#notes 3

Caliban

Brief Summary:

In The Tempest, Caliban is a very powerful character in the sense that his actions truly push the novel’s plot forward. However, he is depicted as a horrid, un-humane, monster that serves no better use than to be a servant—well more a slave—to Prospero. Although at the start of the novel we first see Caliban through the threatening descriptions of both Prospero and Miranda, however once Caliban argues with Prospero we notice some new qualities of Caliban. We find that Caliban has been unwillingly oppressed and betrayed by Prospero as Prospero takes Caliban’s homeland for the benefit of his own. Unfortunately, we are left in a bit of a conundrum as Prospero reveals the savagery of Caliban as he tried to rape Miranda, which made Prospero lose all respect and kindness towards Caliban.

Here the novel puts us (the reader) in a very interesting position and that is who we trust. Do we believe Prospero’s description of Caliban being an unforgivable wretch, or do we listen to Caliban and view him as someone who was simply betrayed and seeks vengeance?

Spark Notes Paraphrase:

Spark Notes presents a very interesting take on looking at Caliban in the novel. Spark Notes claims that Caliban mirrors and contrasts different aspects of Prospero and other characters in the novel. On the site, it is explained that Prospero and Caliban are similar in the sense that they both have experienced similar situations. Prospero had lost his dukedom before when he was betrayed by his brother, just as Caliban loses everything when Prospero takes what is his. Similarly, Caliban’s plot to murder Prospero “mirrors” the conspiracy of Antonio’s and Sebastian’s plot against Alonso.

Also Spark Notes discusses that although Caliban’s savagery and “grotesque appearance” tend to overtake the view of his character throughout the novel, however Caliban also has a nobler side that the audience briefly sees in the beginning of the novel.

Comparison: