#notes3

- concept that emphasizes three aspects of abnormal behavior: biological, psychological, and sociological

Biological - genes, anatomy, neurotransmitters

Psychological - learning history, stress experiences (physically or sexually abused in early childhood)

After reading The Tempest, I noticed that although the relationships between Ariel and Caliban and Prospero seem to represent nothing but the servant vs. master dynamic on the surface, Ariel and Prospero's as well as Caliban and Prospero's relationship go much beyond that. At the beginning of the play, we are aware of the function of Prospero's relationship with Ariel and Caliban: Caliban and Ariel are the servants, and Prospero is the master, and that separation is clear. Prospero makes a point of calling Caliban harsh dehumanizing names, and manipulating Ariel with guilt in order to coerce him into doing his bidding once again. Prospero uses Sycorax, Caliban's mother and Ariel's previous master, to lower Caliban and Ariel's statuses in order to manipulate and take command over them. Even though we are led to believe on the surface that the statuses of Prospero and his servants are clearly defined, if we look deeper into the text, we see that Prospero does not differ so much from his servants as we once thought, and he does not differ so much from Sycorax either.

Prospero argues that Sycorax was an evil witch who held Ariel prisoner, and he was the once to rescue and relieve Ariel of being confined in that horrible prison. And although he does not necessarily use physical force to make Ariel do his bidding, he uses guilt trips to manipulate Ariel and keep his from being relieved from his service. Prospero uses Sycorax again as a way do demean Caliban's inherent integrity in order to remind him that he is only a servant and nothing more as a way to again keep control over his 'subjects'. Yet, it seemed to me that Prospero exemplifies the same characteristics of a manipulative dictator as Syorax once did. And yet, he has also bore the trials of being a castaway and someone who was taken advantage of, the same as Ariel and Caliban, and feels the need to be in control because of the fact he was stripped of his freedom and entitlements.

Prospero

"Hag-seed, hence!

Fetch us in fuel. And be quick, thou 'rt best,

To answer other business. Shrug’st thou, malice?

If thou neglect’st or dost unwillingly

What I command, I’ll rack thee with old cramps,

Fill all thy bones with aches, make thee roar

That beasts shall tremble at thy din." (Act 1 scene 2 pg. 34 lines 366-372)

Paraphrase: Get out of here witch-child. Quickly bring wood. Are you making faces and shrugging? If you neglect to do what I tell you to or do it unwillingly, I will  make your bones ache, make you scream so loudly that even wild animals will tremble. Prospero is ordering Caliban who is son of the deceased witch, Sycorax, to bring him wood. Although injustice has been done to Prospero, he is also doing injustice by poorly treating Caliban.

Sparknotes: Although Prospero acts as victim of injustice, his idea of what is justice and injustice is hypocritical to certain extent. He has no problem in enslaving Ariel and Caliban and using them to achieve what he wants. He sees his brother taking his power as injustice. Play is ambiguous because it does not offer any other notion of justice which supercedes Prospero's interpretation. Prospero's perspective on justice is one-sided and involves what is good for him. "By using magic and tricks that echo the special effects and spectacles of the theater, Prospero gradually persuades the other characters and the audience of the rightness of his case. As he does so, the ambiguities surrounding his methods slowly resolve themselves. Prospero forgives his enemies, releases his slaves, and relinquishes his magic power..."

http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/tempest/themes.html

Comparison: I agree with sparknotes on the fact that Prospero gets furious about his brother taking his power, but he himself does injustice to Ariel and Caliban. Prospero only sees the wrong that is done to him, but not what he inflicts upon others. He threatens to use his magic on  Caliban if he does not listen to his commands. First of all, Caliban does not need to listen to him. Prospero took the island from Caliban and made him a slave. "By using magic and tricks that echo the special effects and spectacles of the theater, Prospero gradually persuades the other characters and the audience of the rightness of his case. " I don't understand how the audience and characters can get persuaded of Prospero being right just because he uses magic. According to me magic is supposed to be bad because your using torture, control, and manipulation to get what you want. Your putting forth your own selfish needs. I don't get persuaded that Prospero is right. I believe that Caliban is not as bad as Prospero describes him. Prospero himself disrespects Caliban. I don't totally agree with sparknotes on Prospero appearing very rightful. 

Theme: Master and Servant; Ruler and Minion

Summary: The idea of a ruler, master, leader or simply a being with power over another being is omnipresent in this story. From the first scene in which Sebastian and Antonio ridicule a boatswain they deem as lower, to Miranda constantly needing her father's approval, to Prospero's control over Ariel and Caliban, the theme of master and servant is an important aspect that provides the backbone to the conflict of Prospero's dethroning and vow for vengeance. It is because of this thirst for power did Antonio steal the crown from his own brother Prospero before exiling him from Milan, likewise did Sebastian consider overthrowing his brother Alonso to be the ruler of Naples. This sense of superiority, however, did not only apply to rulers but to those seeking power as well, as can be observed via the excitement that Stephano and Trinculo, both servants to Alonso, experienced at the possibility of ruling the island in which the story takes place, meanwhile dehumanizing poor Caliban.

SparkNotes Excerpt: In the Themes, Motifs and Symbols section of Sparknotes, my selected them of ruling and power is discussed in similar terms. When Caliban tells Stephano that only slaying the current king of the island separates him from the throne, Stephano becomes excited at the idea of for once being a ruler himself. This feeling is also present in Trinculo, knowing he will become Stephano's right-hand man in the process. However, SparkNotes discusses this desire to be found in Gonzalo as well, which I did not take much notice of, but is evident via Gonzalo's visions of a utopian society established on the island (Sparknotes; 'Themes, Motifs and Symbols').

