Postcolonial theory results from a network of political and cultural tensions between colonizers and colonized. This approach will de-construct Eurocentrism showing that European values and standards are not universal. Highlighting that the same historical event can be interpreted in radically different ways depending on perspective, norms and values, accepted values will be destabilized and marked as constructs. Further, this paper will question the reasons given for colonialism and deconstructs them in order to reveal the economic or political interests they are based on.
I will critically examine the representations of Caliban’s culture in Western discourse. In The Tempest, cultural ideology provides the ideological network for the colonial endeavours which could be theorized as bringing progress to an archaic world. A striking example for the strategy deconstructing “othering” is revealed in Chapter 1 where Caliban is presented as a completely inhuman being revealing strong racism. Therefore, Shakespeare implicitly legitimizes the colonial endeavor, because people like Caliban deprived of full humanity can be regarded as people without history, culture and they have therefore no logical claim to sovereignty. Shakespeare also produces a symptomatic reading of western discourse by psychoanalyzing to reveal western fear of the “other”.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 The Idea of Otherness – Defining Oneself and the Colonized
2.1 The Unsettling Kinship of the Self and the Other
3 The Entrapment of Caliban
3.1 The Conquest and Rupture between Caliban and Prospero
4 Resistance, the Destabilization of Accepted Values and the Creation of the Third Space
4.1 The Instable Construct of Prospero’s Power
4.2 Caliban’s Attempt to Dispossess Prospero of His Power
5 Mimicry and Hybridity
5.1 Mimicry
5.2 Hybridity – Defining the Difference Between Prospero and Caliban
5.3 Caliban’s Desperation Finally Entraps Him
6 Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This paper examines colonial dynamics in William Shakespeare's The Tempest by analyzing the power struggle between the colonizer Prospero and the colonized Caliban through the lens of postcolonial theory. It investigates how colonial discourse attempts to define the "other" and how the colonized subject resists or is ultimately subsumed by the colonizer's system.
- Postcolonial power structures and Eurocentrism
- The construction of "otherness" and dehumanization
- Caliban’s resistance and entrapment
- Homi Bhabha’s concepts of "Third Space," mimicry, and hybridity
- The instability of colonial authority
Excerpt from the Book
The Idea of Otherness – Defining Oneself and the Colonized
Shakespeare’s Tempest is interspersed not only with humor but also with several indications of western fear of the so-called “other”. There is a natural distance between Western colonizers and colonized which is revealed by declaring the colonized as not being human and, therefore, as not being equal. The colonial endeavor is implicitly justified, because people like Caliban, incalculable and deprived of full humanity, can be regarded as people devoid of history, culture and claim to autonomy. The reason why colonized are perceived and described as inhumane is due to their differentness: their odd shape, their weird language, their lack of culture and civilization. In comparison to the Western hemisphere the isle is a backdrop of civilization in which the colonized inhabitant, who is in this case Caliban, is eliminated as human factor. The colonized world, at the time of Shakespeare, is shaped in such a way as imagined by European people.
Caliban serves to represent “the other” in a rising colonial discourse. He is introduced from Prospero’s Eurocentric perspective as a “salvage and deformed slave” antithetical to spirit. Prospero and Ariel describe him as an unfriendly “freckled whelp hag-born—not honour'd with a human shape.” (Act I, scene 3) The sheer naming of “Caliban” reminds of “cannibal” and suggests a savage being that lacks any human education. The inhumanity of Caliban, or rather his monstrousness, is shaped by both the colonizer and the new intruders when they refer to him as “abhorred slave,” which does not completely dehumanize him as much as: “devil,” “salvage,”, “fish”, because of his smell, and “monster” with “four legs”. Shakespeare chooses an quite obvious way to deal with Caliban, “the other:” He is simply evil and ugly conveying a biased image of the colonized arousing negation, as it is exemplified by Miranda when she describes her feelings towards Caliban in act I, scene 2, lines 311-312:
Mir. 'Tis a villain, sir,
I do not love to look on.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter outlines the application of postcolonial theory to Shakespeare's work, focusing on the deconstruction of Eurocentrism and the ideological representation of Caliban.
