Uncivilized: Mistreatment in The Tempest
Shakespeare provided his audience with a unique perspective on nature versus nurture within The Tempest. He used many examples of Caliban conveying animalistic qualities that showed how hierarchy played a role within society and how uncivilized and "natural" human beings didn’t fit within that hierarchical ladder. Was Shakespeare leading his audience to interpret Caliban as an uneducated and uncivilized soul, who after prolonged abuse and neglect, had to adapt to his environment, or was he born into this world innately evil, through the twisted and demonic traits from his mother, Syrcorax? After analyzing this play and repeatedly referencing back to many of the …show more content…
For example, the situation where Caliban was first introduced by the cave. He was involved in dialect with Prospero:" I must eat my dinner. / This island's mine, by Sycorax my mother, /Which thou takest from me." (1.2.481). Caliban's reaction gives me the impression that all hope is lost. He is holding on to the last glimmer of self-worth by telling Prospero that he was going to eat his dinner first, then he would tend to his needs, even though he was the slave. He expresses hostility to all the injustices that he has endured, including the death of his mother, by the hands of Prospero, as well as the theft of his island. Caliban gave Prospero everything of value that he had to offer in hopes of being part of his civilized society. He poured his crying heart out to Prospero: " and then I loved thee /And show'd thee all the qualities o' the isle, /The fresh springs, brine-pits, barren place and fertile:"(1.2.487). In return Prospero robbed him of his freedom and enslaved him for the rest of his days. I agree with Jon Kunat when he states " It changes Caliban from a family member into a slave" Caliban unknowing of the rules of a civilized society and unaware of Prospero's goal, filled with greed and an unquenchable hunger for power, was set up for …show more content…
(3.2.1421). As well as Stephanos stated This negative reaction must have taken its toll on Caliban. Over the years Caliban had to accept this type of abuse and disregard from Prospero and Miranda. It is evident by his reaction with fear to thinking Prospero's spirits were present: "Do not torment me, prithee: "I'll bring my wood home faste…Thou dost me yet but little hurt; thou wilt anon, I know it by thy trembling: now Prosper works upon thee "(2.2.1162). Such repeated abuse would turn any human into a vengeful and evil being. This has created a hard, internal shell surrounding Caliban filled with animosity and sorrow. In this scene he most likely just wanted to taste freedom, to be out of reach from the civilized, and listen to the natural sounds that comfort him, but instead he was inflicted by these men's venom. He used these two men to his advantage however, showing a survival of the fittest type of instinct. With that last glimmer of hope to over throw Prospero, Caliban does his best to be persuasive:" As I told thee before, I am subject to a tyrant, a sorcerer, that by his cunning hath cheated me of the island... if thy greatness will /Revenge it on him, —for I know thou darest," (3.2.1436) It appears Caliban was so desperate not to live out his days with Prospero as the tyrant ruler, he would do anything including murder his arch nemesis or lick the feet of a foreign person who showed complete disregard for
Shakespeare provided his audience with a unique perspective on nature versus nurture within The Tempest. He used many examples of Caliban conveying animalistic qualities that showed how hierarchy played a role within society and how uncivilized and "natural" human beings didn’t fit within that hierarchical ladder. Was Shakespeare leading his audience to interpret Caliban as an uneducated and uncivilized soul, who after prolonged abuse and neglect, had to adapt to his environment, or was he born into this world innately evil, through the twisted and demonic traits from his mother, Syrcorax? After analyzing this play and repeatedly referencing back to many of the …show more content…
For example, the situation where Caliban was first introduced by the cave. He was involved in dialect with Prospero:" I must eat my dinner. / This island's mine, by Sycorax my mother, /Which thou takest from me." (1.2.481). Caliban's reaction gives me the impression that all hope is lost. He is holding on to the last glimmer of self-worth by telling Prospero that he was going to eat his dinner first, then he would tend to his needs, even though he was the slave. He expresses hostility to all the injustices that he has endured, including the death of his mother, by the hands of Prospero, as well as the theft of his island. Caliban gave Prospero everything of value that he had to offer in hopes of being part of his civilized society. He poured his crying heart out to Prospero: " and then I loved thee /And show'd thee all the qualities o' the isle, /The fresh springs, brine-pits, barren place and fertile:"(1.2.487). In return Prospero robbed him of his freedom and enslaved him for the rest of his days. I agree with Jon Kunat when he states " It changes Caliban from a family member into a slave" Caliban unknowing of the rules of a civilized society and unaware of Prospero's goal, filled with greed and an unquenchable hunger for power, was set up for …show more content…
(3.2.1421). As well as Stephanos stated This negative reaction must have taken its toll on Caliban. Over the years Caliban had to accept this type of abuse and disregard from Prospero and Miranda. It is evident by his reaction with fear to thinking Prospero's spirits were present: "Do not torment me, prithee: "I'll bring my wood home faste…Thou dost me yet but little hurt; thou wilt anon, I know it by thy trembling: now Prosper works upon thee "(2.2.1162). Such repeated abuse would turn any human into a vengeful and evil being. This has created a hard, internal shell surrounding Caliban filled with animosity and sorrow. In this scene he most likely just wanted to taste freedom, to be out of reach from the civilized, and listen to the natural sounds that comfort him, but instead he was inflicted by these men's venom. He used these two men to his advantage however, showing a survival of the fittest type of instinct. With that last glimmer of hope to over throw Prospero, Caliban does his best to be persuasive:" As I told thee before, I am subject to a tyrant, a sorcerer, that by his cunning hath cheated me of the island... if thy greatness will /Revenge it on him, —for I know thou darest," (3.2.1436) It appears Caliban was so desperate not to live out his days with Prospero as the tyrant ruler, he would do anything including murder his arch nemesis or lick the feet of a foreign person who showed complete disregard for