With reference to two or three episodes, explore Shakespeare's dramatic use and presentation of Caliban?

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Michelle Bailey 12R

With reference to two or three episodes, explore Shakespeare’s dramatic use and presentation of Caliban.

Shakespeare presents and uses Caliban in a number of different episodes in a way that leaves his character open to different interpretations depending on the audience.

In Act 1 scene 2, we are first introduced to Caliban as being a slave, “Slave! Caliban!”

It soon becomes clear that Caliban is a true native of the island, and was there long before Prospero, yet Prospero came and made it his island by abusing Caliban’s knowledge, “This island’s mine…which thou tak’st from me (Caliban)…I showed thee all the qualities o’ the’ isle”

Caliban’s native status on the island, yet forced servitude, may be a symbol of the native cultures occupied and suppressed by European colonial societies – which in the play are represented by Prospero and his power. Shakespeare uses this as way to engage the audience with Caliban, as they can relate to something they have heard about or are familiar with.

To an Elizabethan audience, the fact that Caliban is given a voice, in that he tells his side of the story and feelings about being suppressed – “cursed be that I did so” – is very radical as he is a monster and a captured native and therefore has no rights. To a modern audience however, we can see that Caliban’s enslavement may be very unjust.

However, in the same way that Caliban is given a voice, he is cursed for doing so – “Thou most lying slave”. A modern audience could (as said above) sympathise with Caliban, however we are given another point of view by Prospero, in that Prospero did not treat Caliban unkindly “I have used thee…with human care and lodged thee in mine own cell”, and therefore although Shakespeare briefly gives Caliban a voice, it is Prospero who has the final word in the argument of how the island came to be his and therefore Caliban is presented again as being below humans in that his argument is not valid.

Despite this, we have only been given two opinions of what really happened, and so we may not know the truth. Shakespeare therefore includes Miranda, the pillar of everything that is good, also expression of her feelings about Caliban. The fact that Miranda is caring, kind, and appears to have no negative qualities may lead us to believe that her opinions of a character will be fair and correct. Miranda herself calls Caliban an “Abhorred slave” and therefore this suggests that Caliban is truly evil.

This point is reflected in the same episode as Caliban’s ‘evil’ traits are shown immediately. We are informed very early on in “The Tempest” that Caliban tried to rape Miranda “thou (Caliban) did seek to violate the honour of my child (Miranda)” and instead of showing contrition, he says that he wishes he would have been able to finish the deed, “thou didst prevent me”. The fact that Shakespeare uses examples of what Caliban did that was evil (rape), and also by giving descriptions of how ugly Caliban is both modern and Elizabethan audiences can see that Caliban is evil.

To an Elizabethan audience, the fact that Caliban is presented as being a “freckled whelp hag-born, not honoured with human shape”, means that they believe he is evil, as the outward appearance reflects what is inside, and it also again justifies the fact that Caliban is treated as a slave due to the fact that Caliban is an animal and hence below humans which rationalizes Prospero’s treatment of him.  The language used by Shakespeare when talking about or describing Caliban is not just used to make him sound grotesque, but to make him sound evilly ugly. For example “hag-born”… “got by the devil himself”. This has the effect of making Caliban sound – even to a modern audience – not only hideous, but evil.

However interpretations of Caliban may differ when it comes to analysing the fact that Caliban appears only fluent in curses, “A south-west blow on ye, and blister you all o’er”… “All the charms of Sycorax…on you”. To an Elizabethan audience this proves his barbaric tendencies, and therefore shows that he is evil, as even after Miranda “pitied thee (Caliban)…took pains to make thee speak, taught thee each hour”, Caliban merely says that “you taught me language, and my profit on’t is I know how to curse”. This shows that although time is spent teaching Caliban how to speak, the only thing he learns is how to curse.

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To an Elizabethan audience, this would prove how evil Caliban is – the reason he is only fluent in curses is because he is evil to the core and so cannot learn any other language. “Abhorred slave…which any print of goodness wilt not take”. The only parts of the language that remain in his mind are those which allow him to curse and this therefore shows he is capable of no goodness. In this instance Shakespeare presents Caliban in such a way that will allow an Elizabethan audience to justify the fact that Prospero treats Caliban as a slave, as ...

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