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The Oppression of Caliban, 2002.
This paper analyzes the role of Caliban in Shakespeare's "The Tempest."
2,410 words (approx. 9.6 pages), 8 sources, MLA, £ 38.95
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Abstract
This paper is about how the characters in Shakespeare's "The Tempest" see Caliban as a monster. The writer examines the character and proceeds to compare and contrast him to each of the other characters in the play.. The writer also debates about whether or not their treatment of Caliban is justified.
From the Paper
"William Shakespeare's, "The Tempest," provides insight into the hierarchy of command and servitude by order of nature. This play uses the relationship between its characters to display the control of the conqueror over the conquered. It also shows how society usually places the undesirable members at the bottom of the chain of command, even though they may be entitled to a higher social status. For example, the beginning of the play opens with a scene on a boat in the midst of a terrible storm. The boatswain, who is under the command of the royal party, attempts to keep the boat from sinking. Members of the royal party, however, persist in interfering with his duties. The boatswain retorts, "What cares these roarers for the name of the king? To cabin! Silence! Trouble us not"(I, I, 16-18). He is trying to warn his superiors that if he does not let him do his job, everyone will die, and it will not matter who has power over whom. The superiors, however, still take offense to this comment and label him a blasphemer. Caliban, an unfortunate character in this play, suffers from similar constant abuse because he is of the lowest social rank in his community. Critic John W. Draper describes Caliban's position in relation to the other characters when he says, "Of all the characters in Shakespeare, Caliban is the most fully and repeatedly/ described, though not always consistently; and his bodily parts seem to show little/ relation to his humor or his character except that both are monstrous. Monsters/ were popular; and, as Trinculo remarks, any 'holiday fool' in England would pay out/ 'silver' for the sight of one. Caliban's monstrosity, however, out-Herods Herod"(Draper 89). According to the other inhabitants of the island, Caliban is a monster. He is a symbol of what they never want to become. Caliban reminds them to act as though they are worthy of their high social status. He is the painfully realistic entity around whom the other rulers on the island silently rally in order to maintain a social balance. They abhor him but desperately desire to possess at the same time. On a narrower scale, the oppression of the underdog is obvious in the undesirable Caliban and his relationship to Prospero, Miranda, Ariel and Ferdinand. "
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The Roles of Ariel and Caliban in "The Tempest", 2004.
Analysis of William Shakespeare's "The Tempest" and the importance of the characters, Ariel and Caliban.
982 words (approx. 3.9 pages), 3 sources, MLA, £ 17.95
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Abstract
The actions of Prospero in relation to his two servants, Ariel and Caliban, very much contradict his motivations and goals throughout the play, "The Tempest," by William Shakespeare. The paper shows that, while Prospero is trying to fight injustice and restore his own life, he is, in a sense, stealing the power and lives of his servants.
From the Paper
"In Shakespeare's The Tempest, one of the main characters in the play, Prospero, has been exiled to an island. While living there he encounters two inhabitants of the island and makes them his servants. Caliban, one of Prospero's servants, has lived his whole life on the island after being left there by sailors with his mother, Sycorax. The other servant is Ariel, a mischievous spirit who Prospero found trapped in tree by a spell cast many years ago by Sycorax. The relationships between Prospero and his two servants are very different, although he maintains his control over both of them through his use of words. Prospero promises Ariel his freedom after he is done serving Prospero's desires, but Caliban is treated very differently. He is looked down upon and treated cruelly with no promise of ever being free. Unlike Ariel, Caliban is not content to serve Prospero and attempts to remove him of his power in order to restore his own life and rule over the island, but in his attempt to do so he offers to become a servant of Stephano. Throughout the play Prospero is attempting to fight the injustice of losing his power as Duke of Milan, but the way he treats his servants and steals their power is unjust."
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Prospero, Ariel and Caliban, 2005.
An analysis of the relationship between Prospero, Ariel and Caliban in William Shakespeare's "The Tempest" in the light of competing critical interpretations of the play.
1,941 words (approx. 7.8 pages), 4 sources, MLA, £ 31.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how "The Tempest" has attracted a vast array of critical attention, possibly because of its intriguingly ambiguous message which naturally invites conjecture. It looks at how it is a text loaded with nuances and ambiguities which make it impossible to pin down Shakespeare's original motivation or world view. By contemplating the relationship between Prospero, Ariel and Caliban it considers the author's views of their relationship in comparison with those of major critics.
