Shakespeare also shows how Prospero thinks of Caliban with use of animal imagery and magic semantic fields. Shakespeare shows that Prospero is also affected by the belief of physiognomy, the idea that if someone is beautiful they cannot be evil, but if they are ugly and/or deformed they are evil, and Caliban is described as ‘a freckled whelp’ and ‘not honoured with human form’ giving the impression that Caliban is an animalistic creature, due to the animal imagery, instead of being someone a European would view as trustworthy and honest. This implies that when Prospero arrived on the island with his daughter Miranda, Prospero would never have viewed Caliban as an equal, and that the very beginnings of his relationship with Caliban was fake, as he was ruled more by his parental responsibilities, and his natural urges to keep them alive. Seeing Caliban who came across as eager to help, the trust would have been easy, yet suspicious between them. The relationship in the beginning would have been one more of need than anything else.
Like Caliban gave a new life to Prospero and Miranda, by showing them the island, Prospero has effectively given Ariel a second chance at life, by freeing him from the tree Sycorax imprisoned him in. However, Ariel has had to pay for such a chance by debt; whereas Caliban’s generosity is rewarded with slavery. We know little about Ariel’s life before Prospero arrived and freed him from the tree, but we know that the name of Sycorax is enough to chide Ariel into behaving again, and Prospero uses this knowledge in order to regain control of Ariel.
“Hast thou forgot
The foul witch Sycorax[?]”
Shakespeare shows the jealousy of the relationship between Ariel and Prospero, as although Ariel is powerful, Sycorax managed to ‘confine thee’ (Ariel) into a ‘cloven pine’ using her ‘more potent ministers’ meaning that Sycorax was able to overpower the spirit. Ariel had to wait for a dozen years until Prospero was able to release him, but we are not told how much power was needed for this. Prospero was also not the one to cause the tempest, it was Ariel, implying that Ariel is much stronger than Prospero, and his need for power and control means that he has had to find a way to enslave Ariel as he has Caliban, and the way of paying a debt seemed the best way. However, affection has seeped through causing the paternal bond.
Caliban is also seen by Prospero as being unintelligent, and this adds to Prospero naturally assuming that Caliban could never be considered as an equal, and is lower than him on the social standings. So in Prospero’s mind, Caliban should have always been in a position of either servitude, or just below him in general. However, Shakespeare presents Caliban differently. When the audience first meets Caliban, we find that he is extremely intelligent. In his first greeting to Prospero, Caliban he says:
“As wicked dew as e’er my mother brushed
With raven’s feather from unwholesome fen
Drop on you both! A south-west blow on ye
And blister you all o’er!”
He uses vivid language, with the use of iambic pentameter, and similes, often speaking in blank verse, proof that he is no fool; as speaking in blank verse is a form of speech used by those of a higher social standing. This also shows the hatred Caliban has towards Prospero for his oppression. (Prospero often insults and punishes Caliban to remind him of his place, using animal imagery calling him a ‘tortoise’ and often threatening him with ‘side stitches that shall pen thy breath up’ which contains more animal imagery with the use of the verb ‘pen’ to refer to something that can be very harmful.) This use of language towards each other shows the hatred that has poisoned the relationship, and one of its complexities. The intelligence between the two is not equal as Caliban is unable to perform magic, but he is far from inferior.
Another point Shakespeare makes to present the relationship between Caliban and Prospero is that Prospero effectively usurped Caliban from his island. As a European, Prospero would think nothing of this, as he feels it is his duty to colonise as many places in the world as possible, but Caliban is bitter for the loss of his island; ‘This island’s mine by Sycorax my mother’ and is resentful towards Prospero because he ‘sty me in this hard rock’, displaying the use of animal imagery from Caliban himself. Shakespeare also shows the control Prospero has over Caliban in his speech. Prospero has taught Caliban language, implying that through this, he can control or limit his thoughts and actions, making sure that he is constantly under his rule. Caliban’s expressions and thoughts are going to be influenced by the thoughts and expressions of Prospero, to an extent, and the proof of this is that Caliban refers to himself as an animal, thinking that it is acceptable. Ariel on the other hand was present on the island at the same time as Caliban and Sycorax, meaning that he has not been so easily swayed by the culture of the Europeans, and although “Civilised” by Prospero along with Caliban, Ariel has been able to remain above the full control Prospero has with Caliban by having power to resist it. His ability with magic also puts him on the same level as Prospero, but always slightly, in Prospero’s eyes, below. Ariel also escapes such hash linguistic treatment, and although berated, it is through the use of Sycorax’s name, and Ariel’s nicknames are often more affectionate such as ‘My dainty spirit’ and ‘nymph’ words that imply he is beautiful and breakable a stark contrast to Caliban who fights back verbally, and is not worthy of such nicknames.
Shakespeare portrays the relationships between the trio even when one isn’t around. As Caliban and Ariel never meet, we don’t have a reaction to one another, but Ariel is protective of Prospero, and warns him of the plot Caliban is hatching with Stephano and Trinculo to kill him. The two behave in polar opposite ways towards the same person, reflecting their treatment from Prospero, even though it is similar as they both serve the European. Ariel is protective due to his affectionate treatment, and Caliban murderous as he is shown no mercy and his punishments physical, whereas Ariel has implied threats, and nothing physical carried out. Caliban and Ariel are also similar in the ways that they love the island deeply through their dual speeches of love for the island, a trait that Prospero does not show, and instead lusts over getting his revenge on the ones that wronged him previously.
