Analysis Of Caliban In The Tempest

Decent Essays
Caliban a misunderstood soul. I plan to argue that Caliban was misjudge and seen as an evil savage, when in reality we judge him because we don’t understand his culture. My first view of Caliban a character in the book The Tempest by William Shakespeare, was that Caliban was a monster. However, after rereading and really trying to understand him. I came to the understand that he is misjudge and used by Prospero for his evil plan. We sometimes fear what we don’t understand. Like in the past, people have misunderstood people cultures and it have cost them more than feeling hurts but dead like an example the Indians. People in the past have done great damage to what they don’t understand. Prospero manipulated the situation to his advantage and …show more content…
He pointed out that Shakespeare’s character Caliban was taken from the word “Carib” was the name of an Indian tribe” (187). He goes on to describe in gruesome detail was people have done to Indians throughout time. Peoples lack of misunderstanding of cultural is was makes people fear what shouldn’t be feared. This is what sometimes cause people to do evil acts with the justification that they feel they are doing the right thing. Caliban is just like the Indians misunderstood used and then disposed of like a rage. Caliban feeling of betrayal was big, from a sense that he was obeying a god to the feeling of being used. The look that Caliban gave Prospero said more than any words. He clear said with that look, you call me savage and look at you, this is what I took from this scene. Caliban was used for his land like the Indians, for his serve like the Indians and ultimate put aside like the Indians. We took over the Indians land and relocated to land people didn’t want just like what Prospero …show more content…
Both of them which I have seen, however as horrible and scary as those movies are,” I am Legend” and “War of the World” (161). I know see that people are always too quick to judge just like Prospero did to Caliban. Alexander just like Prospero was quick to judge “Alexanders says at the guide who had brought us to this dreadful place. I had their legs broken and left them to be eaten alive by serpents…”(159). He was quick to through the blame on anyone but himself. This is also what Prospero did blamed his bad behavior on the poor savage of Caliban. Both this author has in common is that they both showed how Shakespeare in his book or play made a character to be portrayed an evil savage because this was what was popular back then. This still has not changed much either. This goes to clear show that whoever doesn’t has the power, or money really makes the rules of what is salvage. In order for Caliban to have gotten treated better he would had to have been white and of good religious cultural. Caliban was either rich nor educated therefore a salvage under Prospero eyes with less rights then an

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Caliban, from Shakespeare’s play The Tempest, also changed after being enslaved by Prospero. Prospero took Caliban from his daily routine and taught him his language along with forcing him to do work for Prospero. In the Heart of Darkness, the native Africans were forced to make…

    • 414 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    This is in turn the initial way Caliban was portrayed as a savage, aimed to resonate with the audience, to encourage self-reflection. This changes the audience’s perception of Caliban. Revealing the tragic side of him and the characterisation of him, ‘the isle is full of noises’ throughout the theatrical performance the discovery of the characters is given to the audience assigning them with the role of self-reflecting. Characters are placed in alien situations to test their true reactions. Reoccurrence of music and magic creates an imaginary world which enables discovery through re-evaluation of the self.…

    • 1129 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Caliban was taught the difference between right and wrong, as well as how to speak, and he took these teachings and turned them against the people who taught him, “You taught me language, and my profit on’t is, I know how to curse.” Acting out in a way that society deems morally reprehensible, despite knowing that these actions are inherently evil, suggests that humans have the ability to act in ways that make them comparable to…

    • 1855 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Tempest

    • 674 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In The Tempest, Caliban is a resentful slave of Prospero, He convinces Stephano to kill Prospero. Caliban wants this because Prospero has treated…

    • 674 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    The Tempest Caliban Quotes

    • 1491 Words
    • 6 Pages

    As we read The Tempest, we see Caliban; a native of the island that we see for the first time in Act 1 Scene 2 and was enslaved by Prospero a settler on an Island. Even though this person we see is being enslaved many people do not really feel bad about what is going on with him. This happens because of the chain of events put him there, and also because of the words that other characters use to describe him. At various points, other characters call him a brute or even a monster, but we are left to think if that is that there is to him.…

    • 1491 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    America Before Columbus

    • 642 Words
    • 3 Pages

    A case in point is when Ferdinand’s work of moving logs as servile labor depicted his acknowledgement of the control that Prospero had as his soon to be father-in-law. On the contrary, Caliban’s duty to Prospero in his farm was only recognized as a slave’s obligation to his master. Moreover, Prospero expected Ferdinand to show his commitment to marry his daughter by working hard and in completing the tasks to show his willing to toil for his daughter even after marriage. Contrarily, Caliban was only expected to meet his duties as a slave without any reward at the end of his undivided commitment to his master, Prospero. The relationship between Prospero and Caliban indicates the conquest that the former has been able to achieve over…