From the Paper
"Caliban's attitude to Prospero is one of absolute terror of his power rather than mere subservience. Mannnoni's argument of a "predisposition to dependency ", supported by Caliban's quick acceptance of Trinculo as "... a new master whose 'footlicker' he can become..." (quoted in Reader, p. 284) is hard to accept. Shakespeare's text is surely more light-hearted than this. Caliban's comic simplicity leads him to believe that Stephano and Trinculo are gods to be worshipped, not just men to be obeyed. In the magical surrounding of the island where the fantastic often happens, the naive Caliban can surely be forgiven for believing that Stephano and Trinculo are "...dropped from heaven" (2.2.134) or "Out o'th'moon" (2.2.135)."
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Prospero's Slaves, 2001.
A study of enslavement in William Shakespeare's "The Tempest".
5,635 words (approx. 22.5 pages), 8 sources, MLA, £ 71.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how "The Tempest" is, perhaps, Shakespeare's most universally appropriate play in that its multicultural and colonial themes have attracted substantial study from all over the world and its characters have been employed as models for both further literary work. In particular it discusses how Caliban is, without question, a slave and how enslavement is a theme that pervades the play as a whole. It investigates this theme, not only in relation to Caliban, but also to the spirit Ariel and, to some extent, Prospero's daughter Miranda.
From the Paper
"It would not be insensible to argue that any audience of The Tempest finds itself subject to Prospero's rule. Knowledge of all action previous to the events which take place on stage is presented in the most part through Prospero. Indeed, all of the other characters, once upon the island, are only able to perform what is permitted them by Prospero. Caliban enters on his command, Ariel begins the play in creating a storm at his order, and the passengers of the King's ship are lured into neat groups around the island in preparation for his plan for the recovery of his Dukedom. Most significantly, however, is the position of Prospero's daughter, Miranda. She has lived on the island for nearly all of her cognizant life, taking all of her knowledge of human society from her father."
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Slave Rebellions, 2004.
A comparison between the slave rebellions of William Shakespeare's "The Tempest" and Aphra Behn's "Oroonoko".
1,035 words (approx. 4.1 pages), 2 sources, MLA, £ 18.95
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Abstract
This paper examines William Shakespeare's "The Tempest" and Aphra Behn's "Oroonoko" . In particular, it looks at the concepts of slavery and freedom as perceived in each story. It discusses how Caliban believes that Prospero, as a human man, has no right to control and dominate the island any more than the protagonists of "Oroonoko" have to be dominated as slaves. It looks at how Oroonoko shares with Caliban a royal status conferred by birth and how, unlike his fictional counterpart, he uses his justification of birth to win respect and dignity in the eyes of his people and even his enemies, despite the fact that his rebellion ultimately results in execution.
From the Paper
"Caliban is so intoxicated, not only upon alcohol, but also because of the slave mentality-instituted by Prospero, a modern observer might say, or 'natural' to a heathen savage, an Elizabethan audience might infer-that he calls the two men master. All while he cries out in celebration for freedom, his cries are undercut by his needless, slave-like abasement before Stephano and Trinculo, who take advantage of him at every turn. Although Caliban makes a convincing argument for his rebellion, given his lineage and previous treatment, and current imprisonment, his easily abased and credulous character and immoral sexual conduct, to say nothing of his intoxication, undercuts the rational nature of his claims."
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"The Tempest" and Colonialism, 1999.
Historical criticism of William Shakespeare's shortest play which the author sees as as a work of social sarcasm.
1,851 words (approx. 7.4 pages), 1 source, MLA, £ 30.95
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Abstract
This paper is dedicated to proving a critique of Shakespeare's "The Tempest" from a colonial/imperial viewpoint. It details the subjugation of the savage Caliban at the hands of the mainstream European characters, primarily Prospero. It briefly examines the rape of Miranda by Caliban and discusses several points from the play that strongly suggest that Shakespeare was writing a concise social commentary on the morality of imperialistic tendencies at the time.
