Freudian Theory suggests that every being is made up of three parts. Firstly, the id, our most primitive selves, contains our basic instinctual drives and acts to make ourselves happy. Secondly, the ego, which is based on the reality principle, is the mediator between the id and the super ego, and helps people determine what can realistically occur, taking into consideration the repercussions of every action. Finally, the super ego is an internalisation of authority, and is thought to originate from parental guidance as they are the first authority figure we are exposed to. Within a civilisation, this super ego restrains natural, Id desires and demands that we succumb to social pressures of what is right and wrong in society, and makse us feel guilty for even thinking about doing otherwise. The Tempest, by William Shakespeare, gives examples of all three of these parts of the human psyche. Through Caliban, Miranda and Prospero we can see examples of how the Super Ego restrains the basic instincts and drives, leading to unhappiness and malaise in civilisation.
Caliban demonstrates the natural expression of the Id, as he has not been surrounded by civilisation his entire life nor has he been highly exposed to authority, his super ego is not very strong. This means that his basic drives, life and death drives are still very evident in his actions. The life drive, according to Freud, is the natural desire to recreate. This drive is evident in Caliban when he tries to have sex with Miranda. Although Miranda and Prospero refer to it as a sexual assault, Caliban says it could have “peopled […]/This Isle with Calibans” (Act 1, Scene 2, 353-354). His natural instincts tell him that it is right to repopulate, and as Miranda is the only fema...
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...constant internal struggle between the Ego and the Super Ego. This is similar to Prospero and Miranda from Shakespeare’s The Tempest, as they suppress aggression and sexual desires because of the social expectations imbedded in their super egos, leading them to feel unfulfilled instinctually and discontented by the suppression of civilisation. Beings who have not been exposed to civilisation and/or authority, such as Caliban, tend to be happier as they act to satisfy their primal urges, as there have not been civilizational restraints and standards implanted in their Super Ego, lessening the internal struggle between the ego and the super ego. This gives evidence to show that the main forces which bring a sense of malaise to civilisation are the Super Ego, Ego and Id, as the restraint of Id by the Super Ego leads to an unsatisfied feeling in these civilised people.
During the course of the play The Tempest, the psychoanalytical criticism can be applied while reading these scenes. As Freud argues that all humans have a dark side to them, we tend to hide this side of us as we get older. This can be shown by the character, Caliban with his uncontrolled side, which is reflected as the dark side in a human. Caliban is seen to be the superego in the play, which is evident when he does not wish to receive Prospero’s physical punishments. Despite the punishments he receives, his desires fail to remain within him. Caliban is also missing his mother in this play, which leads him to feel inadequate. Prospero is one of the only obstacles between him and Miranda. Prospero’s desire for power and control over the characters in the play, shows Freud’s theory coming into play, if one craves power, it is possible because one has lacked in its childhood.
It is as if Shakespeare, through Prospero, has assembled a representative sample of divided humanity, and brought them together deliberately to re-enact the oldest of rituals and the most insistent themes of history and of psychology The divisions among these characters resonate deeply, with many implications. They have been elaborated in generations of Western thought: together with Prospero, the spirit Ariel and the grotesque Caliban have been "read" through such critical lenses as Thomas Aquinas' division of human nature between spiritual and animal elements, or Darwin's evolutionary ladder, or Freud's superego and id,or through images of colonialism, or Jung's conflation of history with psychology, in which "our world is dissociated like a neurotic." In such a view, the reintegration of fractured family and society that takes place in this play is at the same time a reintegration of the divided and conflicted self into health and wholeness.
Caliban the deformed savage on the island from his first appearance in the play is more animal than human. Prospero first refers to Caliban by calling him a, "tortoise" (1.2.318). This sets the tone for Caliban's character in the play as he is labeled as a semi-beast in the play. But interestingly despite Caliban's deformed body and animal like appearance he possess remarkable eloquence that gives him power. Prospero, a renaissance prince even with his velvety language only equals Caliban in eloquence. In some ways this dichotomy between Caliban's appearance in the play and his remarkable gift for language creates a magical and mysterious atmosphere in the play. It complicates the relationship between Caliban and Prospero for although Prospero claims to own his savage his savage speaks not like one who is owned.
The juxtaposition of Caliban’s mental and physical state throughout the “Tempest” hints that this paradoxical statement may be true. The ambivalence of Caliban’s “brutal” and “sensitive” being comes predominantly, but not consistently, through the medium of his physical appearance and his diction respectively. This “sensitive” aspect of Caliban is amplified further when his character is analysed from the viewpoint of the modern era. These audiences are far more sympathetic to this “abhorred slave” than that of the Shakespearian era as a result of the extensive colonial expansion of the British Empire that took place during this time, concluding in audiences being far more hostile to any natives, which the character of Caliban is. It is Shakespeare’s
Karl Marx once said, “Political Economy regards the proletarian ... like a horse, he must receive enough to enable him to work. It does not consider him, during the time when he is not working, as a human being. It leaves this to criminal law, doctors, religion, statistical tables, politics, and the beadle.” Marxism is a theory, which explores the political and economic ideologies that are prevalent in divided social classes. “Capitalism thrives on exploiting its labourer” () Karl Marx created this theory because he was a firm believer that the history of humanity is essentially the history of a struggle between social classes. This is to say that once the upper class becomes rich, they continue to stay rich because the labourers that work for the rich get less than their work is actually worth. They think they are working really hard towards a concrete goal, when in reality they deserve much better. Marxism as a literary theory focuses on Marx’s beliefs, and how they are integrated within a literary text. Concepts of Marxism can be found in Shakespeare’s well-known play, The Tempest. The play mainly focuses on a magician (Prospero) and his daughter Miranda, who have been living on an isolated island for the past twelve years along side Caliban, Prospero’s servant. Minor characters appear in the text as well, to serve as foils for the main characters by accentuating their character traits, as well as play a crucial role to the play’s plot. The Tempest focuses on the relationship between Caliban and Prospero, the supremacy that Prospero holds over Caliban, and explores why relationships like this often exist.
Both of these novels the Tempest and Frankenstein demonstrate an extreme violation of nature and a use of powers outside our natural world that cause unnecessary destruction to themselves and the lives of others also. The authors of these books use the creatures’ appearance and manner to emphasize that they are outcasts and must therefore serve as slaves for those who do fit into society. The superiors in the relationship display greedy and immoral actions throughout by challenging nature and mankind, the subordinates experience the horrific effects of this. However the duplicity between them of selfishness and revenge helps us to understand how reliant they are of one another and as the novels progress the hierarchy between them begins to subvert.
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.
This tells us that Caliban has tried to rape Miranda at some point and that Prospero treated Caliban much better before the attempted rape occurred.
Caliban is an indigenous inhabitant of the island Prospero has been shipwrecked upon, and it is apparent from Caliban’s introduction that he is viewed as a lesser being. Caliban is often referred to as a monster and treated poorly by the other characters in the play. Caliban struggles to maintain his identity despite Prospero’s efforts to teach him, and we see his savage instincts when he speaks to Prospero regarding the attempted rape of Miranda, Prospero’s daughter, in Act I, scene ii: “O ho, O ho! Would’t had been done! Thou didst prevent me; I had peopled else this isle with Calibans” (Shakespeare). This line shows us how Caliban desires to remain uncolonized and wishes to populate the island with his own people. His fight to maintain his identity is tested throughout the play through his interactions with other characters, for example trusting that Stephano will help him, and repeatedly drinking and acting foolish. However, Caliban never completely submits to Prospero, and that shows a great deal of commitment to whom he sees himself to be despite the people and experiences he faces throughout the
William Shakespeare’s The Tempest provides dialogue that portrays the social expectations and stereotypes imposed upon women in Elizabethan times. Even though the play has only one primary female character, Miranda, the play also includes another women; Sycorax, although she does not play as large a roll. During many scenes, the play illustrates the characteristics that represent the ideal woman within Elizabethan society. These characteristics support the fact that men considered women as a mere object that they had the luxury of owning and were nowhere near equal to them. Feminists can interpret the play as a depiction of the sexist treatment of women and would disagree with many of the characteristics and expectations that make Miranda the ideal woman. From this perspective, The Tempest can be used to objectify the common expectations and treatment of women within the 16th and 17th Centuries and compare and contrast to those of today.
Caliban is shown as the most naïve of the three, but he is the cleverest.
Ariel finds the prospect of being dealt a punishment of his worst nightmare to be a wakeup call to which he responds quickly by correcting his behavior. This shows Ariel’s ability to recognize when he has wronged someone else. This is a critical characteristic that separates Ariel as the superego and Caliban as the id. Without being in any proper sense human, Caliban represents, both in body and soul, a sort of intermediate nature between man and brute. Though he has all the attributes of humanity from morality downwards, so that his nature touches and borders upon the sphere of moral life, the result is that it brings him to recognize moral law only as making for self. The real meaning behind that morality is too deep for Caliban to comprehend and thus is lost to him. He has intelligence of seeming wrong in what is done to him, but no conscience of what is wrong in his own
Caliban’s initial attempt to defy Prospero’s power via a verbal curse actually gives Prospero more authority as master in that the curse acknowledges the duke’s ultimate power. Caliban begins his speech with the vengeful request that all the evil "infections"(2.2.1) under the sun "fall"(2.2.2) upon the "tyrant"(2.2.160) Prospero. While Caliban wishes for Prospero to be so harmed by sickness, the slave does not have the power to make this happen. Instead, he must request that these evils "fall"(2.2.2) of their own accord upon Prospero. Caliban’s lack of authority because of his condition as a slave is immediately contrasted to that...
“Absolute natural evil of Caliban in The Tempest in the case of Caliban, it we accept the absoluteness of his natural evil, we must accept what Charney describes as a necessary (and absolute) ‘discontinuity in his character:. . .” (Bloom 128)
In William Shakespeare’s play “The Tempest,” the major themes in these play is good versus evil. There are good characters, which do good, help others and try their best to stay out of trouble and there are other characters are the exact opposite. All the characters do is tried to get even with those who hurt them, hoping that ravage would solve the problem. Good and Evil just like the theme of the book also applies to the world that we live in today because there are good people and there are bad people. Good will