Caliban And Prospero in The Tempest Essay

Shakespeares play, The Tempest, revolves around the theme of power. A duke is usurped, a conspiracy to kill a king is made and everyone seems to have a different notion of power. But there is one belief they all agree on: Calibans inferiority including Caliban himself. While it is certain that Caliban has more to his character than what is superficially portrayed, he is still considered the lowliest creature. This is the manifestation of the social hierarchy that existed during the time this play was written. It gives us an insight into the minds of the people and what their idea of superiority was. Shakespeare, very subtly mocks this notion of supremacy held by the Europeans in the play by making it crystal clear where every character stands in terms of intelligence and what their rightful place is but at the same time, he sticks to the strict social structure that is expected to exist at that time.

Caliban is the most complex and the most intriguing character in the play. He is the only native of the island on which Prospero arrives. His description suggests that he is not human, at least not wholly so. He is at least part fish, often considered a beast. Throughout the play, we see different character reacting to the sight of Caliban. Here, it is pertinent to note that all the characters apart from Caliban are European. Shakespeare, on more than once occasion, shows that this might be the reason why they consider themselves superior to Caliban through their reactions. Physical appearance of Caliban is alien to them he is of a different skin-tone, he does not wear the same clothes, he does not have the same facial features as them nor does he have their etiquettes and mannerisms; hence they automatically consider him to be non-human. This gave them a justified ground to subdue him and declare themselves superior. It is interesting to note is that not only do the European character consider him inferior, but also Caliban himself considers himself fit to be a servant. His fear of Prospero is justified, since Prospero controlled him through his magical abilities: "I must obey. His art is of such powr / It would control my dams god, Setebos, / And make a vassal of him." (I, ii, 372-74), but even when he meets Stephano and Trinculo, who themselves are servants of the Royalty, Caliban places himself in their Stephanos service, without having so much as a moment of hesitation. He does this, despite the fact that he considers himself as the rightful owner of the island.

The play begins with introducing Prospero and Miranda and that they had been cast away to a lonely, distant island after Prospero was usurped by his brother, Antonio. He tells his daughter, Miranda:

Out of the dukedom and confer fair Milan

With all the honours on my brother: whereon,

A treacherous army levied, one midnight

Fated to the purpose did Antonio open

The gates of Milan, and, i' the dead of darkness,

The ministers for the purpose hurried thence?

Me and thy crying self. (I. ii. 126 132)

In the play, Prospero comes on the island, subdues the only inhabitant of the island and places himself on the helm of affairs. When Prospero speaks of first coming to the island, he says that the island was not: honour'd with A human shape (I. ii. 283 284). This suggests that Propero considered Caliban beneath himself and Miranda, so low as to not even be considered human. Prospero also expects Caliban to be grateful to him for educating him and lifting him from savagery. He refuses to acknowledge that he had forcefully taken the island from Caliban because he does not see Caliban fit to rule anything. Calibans sardonic rebelliousness is revealed in the same scene. He greets Prospero and Miranda with:

"As wicked dew as eer my mother brushed

With ravens feather from unwholesome fen

Drop on you both! A south-west blow on ye

And blister you all oer! (I, ii, 321-24)

From the above passage, Calibans hatred for his master and his daughter is quite evident. It consists predominantly of curses, which he himself says is the only benefit he has had from learning their language: You taught me language; and my profit on't?Is, I know how to curse. (I. ii. 363 364) Caliban's first speech emphasizes the conflict that arises from his lack of gratitude towards his master, which Prospero thinks he should be. In Prosperos view, he rescued Caliban from savagery and treated him with undeserved kindness: Thou most lying slave,?Whom stripes may move, not kindness! I have used thee,?(Filth as thou art), with humane care (I. ii. 344 346). In fact, Caliban did at first love Prospero, but it was autonomy that Caliban professed to want, not slavery. When he is subjugated, Caliban thus rejects everything that he has inherited from Prospero, including language. Caliban essentially feels betrayed, and this is evident in the tone that is used to address Prospero in his first speech:

This islands mine by Sycorax my mother,

Which thou takst from me. When thou camst first,

Thou strokst me and made much of me...

...and then I loved thee...