The character of Caliban isn't like any other character we've come across in class this semester. Sure, we have delved into fairies and potions in our earlier readings but nothing quite like Caliban. I find him particularly interesting, he's probably my biggest motivation to keep reading the play out of all the characters in The Tempest. I think that derives from a lack of solid information about his character.
He reveals his background story in the first act of the play. Explaining how Prospero thought his mother was evil and how he found him locked up. Upon Prospero "freeing" Caliban, he became enslaved too him, Prospero regarded this as his payment for his kind deed. It proves to have made Caliban bitter and resentful of Prospero, and we see this in his language towards him. After Prospero takes Miranda with him to talk with Caliban they begin to harass each other and around 1.2.327 "As wicked dew as e'er my mother brushed With raven’s feather from unwholesome fen Drop on you both! A southwest blow on ye And blister you all o'er!" They most certainly are not teasing each other as some people do with good friends. Their is a genuine hatred between them and Caliban expands our understanding of this hatred further in the third act when he tried to plot with Antonio and Sebastian to kill Prospero in his sleep. Though, Caliban is not exactly a hero or a perfect person, and Prospero's harsh treatment of him isnt entirely unjustified. We learn towards the end of the second act in the first scene that Caliban tried to rape Miranda, Prospero's daughter. That distorts an idea of who is right and who is wrong, also raising the question of good and evil.
Caliban's appearance is something I find intriguing as well. He is described by Stephano as being a man-fish which only puts a slew of sundry images into me head. I scoured the internet to find some images of him and found all kinds of interpretations. I also learned that he might not have necessarily been a monster but possibly a disfigured person.Perhaps being locked up in a small space while his body was growing had done something to his bone structure, who knows, but he does have psychical differences. Another thing that caught my attention, I learned Caliban is an anagram for the Spanish word cannibal, and in in the English Romani language it translates to "black" or "with blackness." Both of these ideas begin to point fingers at who is evil and who is good. The attempted rape, the disfigurement, and cannibal anagram and name translation hint too much that Caliban might be a strong source of evil in this play.
4 comments:
I certainly agree with you that Caliban in an interesting character that seems to still be slightly mysterious in this play. I never really thought about why Caliban might be described as fish-like, but I looked up some images as well after you mentioned that, and I see what you're saying about him being interpreted as disfigured. That definitely adds a bit more evidence for me that he will not be an admirable character throughout the rest of the play because it reminds me of Richard III. It will be interesting to see what happens with him and what role he takes on as the play continues.
I really like your post and I have to agree with the way you find Caliban to be an interesting character. I thought it was great that your curiosity made you find images of what Caliban looks like. It is described by Stephano that he looks fish- like but, from what you have found he is just a person who has physical differences, possibly due to being locked up in a small space and his bone structure not being able to grow the way it it suppose too because of that. Great post!
I enjoyed your post and agree that Caliban is an intriguing character. I think what is most effective about him is how Shakespeare appears to pull back a layer to reveal more of him each time he is on shore. He develops into this full being as the play progresses. I would imagine seeing the play performed that at first Caliban could be dismissed as just a bit more of Shakespeare's "rustic humor" but Caliban's incredible sense of language and his battle with Prospero over ownership of his own life as well as control of the island make him full-fledged character.
Caliban is a very curious character to delve into. Upon first introduction to him in The Tempest, I was struck by how Shakespeare portrayed another physically disfigured character. Like Richard III, the deformity of their bodies seems to signify a twisted morality and embittered, malevolent creature. However, Caliban does not seem to blame or possess as much self-awareness for his deformity as Richard III did. I might venture to say Caliban has a higher sense of self, which may be one reason why he has the ambition to throw over Prospero and try to regain the island.
Post a Comment