![]() ![]() Shakespeare scholars see Caliban as a representative of the indigenous people the explorers encountered, and of the rebels against the exploitation that followed European occupation of their lands. The European duke, Prospero, arrives on the island and the local population, composed of only Caliban, appears uncivilised, wild, unattractive, unappealing and savage. Caliban’s behaviour is alien to European sensibilities. When Prospero’s daughter, Miranda, takes it on herself to educate him his response is to attempt to rape her. In the terms of his native environment, though, he is very well educated. When he encounters two crew members of the wrecked ship, Stephano and Trinculo, he is eager to befriend them and he displays his knowledge, revealing a high level of the education needed for survival on an island. To clustering filberts, and sometimes I’ll get thee Show thee a jay’s nest, and instruct thee how I prithee, let me bring thee where crabs grow,Īnd I with my long nails will dig thee pignuts, I’ll fish for thee and get thee wood enough. Young scamels from the rock.” ( act 1, scene 2)Ĭaliban is usually seen as a monster and portrayed on the stage as something less than human. He is undisciplined and it is impossible to discipline him. He cannot be reasoned with and is in a state of perpetual rebellion. ![]() He, therefore, has to be disciplined by force, and Prospero uses magic to control him. Whenever Caliban begins to look dangerous Prospero causes crippling pains throughout his body to stop him.īefore Prospero’s arrival, Caliban was free to roam the entire island and when Prospero arrived he took him into his own cell and tried to teach him things, including language, but when Caliban tried to violate Miranda, Prospero confined him to a stone cave and a limited area around it. By the time the play opens Caliban has become angry and bitter and insists “This island’s mine!” When he meets two survivors of the shipwreck, Stephano and Trinculo, he persuades the two comic characters to help him stage a coup to overthrow Prospero. (336 lines)Įnter Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Gonzalo, Adrian, Francisco, and others.The revolutionaries are ridiculous – the scenes relating to that attempt are highly comical – and the plot fails. Alonso decides they shall continue to search for Sebastian. The traitors explain their drawn swords by claiming they heard wild beasts about. Just as they are about to commit the crime, Ariel comes and wakes Gonzalo, sent by Prospero who has magically seen what was about to happen. Sebastian has some doubts, but Antonio points out how well usurping the throne of Milan worked for him. Antonio, Prospero’s brother, suggests to Sebastian that they now have an excellent opportunity to kill Alonso, thereby making Sebastian King of Naples, since they are certain Ferdinand is dead. Ariel comes in playing music that sends them almost all asleep, except Antonio and Sebastian, who stay awake to theoretically guard the King. Gonzalo shares his slightly vague utopian vision of what live on the island could be, which Antonio and Sebastian mock viciously to one another. Sebastian and Antonio have no patience with the optimistic old man, and Alonso is convinced that his son Ferdinand is dead, though the others tell him the boy may have lived. Gonzalo insists they’re much better off than they think. (Alonso Sebastian Antonio Gonzalo Adrian Francisco Ariel)Īlonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Gonzalo, and other shipwrecked lords wander on the island.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |