What Does the Monster Caliban Represent as a Symbol - Essay Example

No: The Monster Caliban -- What does he represent as a Symbol? Shakespeare portrayed Caliban as half-human and half-fish symbolising him as a monster but in the play, Caliban cannot be viewed as a monster because neither he attacks anyone nor he becomes a terror for the visitors of the island. He is enslaved and deprived of his right over the island, which shows him as a creature colonized by external forces. His portrayal also depicts his close insight about nature. Caliban is an interesting character as he knows a lot much about the island and surprises the readers with his knowledge. Prospero considers Caliban only as a brute and a creature that knows nothing. However, in the story, Caliban appears to be knowledgeable but subjugated due to which, all his qualities are suppressed. The character of Caliban points towards closeness to nature, colonialism and slavery. The character of Caliban is described by Shakespeare as a ‘Savage and deformed slave’ that characterizes the upbringing of the creature (Graf 3). Caliban is nurtured by Prospero as a slave who makes use of the creature for his own benefits. He teaches Caliban his language with the help of which, Caliban can tell him about the marvels of the island. Caliban is native to the island and knows better than anyone else about the island. Prospero killed Caliban’s mother and take hold of young Caliban, about which, he says, “Thou strokedst me and madest much of me, wouldst give me Water with berries int, and teach me how To name the bigger light, and how the less, That burn by day and night: and then I loved thee And showd thee all the qualities o the isle,…(Act I, Scene II) Prospero taught Caliban how to use language and considering this as a service, he told Prospero about the island and its features that were hidden previously. After gaining knowledge of the details of the island, Prospero enslaves Caliban and considers him as an abhorred creature who knows nothing. For Prospero, Caliban is only a slave who is savage and deformed. He is far from civilization and knows nothing about it. Prospero calls Caliban with many abusive words and he regards him as a slave only created for his service such as he says, “Thou poisonous slave, got by the devil himself Upon thy wicked dam, come forth!” (Act I, Scene II) Prospero uses his power to keep control on the creature. Prospero makes Caliban to do what he likes and takes away his freedom and liberty. Caliban is allowed only to do what Prospero likes. Caliban is deprived of his right over the island and Prospero after making the island colonized regards it his property and the native of the island, Caliban becomes his slave. Prospero belongs to some other place and in reality, the island does not belong to Prospero but he takes hold of it because of his power. Caliban is the true dweller of the island and acknowledges this fact as he says, “This islands mine, by Sycorax my mother, Which thou takest from me.” (Act I, Scene II) Caliban describes the fact that the island is usurped by Prsopero and he is subjugated because Prospero made him his slave and took control of his island. Caliban’s slavery at the hands of Prospero makes him a victim and there is no reason as to why he should be called a monster (Graf 3). On the basis of his natural form that is half fish and half human, he cannot be called a monster. Prospero exercises full control on Caliban and dispossesses him of his right property, the island and what he does in return, he shows him the secrets of the island and becomes his slave. Therefore, Caliban is no monster but a victim. In addition, Caliban is also stated to symbolize cannibals as Monegal says that the name Caliban can be extracted from cannibal (82-83) but when we go through the play, nowhere we see Caliban attacking and trying to hurt people. He wishes to take revenge from Prospero but befriends the new visitors of the island. Caliban accepts slavery as he is made a slave since Prospero’s arrival on the island. When he tries to get away from the incarceration of Prospero, he is ready to enter into another. He meets Trinculo and Stephano and regards them as civilized and better people than Prospero and at once decides to accept them as his masters. He has led all his life being subjugated due to which, he considers slavery as natural to him and wants to get rid of Prospero on the cost of another slavery as he says about Trinculo and Stephano, “These be fine things, an if they be not sprites. Thats a brave god and bears celestial liquor. I will kneel to him…………….. Ill kiss thy foot; Ill swear myself thy subject.” (Act II, Scene II) He is unable to comprehend what slavery is as he is ready to leave one and accept another. He regards himself as free in future under the command of Trinculo and Stephano. He agrees to being enchained swiftly, first as Prospero’s slave and then as the slave of his new masters. Initially, he regards Prospero’s acquisition of language as his masterly quality and then he regards the wine offered by Trinculo and Stephano as unearthly liquor and admits to be their slave. According to Monegal, Prospero left his developed society and entered an underdeveloped society to develop a slave-master relationship and Caliban as a resident of a primitive society is always ready to obey and accept slavery and colonization (78). Caliban stands as a symbol of people who are colonized so it can be said that Caliban can be symbolized as a colonized being. Caliban regards freedom from slavery as freedom from Prospero only but in actuality, he should be able to gain freedom from everyone to lead his life as per his desires and wishes. Caliban as stated by Prospero is not a worthless being, as he knows a lot about his native island. It is Claiban who tells Prospero about the island and its bounties. Caliban is quite knowledgeable and accomplished in terms of his knowledge about the island. He symbolizes the raw form of nature. Caliban is close to nature and appears to be a part of nature and there is some vagueness about his actual form as some call him half-human and half-fish, some call him a mooncalf and some call him as a monster (Lupton 8-9). Therefore, Caliban being a part of nature is somewhat mysterious like the nature. Caliban lacks knowledge of language but it does not mean that he knows nothing. His profound knowledge about the island is given in the following lines, “Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises, Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not. Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices That, if I then had waked after long sleep, Will make me sleep again: and then, in dreaming, The clouds methought would open and show riches Ready to drop upon me that, when I waked, I cried to dream again.” (Act III, Scene 2) Caliban is a natural creature. Prospero colonizes the island and regards Caliban as savage and deformed creature on the basis of his lack of knowledge of the language. Caliban is not able to communicate with Prospero only when he was young but he was able to communicate with nature around him. His knowledge of the island, its exquisite features and his way of elaboration about the secrets of the island indicates towards Caliban as a well-informed being. Prospero regards himself as the benefactor who has facilitated Caliban to acquire the knowledge of language but he is not thankful to Caliban for revealing to him the knowledge about the island. He only remembers his blessings and assistances and gives no value to the provisions of Caliban. Prospero considers Caliban as economically profitable for him as Caliban performs a number of jobs that are not done by any other person. Realizing the profitability of Caliban, Prospero states, “We cannot miss him: he does make our fire, Fetch in our wood and serves in offices That profit us. (Act I, Scene II) Prospero knows about his slave and acknowledges his participation in helping Prospero in conducting his day-to-day activities. However, in spite of all such provisions, Caliban is regarded as a slave only who should be controlled because he is uncivilized and crude. Prospero regards himself as accommodative for Caliban because he has taught him language, however, Caliban considers the acquirement of language as of no use but to make Prospero know about the abuses and curses that he receives from Caliban as he says, “You taught me language; and my profit ont Is, I know how to curse. The red plague rid you For learning me your language!” …(Act I, Scene II) When Caliban was ignorant about language, he was still able to survive and could communicate with the nature. Therefore, he regards Prospero’s teaching as insignificant. Prospero’s teaching of language to Caliban is in fact a strategized scheme to oppress Caliban and colonize the island (Monegal 81). Language acquisition is in no way required for Caliban but he is made to learn it because Prospero wanted Caliban to know that he is under control of Prospero who is his master. After teaching language to Caliban, Prospero is enabled to make Caliban know of his deformed status and being a slave. It is because of language that Caliban becomes aware of himself being enslaved. By teaching language, Prospero has proved himself to be Caliban’s superior because of having knowledge of language. On the other hand, Caliban’s starts considering himself inferior to Prospero because of his lack of knowledge of the language. He is colonized and stated as uncivilized and savage on the basis of his closeness to primitiveness. Being native to the island, he has a wide knowledge of the island but his being considered as uncivilized, savage and unknowledgeable about language, he is given the status of a slave. Caliban does not symbolize the evil or monstrous side of a human being, as we cannot view him doing activities that are destructive or annihilating. His monstrous image represented by Shakespeare is not monstrous in originality. Caliban is quite simple and ready to accept what comes his way. He wants to get rid of slavery from Prospero but unknowingly still remains a slave. Caliban symbolizes colonialism as he along with his island, are colonized. He becomes enslaved and under control of Prospero. It is his being colonized that he is regarded as socially, culturally and knowledgeably deprived. The character of Caliban also symbolizes raw form of nature as he is closely related to nature. He keeps profound knowledge about the secrets of the islands and in his own place, is quite accomplished but Prospero makes him to know that he is no more than a deformed slave on the basis of his knowledge of language. Therefore, it is quite clear that the character of Caliban can be regarded as a monster based on his shape and physical appearance but not on the basis of his activities. He is a simple being who makes no problem in anyone’s life and quickly accepts slavery as being natural to him. Caliban is native to the island and is able to access all the resources of the island based on his knowledge of the island. For Caliban, nature is his close friend. Therefore, Caliban symbolizes colonialism, raw nature and native population of the island and in this symbolization, Caliban cannot be regarded as monster. Works Cited Graf, Sandra. Is He a Monster?-Caliban in William Shakespeares The Tempest. GRIN Verlag, 2009. Lupton, Julia Reinhard. "Creature Caliban." Shakespeare Quarterly (2000): 1-23. Monegal, Emir Rodriguez. "The metamorphoses of Caliban." diacritics 7.3 (1977): 78-83. Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. New York: Penguin Publication, 1982. Read More