How Is Caliban Human

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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

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