However Prospero does not give the thing that Ariel wants most; his freedom, although this is promised when his work is done. The audience is led to wonder whether Prospero can be trusted and it is clear he is using the slaves to retain his power and achieve justice for himself.
Caliban is the son of Sycorax, an evil witch; he throws insults and curses at Prospero and feels unjustly mistreated and overworked. Caliban claims that the island is his by inheritance from his mother, and says that Prospero stole it off him, as Caliban was rightful leader of the island because he was the only human and Prospero is unrightfully king of the island. When Prospero first arrived on the island, Caliban showed Prospero the delights of the island and Prospero treated him well by feeding him water and berries. This changed because Caliban tried to rape Miranda:
‘Thou didst prevent me – I had peopled else
This isle with Calibans.’
Caliban says that Prospero had no reason to turn against him and thought that he was doing Prospero a favour. Miranda taught Caliban how to speak their language, only to find that Caliban uses it to curse them and not much else. Caliban is portrayed as an evil monster that is cruel and full of hate;
‘thy vile race,
Though thou didst learn, had that in’t which good natures
Could not abide to be with’
The inhuman part of Caliban will throw out any good nature that is put into him.
Initially I was not very sympathetic to Caliban because he tried to rape Miranda, cursed everyone and later plotted to kill Prospero. However it is difficult to decide whether Caliban had always been a brute or whether he became like this because of the way he had been treated by Prospero. Prospero says that he has racked Calibans’ body with cramps and side stitches and also threatens him with the same torture. On the one hand Trinculo talks about how in England Caliban could have been shown off as ‘any strange beast’ for money which demonstrates the intolerant attitude of people towards different people. Also in Act III Caliban’s speech about the islands ‘noises’ showed a more sensitive and human side of Caliban;
‘Be not afeard, the isle is full of noises,
Sounds, and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not,’
This is very effective in making the audience question Caliban’s character and reminding them that he lived on the island first and whether the initial harsh view of Caliban was accurate. However Caliban seems to want to have a master; he sets up Stefano as the next master, who probably would not have been any better than Prospero, as he was offering to show Caliban off like a freak to the public who would treat him badly as well, because of him being different. It also shows Caliban’s vulnerability as he finds another master who thinks;
‘This will prove a brave kingdom to me, where I shall
have my music for nothing’
Ariel is a spirit that was imprisoned in a ‘Cloven Pine’ by Sycorax; this ordeal was obviously very painful for him,
‘What torment I did find thee in. Thy groans
Did make wolves howl, and penetrate the breasts
Of ever- angry bears – it was a torment’
He was later released by Prospero, and Ariel swore to serve Prospero. Ariel has been promised that he will be set free after the mission is over. I am more sympathetic towards Ariel because he was put in immense pain by Sycorax because he refused to do ‘earthy and abhorr’d commands’. Also, Ariel has served Prospero and,
‘Told thee no lies, made no mistakings, serv’d
Without or grudge or grumblings.’
Ariel showed this by creating the fire on Prospero’s enemies’ boat just as Prospero ordered him to. Ariel has been a perfect servant and according to their agreement should be released by Prospero. In contrast Caliban is presented as an ungrateful, plotting beast who does not even try to deny the fact that he tried to rape Miranda, however there is a question about the morality of Prospero’s treatment of him and using his magic power to take over the island, in which case Prospero has been a cruel, colonial master.
I believe that Prospero deserved to be overthrown by his brother because he did not manage his kingdom as he should have. He had given his brother a lot of power, and then told him to govern Milan without him whilst he studied magic and did not care for his position as Duke of Milan. He also makes a strange comparison between his love of his daughter and his love of books which demonstrates his higher regard for books than relationships. Prospero shows that he does not believe in the divine right of kings; where God chooses the next ruler. This shows that Prospero thinks that God choose the wrong person for an important position. He does not wish to be Duke of Milan but rather study magic whilst Milan grew stranger to him. After he had done that, Prospero had decided to learn about magic whilst Antonio plotted his plans to overthrow him. If he had taken more care he would not have been overthrown.
Prospero is a cruel colonial master because he has enslaved Caliban and Ariel to do his bidding when they clearly wish that he would let them go or never came to the island (apart from at the start possibly when Prospero was kind to Caliban and released Ariel from a tree); Prospero did take advantage of Caliban by getting him to show him the islands qualities and then apparently without a just cause, started treating him badly. Ariel has had a tough time, being locked in a tree, and being badly treated even before Prospero arrived, but has remained loyal and trustworthy, and Ariel is shown as a more pleasant character than Caliban who is portrayed as a beast not even fit for a human body.
In conclusion, I believe that Prospero did take the island from Caliban, but I am not very sympathetic to Caliban after he tried to rape his daughter and I also believe that Prospero deserved to be overthrown by the way he treated his role as Duke and that he is a cruel colonial master to Caliban and Ariel and that he should free them so they will be happy.
