How Is Caliban Human

808 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Implication of environment on individual development

Throughout all of The Tempest, Caliban is constantly being treated negatively, and as though he was not a human. Let me first just start out by saying how completely wrong that was. The biggest, if not - only, turn off about this play, was the way characters were treated, especially Caliban. I think Caliban was one of the strongest, most influential characters in the story.
Caliban, son of witch Sycorax, and only actual native of the island, was the only one that Prospero could turn to for help. When Prospero and Miranda arrive on the island, there is no one there besides Caliban that can help them. Caliban goes out of his way to help Prospero and Miranda become comfortable and accustomed to the island around them. At first, it was Caliban …show more content…

Prospero describes him as “A freckled whelp, hagborn - not honoured with / A human shape” (1.2.285-286). Shakespeare never gave us any exact physical trait of Caliban, meaning that he wanted the readers to view him in their own perspective based off of their interpretation. Throughout the play, we do learn more and more of his appearance from Stefano and Trinculo, who both describe Caliban as less than human. Shakespeare obviously didn’t give exact traits away in the play because he wanted the readers to imagine him from a clear mind, and have it not be based off of traits that he was described as. But, it is not Caliban’s appearance that makes Caliban seem like a monster in Prospero’s eyes, but it was his attack on Miranda that led to his enslavement and change in social position on the island. Caliban has absolutely no idea what the terms right and wrong are, because he was never around society to learn. His whole life, he has been isolated and kept away from the world that has punishments, rules, and society status. It never is exactly said that Caliban for sure tried to rape Miranda, but it was mentioned by Prospero. Caliban sees the attempted rape as a natural behavior. Sexual urges are a natural function for animals, and Caliban was never aware of the punishments that his actions would have led to. The way that Prospero reacted was completely irrational and

Show More
Related

  • Categorizing of People in Shakespeare’s Tempest and Dante’s Inferno

    1201 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Tempest Quotes

    552 Words  | 2 Pages

    Characters in The Tempest see Caliban as rude, while in the poem he sees himself as damaged by his past. People around Caliban see him as rude because he is never nice to them, but in the poem, he says his past is the reason he’s rude. On page

    Read More

  • The Issue of Money in The Tempest and Othello

    580 Words  | 2 Pages

    Although, Caliban possesses much more intellect than those two roguish members labeled as “civilized”, he submits to the story that they help Caliban murder his deceitful master, Prospero. He declares that Prospero, a skillful magician, has wrongfully taken over the island he had inherited from his mother Sycorax. Caliban is not at all appreciative of what Prospero gives to him because he says “You taught me language” (1,2,362) only and because he “must obey” (1,2,371) or else Prospero will inflict pain on him. Caliban immediately declares Trinculo and Stephano as his new master as he joyfully sings a song celebrating their initial meetings. Caliban is deceived into believing that Trinculo and Stephano will deliver their promises when in fact those two so-called noblemen had another beneficial matter in mind.

    Read More

  • Essay on Social Hierarchy in The Tempest

    1070 Words  | 3 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • The Tempest - Barbarism versus Civilization

    855 Words  | 2 Pages

    Until Prospero arrived on the island, Caliban was his own king. The island was left to him by his mother, Sycorax. Nevertheless, Prospero took charge of the isle and eventually enslaved Caliban. "…Thou strok’st me…I loved thee…" is part of a quote that illustrates Caliban’s relationship with Prospero before he was his slave. Prospero comforted Caliban and gave him water and berries; he taught him how to speak, as well.

    Read More

  • Shakespeare's Caliban and the Colonial Approach to Slaves

    1908 Words  | 4 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • Shakespeare's The Tempest - Is Prospero Good or Evil?

    1001 Words  | 3 Pages

    Having been usurped and wrecked on an Island Prospero and his young daughter Miranda have to settle. It is here in Prospero's past that it first clear to see where any confusion about his character may appear. As a learned and powerful man Prospero is able to take direct control of the island, he frees a trapped and tortured spirit (Ariel) and befriends the inhabitants (Caliban). Prospero 'helps' Caliban, he tries to educate him and teaches him to communicate, in exchange Caliban helps Prospero to survive on the Island. But in taking power of the Island Prospero is committing the same act that happened to him as Duke of Milan, now Prospero himself has become the usurper. In this act of goodness Prospero has unknowingly shown his evil side.

    Read More

  • Relationship between Prospero, Caliban and Ariel in The Tempest

    1503 Words  | 4 Pages

    Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest is set on a mysterious island surrounded by the ocean. Here the magician Prospero is ruler of the isle with his two servants Caliban and Ariel.  Caliban is the abrasive, foul-mouthed son of the evil witch Sycorax. When Prospero was shipwrecked on the island Prospero treated him kindly but their relationship changed when Caliban tried to rape Prospero's daughter, Miranda. Caliban then became Prospero's unwilling servant. Caliban serves his master out of fear Prospero's wrath. Prospero's other servant Ariel is a graceful spirit who has courtesy and charm. Ariel has put her services at Prospero's disposal out of gratitude for his kind actions towards her. Prospero saved Ariel from the confinement of Sycorax who held her prisoner.

    Read More

  • Nature vs. Nurture in William Shakespeare’s The Tempest

    1244 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Role of Language in Shakespeare's Play The Tempest

    1137 Words  | 3 Pages

    There is a hierarchy on the island, with Prospero on top of the list. Lorie Jerrell Leininger writes in her article “Miranda is given to understand that she is the foot in the family ...

    Read More

  • Essay On Power In The Tempest

    1059 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout The Tempest, Caliban is seen as being wicked, brutal and being ruled all the time, but is very keen with his senses. Prospero, however contrasts this and is very powerful, intelligent, and is a natural at ruling and having control over others. When Prospero and Miranda first arrived on the island where Caliban is a native they got along quite well, however after Caliban tried to rape Miranda, so things went down hill. This is symbolic of women who lose their virginity. It also shows how women are weak compared to men and how men are stronger and more powerful then women. Because Caliban tried to rape Miranda, Prospero imprisoned Caliban. As Prospero says to Caliban:

    Read More

  • Major Themes in "The Tempest"

    854 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Compare and Contrast of Caliban and Ariel in Shakespeare’s The Tempest

    1012 Words  | 3 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • Prospero as an Ideal Ruler in in Shakespeare's The Tempest

    1239 Words  | 3 Pages

    Although we hear the story of Prospero's eviction from Milan from him, the manner in which he tells his history inspires distrust -- Prospero is pompous, self-pitying and apparently unforgiving. The nature of Prospero's rule as revealed by Act I is not pleasant. When duke of Milan, he trusted his brother Antonio too much, and consequently nearly lost his life, as well as his dukedom. On the island, he befriended Caliban, brought him into his house and treated him as a member of the family -- and repeated the pattern of trust, which was again betrayed, when Caliban attempted to rape Miranda. Although Prospero learns from this second betrayal, he goes to the other extreme. Prospero's apparently tyrannical stance is revealed in his exile and verbal abuse of Caliban, as well as his tirade and threat to imprison Ariel again "till / Thou hast howl'd away twelve winters".

    Read More

  • Theme Of Power In The Tempest

    753 Words  | 2 Pages

    Prospero’s trust is broken with Caliban because he tried to rape Miranda. There is no evidence of rape, however Miranda was the only female on the island practically supports the idea. Caliban being a natural creature he would not know the different in societies rule against sexual engagement. Prospero learns from his second betrayal, apparently tyrannical state is revealed in verbal abuse ...

    Read More

More about How Is Caliban Human

Open Document