Caliban's Attitude To Prospero And Miranda example essay topic

To what extent would you agree with Prospero's description of Caliban as a "thing of darkness"? In the list of characters Caliban is described as a "savage" and "deformed" slave. On stage he has been played as a lizard, a dog, a monkey, a snake and a fish. Most productions opt for the form of a misshapen man as it's very hard to imagine how the other forms could perform all the other chores that Caliban must do to satisfy Prospero.

Also, it is a lot easier to fell sorry for a deformed man than a snake or fish. We first meet Caliban when Prospero "calls" for his "slave". From this scene we learn that Prospero views Caliban as a "filth". We know this by the way that Prospero speaks, "hag-seed" and "most poisonous slave" both conveying the full weight of Prospero's disgust. We also learn that when Prospero and Miranda first arrived, Caliban helped them to survive and they all lived together happily, "when " st thou arrived thou's tro " kst me and made much of me" showing this. Caliban then betrayed this mutual trust by "seeking" to "violate" the honour of Miranda.

His punishment was that he had to live the rest of his life as Prospero's slave. Miranda understandably now views Caliban as a "villain" whom she does "not love to look upon". Caliban's attitude to Prospero and Miranda is one of hatred fuelled by his sense of injustice and his sense of demotion from "king of the isle" to Prospero's slave. At this point in the play Caliban has shown that he is capable of both compassion and cruelty, "and I loved thee" showing compassion and "the red plague rid you" showing cruelty. Because of this contrast in personality at this point in the play I am unsure whether Caliban is a "thing of darkness".

The next time that we encounter Caliban he is collecting wood outside his cave. He proceeds to tell all the violent curses that Prospero has afflicted on him, "fright me with urchins" and "after bite me" both show how Prospero continually punishes Caliban. At this point I feel sorry for Caliban as Prospero is endlessly punishing him. Caliban is slowly being "hissed into madness" by Prospero's cruelty, implying human qualities.

When a storm forces Caliban to take shelter Stephano and Trinculo stumble upon him. Caliban automatically thinks that they have been sent by Prospero to "torment" him. This makes me feel great sympathy for Caliban as he instinctively feels that anyone that he meets will be the author of more pain and punishment. We know this by the way he speaks to them, "thou does me yet little hurt, but thou will anon" shows that he fells that they only wish to torment him.

It is sadly ironic that the strangers he encounters are far from the beings "dropped from heaven" that he believes them to be. Instead they are just a pair of "drunkards" that plan to abduct him and "put him on show". At this point I feel that Caliban has been badly mistreated by everyone he has ever met. Caliban then offers to be Stephano's slave if he would but "kill Prospero" which I think is pathetic and pitiful as he doesn't know that Stephano originally planned to take advantage of him. At the end of the scene Caliban is "ecstatic" that Stephano will be his "new master". He is very excited at the thought of being free of Prospero.

When Caliban later meets with Stephano and Trinculo, he hatches a "plot" to "revenge" himself upon Prospero for "cheating him of the isle". He then proceeds to describe ways to "destroy" Prospero in graphic detail. As a further incentive to Stephano, Caliban offers Miranda to "bring forth brave brood". This is very basic and shows that Caliban can be "disgusting' and "calculating".

Just as I begin to think that Caliban truly is a creature of "darkness", Stephano and Trinculo are frightened by "strange noises". Caliban soothes their fears and responds to the noises by describing them as "sweet airs". He tells of how "a thousand twanging instruments" would 'hum" around his ears and soothe him "to sleep". This shows that he respects the "beautiful isle" and that he has poetry in his soul. This is a contrast with his earlier ideas of violence. At the end of this scene I still feel that Caliban has been badly treated by Prospero.

I think that if left alone he would be his "own king" and that he wouldn't bother anyone else. At the end of this scene we find out that Caliban can be "evil" and "cruel" when thinking about killing Prospero. Despite this I think that the phrase " thing of darkness" is to simplistic a term as it doesn't take into account the provocation that motivates him towards the "darkness". At the end of the play Prospero outwits Caliban and Stephano. Caliban is then accused of being a "demi-devil" and is called a "bastard one". This is a harsh description of him, though can be understood in light of his most recent "plot".

In response to these insults Caliban promises that he will be "wise hereafter" and that he will "seek for grace". This could be either the capitulating action of a broken man or a desperate attempt to escape punishment at the hands of Prospero. At the end of the play I feel that Caliban is a gentle man who lived on instinct until driven to "evil deeds" by Prospero. I feel that he is undeserving of the description "a thing of darkness.".