Adaptation Of Caliban In The Tempest

William Shakespeare is often considered to be the greatest playwright in the history of the Western world. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Shakespeare wrote and directed performances of his plays at the Globe Theatre, which continue to be performed around the world to this day. As technology advanced, different renditions of Shakespeare’s plays have been put on, from televised recordings to radio shows to film adaptations. Many of Shakespeare’s popular plays such as Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice, and A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream have been adapted into films in recent years. In 2010, Julie Taymor, famed for her directing on stage and screen, adapted Shakespeare’s The Tempest to film. Taymor’s rendition follows the return

As Caliban wanders the jungle of the island with Trinculo and Stephano, a very different characterization of the character emerges. The underscoring in this scene features several sustained, largo, piano harmonies that feature a breathy, smooth, and hollow timbre, with a mystical tone. This is contrasts greatly from the harsh and aggressive underscoring from the audience’s first introduction to Caliban. The sharp contrasts gives a mellower, natural tone to the scene, which is then highlighted by Caliban’s speech, which has a lilt-like rhythm that makes it sound as though he is reciting a poem. Though he previously had said, “The red-plague rid you for learning me your language” (Taymor), Caliban speaks poetically and with a sweet, soft timbre, showing his mastery of the language. The combination of the mysterious sounding underscoring and the beauty of Caliban’s words conveys a different Caliban than was revealed in the first act. Audio in film is able to evoke powerful emotional responses from audiences, which allows them to be “powerfully integrated with the character” (Karlin 297). Furthermore, the image of the scene features Caliban fully immersed among the flora of the island. This brings a notion, perhaps not of his bestial savagery, but of a natural connection to the island’s untouched beauty. Perhaps here, Taymor conveys Caliban as

Various adaptations on stage and screen, have portrayed the character of Caliban quite divisively. Some portray him to be a savage creature of the island, while others portray him to be a victim of colonization. However, Julie Taymor, in her film adaptation of The Tempest, portrays not an innocent victim and not a savage beast, but incorporates both to create a layered character with complex motivations and actions in Djimon Hounsou. Taymor achieves this through a combination of visual, aural, and narrative elements that weave together to seamlessly create this complex character. Caliban, though misunderstood and re-understood through the history of the performances of The Tempest, remains to be one of Shakespeare’s most enigmatic antagonists. As with many of Shakespeare’s works, there remains the question of whether or not the antagonist is justified in his plotting. Though Caliban may be an antagonist in Prospera’s story, it is perhaps possible to view him in a completely different regard. It can be argued that Caliban is justified in his quest to reclaim his inheritance, to overcome the bounds of his oppressor, and to fight against the culture that has been imposed on him. Perhaps when analyzing the complex character from his own point-of-view, the audience can “let [their] indulgence set [him] free” (VI.epilogue.20).