Prejudice has most likely existed since people could first speak. Mankind has a history of fearing the unknown and unfortunately have irrationally used prejudice as a means to justify their own ignorance. During colonization of the Americas, Europeans misunderstood, mistranslated much of the culture. As a result sailors who ventured to the Americas, viewed the indigenous as uncivilized by their own standards. Thus, when the sailors returned to Europe, the misrepresentative views of the indigenous were only exacerbated. As a result the Europeans accrued a nation of superiority. In Shakespeare’s play The Tempest, the characterizations of, and interactions with the character Caliban, mirror that of the European superiority complex beliefs towards
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The character Prospero takes it upon himself to “help” Caliban. However, in the passage above, Prospero is calling Caliban ungracious for everything he did to him. The first sentence demonstrates how in terms of social hierarchy, Caliban is viewed at the bottom, a slave. Prospero proceeds to call him “filth”, representing how he views Caliban. The usage of the word “filth” is indicative to how Prospero believes he is superior to Caliban. Additionally it shows Prospero’s view that Caliban is worthless and nothing but trash, symbolic to how colonizers often viewed indigenous peoples. Prospero views himself as superior in every way, for he has control and power of the island. Ironically, it was Prospero, who came to the island after Caliban, and he thought it was his duty, to civilize Caliban, to his own …show more content…
The best example is the island of Carib, which the word cannibalism, is derived. This was mistaken on the part of explorers, but unknowingly people continued to tell this tale. Caliban’s name is derived from the words “Carib” and “cannibal”. This demonstrates how Shakespeare aims to make Caliban viewed. Shakespeare wants to barbarize Caliban. Up to this point, the audience has seen how Caliban is an uncivilized creature. However, they have also seen and heard that Caliban has been treated poorly with seemingly no justification. This could split how people view the character Caliban. But in order to seal the fate of how the audience views Caliban, Caliban needs an unredeemable quality. In the last sentence in the passage above, Prospero tells the audience how: “thou didst seek to violate The honour of my child”. Considered by many to be one of the worst crimes, Caliban is associated with rape. Shakespeare does this with the intent to make the audience perceive Caliban as a lowlife, below all the other characters in the play. Consequently, as a result, this only makes Prospero look more superior. For Prospero had supposedly attempted to civilize Caliban and raise him provide him with shelter and education only for Caliban to attempt to rape his daughter. This results in defining the superiority of Prespero, the colonizer, and the inferiority of Caliban, the
The character Prospero takes it upon himself to “help” Caliban. However, in the passage above, Prospero is calling Caliban ungracious for everything he did to him. The first sentence demonstrates how in terms of social hierarchy, Caliban is viewed at the bottom, a slave. Prospero proceeds to call him “filth”, representing how he views Caliban. The usage of the word “filth” is indicative to how Prospero believes he is superior to Caliban. Additionally it shows Prospero’s view that Caliban is worthless and nothing but trash, symbolic to how colonizers often viewed indigenous peoples. Prospero views himself as superior in every way, for he has control and power of the island. Ironically, it was Prospero, who came to the island after Caliban, and he thought it was his duty, to civilize Caliban, to his own …show more content…
The best example is the island of Carib, which the word cannibalism, is derived. This was mistaken on the part of explorers, but unknowingly people continued to tell this tale. Caliban’s name is derived from the words “Carib” and “cannibal”. This demonstrates how Shakespeare aims to make Caliban viewed. Shakespeare wants to barbarize Caliban. Up to this point, the audience has seen how Caliban is an uncivilized creature. However, they have also seen and heard that Caliban has been treated poorly with seemingly no justification. This could split how people view the character Caliban. But in order to seal the fate of how the audience views Caliban, Caliban needs an unredeemable quality. In the last sentence in the passage above, Prospero tells the audience how: “thou didst seek to violate The honour of my child”. Considered by many to be one of the worst crimes, Caliban is associated with rape. Shakespeare does this with the intent to make the audience perceive Caliban as a lowlife, below all the other characters in the play. Consequently, as a result, this only makes Prospero look more superior. For Prospero had supposedly attempted to civilize Caliban and raise him provide him with shelter and education only for Caliban to attempt to rape his daughter. This results in defining the superiority of Prespero, the colonizer, and the inferiority of Caliban, the