Caliban In Shakespeare's The Tempest

Shakespeare’s The Tempest possesses an artfully woven in commentary of the state of the New World, while never directly referencing the situation as it unfolds. Caliban, the bastard and demon-spawn of a witch, acts as a stand in for the indigenous American people, while Prospero, the play’s hero, plays the role of the European settlers. While on the surface the line between who is good and who is evil may seem clear cut, with close reading that distinction quickly fades. While Shakespeare does not directly take a stance on the issue, he challenges the social dynamics of the time through Caliban’s description, characterization and actions.

While much of Caliban’s description revolves on how the main cast finds him grotesque, his “disfigurements” …show more content…
In Caliban’s first on stage appearance, his dark past is revealed in conversation with Prospero and Miranda, namely that he attempted to rape Miranda. This, coupled with his apparent lack of remorse, paints him in the light of a violet psychotic. Yet, upon further investigation, Caliban’s reasoning is not for power nor sexual desire, but rather to “peopled else/ this isle with Calibans”(1.2.351-352). While this does not excuse his actions, it does rationalize them. To Caliban, the last of his people, the only way to ensure the survival of his race is procreation, and Miranda was his only hope. It is not likely that a slave, especially one like Caliban, would be informed on courting and consent. Instead, Caliban was driven by biological programming to prevent the death of his lineage, acting as any nearly extinct species would. Rather soon after meeting Stephano and Trinculo, Caliban is again eager to show them the lay of the land, so to speak. He begs to “show thee the best springs” and that he is through with Prospero, “but follow thee”(2.2.150,154). This promise of servitude mirrors his initial tirade in act one, where he curses himself for doing exactly this for Prospero, but with an opposite tone. His choice to yet again divulge the secrets of his island to gain favor with his new companions reveal his inner compassion. …show more content…
On the surface, Caliban appears to be a minor villain, yet under the microscope, he tells the tale of a tragic anti-hero, cursed to be mocked and tortured for reasons he simply cannot grasp, and unable to ever reach redemption. Shakespeare likely could not have imagined the sheer horror of how natives peoples would fair once the dust settled, but with his final play, he created a dialogue about how we perceive the Calibans of this