Explore Shakespeare's presentation of Caliban in The Tempest. How far do you accept that he is a "thing of darkness"?
Explore Shakespeare's presentation of Caliban in The Tempest. How far do you accept that he is a "thing of darkness"? Shakespeare very cleverly creates the character Caliban for The Tempest. Caliban is a very important part of the play. Caliban is a deformed creature, half man and half fish. Shakespeare portrays Caliban in a good way as well as a bad way. Two sides of him are shown, so the audience can decide whether they want to sympathise with him more or despise him more. Shakespeare at times makes Caliban seen as a creature with no feelings and at other times he's shown to have very strong emotions. "What some may see as natural, healthy and good for the planet, others may see as rather smelly and uncivilised! Likewise, some generations of critics see Caliban as representing freedom, whilst others see him as merely savage and uncouth" Caliban a creature of his times by Joanna Williams, the English review. Throughout the ages views towards Caliban have changed a lot, some audiences have sympathised with him whilst others have resented him. These views have all depended on the era and it's views at the time. In the Enlightenment years (about 100 years after The Tempest was written) Caliban was seen as a beast but in the Romantic period (around the time of the French Revolution) Caliban was seen as a curiosity but also as natural and as a marvel. Coleridge wrote that "The
The Tempest - Act IV Analysis
The Tempest Act IV Analysis Written in 1611, Shakespeare's drama The Tempest, deals with issues of social order, as well as the 'natural order' of how society should function. Conflicts within the text indicate the need for order and a 'rightful' leader. These themes are reflections of the story, as Prospero the 'rightful leader' was usurped by his brother Antonio, after which, conflicts arise and the drama unfolds. Act four is an important scene in the play and it can be seen as a turning point in the play as well as functioning to produce meanings for the audience. The masque and the marriage act as a representation of a healthy social order, and thus prepare the audience for the mending of social order in the next scene. It also represents fifteenth century ideas of social order and social function of marriage. Finally, the characterization of characters such as Caliban and Prospero in this act shifts the views of the audience in order for the audience to agree with Caliban's defeat in the final act, and thus support a 'happy' and 'rightful' ending. The use of marriage and the masque in act four, function two fold in representing Shakespeare's ideas of the qualities and implications of marriage. Firstly fifteenth century marriages are conveyed as being less about love and lust, and more predominately about social order and organization. Secondly, the masque can be seen
" Ariel is a mischievous sprit, but is rather that one character that holds the Tempest together" discuss the importance of the character Ariel in the play.
Sean Jones English Coursework The Tempest Essay Ariel is an airy spirit in 'The Tempest'. Who Yearns for freedom and provides a somewhat atmospheric presence to the play. I am going to look at the way she adjusts her persona to different characters and the effect she has on those characters. Looking at the different areas of the play she is involved I will pick out certain things of significance and elaborate on them. The Structure of the play is almost dependent on Ariel. It begins as one solid story, the disaster, and then it splits and disperses into three separate play genres; Love; comedy; and revenge. Ariel is the glue that holds these three together. She ties them together, making the story easier to follow. In the end she unites all characters to reveal one solid play. Think a diamond shape when thinking of the tempests' structure. Also the ending of the play would not be as effective. She gives the play closure, she is the one who, conveniently, resurrects the Tempest, and returns everything to normal. Also her Liberty at the end helps with that closure and provides a sense of relief for the audience. Shakespeare has ignited such a character as a useful ingredient he can use in other plays. If you take, for example, the character 'PUK' from 'a midsummer night's dream'; Puck is like Ariel in many ways, in that a fairy with similar characteristics. I believe him
How appropriate do you find this extract (Act 5, Scene 1, from line 216) as an ending to the play?
How appropriate do you find this extract (Act 5, Scene 1, from line 216) as an ending to the play? "O look sir, look sir, here is more of us", shows how, at the end of the play everyone comes together. More basically, in reference to the direction of the actors on stage, the fact that everyone is on stage for the end of the play, allows all characters to be seen by the audience, almost as a finale. In reference to the actors as the characters they play in "the Tempest", all the characters being in one place at one time, allows for/sets the scene for any conflicts, confrontations or reconciliations to take place. Or example, Trinculo and Stephano are seen and discovered as thieves, and their plot to murder Prospero is made public. "These three have robbed me, and this demi-devil...had plotted with them to take my life". This hence allows everyone to see how powerful Prospero is, as he announces that he had full knowledge of the murder plot. The ending of the play also demonstrates one of the main themes in the play of power and hierarchies of power. For example, Prospero mocks Stephano due to his notion that he could be king of the island - that he could usurp Prospero "You'd be king o' th' isle, sirrah?" It is appropriate that everyone is on stage at the end of the play, as it allows us to see the returning of power to whom it belongs. Earlier in Act 5 scene 1, Prospero
The Little Girl Eater, by Septimus Dale - review
The Little Girl Eater By Septimus Dale In class we read the story of The Little Girl Eater, by Septimus Dale. The central character is a man called Mason and the story begins with him lying on sand beneath an old coal jetty; he'd been there a long time, after taking a short cut when the tide was out, through the girders. He knew the tide was heading back his way, and would eventually drown him. It was early April so it was very unlikely that some one would find him. Mason felt sick and weak; huge waves of nausea hit him like the waves of the sea. He could no longer feel his lower limbs, nor move them. Mason felt that he must reason out a manner of escape before it was too late. Mason had tried calling out to begin with, but this was a failure. However, an ingenious plan formed in his mind: if he were to burrow downwards, instead of trying to force himself upwards, he might dig himself enough clearance to crawl clear. It all depended on what lay beneath. Miranda was a little girl, not pretty at all; in fact, eminently ugly: her nose was lengthy; she had an extremely obese physique. The road her car was travelling on was jolting; she was on the back seat; her mother in the front with her friend, Johnny, who was driving. Johnny was nice: he didn't mind going anywhere with his car, unlike her dad. They were going to the sea. Johnny wanted to send Miranda down to the beach to
The Tempest Prospero as a contrasting, multi-faceted character (analysis)
Q- In Shakespeare's "The Tempest", Prospero has been represented variously as a good, caring man or as a manipulating, devious "puppeteer". Compare and contrast how he has been represented and make your conclusion as to what kind of character Prospero actually is. A-Prospero, the protagonist of Shakespeare's "Tempest", has been variously presented as a kind, wise man as well as an uncaring, power hungry tyrant. A very real and multifaceted character with plenty of grey shades, Prospero has been seen as some as a manifestation of the play writer himself. I believe that, although Prospero has his faults, all his seemingly callous actions are directed towards a happy ending for every one. The best side of his personality is reserved for his daughter, Miranda. Though he is, at times, domineering towards her - ("Hence! Hang not on my garments!") - he loves her deeply. He tells her that he done 'nothing but in care of her', and all his actions are for her benefit ad to secure her future. He calls her a 'cherubin' and uses various terms of endearment for her - 'wench' - which bring out his love for her. However, Prospero also 'meddles' a lot with his daughter's emotions. She is led to fall in love with Ferdinand, and Prospero's comments, "It goes on, I see" shows that the relationship is all part of his master plan. He spies on her clandestine meeting with Ferdinand, and he is,
Jekyll & Hyde - duality 3