It can also be argued that Shakespeare has made Caliban a representing side of Prospero’s personality, a side that Prospero recognises and does not like, adding to the harsh treatment of Caliban. This is proven by his brutality. Prospero is brutal in a powerful, magical way, often punishing with his words giving Caliban ‘Cramps’ ‘Side-stitches’ and ‘shalt be pinched’ whereas Caliban is brutal with words and intelligence. (‘All the charms of Sycorax!’). It is through such harsh treatment that Caliban cannot be expected to know better, and it seems to imply that his mother Sycorax treated him the same way; as he does not react to the physical punishments himself physically. Instead, he uses words in a way Prospero never quite matches. Caliban can only conspire with fools who think they ought to be the new King of the island for Prospero’s death – and does not dare carry out the murder himself; he persuades the others to do it for him. “Monster, I will kill this man”. Prospero does not seem to be brutal all the time, as he shows himself to be a loving father, and prefers to be with his books and daughter than enforcing punishments to Caliban. It shows that both have weaker, softer sides, although they both put on a hard exterior.
Ariel can also be linked to being a part of Prospero, as the side of his love, affection, and sense of reason. Ariel was the one who brought about the redemption of Prospero at the end of the play, and the unveiling of Prospero’s true ability to show affection blossomed when Ariel was freed. Prospero admitted to his daughter Miranda of his abuse of his Dukedom by not paying attention to it, like a Duke should have done, and we are also given the impression that Prospero only took Caliban under his wing out of the desperate need to keep him and his daughter alive for some “civilised” company, both not entirely loving actions. When Ariel is freed from the tree, which is almost like a cage, so is Prospero’s ability to love.
“I will rend an oak
And peg thee in his knotty entrails till
Thou hast howled away twelve winters”
The use of the noun ‘entrails’ can be related to both Ariel and Prospero; in Ariel’s case, it is gruesome as it is where Ariel would be incarcerated for the second time, in the cage like surroundings, which also gives the ‘knotty’ ‘cloven pine’ a personified feel, as trees don’t really have organs. The noun ‘entrails’ can also be linked to Prospero, in the sense that Ariel (his ability to love) would be locked away within himself again. The noun ‘winters’ also implies that he shall be cold like he used to be again, even though he is not exactly warm at the moment either. Prospero conveys his arrogance and power through his threat with using abusive language such as ‘peg’ and implying the length of his previous imprisonment shall be repeated. Prospero boasts almost of his power over Ariel, and uses the verb ‘howled’ the first time that he has used animalistic imagery in the same way he would Caliban – calling him a dog, although it is not direct, howling is associated with dogs. The use of the verb ‘knotty’ along with ‘entrails’ gives the audience the feel that the incarceration would be painful too instead of being simply trapped, giving the audience a sense of nausea, as they think of their insides being tied up.
It is however, Ariel’s advice and guidance that Prospero goes on when he needs something done, although he makes decisions himself, and carries them out to an extent without Ariel’s help, it is Ariel who makes Prospero realise the error of his ways in the treatment of the marooned royal party.
“Your charm so strongly works ‘em
That if you now beheld them, your affections
Would become tender.”
The language that Ariel uses to coax Prospero into realising that he has been too hard on the stranded royals can be linked to the lexical and semantic field of a new born child. It gives the impression that in Prospero’s imminent redemption, he is being ‘re-born’ and made to see life in a new way – which is proven as he gives up his magic, and forgives the mistakes and backstabbing of the past. Ariel guides Prospero into being gentle with his new found perspective of life, and the word ‘beheld’ implies that he is holding everything in his hands, and how he treats it will affect the relationships he has carved for his daughter and what he is about to do for himself in the future. Ariel’s use of the noun ‘affections’ reminds Prospero that instead of treating everything like it’ll fight back and constantly snap back to make sure it is under his power, an example of which would be with Miranda, when she was chided for no apparent reason – “Dost thou attend me?” he must treat it like you would a new born child, carefully. A semantic field of ‘love’ is also brought into effect by Ariel as he guides Prospero for the last time with the words ‘charm’, ‘beheld’, ‘affections’ and ‘tender’ all being used.
Shakespeare presents the relationship as master and slave between Prospero and Caliban in many different ways, from the obvious – Prospero’s constant threats and punishments, to the not so obvious, Caliban’s appearance, and Prospero’s teachings and the way society has moulded Prospero’s mind to believe in physiognomy and a ‘European is best’ kind of thought. While Caliban may fight against his slavery to Prospero, he knows no better, and Prospero does not think anything of his actions. The presentation of the relationship between Ariel and Prospero is turbulent, as Prospero struggles for power over Ariel who complies with less of a fight than Caliban, but Ariel is almost Prospero’s guide on the island to bettering himself while he pays off his debt of freedom.