    • 642 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Sexism In The Tempest

    • 310 Words
    • 2 Pages

    According to Lorie Leininger, modern thinking and knowledge has led to a deeper speculation of Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest, which suggest unholy acts of sexism and racism. Leininger argues that Prospero, a hyper masculine figure, uses his powers to undermine Miranda and Caliban along with asserting his dominance over them. A consistent argument that Leininger brings up is how Prospero talks down to his daughter “Miranda is given to understand that she is the foot in the family organization of which Prospero is the head” (148). This analogy proves that Prospero doesn’t see his own daughter as an equal, he doesn’t believe she can be strong and smart like the brain. Along with insulting his daughter, Prospero manipulates Miranda convincing…

    • 310 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    People can often be ignorant of their own heritage. In a story that I read called “Everyday Use” written by Alice Walker, many conflicts and struggles are noticed that this African-American family faces. Here, in the story we have Dee who is visiting from college, Maggie who is shy and still lives with Mama, and Mama who is a big-boned heavy-set women poor and uneducated. The meaning of heritage and culture is what this family suffers from, let’s discuss the events and symbols that occur throughout the story of “Everyday Use”. In the story “Everyday Use” Dee has changed her name to “Wangero” meaning “Wow” which is an African name.…

    • 1072 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    They were exiled from their home in Milan where he was the ex-duke. They bring with them Prospero’s magic. In the beginning they got along fine, Caliban shows them water and food, and they give him shelter. Eventually though, Prospero uses his magic to force Caliban to live under a rock and essentially be his slave. Whenever Caliban disobeys, Prospero curses him, saying “I’ll rack thee with old cramps, fill all thy bones with aches” (Shakespeare 53).…

    • 1167 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    In Scene 2, Caliban only spoke with a frustrated tone when he talked to or about Prospero. Otherwise, he spoke as if he were powerless and futile. He labeled Prospero as “the tyrant that I serve (139)!” In the meantime, Stephano and Trinculo treated Caliban as if he was an animal that could be ordered around and subdued. Stephano told Trinculo, “[h]e(Caliban) shall taste of my bottle… it will go near to remove his fit… he shall pay for him that hath him (66-68),” and, “all the wine in my bottle will recover him (80-81).”…

    • 1417 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Thus Caliban, however, is not even offered freedom and is instead kept under Prospero’s control even at the very end of the play. While Ariel obeys Prospero for the eventual acquisition of freedom, Caliban obeys Prospero for his own survival. Caliban’s inability to truly decide his own future is further displayed by the fact that he himself rarely gets to fulfil the ten syllable rule of the iambic pentameter present in Shakespeare’s works. Instead his lines are quite often finished by a different character, for…

    • 1267 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Control In The Tempest

    • 1507 Words
    • 7 Pages

    It was also discussed that too much of one in the soul was never a good thing and always had negative effects on the person. Well Prospero is no exception to this rule, for he possesses way too much Thumos in his soul. He allows his emotions to overtake him, and he can no longer rational think about his actions, and his desire to be the Duke of Milan is overshadowed by his overwhelming desire to seek revenge on those responsible. It isn’t until much later in text that Prospero actually realizes the damage he has done, and how pointless this revenge actually was. Ariel is the one who actually snaps him out of this blind vengeance by saying, “Him that you termed, sir, the good old Lord Gonzalo.…

    • 1507 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    He has not attained his goal of remorse from Antonio, nor truly feels forgiveness for him. His near unlimited power is thus useless in accomplishing his goal. The passage recounting the tale of his initial betrayal may reveal the answer. Prospero describes himself as ”Prospero, the prime Duke, being so reputed/ In dignity”(1.2.72-73) who becomes engrossed in his library which was ”dukedom large enough” (1.2.110).…

    • 1631 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The role of language in Shakespeare’s play The Tempest is very important. To Miranda and Prospero the use of language is a sense of identity; Caliban does not see language in the same light. Prospero taught Caliban to speak, but instead of creating the feeling of liberation from language, Caliban reacts in a totally different way. “… my profit on ‘t/ Is I know how to curse. The red plague rid you/ For learning me your language” (1.2.437439).…

    • 1350 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    Prospero can be seen as a representation of the Europeans who usurped the land of native Americans and enslaved them. He, as a sense of superiority, takes Caliban as half man. Pushing the original inhabitants of the island to the side, he places himself at the helm of affairs. He has full control over everything on the island. He makes servants out of Ariel and Caliban and unforms and reforms the island and the inhabitants in his own image.…

    • 1248 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays