any attempts to change him. His relationship to an evil witch made him naturally evil and will forever be who he truly is.
The role of language in Shakespeare’s play “The Tempest” is quite significant. To Miranda and Prospero the use of language is a means to knowing oneself. Caliban does not view language in the same light. Prospero taught Caliban to speak, but instead of creating the feeling of empowerment from language, Caliban reacts in insurrectionary manner. Language reminds him how different he is from Miranda and Prospero, and also how they have changed him. It also reminds him of how he was when he wasn’t a slave. He resents Prospero for “Civilising” him, because in doing so he took away his freedom.
Aside from the sin of tyranny, Prospero also seems unforgiving towards Caliban and Antonio. When we see Caliban willingly serving Stephano and Trinculo, we begin to realize that Caliban is not evil of himself, and could in fact be a most affectionate servant. Seeing Caliban fear cramps and speak of Prospero as a "tyrant", Shakespear...
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,
Caliban is evil is the fact that he tried to rape Miranda, Prospero’s daughter as states by Barbara Fuchs in her article Conquering Islands: Contextualizing the Tempest where it says, “Caliban’s attack on Prospero’s daughter once more genders the colonizing impulses” (61). This suggests rape and it is not inhuman and it shows that Miranda is not the first woman who this has happen to. It not right, it’s evil. Caliban’s character in this book is horrible in the things that he does, he starting off has an evil monster that was born from an evil parents and he goes around causing trouble wherever he goes. As a servant, he does evil deed and by himself he is evil.
Caliban whom we are told is “not honour’d with a human shape,” (1.2.419) is the son of Sycorax who inhabited the island Prospero was banished to. After the death of his mother, Sycorax, Caliban falls under the rule of Prospero and becomes one his servants. Caliban is very different from Ariel in the fact that while Ariel is pleased to serve under Prospero’s rule, Caliban is not. In fact, we find out that Caliban is far from happy to be Prospero’s servant and even plots with two other men to end Prospero’s life. As we discussed in class Caliban is also more of an angry individual than what Ariel seems to be and this comes from the fact that Caliban believes he is the rightful king of the island and that Prospero had robbed him of what was his, which we find out when he says that he is “subject to a tyrant, a sorcerer, that by his cunning hath cheated me of the island” (3.2.40-41). Ariel, who we are told in act one, scene two was the old servant of Caliban’s mother Syco...