For the liquid is not earthly.
Caliban declares to Trinculo that he his slave, as he wants to overthrow Prospero (the audience can relate to the sub-plot of the play to the Gunpowder plot). The Gunpowder plot was an attempt on James I’s life (Prospero’s life). It was made to free the Catholics (Caliban) from the cruelty and new laws made against them. This showing that Shakespeare used Caliban to represent the slaves, the Catholics had become and shows the tempest can be seen as an allegory of Jacobean society.
When Caliban is left after his mother’s death, he is less able to rule then she, as he lacks her supernatural powers and at the same time being servile by nature. This innate servility is clearly shown in Caliban’s reaction to Stephano and Triculo. His first feeling towards them is fear, when he believes them to be spirits sent from Prospero to punish him, and his second one is self-abasement:
“ There be fine things, an if they be not sprites.
That’s a brave god, and bears celestial liquor.
I will kneel to him.”
Caliban shows how naive he is, as unquestioningly believes Stephano’s cynical claim to have come from the moon, and only too readily offers himself as a slave: “I’ll kiss the foot; I’ll swear myself the subject”. When the project to kill Prospero and take over the island is hatched by Caliban we are shown Shakespeare’s version of the colonialist situation. Stephano and Trinculo are the exploitative travellers from the old world eager for power and quick to use the naivety of the nature inhabitants for their own ends. While Caliban is the European conception of the Indians, semi- bestial, full of animal cunning, and all too ready a victim of the Europeans gift of alcohol.
Ariel is one of Shakespeare’s most original and fascinating creations has many facets. His name was fairly common for a spirit in magical works, and the sound of it does of course suggest that he is ‘ an ayrie spirit’. Ariel is a servant of the mind rather than the body, and acts as the medium for the exercise of Prospero’s magical powers. This both prevents prospero from the indignity of ever actually conjuring, and endows Ariel with great powers and responsibility.
Prospero seems to love Ariel as he speaks to him affectionately:
‘Brave spirit’ ‘delicate Ariel’
However Prospero’s affection soon turns to anger when Ariel asks for his freedom. Prospero turns to Ariel abusing him and threatening to punish him. Ariel apologises and promises to be good in the future. I believe their relationship is more father and child then that of a master and slave. When Prospero is angry, Ariel becomes sullen and apologetic. Assuming this a father child relationship, Prospero is an old fashioned father, expecting instant obedience and punishing any disobedience.
Ariel role in the play is to work for Prospero and she does this with her magical powers of changing shape:
Prospero: ‘go make thyself like a nymph o’ the sea’
In Jacobean England everyone knew most of the ancient myths and so Shakespeare includes these in his plays. In Greek myths nymphs were the personification of various nature objects like rivers, trees or lakes. This shows the supernatural powers that Ariel has as she uses it when Prospero asks.
Ariel is a trusted spirit and greatly loved by his master:
‘I did free thee, delicate Ariel’
However Prospero not only appreciates Ariel as a servant, but he loves him too, and the bond between them is stronger than any feeling Prospero has for anyone else. Prospero frequently praises Ariel for carrying out his task and is seems that Ariel is more a servant than a slave. The relationship between Prospero and Caliban seems on the surface quite antithetical to this, and get to like Ariel and Prospero it might again be called a master-servant relationship strengthened by a deeper bond. Where Prospero depends on Ariel’s spirit powers to carry out his magic, he depends on Caliban to do humble physical needs that are essential to the household:
“As tis’
We cannot miss him. He does make our fire,
Fetch in our wood, and serves in offices
That profit us.
Caliban has acquired survival skills and certain requirements beyond this; he takes pleasure in them and offers his services to Stephano:
“I prithee, let me bring thee where crabs grow;
And I with my long nails will dig the pignuts,
Show thee a jay’s nest, and instruct thee how
To snare the nimble marmoset,
However Prospero shows no recognition that Caliban has any talents at all, instead is bitter towards Caliban as he has rejected or perverted the gifts his master has tried to offer him. Prospero extend to Caliban the benefits of civilisation: shelter and the gift of language. However Caliban bestial nature prevents Caliban from taking advantage of these and his only profit, as he says, is that by learning to speak he is able to curse. He hates Prospero, and resents having to serving him, but has to do out of fear as Prospero threatens him with physical torment.
The Tempest shows us there are some natures, which cannot be improved by nurture. Nature, the natural state, is polarized against nurture, that state of being without civility, art or grace. In Caliban it is not a condition of blessed innocence, uncorrupted by society, nor a state of moral neutrality. Caliban is naturally evil and his instincts are to satisfy appetite and to avoid discomfort. To do these things he will lie, betray kindness, cheat and abase himself to any extent, these are demonstrated when he encounters Stephano. First of all he succumbs to the ‘celestral liquor’ which Stephano has managed to preserve, and is ready to become Stephano’s slave to ensure continued supply. He thinks that escaping from Prospero will give him freedom, and does not understand that he is just transferring himself from one kind of servitude to another. However he is cunning enough to tell lies and flatters Stephano into the project of murdering Prospero, but he too cowardly to confront his master face to face or do the deed himself. Unlike Caliban, Ariel plays the role of the willing servant, in order to get what he wants. Ariel and Prospero are affectionate towards each other, but this does not hide the fact that Ariel is Prospero’s slave. His manner being happy and eager to please reflects his childish nature. I believe Ariel and Prospero reflect father child relationship, as when Prospero is affectionate, Ariel is happy and eager to please. Unlike Ariel Caliban’s role is to act as a contrast to the other characters, as he has a natural violence when he plots against Prospero while Antonio shows civilised evil as he tries to kill the King. Caliban’s role as a noble savage shows us he loves the island, and his language tells us the most haunting poetry in the play. Ariel’s roles are to provide prospero with magical powers but I believe she also teaches him compassion and this hence allows him to forgive his enemies. In conclusion Ariel and Caliban are similar yet contrasting characters Shakespeare uses them together to reinforce the theme of master servant relationship to the audience. While Caliban is used only to reinforce theme of colonialism, Ariel’s role in the play maybe less significant to Calibans, but she is still vital to the plot.