“A salvage and deformed slave.” With these words William Shakespeare describes
the figure of Caliban in the dramatis personæ of his play The Tempest. For almost four
centuries, literary critics have dealt with trying to answer the question how Shakespeare’s
character has to be regarded. Is Caliban to be considered as a monster representing
humanity’s bestial side including all its vices, and thereby arousing the audience’s disgust?
Or has he rather to be looked at the victim of an imperia l tyrant – personified in Prospero –
who arouses the spectator’s pity? In which way Shakespeare really intended Caliban to be
was, is and will ever be a secret he took to his grave. However, the reception history of the
play has proven that Shakespeare’s presentation of the characters – especially Caliban –
opened up a large scope for various, often contradicting interpretations of the “slave.” Thus,
the following paper analyses the play with regard to the basic question whether or not
Caliban is a monster.
It is divided into two parts. The first one concentrates only on how Shakespeare’s
drama The Tempest in general and the character of Caliban in particular have been staged
and interpreted throughout the last barely four centuries of reception. For this purpose, a
small selection of representations of the play on stage and in editions are introduced and
discussed, which show the major strands and general tendencies of Caliban’s changing
interpretations in the course of time. One of the main changes in Caliban’s interpretation is
the difference of reading the character in colonial and in post-colonial eras. After the end of
the Second World War and after most of the world’s colonies had been released and gained
their independence, Caliban’s role within the play and the interpretation of the whole,
changed considerably. Thus, my analysis puts special emphasis on the contrast of colonial
and post-colonial reading of the play.
The second part concentrates only on Shakespeare’s Caliban, that is, by a closer look
on the bare material Shakespeare left us, an analysis of how Shakespeare intended his
character to be. Of course this can and therefore will only be speculative, as Shakespeare
obviously never stated his intention during his lifetime. In this part, it is mainly discussed
which passages in the play suggest that Shakespeare indeed created a monster or whether the
contrary is true that Caliban is rather a victim.
[...]
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Caliban and The Tempest on The Stage and in Literary Criticism
2.1 General Remarks
2.2 Caliban as a Monster – Restoration Era and Early Eighteenth Century
2.3 Caliban as a Noble Savage – Late Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Century
2.4 Caliban as a “Vehicle for Philosophical Speculation” – Late Nineteenth Century
2.5 Caliban as Colonial Victim – Twentieth Century
2.6 Stopover after Part One
3. Aspects of Shakespeare’s Caliban
3.1 Caliban as a Monster
3.2 Caliban as Educable Savage
3.3 Caliban’s Appearance
3.4 Caliban as Colonial Victim
4. Conclusion
5. Works Cited
Objectives and Research Focus
The primary objective of this paper is to examine the character of Caliban in William Shakespeare's "The Tempest" to determine whether he is a monster or a victim. The study analyzes the historical reception and theatrical interpretation of the character over four centuries, while also conducting a close reading of the original text to evaluate the multifaceted nature of Shakespeare’s creation.
- The evolution of Caliban’s perception from the Restoration Era to the twentieth century.
- The shift in reading Caliban through colonial and post-colonial frameworks.
- An analysis of the contrast between Caliban’s monstrous traits and his human sensitivity.
- The influence of language and power dynamics between Prospero and Caliban.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 Caliban as a Monster
Some passages within the play might suggest that Shakespeare intended his slave to represent a monstrous character that arouses fear and disgust among the audience. The first one is in the first act where he shows Caliban as a character who seems to be driven by his licentious passion when he once tried to rape Miranda but was prevented by Prospero:
Prospero: Thou didst seek to violate The honour of my child Caliban: O ho, O ho! Would’t had been done; Thou didst prevent me, I had peopled else This isle with Calibans. (1.2.348-52)
This passage is very often cited to prove Calibans monstrosity and should show that he is an evil, animal-like beast following only his sexual drive. It portrays further that Caliban is not filled with guilt concerning the attempted rape but rather would try to do it again.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter outlines the central research question regarding Caliban’s nature and describes the two-part structure of the paper, covering both reception history and text analysis.
2. Caliban and The Tempest on The Stage and in Literary Criticism: This section provides an overview of how the character of Caliban was interpreted from the Restoration era through the twentieth century, focusing on changing cultural and political perspectives.
3. Aspects of Shakespeare’s Caliban: This chapter analyzes the original text to investigate specific traits, such as monstrosity, educability, appearance, and the colonial power dynamic, in order to determine Shakespeare's likely intent.
4. Conclusion: The conclusion summarizes that while Caliban possesses monstrous traits related to his appearance, his character reflects a complex, sensitive human figure whose monstrosity was largely emphasized by later adaptations.
5. Works Cited: This section lists the primary and secondary academic sources used to support the paper’s findings.
Keywords
Caliban, The Tempest, William Shakespeare, Monstrosity, Noble Savage, Colonialism, Post-colonialism, Prospero, Reception History, Literary Criticism, Language, Identity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper examines the literary and theatrical character of Caliban in William Shakespeare's "The Tempest" to evaluate whether he is intended to be a monster or a victim.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The main themes include historical reception, the evolution of stage adaptations, colonial and post-colonial perspectives, and the analysis of power and language within the play.
What is the specific goal of this analysis?
The goal is to determine if Caliban's reputation as a "monster" is supported by Shakespeare's original text or if it is a byproduct of changing cultural interpretations over the last four centuries.
Which methodology is employed in this study?
The research uses a two-part methodology: a historical survey of performance history and reception theory, followed by a close textual analysis of specific passages from "The Tempest."
What does the main body of the paper discuss?
The main body focuses on how different eras (from the Restoration to the twentieth century) have reshaped Caliban’s image, and subsequently dissects textual evidence to explore his sensitive and human side.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Caliban, The Tempest, colonialism, post-colonialism, reception history, and the dichotomy between monster and victim.
How does the Davenant-Dryden version influence the view of Caliban?
The Davenant-Dryden adaptation heavily stressed Caliban's monstrous and bestial nature, which dominated theater and criticism for almost two centuries, significantly influencing how audiences perceived the character.
How does the post-colonial reading change the perception of Caliban?
Post-colonial readings shift the focus from Caliban as a "monster" to Caliban as the "colonial victim," making him the sympathetic hero who struggles against the oppressive power and language of the colonizer, Prospero.
- Quote paper
- Sandra Graf (Author), 2004, Is He a Monster? - Caliban in William Shakespeare's 'The Tempest', Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/34752