The Tempest, Act 3 Scene 2

Short summary- Caliban tells Stephano that he will be his servant and he will show him around the island and let him know where to get water and food. He tells him (stephano) that he should take over the island and in order to do so he would have to take Prospero's magic books and kill him- Stephano agrees to that plan. Stephano also says that after killing Prospero, he will take Miranda as his wife and they will be king and queen of the island.Trinculo and Caliban quarrel because Ariel, who is invisible, shows up and speaks rudely as Trinculo (in Trinculo's voice).

Analysis- While reading this scene, I took note of binaries and larger themes/motifs that connected to the rest of the novel. I wrote down monster/man, master/servant, men/women, and the strive for power. The monster/man binary is most apparent in this scene. Stephano and Triculo  refer to Caliban as "monster", "mooncalf", "servant monster", and "half fish half monster", all of which reflect how low they think of Caliban. When Caliban places himself at Stephano's feet as a servant, Stephano becomes entitled to something greater, thus his plan to take over the island as king.I thought this was kind of ironic because Stephano is a servant to Alonso and now that he has someone to serve him, he feels empowered to be something more than what he is. Throughout the whole play, several of the characters strive to be powerful leaders, like Antontio, who took over for Prospero as Duke of Milan, and Sebastian, who planned to kill his brother to inherit the throne. I also want to note the division between men and women in this scene. Because Miranda is the only woman on the island and she happens to be a maiden, the men view her as some type of object. They seem entitled to take her hand. Stephano practically claims her as his queen without her concent in this scene. 

Sparknotes Analysis- The analysis provided by Sparknotes, is about the use of doubles. They reflect on the similarities between this scence and Act II scece i and how it is esentially a mirror. Just like this scene, in act II scene i, the men (Gonzalo, Sebastion, Antonio, Alonso) wander around and the lower status men talk about what it would be like to have power. Ariel also enters and leads them astray as an invisible being. Stephano and Trinculo are "power- hungry servants" and are "rough paradodies of the power hungry courtiers Antonio and Sebastian".

Character: Caliban

Summary: Caliban is the son of Sycorax and the only character native to the island. Caliban has a strong conection to the island and nature in general. He makes many references to the island and different animals throughout the play. Caliban often refers to nature when he is insulting Prospero; "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!" (Act 1 Scene 2 321-324). Caliban is a character that reflects many indiginous cultures that occupied a land, then were forced into slavery or a harsher living condition once their land was imperialized by a more powerful culture. Caliban loves the island and it is his true home, but he is supressed by the power of Prospero which may be the motivating factor for some of his negative behavior. 

Sparknotes Excerpt: Caliban "mirrors or parodies several other characters in the play." Caliban even becomes a parody of himself. In the beginning of the play "he regretfully reminds the magician of how he showed him all the ins and outs of the island when Prospero first arrived' and a few scenes later Caliban shows Stephano the island, thus commiting the same act he so fervently regretted earlier in the play.

Comparison: The Sparknotes excerpt also acknowledges Caliban's connection to the island. This is essential to Caliban's development as a character. I think that the idea of Caliban mirroring different characters is something that should be explored deeper. Caliban may just be a reflection of the characters around him because he is trying to fit in to their societal norms. He is caught between who he is, a son of a witch who was born on the island, and how he is seen by those around him, a deformed and savage slave. By imitating the personalities of his peers he may be trying to make himself seem more "normal" and relateable. 

Quote: "I'll show thee the best springs; I'll pluck thee berries;  I'll fish for thee, and get thee wood enough. A plague upon the tyrant that I serve! I'll bear him no more sticks, but follow thee, Thou wondrous man." Caliban, Act II scene ii, lines 168 - 172.

SparkNotes: This quote relates to the two themes found on SparkNotes, the Allure of Ruling a Colony and the Difficulty of Distinguishing "Men" from "Monsters," and the motif Masters and Servants.

My take on the quote... This quote by Caliban emphasizes his servile, sycophant nature explored under the Difficulty of Distinguishing "Men" from "Monsters" section of SparkNotes. A servant in the play, Caliban attempts to gain control of his helpless situation by choosing his own master through free will. Shakespeare shows the power struggle within the master/servant motif when Caliban tries to break out of Prospero's oppression. Analyzing the quote from a master-servant-power-struggle point of view makes us as readers question whether Caliban's "monstrous" nature derives from his nature or from Prospero's oppression, as explored on SparkNotes: "Which character [of Caliban] the audience decides to believe depends on whether [they view] Caliban as inherently brutish, or as made brutish by oppression." The eagerness of Caliban to show "the best springs" and pluck berries for Stephano contrasts greatly with his bitter resentment he has in doing those for Prospero; this further emphasizes Caliban's desire for free will in at least choosing who he wants to take commands from.

Taking it further with SparkNotes... Although SparkNotes initially focuses on Caliban's outward "monstrous" appearance, it goes on to explain that the greedy nature of the men, such as Stephano, in wanting to rule the island (a theme explored under the Allure of Ruling a Colony section) makes it harder to distinguish "men" from "monsters." Although Caliban has the most obvious "devilish" role in the play, underlying implications behind many of the men and their selfish motives show that identifying the monster in the play is not as black and white.