Although Caliban has committed a foul act against Miranda, in my opinion this does not give Prospero the right to mistreat Caliban in such a way. The apparent lack of empathy for Caliban on Prospero's part seems somewhat cold-hearted. With a young daughter of his own, he should be able to sympathise with Caliban. Caliban has endured more than most with the loss of his mother, and now the usurpation of the island. Motherless and homeless, he poses no threat whatsoever to Prospero. It perplexes me that Prospero reacts in such a way, as he and Ariel could soon put Caliban in his place.
When we first meet Caliban in the play, (Act I, ii 335-348) he makes his position absolutely clear and we see that Caliban sees Prospero's usurpation as colonial occupation.
"This island's mine, by Sycorax my mother,
Which thou tak'st from me: when thou cam'st first,
Thou strok'st me, and made much of me…wouldst give me,
Water with berries in't; and teach me how
To name the bigger light, and how the less,
That burn by day and night: and then I loved thee,
And showed thee all qualities o'th'isle,
The fresh springs, brine-pits, barren place and fertile.
Curst be I that did so! All the charms
Of Sycorax: toads, bettles, bats, light on you!
For I am all the subjects that you have,
Which first was mine own king: and here you sty me
In this hard rock, whiles you do keep from me
The rest o'th'island."
In this extract, Caliban tells of his loss of trust in Prospero after he showed Caliban the wealth of natural resources and beauty of the island. He also goes on to criticise Prospero for making he a prisoner, which he obviously sees as unjust.
Previously, Caliban associated with Miranda and Prospero as almost part of a family unit, but following the incident when he attempted unacceptable intimacy with Miranda, he has since been cast out of this and no longer has the freedom of the island. When he is not performing menial tasks for Prospero, he is cooped up, almost imprisoned in a small rocky cave, adjacent to the cell of Prospero and Miranda. Regardless of this, Caliban is neither ashamed nor remorseful of his attempt on Miranda. For Caliban it is a natural act, but to Prospero and Miranda it would demonstrate Caliban's natural inferiority. The English colonists, being strict Protestants and even Puritans viewed with horror the easy sexual relationships that many native people enjoyed. Marriage as an institution was often forced in the name of religion upon native populations.
Throughout the play, Caliban is subject to abusive, humiliating language from Prospero. One of Prospero's rationale for mistreating Caliban is that, "He is not honor'd with a human shape." This constant bombardment seems unjust, as Caliban is not wicked and malicious for the sake of it. He genuinely feels that an injustice has been done. Being difficult is perhaps his only way of striking back at his oppressor. Although he is seen through the eyes of Prospero as a grotesque monster, Shakespeare has given Caliban some of the most beautiful speeches in the play about his island home. (Act IV, ii 130-137) His delight in the natural beauty of the island is evident and the way in which he describes his near tearful pleasure paints a very different picture of him than the monstrous one that Prospero holds.
"Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not:
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears; and sometimes voices,
That, if I then had waked after long sleep,
Will make me sleep again-and then, in dreaming,
The clouds methought would open, and show riches
Ready to drop upon me, that when I waked
I cried to dream again."
He is not without intelligence neither. In fact he comes across as very articulate within the play, even more so than some of the other representations of Europeans, namely Trinculo and Stephano. Later in the play, Caliban comes to realise his own naivety, when he realises that Stephano and Trinculo are not Gods, but in fact drunken fools. (Act V, i 300-302) He is sharp enough to realise his mistake and is quick to condemn himself for this.
"What a thrice-double ass
Was I, to take this drunken fool for a god,
And worship this dull fool!"
