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.
In The Tempest, Caliban has been forced to be a slave for Prospero because of their juxtaposed positions in the great chain of being. Prospero says to Caliban, “Thou poisonous slave, got by the devil himself”(I.ii.383). Prospero calls Caliban a “poisonous slave” which describes Caliban as hideous and awful person who deserves to be a slave. Prospero also says “the devil himself” which is comparing Caliban to the devil because both have a low ranking on the chain, so they both are evil. In this section Prospero is speaking in perfect iambic pentameter, however the language still seems somewhat rough because Prospero is talking to the lower classed civilian, Caliban. There is also enjambment at the end of the line which demonstrates how talking to Caliban has made Prospero act less civilized because the mere thought of Caliban has disturbed Prospero because of Caliban’s awfulness and inferiority. Prospero is superior to Caliban because Caliban has an inferior, low ranking in the great chain of being.
Secondly in The Tempest, Caliban has a barbaric nature because of his ranking in the g...
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... chain of being restricts freedom.
In Shakespeare's The Tempest, Prospero’s way of describing Caliban with imagery and form, and Caliban’s words using imagery and form demonstrate how there can be no change of social status in the great chain of being. Prospero is superior to Caliban because Caliban has an inferior ranking in the great chain of being, Caliban cannot learn language which represents his barbaric nature that was given to him with his inferior status, and Caliban’s nature cannot be improved because the great chain of being limits freedom. Caliban demonstrates that social class cannot be changed. The dukes’ and kings’ families remain in power, and the poor people remain poor forever. The great chain of being has solidified life to what class you were given.
Works Cited
Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1994. Print.
In the play, The Tempest by William Shakespeare, Prospero took control of Caliban and made him his servant. Prospero was able to do this because he viewed Caliban as an uncivilized being; Caliban was portrayed as a beast. Thus, Prospero was able to assume power over Caliban. It can be seen from Prospero’s speech that he thinks that Caliban is inferior to him when Prosper says, “I have used thee, Filth as thou art, with human care […]” (1.2.348-349). Prospero tries to justify enslaving Caliban, but all he really does is place Caliban into a category of bestial and uncivilized and as a result enslaves him.
In the comedic, yet thrilling play, The Tempest, William Shakespeare uses characters such as Caliban, Alonso, and Ariel to show Prospero’s immense cruelness and pure monstrosity. Moreover, these Shakespearean characters are also used to highlight Prospero’s change in character into a kinder and more forgiving person. Prospero starts the play out as a vengeful monster, after an illuminating moment however, his persona transforms into his true identity of a compassionate man.
The Tempest by William Shakespeare is one of the most relevant and studied plays of the Elizabethan period among scholars, from both, ancient and actual times. One of the many readings that have prevailed suggests that the play’s protagonist, Prospero, and his two su-pernatural servants, Ariel and Caliban, can work as a single psychological unit is constantly discussed by the academics. This reading is not new; it has been considered for longer than the idea of The Tempest as an autobiographical allegory, being first proposed by Thomas Campbell in 1838 (Yachnin).
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...
Caliban is the id, the one who seeks instant gratification and has no concern for morality. Everyone has a love-hate relationship with the id because it is the part of the psyche that seeks biological necessities, however, it is also the part which can create socially unacceptable impulses. Prospero and Caliban initially had a loving relationship with each other; the relationship with the id is fostered because of biological needs. Prospero is forming a strong connection with the id but it takes over when Caliban “didst seek to violate / the honour of [Prospero's] child” (1.2. 347-348). Caliban acts based on the biological necessity of reproduction and this parallels the socially unacceptable circumstances that occur when one lets the id take control in one’s life. The ego must counteract this impulsive behaviour; Prospero decides to cage Caliban to prevent him from acting impulsively again. However, completely abolishing the id is never an option. The id is the embodiment of biological necessity thus it is impossible to live without it. This idea is paralleled in The Tempest because Prospero cannot simply rid himself of Caliban, the one who provides the food and wood which sustains life. This is a visual representation of the necessity of the id in the human psyche. This love-hate relationship between Prospero and Caliban exemplifies the dangers
Through The Tempest play, William Shakespeare weaves together a tale that is characterized by anti-colonialist sentiments. Prospero - the deposed Milan Duke - adopts a colonialist mentality by treating his colleagues as slaves who have no rights. Characters who suffer mistreatment under Prospero include: Ariel - the spirit creature; Ferdinand - the Naples Prince; and Caliban - Sycorax’s son. Prospero possesses much magical power which he uses to oppress his compatriots. Consequently, Prospero is portrayed as a colonial tyrant who abuses his immense power. Anti-colonialism feelings are especially evident through the actions, utterances and disposition and of Caliban, Miranda, Ferdinand and Ariel. To illustrate, Caliban berates Prospero for the former’s forced labor. Likewise, Ariel protests Prospero’s reluctance to release the former as earlier agreed. Miranda also expresses her dissatisfaction with Prospero’s unfair imprisonment of Ferdinand. Similarly, Ferdinand appears to challenge Prospero’s authority by briefly stopping dragging timber so as to flirt and chat with Miranda. The foregoing four characters exhibit conduct that highlights their displeasure with Prospero’s colonial-style authority over them. From the preceding expose, it can thus be concluded that Shakespeare’s The Tempest play is about anti-colonialism based on its depiction of Caliban, Miranda, Ferdinand and Ariel’s opposition to Prospero’s oppressive authority.
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 grotesque and base. Arguably, his external ugliness reflects a moral hideousness within. Cosmo Corfield, in his scholarly article Why Does Prospero Abjure His “Rough Magic”? explicates this relationship when he associates “Caliban’s bestiality with a propensity to evil.” However, Caliban’s consignment to the realm of evil and vice must be examined more closely. Is Caliban so evil? Is earthiness necessarily linked to immorality? Understanding the character of Caliban is essential to understanding why Prospero is unable to achieve perfection.
The Shakespearean play, The Tempest, is one of the most controversial in terms of relationships in the play. The play was written in 1611 soon after the English arrived in America in 1607, launching the colonial period. This was the beginning of colonization to America, which lead to the evolution of indentured servants into slaves. Many critics have stated that the relationship between Prospero and Caliban was that of a slave and master and a representation of how the English colonized foreign lands that belonged to the indigenous Americans. Each situation could be argued and validated according to the portion of the play being analyzed. Both roles are applicable and I will provide evidence of both to prove that they are synonymous in a sense.
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.
portray his degraded, brutish nature. In Act 1 Scene 2 Caliban complains of how Prospero used h...
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.
... Another instance that Caliban is evil is the fact that he tried to rape Miranda, Prospero’s daughter as stated 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 happened to. It’s 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.
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.
The illusions of justice and freedom, and what they truly are, has been a reoccurring theme throughout the works. The definitions of justice and freedom have become so construed throughout the times. In William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Prospero tries to enthrall his audience in his narrative of social justice. The idea of justice the play portrays represents one individual who controls the fate of all others. Their freedom is controlled by the interference of those around them. Although he spends most of the play righting the wrongs done to him, he is misdirecting so to hide his true motive. Prospero misconstrues the definitions of justice and freedom by enslaving Ariel and Caliban, using magic for his own good, and creating a false happy