The Tempest - Barbarism versus Civilization
In Shakespeare’s play, "The Tempest," an underlying theme of barbarism versus civilization appears. Shakespeare creates characters that exemplify symbols of nature or nurture. The symbolism of the characters is derived from their actions. These actions show Shakespeare’s view of the uncivilized and the civilized, as well as help the reader develop his own opinion of each side.
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.
During the first encounter, Caliban comes across very bestial and immoral. While approaching Caliban’s cave, Prospero derogatorily says, "…[he] never/Yields us kind answer," meaning Caliban never answers respectfully. When Prospero reaches the cave, he calls to Caliban. Caliban abruptly responds, "There’s wood enough within." His short, snappy reply and his odious tone, reveal the bitterness he feels from leading a servile life. Caliban’s rudeness makes him seem like an unworthy and despicable slave. Also, Caliban displays an extreme anger toward Prospero. When Caliban is asked to come forth he speaks corruptly, "As wicked dew as e’er my mother brushed/With raven’s feather from unwholesome fen/Drop on you both!…And blister you all o’er!" Caliban’s attitude and disrespect is unfitting for a servant. However, his actions are justified.
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.
During this time Caliban loved Prospero and showed him the features of the island, "The fresh springs, brine-pits, barren place and fertile…" Caliban regrets helping Prospero as he says towards the end of his speech, "Cursed be I that did so!" Caliban feels this way due to his imprisonment.
In literature as in life, characters are multi-dimensional beings. They possess a wide variety of character traits that make them who they are. In the Tempest written by William Shakespeare, Prospero traits resemble those of the Europeans that came during the exploration of the Americas. Thus, Prospero’s treatment of Caliban is similar to the way Europeans treated the Native Americans.
During Shakespeare's time social classification was much more rigid than today and some members of society were considered superior to other members. Shakespeare provides an example of this rigid social structure through his play, The Tempest. Shakespeare illustrates how superior men differentiated themselves from lesser beings on the basis of race, financial status, and gender. Through the character of Prospero, Shakespeare provides and example of one, who had reason to feel superior, yet treated others equally and with the respect due to them.
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...
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...
In act 2 scene 2 it appears to see that Caliban the native that had helped Prospero to survive on the Island has now become Prospero's slave. Caliban is tortured by Prospero so much that he is scared when he sees Stephano and Trinculo and mistakes them for Prospero's magic spirits that have come to torment him again,
Confusing bullying and shaming is not uncommon in this day and age. The goals for bullying and shaming are very different from one another. Shaming is and should be used in a way to help alter someone’s negative behavior and prevent it from expanding from just a phase to a lifetime. Bully’s only goal is to make someone feel unwanted over jealousy or for no reason at all. The bullier is usually someone not as close to the victim and leaves emotional scars rather than a life lesson. Shaming has teaching purposes
Upon Prospero’s arrival, he teaches Caliban language as to make this “savage” more civilized and obedient, however, Caliban uses the language he has learned to “curse” his master and refuse to accept the commands from Prospero, showing his rebellion. Moreover, even though Caliban is under the punishment of “apes that mow and chatter” and “hedgehogs which lie tumbling in [his] barefoot”, which significantly shows that he is far less powerful than Prospero, he is still uncompromised: he is very eager to conduct his “revenge” and “bite [Prospero] to death” because, at his first encounter with Stephano and Trinculo, Caliban immediately suggests that. Though Caliban’s attempt to “destroy [Prospero]” ends up in failure, this endeavor is rebellious. And Caliban’s rebellion against the oppression from “tyrant” reveals his nobility that he is courageous to fight against Prospero, even though Prospero is much more powerful than him. This rebellious and uncompromising character of Caliban in The Tempest sharply differs from the “waned and left” indigenous people in Indian
The occurrence of slavery in this play helps to provide the atmosphere for the play, as the three main protagonists in the play, namely Prospero, Ariel and Caliban, are involved in a triangular relationship between ‘slave and master’. Prospero adopts the role of ‘master’, with Ariel and Caliban acting as his slaves. This, in Caliban’s eyes, is seen as an injustice, as he believes the island to be rightfully his. This can be seen when he says: "This island's mine, by Sycorax my mother, which thou takest from me." (1.2.3)
beginning of the story, Prospero forcefully got removed from Milan by his own brother. Although he said he was grateful they ended up on this island. Once he got to the island he frees a trapped and tortured spirit named Ariel. He also found a half monster/man named Caliban. Prospero took Caliban under his wing and tried to educate him, such as helping him communicate with humans. In return, Caliban helps Prospero survive on the island since he is not used to having to live on his own. However, Caliban tries to rape Prospero’s daughter, Miranda, so Prospero makes Caliban his slave.
“Thou poisonous slave, got by the devil himself/ Upon thy wicked dam, come forth! “(1.2.383-384). This shows that because Caliban raped Prospero’s daughter Miranda, Prospero thinks that Caliban is of a different breed and possibly raised by the devil. This also shows...
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...
Caliban’s life is a work of nature without any nurture before the arrive of Prospero, and the shipwreck. Through out the play, Caliban’s life only got worse until the end. The Europeans influences of Caliban had negatively influenced his life. Prospero had enslaved, and overly punished Caliban for attempting to violate Miranda. Trinculo and Stepheno caused Caliban to lose his dignity. The spirits of Prospero had caused Caliban to lose his self-confidence and resulted in him following Trinculo and Stepheno. With the above examples of mistreatments of Caliban by the Europeans, therefore the influences of the Europeans had cause Caliban to ruin his life.
The Tempest is a play written by William Shakespeare, and involves the main themes of power, control, betrayal, forgiveness and revenge. Shakespeare very intentionally inter-relates numerous diverse forms of power throughout the course of the play. There is political authority, shown through the plethora of political characters and their schemes, while at the same time there is parody provided of by the comic characters. The power of magic and love, and its ability to unify and absolve also plays a main part in the play. From the beginning to the end the play, Prospero, the main character, takes excessive advantage of his control and authority, both properly and improperly.
As soon as they encounter each other, Prospero begins ordering him around, making him his slave and does the same thing for the spirit of Ariel, whom he promises to release after he performs the duties requested. Throughout both stories, Caliban and Ariel continuously ask for freedom from slavery and get denied until the very end. Prospero eventually gives Ariel his freedom and Ariel gives Caliban his. In the ending of The Tempest, Prospero then delivers a speech essentially asking for forgiveness for his wrongdoings and asks for them to set him free. Caliban throughout both stories is angry and distraught because “This island’s mine, by Sycorax my mother, which thou takest from me.” (Page 13) which he states in The Tempest, and he essentially had no control over anything. This is where the freedom of oppression might be suggested as one of the themes and can even be used in modern
Caliban from his first appearance in the play speaks with a remarkable eloquence despite his deformed image, "As wicked dew as e'er my mother brushed/ With raven's feather from unwholsome fen/ Drop on you both!" (1.2.324-326). These lines show how Caliban speaks in the same eloquent tongue that Prospero speaks with. His lines are long and his words are filled with imagery: "wucked dew", "unwholesome fen", "raven's feather". Caliban doesn't in the play ever seem to be at a loss for words when describing his situation. Later in Act 1 Scene 2 Caliban describes how he once the island was his. Caliban acts like a tour guide for the reader describing the water, berries, toads, and beetles of the island. In this passage through language Caliban is able to once again recreate the past when he was not a slave. Caliban despite his position as a slave to Prospero in the physical world in the world of language, Caliban is Prospero's equal.