Discuss the character of Caliban and his relationship with Prospero

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Discuss the character of Caliban and his relationship with Prospero

Introduction

The relationship between Caliban and Prospero has been very fragile since Caliban tried to rape Miranda. Miranda is Prospero’s daughter.

However, when Prospero first arrived on the island their relationship was much stronger. Caliban was like a teacher’s pet and student of humanity to Prospero and Prospero was like the parent Caliban has been deprived of for so long.

Caliban showed no remorse after his attempt to violate Miranda and this made Prospero detest him even more. Prospero cannot forgive Caliban and they have a new hatred for each other. From this moment, as punishment for Caliban, Prospero has blown all of Caliban’s mistakes out of proportion and punished him accordingly.

For this Caliban has plotted to kill Prospero with the aid of Stephano and Trinculo. He has bribed them to help him.

Caliban

Caliban is neither a man nor an animal. Many people cannot decide if he is a monster or not because of his parents. His mother was Sycorax; she was a known witch who was banished to the island. His father was Setabos, a devil.

Caliban’s parents clearly have a huge effect on his life even though they are not around any more. Sycorax was found guilty of “mischief manifold” and “sorceries terrible” and was banished to this island. She was pregnant at this time, which was why she was not hanged, and she gave birth to Caliban, the devil’s son, on the island. She was Caliban’s only companion through the early years of his life. Her death left him alone, this could have had an effect on Caliban. She was the only connection to civilised life for him and opinion of it is most likely to not be very high. This could have also helped him make his opinion of Prospero.

Caliban has a natural servile nature that might come from his parents being authoritive characters. He is willing to respect strangers as though they were gods before he even knows who they are. When he first meets Stephano he offers to “Kiss thy foot”. He shows eagerness to please others; he is used to being a servant to someone. When Stephano arrives on the island he offers to show him “every fertile inch o’th’island”, just to show that he is a good, intuitive aid.

Caliban used to “gabble like a thing most brutish”, when Prospero first arrived on the island. He made sounds, as though he was ‘talking to himself’ but not in the civilised manner that Prospero and Miranda do. It is probably what would happen to anyone who lived alone on an island.

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When he is shown kindness he is very appreciative. This may be because his parents didn’t show him any love or affection; it makes his judgement clouded when he is shown gratitude from anyone. Caliban says “When thou cam’st first thou strok’st me and made much of me”, he misses this. His loneliness since his mother died ended when he was shown affection by Prospero.

Caliban has an appreciation for beauty and the world around him. Caliban tells Stephano when he first arrived on the island that “The isle is full of noises, sounds and sweet airs, that ...

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