You Taught Me Language

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’You taught me language and my profit on’t is I know how to curse.’’Discuss this statement in relation to Pygmalion

Inspired by the quote ‘’You taught me language and my profit on’t is I know how to curse.’’ by Caliban in the Tempest by William Shakespeare, this paper will analyze how language can change people’s perspectives about themselves and the world. Caliban delivered this speech to Prospero and Miranda, with whom he has a relationship we can describe as master-slave. Caliban is Prsopero’s slave since he tried to rape his daughter without having to know that this is an unapproppriate action. Prospero taught Caliban a new language, so they could communicate better. Learning a new language did not make Caliban a better or different person. Eventually, having a language gave him a confidence. Now that he knows their language, he uses language as a tool to go against and curse at them. Having contextualize the quote by Caliban, this paper …show more content…

Eliza is no more the old Eliza, she transforms and becomes a woman with a upper-class language. She is a respected woman and has a new identity in the society. Higgins doesn’t realize she is not the same. In fact he still threats her as he did the first day they met in his office. However Eliza is different and changed. Higgins careless actions led Eliza swear at him. She throws his slippers and him and tell him ‘’You don’t care. I know you don’t. ‘’(431) This slipper scene can be seen as symbolical as if she finally cut off her umbilical cord with Higgins. Now that she has made it clear she is not his servant. He should respect her the way he respects other people who also speaks proper language. Furthermore, now that Higgins won his bet, Eliza does not know what is going to happen to her. She asks if ‘’my clothes belong to me or to Colonel Pickering’’ (434). She is still curious about her new identity and she does not want someone to accuse her for

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