Rosie Arnell
The character of Caliban in ‘The Tempest’ can be compared to all of the Irish native inhabitants in ‘Translations’, by comparing the way in which Caliban resents Prospero’s language, like Hugh resents English, the way in which he relies on natural resources, similarly does Manus, and also the way in which he is perceived by others, perhaps as more of a creature than a person, like Sarah is perceived as being unintelligent as she cant talk. I think mostly so Caliban can be compared to ‘Owen’, who too ends up being a victim of colonisation and is treated with disrespect by the colonisers.
In translations, the master of the hedge school, Hugh, does not support the idea of the English language being phased into Ireland, and refers to it with very derogatory terms like ‘plebeian’ and see’s it only suitable for business purposes, but at the end of the play, he comes to terms with the fact that the English language and the English names for towns is going to have to be accepted if everybody is to live their lives peacefully. likewise in ‘The tempest’ Caliban is irritated with Prospero and complains that he was taught Prospero’s language but with lack of benefit to himself as it taught him to curse – ‘you taught me language, and my profit on’t is I know how to curse’. Although, by the end of the play, after his experience of Stephano, Trinculo and wine, he realises that Prospero and his ways are better for him. This is evident when he says ‘I’ll be wiser hereafter, and seek for grace. What a thrice double ass was I to take this drunkard for a god’. Both characters grow and gain the ability of acceptance to a change in language when compared from the beginning to the end of the play. What is dismissed as ‘gabble’ by Miranda may in fact have been Caliban’s native language of which he has been deprived. Similarly, in Bally Beag, English place names are to replace the Gaelic names and the enforced methods of teaching English are used to gain power over the Irish. So therefore Caliban can be compared to all Irish inhabitants in reference to their deprivation of language.