2 The Idea of Otherness – Defining Oneself and the Colonized: This section explores how Western discourse constructs the "other" by denying humanity to the colonized, thereby justifying colonial expansion and control.
2.1 The Unsettling Kinship of the Self and the Other: This subsection analyzes the disruption of fixed categories when the "other" displays human characteristics, threatening the colonizer's binary worldview.
3 The Entrapment of Caliban: This chapter details how Prospero uses systemic domination, combining education and fear, to ensnare Caliban within a colonial power structure.
3.1 The Conquest and Rupture between Caliban and Prospero: This subsection examines the inherent violence and mutual resistance in the relationship between the colonizer and the colonized, highlighting the impossibility of cooperation.
4 Resistance, the Destabilization of Accepted Values and the Creation of the Third Space: This chapter discusses how language can be used as a tool for resistance, even if it confirms the colonizer's dominance.
4.1 The Instable Construct of Prospero’s Power: This subsection demonstrates that Prospero's authority is not absolute but precarious and constantly threatened by the resistance of his subordinates.
4.2 Caliban’s Attempt to Dispossess Prospero of His Power: This subsection follows Caliban's failed attempt to revolt by seeking new masters, reinforcing his dependency on the colonial hierarchy.
5 Mimicry and Hybridity: This chapter applies Homi Bhabha's theories to explain how Caliban’s adoption of colonial structures paradoxically leads to his deeper cultural entrapment.
5.1 Mimicry: This subsection addresses the performative aspect of the colonized imitating the colonizer's culture.
5.2 Hybridity – Defining the Difference Between Prospero and Caliban: This subsection explores how hybridity creates a space of translation that complicates and destabilizes the colonizer's claim to superiority.
5.3 Caliban’s Desperation Finally Entraps Him: This subsection concludes the analysis of Caliban's failed rebellion, noting his eventual resignation to the colonizer's system.
6 Conclusion: The final chapter synthesizes how the colonial process of translation inherently reveals similarities between colonizer and colonized, ultimately leading to the crushing of the subject within a hybrid space.
Keywords
Postcolonial theory, The Tempest, William Shakespeare, Caliban, Prospero, Otherness, Hybridity, Mimicry, Colonialism, Eurocentrism, Third Space, Resistance, Discourse, Power structures, Identity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
The paper explores the power dynamics in William Shakespeare's The Tempest, specifically focusing on the colonial relationship between Prospero and Caliban through postcolonial theoretical frameworks.
What are the main thematic fields discussed?
The text covers themes of dehumanization, the construction of the "other," the use of language as both a tool of oppression and resistance, and the mechanisms of colonial entrapment.
What is the primary research goal?
The objective is to deconstruct the Eurocentric view in The Tempest and analyze how the colonized subject experiences and resists colonial hegemony.
Which scientific methodologies are applied?
The author uses a qualitative, analytical approach rooted in postcolonial studies, specifically drawing on concepts by Homi Bhabha, Frantz Fanon, and Chinua Achebe to interpret literary passages.
What does the main body address?
The main body examines the systematic entrapment of Caliban, the unstable nature of Prospero’s authority, the function of mimicry and hybridity, and the eventual failure of Caliban’s resistance.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include Postcolonial theory, The Tempest, Caliban, Prospero, Otherness, Hybridity, Mimicry, and Colonialism.
How does the author define the "Third Space" in this context?
The "Third Space" is described as a site of cultural translation and tension where identities shift, destabilizing the binary distinction between the colonizer and the colonized.
Why does Caliban fail in his attempt to overthrow Prospero?
Caliban fails because he remains trapped within the hierarchical logic of the colonial system, seeking only to replace his master rather than dismantling the underlying structure.
- Quote paper
- Gerlinde Didea (Author), 2007, Postcolonial Theory in William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/120925
