William Shakespeare, a name when uttered places pictures of Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet into the minds of many. Shakespeare, who is often regarded as the world’s most famous playwright was born in 1564 and died in the year 1616. In his lifetime, Shakespeare wrote many renowned plays. In 1611, he wrote his final play, The Tempest, thought by many to be one of his best. This romantic comedy features many unforgettable and complex characters. One of Shakespeare’s greatest characters, Prospero, is an exiled magician who lives on an island with his daughter, Miranda, their native slave, Caliban, and a spirit servant, Ariel. Prospero generates a storm to wreck a ship carrying Alonso, the King of Naples, Prospero’s brother, Antonio, and the King’s son, Ferdinand. Prospero intends to bring the people on the ship to his island to take back his dukedom stolen from him by Alonso and Antonio. In the end, Prospero regains his dukedom and the rest of the characters regain their happiness — except for one character, Caliban. Arguably the most complex and ambiguous character in The Tempest, Caliban is a native of the island who was enslaved by Prospero. Caliban has no other choice but to adhere to Prospero’s every wish. After many attempts to free himself from Prospero’s tyranny, in the end, Caliban once again faces punishment for his actions. Caliban’s fiery tongue, his attempt to rape Miranda, and his plot to kill Prospero have all earned him the description of a monster. Despite how easy deeming Caliban a monster may be, when taking a closer look at this complex character the reader finds his actions are only in response to things previously done to him. Through interactions with non-native characters, it is revealed (want to change wording) that Caliban is not inherently evil but rather his willingness to love and serve people who eventually betray him leads Caliban to harbor negative feelings.
Caliban’s experience with betrayal starts with the man whom he loved most, Prospero. When Prospero first came to the island he went to great lengths to shelter, teach, and care for Caliban. In return, Caliban shows Prospero the ways of the island. In an encounter between Caliban and Prospero, Caliban says, “Thou strok’st me and made much of me, wouldst/Give me/Water with berries in’t…And then I loved thee, / and showed thee all the qualities o’th’isle” (1.2.398-403). This relationship formed between the two resembles that of a father and son. Caliban, who grew up parentless is prone to cling to the attention which brings him a sense of belonging. The feeling of finding someone whom he believes loves him prompts Caliban to show Prospero the secrets of the island. However, Caliban eventually loses control of the island as well as his relationship with Prospero. Caliban says “This islands mine by Sycorax, my mother, / Which thou tak’st from me” (1.2.386-397). Prospero seems to have no regard for Caliban’s feelings. He especially did not care for him too much if it was so easy for Prospero to take over what is rightfully Caliban’s. In fact, Prospero’s reasoning for looking after Caliban seems to not have been out of the kindness of his heart but rather to learn about the island in order for Prospero to eventually conquer the island.
Not only is Caliban’s island stolen from him but he is made a prisoner in his own home. Caliban describes his experience when he says, “…here you sty me/ In this hard rock whiles you do keep from me/ The rest o’ th’ island” (1.2.409-411). Again, the love Prospero displays towards Caliban seems fake and forced in order to obtain control over the island. The malicious actions of Prospero against a gullible Caliban left him scarred. No longer does he feel a sense of belonging but the stinging venom of betrayal which hardens his heart and fills him with resentment. Bitterness and betrayal rather than a natural evilness are what lead Caliban to plot the murder of his captor.
If the betrayal of a father figure is not enough, Caliban is also cast away from the woman he spent his entire life around, Miranda. Miranda abandoned Caliban when her father made Caliban a slave. The reasoning for Caliban’s imprisonment according to Prospero is because “…thou didst seek to violate/ The honor of my child” (1.2.417-418). According to Prospero, Caliban tried to rape Miranda. However, ambiguity surrounds this claim for many reasons. According to Miranda she “took pains to make thee speak, taught thee each/ Hour/One thing or another” (1.2.425-427). Miranda took the time to teach Caliban aspects of where she came from. The attention Miranda paid to Caliban may have caused him to fall in love with Miranda. Due to Miranda being the only woman Caliban has ever known or has been in contact with (besides his mother) Caliban was more than likely only doing what he felt was natural, which was to reproduce. Also, Miranda never confirms or denies the claim that Caliban tried to rape her, which adds to the mystery surrounding what happened between the two. The dialogue does not hint at whether Prospero found Caliban and Miranda together or if Miranda told her father Caliban had attempted to rape her. There is a possibility that Miranda may have actually consented to the act considering the only two men she has ever seen are her father and Caliban. However, Miranda allows Prospero to treat Caliban so harshly and even treats him harshly herself. Miranda calls Caliban an “Abhorred slave” (1.2.422) and tells him that he “deserved more than a prison” (1.2.437). Miranda participates in this cruel behavior towards Caliban possibly out of fear of punishment if her father were to discover she had tried to engage in a sexual act with a native Hearing these words from someone Caliban has known and loved for most of his life leads his heart to harden even further.
Though Caliban makes a handful of mistakes over the course of the play deeming him a monster is unfair. The betrayal and abandonment he suffers at the hands of people who he truly felt cared for him are enough to harden his heart and cause him to lash out. The ambiguity of deciding whether Caliban is good or evil is a comment by Shakespeare on humans in general. He is implying that not all people are completely good or solely evil but rather these two dichotomies reside in the hearts of all and sometimes people are pushed to the edge. To consider Caliban a monster for misfortunes he has suffered would (unfinished)