From the Paper
""The Tempest," precisely because of its compact nature, has become one of the most widely criticized plays that Shakespeare ever wrote. Unlike his more grandiose tragedies, or even his longer comedies, "The Tempest" is concise, and very often leaves the reader wondering what exactly IS the thrust of the play. It can adequately be argued that the play is a precursor to future naturalist novels (i.e. Goldings "Lord of the Flies", or Conrad's "Heart of Darkness"), or it can be viewed as one of the few Shakespearean works that walks the categorical tightrope between tragedy and comedy. Indeed, "The Tempest" is not so easily categorized because it contains elements of both a tragedy and a comedy, is short, quickly resolved, and has no "real" moral or motif."
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"Othello" vs. "The Tempest", 2004.
A comparative essay of Shakespeare's plays, "Othello" and "The Tempest".
1,566 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 6 sources, MLA, £ 26.95
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Abstract
This paper claims that, at first glance, Shakespeare's "Othello" and "The Tempest" could not be more unlike. "Othello" is a tale rooted very firmly in the here-and-now, the actual city of Venice, an important and central location for the Renaissance man. "The Tempest" is a fantasy taking place on a "marvelous" island. However, the paper explains, a closer look reveals that Venice, too, is marvelous and is, moreover, the perfect link between the civilized and the savage. It is no wonder then that the story of the 'noble savage' in the character of "Othello" was placed there. Nor is it any wonder that the less noble savage, Caliban, is found on an island that, while not straddling the literal old and new world orders, nonetheless bears representatives of each. The paper contends that both "Othello" and "The Tempest" are indeed exemplary of the statement, "Europeans contact with people of other cultures during the Renaissance period had a disorienting effect, as it raised the question of who was truly 'civilized,' and who was truly 'savage'." Shakespeare seems to answer that question in both plays, often in ways that may, at first, like the true meaning of Venice, be hidden.
From the Paper
"The Renaissance was about discovery, artistic, scientific and geographic. The geographic discoveries led to European's 'finding' new lands-although the lands had clearly been there long before any Europeans sailed to them-and thus to European culture bumping into cultures far different. The Europeans, since they had 'discovered' those other people, found it easy to set themselves up as superior to the discovered populations; that being the case, they then began to colonize the natives of those places, to civilize them (or, as one might say in a more politically sensitive age, Europeanize them, although that sounds even more paternalistic than colonizing). Cefalu argues that hierarchy was central to the European concept of civilization; any culture that lacked masters and subordinates was, therefore, uncivilized. Such as the culture found in "The Tempest"; it paralleled, Cefalu argues, the lack of stratification in the American colonies at the outset (Cefalu 2000)."
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Man or Monster?, 2001.
Compares the slave narrative of Olaudah Equiano titled "The Life of Gustavas Vassa, the African," and William Shakespeare's "The Tempest."
958 words (approx. 3.8 pages), 2 sources, MLA, £ 17.95
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Abstract
This paper compares the stereotypes of indigenous people using Caliban in "The Tempest," then contrasts it with a real life narrative from Olaudah Equiano's "The Life of Gustavas Vassa, the African."
From the Paper
"In Shakespeare's "The Tempest", Caliban is reflected as an abhorred slave (19), who is tricky, savage-like and has monstrous mannerisms. Caliban is an indigenous portrait that is supported by that time periods stereotypes of non-European persons. Caliban is also shown as uneducated, foul-mouthed, and barbaric; both in nature and physical appearance. Sixteenth-century Europeans believed that natives of another land were composed of these things and more. This including that these people were wild men and beast-like. Olaudah Equiano's The Life of Gustavas Vassa, the African, paints a very different picture from that of the stereotypes mentioned. Olaudah is educated, well versed, and has pleasant mannerisms. He is also an honest slave, whose intelligence and patience buys him the freedom from his bound life."
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'The Tempest', 2005.
This paper is a deconstruction analysis of Shakespeare's 'The Tempest'.
1,800 words (approx. 7.2 pages), 3 sources, APA, £ 33.95
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Abstract
In this article, the writer discusses Shakespeare's "The Tempest" and focuses on how Prospero imposes English values and beliefs on Caliban primarily because they are "English" and not absolute truths.
From the Paper
"The modernist view of human identity believed that human beings through independent thought and ration developed their ideas, beliefs and values. Following the modernists, Postmodernists like the founder of deconstruction, Jacques Derrida maintained that all values are a product of culture. To the deconstructionist, meaning is out there but is not knowable through a Western valuation of beliefs, truths or meaning. From the perspective of the deconstructionist, a text cannot be read as a clear communication from one author with a distinct message but must be ... "
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The Tempest, 2005.
