When Caliban is approached by Trinculo, he is so frightened of the torture that he believes is impending that he hides upon the ground beneath his cloak, “to torment me for bringing wood in slowly”. Shakespeare’s use of intra-dialogic instructions illustrates the desperation of Caliban’s situation and the terror that Prospero’s power has imposed upon him. The way in which Caliban lies so close to the ground shows his lack of self-esteem, resulting from the way in which Prospero constantly dehumanizes Caliban.
In this way we can see the ‘uncivilised’ barbarity of Prospero’s nature which is reinforced by his crude dialogue, “Hag-seed hence”. Shakespeare’s use of alliteration and sibilance emphasizes the excessive resentment in Prospero’s tone of voice and leads us to question as to whether or not Caliban is being treated with a cruelty disproportionate to his crime.
This is supported by Caliban’s poignant monologues which reveal that the cruel life he is forced to lead is entirely due to Prospero, even the spirits of the Island will not torment him unless Prospero commands them to “nor pinch, fright me… unless he bid ‘em”. The obsessive way in which Caliban is tormented implies that another reason is behind Prospero’s abhorrence…
Caliban also opposes the general stereotype when he lovingly recognises the sounds of the island and appears as quite poetic, “sounds and sweet airs that give delight and hurt not”. Shakespeare uses this (touching display of emotion to show Caliban’s spiritual connection to the island) which illustrates Caliban’s true character under the influence of drink. “I cried to dream again”, shows the despondency of Caliban’s enslavement and an emotional aspect of Caliban that hadn’t previously been revealed, this surprising side to Caliban is short lived as his next words are, “when Prospero is destroyed” reverting once more to the ‘monster’ that the audience has come to recognize.
The delight that Caliban seems to achieve from visualizing Prospero’s death is apparent in his enthusiastic instructions to Stephano, “Batter his skull, or paunch him with a stake”. Shakespeare uses this incredibly violent imagery to highlight Caliban’s barbarity but to also inspire the audience to wonder why he hasn’t killed Prospero before now. Shakespeare may be doing this to highlight that although Caliban is aggressive and barbaric, he is essentially of good character, certainly better than the ‘civilised’ duo, Trinculo and Stephano who plan to kill a man they have no reason to hate. Caliban, however seems justified in his hatred towards Prospero and Miranda and the reason stems from Caliban’s regret in willingly showing them everything he had learnt on the island, “fresh springs, brine-pits… cursed be that I did so”, for Prospero used this knowledge to take over the Island and enslave Caliban for minor jobs, “serves in offices that profit us”. The enslavement however would seem justified to an Elizabethan audience who would look upon Caliban, because he is a witch’s son, as unworthy of anything than to serve Prospero. However, in Caliban’s evident desire to usurp Prospero and in his constant rebellion, Shakespeare undermines the idea and presents an opinion contrary to the general attitude of the time as Caliban responds, “This Island’s mine, by Sycorax my mother”. Possession by way of inheritance although sensible in the “natural” order of things differs greatly to that of the arrogant claims upon discovery which the early settlers such as Prospero practiced.
Prospero enslaved not only Caliban but all the spirits of the Island too are shown to be at his command. Prospero is illustrated as almost God-like in his demonstration of power. Caliban “must obey, his art is of such power… control Setebos”. Again a direct link to the natives of the ‘new world’ as Setebos is a god of the south American Indians, the Patagonians. Prospero’s comparison to God is also highlighted when Ferdinand speaks of Ariel, “it waits upon some God o’ th’ island” and at the end of the play when Gonzalo thanks the gods for they “have chalked forth the way which brought us hither”. However he is actually describing what Prospero has done. Shakespeare may be using these comparisons to please a sixteenth century monarchy which was supposedly chosen by God, or to simply emphasize the amount of power Prospero has obtained under his pitiless command.