Through the whole of the story Jekyll sets out to achieve one goal: to try and separate his good and evil sides. He wants to prove that his friend, Dr Lanyon, and could be called his rival when forgetting their friendship, is wrong. In the final chapter of the book, titled: Henry Jekyll's Full Statement of the Case', refers to his life and the creation of Hyde. He talks about Hyde as if he were another person, having nothing to do with himself at all: '...I saw for the first time the appearance of Edward Hyde'. The more important point to be made here is the idea that Jekyll wants to be famous. Examples would be the ways in which he refers to Hyde as being a discovery ('had I approached my discovery in a more noble spirit'), and his over confident guess that others will follow in his footsteps: 'Others will follow, others will outstrip me on the same lines'-if we look deeper into this sentence, it doesn't just suggest Jekyll being first in a new branch of science, but also that he will be surpassed by cleverer and better thinking physicians than what he already is. Jekyll also writes that he is quite sure that there is a duality in man, that man is not one, but two:' It was on the moral side, and in my own person, that I learned to recognise the thorough and primitive duality of man'- proves that he has come to this conclusion by feeling that there is another evil side of
First Impressions of Caliban portrayed by Shakespeare in The Tempest
From Your Reading of “The Tempest”, What Are Your Impressions of Shakespeare’s presentation of Caliban? Throughout the play, Caliban is clearly shown not to be a regular human. He is referred to as many things during the text and yet never a man. Trinculo believes him to be a fish from the smell, while Stephano addresses him as “[his] monster”. Both of these comparisons convey a sense of unpleasantness about the impression Caliban creates on Shakespeare’s other characters. Miranda states that she has never seen a man but for her father before Ferdinand; this shows us that Caliban does not appear human to the other characters of the book. And, son of Sycorax (a witch), Caliban surely takes some form of the supernatural, similar in many ways to Ariel. But while Ariel comes across as a spirit of the air, graceful and obliging, Caliban is portrayed by Shakespeare as a being of the earth with an unmoving association with evil magic and the devil-“got by the devil himself upon thy wicked dam-. So while Ariel is seen as an embodiment of the positive super-natural our first impressions of Caliban are largely distinctly negative. A name is the first thing we can judge a character in text by without meeting them and Caliban’s bears an unerring similarity to the term “cannibal” immediately letting us (subconsciously) believe him to be unnatural and sick. Despite
Illusion in The Tempest
Illusion in the Tempest Illusion is a key theme in the play as it is integral to Shakespeare’s fascination with and discussion of what is real and what is illusion, showcased in many scenes of the play. It is also as far as we know, Prospero’s one and ultimate power. * The dramatic opening scene of the play which is the basis of its entire plot is later revealed to be a complete illusion created by Prospero’s main spirit, Ariel, on his orders. * Prospero throughout the play has a plan to try to regain his rightful position of Duke of Milan and reset the hierarchy which is immediately broken in this first scene. Illusion is his key weapon in implementing this ‘plan’. All of the three subplots (Prospero, Miranda and Ferdinand, Trinculo, Stephano and Caliban and Sebastian, Alonso and Antonio) are resolved with Prospero’s use of illusion. This appears in the form of the banquet and the harpy for Alonso, Antonio and Sebastian, in the form of a masque for Ferdinand and Miranda and in the form of the spirit dogs chasing Caliban, Stephano and Trinculo into a swamp. In all of these situations Prospero uses his spirits to create a spectacle to try to reinforce the point that he is making. The three illusions reflect parables, the first warning against gluttony, the second warning against sex before marriage, “Whose vows are that no bed-right shall be paid // Till
the tempest
What impressions do you get of stephano and trinculo? - The tempest One of the impressions you first get of stephano is that he was one of the 3 people who plotted against Prospero. He promised Trinculo and Caliban things he could not deliver. He was on the ship when it was wrecked. He believed that Caliban knew how to kill Prospero. Yet he didn't know who prospero was or ever seen how powerful prospero really was. He was willing to be seen as a Lord by Caliban, although for much of the play Caliban appears to be in control. Stephano was rather gullible and easily tricked into believing what Caliban said. He also took Caliban's side without knowing what is actually going on as it states in the context. "Trinculo if you trouble him any more in's tale, by this hand, I will supplant some of your teeth". Stephano want's to be treated like a king which Caliban is doing. Stehano is such a character that is easily distracted along with trinculo. He believes whatever he sees around him. Trinculo is a character with a wild sense of humour. He is easily frightened by the unknown spirits of the island and the strange sound he hears. The way he treat's Caliban makes it sound dramatic and funny. Although trinculo's language towards Caliban is abusive and shows how much he dislikes him. "Thou wert but a lost monster" .Trinculo is irritating yet difficult to understand as he speaks