This paper provides a deconstruction analysis of Shakespeare's "The Tempest."
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 3 sources, MLA, £ 24.95
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Abstract
A deconstruction analysis of Shakespeare's play "The Tempest." The paper focuses on how Prospero imposes English values and beliefs on Caliban primarily because they are "English" and not absolute truths.
From the Paper
"The modernist view of human identity believed that human beings through independent thought and ration developed their ideas, beliefs and values. Following the modernists, Postmodernists like the founder of deconstruction, Jacques Derrida, maintained that all values are a product of culture. To the deconstructionist, meaning is out there but is not knowable through a Western valuation of beliefs, truths or meaning."
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'The Tempest', 2006.
A discussion regarding the theme of political corruption in the play 'The Tempest' by William Shakespeare.
675 words (approx. 2.7 pages), 4 sources, £ 13.95
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Abstract
This drama study examines the play 'The Tempest' by William Shakespeare. The paper discusses how by unveiling the political corruption that Prospero must face with Caliban, Shakespeare brings forth plans of murder and usurpation within the plot of the story. Although many attempts are made to steal the power that Prospero's Dukedom offer, the play ends with the triumph of royalty over political rivals. In essence, 'The Tempest' offers a great deal of political corruption as the island survivors of the shipwreck battle for power.
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"The Tempest", 2004.
An examination of the role of learning in a text of the Renaissance,
Shakespeare's 'The Tempest'.
1,887 words (approx. 7.5 pages), 1 source, MLA, £ 31.95
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Abstract
The writer of this paper explains that one of the fundamental themes of the play is the transmission of learning through the process of education and the aims and outcomes of that process, both intended and unforeseen. The paper notes that if the island of "The Tempest" can be read as a microcosm of human society, one of the key aspects of Prospero's character is as an archetype of the teacher who, in terms of Renaissance educational thought and practice, is charged with forming character as much as imparting knowledge, while Miranda and Caliban serve as contrasting images of the effects of education upon its recipients.
From the Paper
"The Tempest' respects the dramatic principle of the unity of time: the action of the play takes place over the course of a single afternoon. Everything that occurs during that limited period of time, however, is profoundly an outcome of events that stretch back twelve years previously. It was twelve years earlier that Prospero, Duke of Milan, entrusted the government of his city to his brother Antonio, in order that he might devote himself entirely to the pursuit of learning in 'the liberal arts ... those being all my study, / The government I cast upon my brother' [1.2: 73-5]. The 'liberal arts' referred to here are those aspects of learning seen in Renaissance humanism as worthy of a free man of high social status: the study of grammar, logic and rhetoric (the 'trivium') and arithmetic, geometry, music and astronomy (the 'quadrivium'). It was this decision to seclude himself in study that has led to Prospero's enforced seclusion on his desert island, for Antonio did not follow his brother's love of learning, but was rather in love with power - as a Renaissance ruler he is in the cast of Machiavelli's 'Prince' rather than Castiglione's 'Courtier' and 'needs will be / Absolute Milan' [1.2: 109]."
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Conflicts in "The Tempest", 2002.
Examines the nature of conflict and the question of resolution in William Shakespeare's "The Tempest"
1,400 words (approx. 5.6 pages), 7 sources, £ 27.95
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Abstract
This paper will argue that the form of "The Tempest" is one of conflicts unresolved and (quite literally) disharmony. As will be seen, the play suggests that harmony and closure are themselves illusions. In this analysis, resolution may be seen as an artificial construct, an act of power imposed from without upon a place or an action - such as Prospero's/Caliban's island or life itself - that is naturally chaotic and without form.
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"Claribel Palace Dot Tunis", 2002.
Analyzes Linda Bamber's short story and links it to William Shakespeare's "The Tempest".
1,150 words (approx. 4.6 pages), 3 sources, £ 22.95
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Abstract
This paper will discuss how Linda Bamber's comic short story "Claribel Palace Dot Tunis" might be considered a sequel to "The Tempest" that imagines life for Prospero, Miranda, Ferdinand and Caliban once they have left the island. Written from a feminist perspective, Bamber's story addresses the problem of Claribel and Sycorax, the missing women in "The Tempest".
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