In this way, Shakespeare is showing that he disagrees with the colonisation of America by presenting the way in which Caliban has been exploited by every “civilised” being who meets him. The injustice that Caliban is subjected to implies that Shakespeare sees the early settlers as cruel and mercenary, indeed at one point he shows the whole of “civilised” English society to be just this. When Trinculo happens upon Caliban, he thinks of the money to be gained by exhibiting the “strange fish” in England. He goes on to say that the English “will not give a doit to relieve a lame beggar… lay out ten to see a dead Indian”. Here Shakespeare portrays the fascination of the newly “discovered” world in the 16th century and how it’s “exhibitions” were mistreated to the point of death.
The relationship between the advanced and the primitive can be assessed through their similarities and differences in their style of language and of their innate characters. Caliban we already know to be violent in his choice of words “batter his skull, or paunch him with a stake” but what of the other characters? In plotting to kill his own brother Sebastian is shown to be just as malicious, so too Antonio even if their speech contains some wit, “and look how well my garments sit upon me”. By this, Antonio is not referring to the clothes he is wearing but to his situation in life, here saying that he Is naturally suited to the role of Duke. Shakespeare uses this figurative imagery show Antonio’s blasphemous character that he would dare to assume a role that is not his.
The contrast in speech also applies to the language of the spirits of the Island which are shown to be quite delicate and poetic “wild waves whist”, Shakespeare uses alliteration of the letter ‘w’ to slows the pace of the speech and produces sounds that makes Ariel seem less human or earth-bound but instead of the air or the waves.
In contrast to the way Prospero treats Caliban, Prospero treats Ariel with affection, “my dainty Ariel”. Shakespeare uses the emphasis on the word “my” to suggest that Prospero is fonder of the possession of Ariel than Ariel himself. If the Island can be taken as a metaphor for humanity versus nature then the differences in the way Caliban and Ariel are treated by Prospero defines humanity’s ambitions and fears. Prospero treats Ariel with love because he is an asset to him, “fine apparition, my quant Ariel”, and because of the power that Prospero gains through that control that makes him appear almost God-like. Humans control the elements to gain a level of direction in their lives, to make sense of the meaninglessness of life. It is this direction that leads Prospero to believe and aspire to be like God because it strangles the connection between him and the repulsive beings of nature he has power over, such as Caliban. Equality leads to lack of control and it is Caliban’s adamant rebellion to be seen inferior that sickens Prospero. In the Tempest, Caliban represents people’s natural state and when Prospero oppresses Caliban, Shakespeare is creating an image of civilisation repressing their natural selves and concluding that the tensions between civilisation and nature only exist because of the way civilisation resents it’s natural state.
When Gonzalo speaks of his golden age he is explaining a world where nature and civilisation could exist as one without the tensions that are so apparent in the rest of the play. Gonzalo would have “use of service, none”, “no occupation” but rather live innocently with nature bringing “forth of its own kind, all foison…” Shakespeare uses the structure of the speech, interrupted continuously by Antonio and Sebastian, to perhaps mock the idea and highlight its faults. The idea itself comes from a French philosopher who describes how the Europeans corrupted America with its advanced influence. Through Sebastian and Antonio, Shakespeare is undermining his words and this implies that his own opinion could be that nature and civilisation can never both exist without the differences or hostility between the two.
I believe Shakespeare presents the tensions between Civilisation and Nature not as to highlight their difference, but rather to highlight the tension that is created by society’s denial in their similarities. Perhaps the repulsion of Caliban is seen as a rejection of each of the more civilised characters untamed selves, their more ‘sophisticated’ selves portrayed as wit, cunning or power. By this, I could say that Shakespeare is presenting Caliban as the only true character in the whole play, though coarse and unrefined he is evidently not a master of politics or scheming, such as the characters of Antonio and Sebastian, which has been learnt through the highest classes of civilised society. In this, Shakespeare is saying that both nature and civilisation are equal, the only difference being that nature is not in a state of self denial.