Prospero believes that Caliban is a born devil; he was born bad, and can only remain bad. Prospero may be angry and frustrated that Caliban has refused to accept the gift of education. One of the primary principles of the colonists was to "improve the native population" whether or not they wanted it. Improvement was one of the driving forces of the 17th century, as defined by the European superpowers of the time. He seems to appeal to some of the worst prejudices Europeans held against natives. In his treatment of Caliban, he emphasizes that Caliban is a drunken monster that does not respect white women. (Miranda) But it was Prospero himself, followed by Trinculo and Stephano who turned Caliban into a "drunken Indian." At no point does Prospero give Caliban credit for anything even though it was Caliban who revealed the resources of the island to him. Even though he treats Caliban in this manner, at the end of the play, he takes responsibility for him. This is the only time in the play that Prospero declares his obligation towards Caliban. (Act V, i 280-281)
"Must know and own; this thing of darkness I
Acknowledge mine."
In some respects, however, it is difficult to believe that Shakespeare intended to use Caliban as a symbol of colonial oppression. Caliban is a unique individual; he has no race, culture and no previous history. Prospero is oppressing a single person, not a group or a society of people. Even an alien language is not forced upon Caliban, as he had no previous language before the arrival of Prospero. A key aspect of colonial imperialism is the imposition of the conquerors language. This is clearly not the case in The Tempest.
The other native of the isle is Ariel. This fiery spirit is treated far better than Caliban, in scene 2; it is revealed that there is a contract between Prospero and Ariel. Ariel will remain "In bondage," until he is released from service. This is the language of master and serf. Caliban has no such contract. Ariel is in service, not slavery to Prospero after Ariel vowed to serve him after being released from a tree, which Ariel was imprisoned in. This is made explicit in (Act 1, ii) where Prospero and Ariel acknowledge each other as equals. Their relationship is close and affectionate; Prospero calls Ariel "my bird", "my industrious servant" and "my chick." The animating force of his magic, there is no occasion in the play when Prospero doesn't call on Ariel to carry out an assignment for him, not actually exercising his own magic at all yet it is evident he must possess some due to the release of Ariel from the tree. There is an alternative motive on the part of Ariel though, as the spirit must keep Prospero content in order to ensure his release. Despite this though, it is evident that Ariel is very keen to please Prospero and strives to satisfy Prospero's demands. Ariel does not fit easily into a colonial interpretation of the play. Ariel's relationship with Prospero is not of that of master-slave; it is closer to a partnership as Prospero would be virtually helpless without Ariel to carry out his commands. Yet there is never a time when Prospero runs the risk losing Ariel. In my opinion, Ariel can be seen as the native who aligns himself with the oppressors. Some Zulus and other native populations worked with the British, rather than for them, Ariel can be seen in this respect.
Shakespeare had probably read the accounts of the shipwreck of the expedition in June 1609 when a group of important nobles, including George and John Sommers, were marooned on a desert island off the coast of Bermuda, later named "the Sommer Isles." Several accounts of the great storm, the shipwreck and the men's adventures on the island circled London in the broadsheets. As this was a colonial expedition, it may well have influenced Shakespeare to include a colonial theme in his play. However, this evidence is far from conclusive. The Tempest is probably not an intentional critique of the 17th century colonialism, but Shakespeare seems to be raising some of the issues being popularly discussed in London. He was driven by a desire to get money and he knew it was include what contemporary issues were popular. Although Prospero's island seems to be set in the Mediterranean somewhere off Tunis, Shakespeare makes several prominent references to the "Bermoothes" (Bermuda). I can only guess he did this because Bermuda and the West Indies were truly fixed in the popular imagination of Shakespeare's London. Shakespeare does not appear to be defending colonialism. If anything, he appears to be undermining it and it's difficult not to have some sympathy for Caliban who may be a symbol of the oppressed native. It is typical of Shakespeare to explore possible questions before anyone has asked the question.
Did Shakespeare have a hidden agenda when writing The Tempest? Personally, I can't see it. I think that Shakespeare was addressing a popular topic of discussion at the time. He was driven by a desire to get money and he knew it was important to include what contemporary issues were popular. It would have made for great entertainment and would have drawn the crowds. The fact that a masque may have been added to the play in 1613 for the benefit of Elizabeth, the daughter of James I as part of the celebration for her wedding suggests that Shakespeare was more concerned with suiting the play to his audience.
Word Count- 2,088