‘The islands mine by Sycorax…Which thou takest from me…and I showed thee all the qualities o’th’ isle.’
Here he says that he inherited the island when his mother died, and Prospero stole it even after he had shown him all ‘the qualities’ that the island held. This deception can be seen in every colonised community, from the Spanish destruction of the Aztec culture, to the ‘reclaiming’ of land from the nomad tribes of the Americas.
Colonisers would extract the knowledge of the natives, usually under the pretence of friendship, and after they had exploited them for all they were worth, they would enslave them.
As a side matter, it is quite interesting when you examine how prospero describes Sycorax. It is as a ‘blue-eyed hag’. This is rather strange, as she is said to be from Algeria and therefore does not fit the stereotype. Blue eyes later became associated with people of Anglo-Saxon heritage, and in some African cultures blue eyes and blonde hair are seen to be signs of the devil (or at least evil). There are several conclusions we could come to; one is that Sycorax was banished from Algeria due to her race. This view corresponds with Shakespeare’s use of hyphens (‘Blue-eyed’). Some critics believe that his use of this device is implemented to depict the ever-changing reality and sense of wonder through the words’ instability. Another view is that the blue eyes actually refer to something other than her eye colour. Pregnancy is a distinct possibility; in previous years having blue eyelids was seen to be a sign of being with child. This is most likely, as we know that Sycorax eventually gave birth to Caliban, Prospero’s ‘lowly slave’.
A very good and well-known example of the manipulation of a people comes in America’s primary national holiday, thanksgiving. It was a case of the ignorant settlers learning how to cultivate the staple diet of wheat, rye and other plants so they could gain the upper hand on their teachers. At the time the natives as saw it as a genuine offering of alliance when the settlers sat down at dinner and shared Turkey. It was not and shortly afterwards they slaughtered them, in the same cowardly way that Prospero caged his native.
There is an elitist air to Prospero that is reflective of the general character of a European settler. This is representative within his language; on several occasions it is apparent that he and his daughter Miranda feel that their position and colour means they are superior to other characters.
‘I pitied thee … when thou didst not, savage, know thine own meaning, but wouldst gable like a thing most brutish.’
This is just one example of how both Prospero and Miranda feel they are above Caliban in every way. ‘I pitied thee’ suggests that there is a definite feeling of Caliban’s being little more than an animal, something that could just as well be disabled due to his form.
When Miranda says ‘gable like a thing most brutish’ she is referring to Caliban’s dialect before she honoured him with a civilised language. This does nothing for our esteem of Miranda. Her stalwart belief that any ‘gabling’ but that of her own tongue is wrong only shows her ignorance. To be denied language is to be denied thought, and without thought we are nothing. The fact Miranda believes that Caliban had previously not had a language is absurd. Caliban replies to this illogical idea by saying ‘you taught me language, and my profit on’t is I know how to curse’. It was not unusual for the snobbish settlers to believe that anyone who did not speak English, Spanish or any other European language was utterly substandard and dim-witted.
‘Pitied’ is a word often applied to people who make you feel more significant. You would not pity someone who had just fallen over, you may feel sorry for them, but their tripping would not make you despise them to the point of pity. Caliban’s form, as it is described in the play, is one of an earthy monster and Prospero even goes so far as to say ‘(A freckled whelp, hag-born) not honoured with a human shape.’
When the white man first laid eyes on the black man in Africa, they were instantly worried. The general consensus was that these ‘creatures’ were not even human and were, in fact, another species altogether. It is a distinct possibility that Shakespeare intended this to be apparent. Whether or not he believed that Africans were another species is debatable, as this view would have been quite acceptable, but what is quite apparent is that (if indeed this is a colonialist text) he believes that they deserve rights.
Another comparison that can be made between Prospero’s Elitism and colonialism in the mid 16th century comes when talking to Ariel this time. Ariel is Prospero’s other slave, but there is a mutual respect for each other, as Ariel is a creature of great beauty and significant power. Prospero from Sycorax freed Ariel, and as thanks offered his service for ‘a full year’.
‘Thou my slave, as thou report’st thyself, was then her servant.’
Although Prospero has a respect for Caliban, he ensures that he stays in his place. It is as if the magician has made Ariel jump from one frying pan into another fire, as he now serves Prospero, and is still a slave. You could compare this to the evangelical Christians, who travelled the world in an attempt to convert ‘savages’ to what they perceived to be the morally superior way of the lord. It could be said that colonialism was in itself a religious crusade, a way for Europeans to convert the heathens to what they believed to be the correct path. It is evident in The Tempest that Caliban has been indoctrinated to the point of believing Prospero to be all-powerful.
‘I must obey; his art is of such power it would control my damns god Setebos’
it is not mentioned what power Setebos holds but from Calibans experience his Master is more powerful. Prospero’s main power appears to be an ability to control nature itself; he is in control of Ariel, a nymph of great beauty which hails from the clouds above, and Caliban, a monster of hideous visage, who crawls close to the ground and is the colour of the earth. These two slaves represent his overall control; we know he can conjure great storms and give or take life as he pleases.
It is understandable why Caliban in particular may see the mage as a god like figure (as that is how he is presented for a large section of the play), and it is reflective of the awe that many natives felt when first laying eyes on the pale faces.
They would swagger of their monstrous ships, with weapons and finery that would impress any man. The problem would come when it became apparent that the natives were quite impressionable and willing to learn. The manipulation that would follow could well stretch as far as to create a belief that the white man was god.
It is not even as if this is a phenomenon that died with slavery. In the first half of the 20th century, black American school children were taught in class that they weren’t important, and had no history worthy of teaching. The early settlers used this effectively as a smoke screen that would prevent any uprising or questioning of their rule. This is just what Prospero does, but he also employs a fear factor to enforce his power.
I feel that throughout this play there is much to suggest that it is indeed a text with strong colonialist links, but it is not the only motif that can be extracted. It is true that that what I first noticed was that a lot of references could be drawn in relation to the New World conquests of the 15th and 16th centuries. However, on closer examination I began to think that there was a meaning a little deeper rooted. I felt this was a tale of how power corrupts. Firstly we see how in the first scene Gonzalo goes as far as to feel he need hang the Boatswain due to a single comment he made.
Later on we hear of how Prospero’s beloved brother betrays him over the ownership of Milan, and after this we see Prospero become more and more aggressive towards, in particular, Caliban, just as a means to make him feel more powerful.
These two points interlink very well, but can also be examined as separate issues, and I feel that if I had gone into my reading with other expectations I could have drawn out an entirely different argument.
