Shakespeare Essay Example

The tempest is a pastoral tragic comedy written by William Shakespeare around 1611 during the Renaissance era. The vastly utilized criticism of the role of Prospero as the Tempest undisputed hero entail the captivating Caliban character, the scholar turned to slave. For the earliest critic, the persuasive claim of Caliban to the island ownership is evident enough of the questionable morality of Prospero. It is in actual fact that Caliban often and openly accuses Prospero for taking over his island. Caliban’s allegations which occasionally go undisputed are usually availed as evidence that Shakespeare invites the members of the audience in questioning the role of Prospero as the legitimate ruler of the island. Nevertheless, it is significant in considering not just the words of Caliban, but his actions whilst arriving at the conclusion of whether or not his character is a real threat to the legitimate status and role of Prospero as the play protagonist. It is apparent that Shakespeare includes the attempted murder details of Miranda’s rape. Instead of entreating his innocence- that perhaps would have served in inspiring sympathy due to his enslavements-Caliban states“Thou didst prevent me; I had peopled else / the isle with Caliban”. This is not a strong way for the author to create sympathy for Caliban.

Moreover, the apparently harsh action that Prospero takes against Caliban after the attempted murder of Miranda should be perceived not as illogical verdict of an irrational statement. Notwithstanding the repulsive severity of Prospero to a contemporary learner, the audience of Shakespeare would have thought the enslavement of Caliban by Prospero as a punishment that is just for the attempted rape. Furthermore, Caliban asserts that Prospero and Miranda were together before her attempts to rape her; hence it is clearly that Prospero loved Caliban and merited the returned affection. Hence, the seemingly Caliban’s cruel punishment does not tarnish essentially the Prospero character. Rather than the stringent imprisonment by Prospero of Caliban might be well regarded as the careful precaution of a father who is worried, who deeply feels compelled into doing whatever is needed to protect the virtue of his blameless daughter. As a result, the verity that Caliban is straight away acknowledged as an attempted rapist is without a doubt a strike against his character. Despites Prospero’s Caliban chastisement is not to blame.

The behavior of Caliban in the remaining part of the play would have without a doubt condemned him in the Renaissance audience views. To the 17th century audience, the conspiracy of Calibanto of murdering his master would have been perceived as a petty treason, which was punishable by death-since it would have led to a hierarchal social order challenge. The early views of the tempests would have viewed Caliban’s mutiny as little more than an inexcusable unruly slave rebellion. Even though Caliban fully expresses his longing for autonomy, any validity of his case might have retained is undermined seriously by the verity that he willingly enslaves himself to a drunkard. Moreover, the suitability for self-rule by Caliban becomes questionable when he offers rashly to show Stephano every fertile inch of the island a mistake that he made together with Prospero. Additionally, William Shakespeare tries to have Caliban admit the source of his rebellion. Hence

Caliban is made in acknowledging his own foolishness and seeking grace.

Apparently all the above mentioned facts show the status of Caliban as a natural subordinate who is not fit for self-rule and hence ruled warranted by Prospero. The languages used by Prospero communicate to Caliban performs two core things they enslaves, as well as liberates him; he is a well-recognized as a thing of darkness. It is unidentified on whether William Shakespeare fully intended for Caliban to be a vile and ugly human, or something more degenerate or stranger. He is not even fit to attempt to murder Prospero; he has to employ Trinculo and Stephano in a farcical effort of overthrowing them through making them his gods.

The philosophy of the Renaissance placed a core emphasis on the natural universe order and the reflection of the universal arrangements in the social relationship. To the 17th century audience of William Shakespeare, the treachery of Caliban might have indicated and represented a core transgression to the natural order rules which would have placed him on the Universal lordly chain far lower Prospero. As a result of the disrespect by Caliban of the natural duty through which the inferior links usually owes to the masters, his conspiracy that is aimed at Prospero is not in any mean permissible, and has appeared to the audience of the Renaissance as the obdurate determinations of natural inferior in raising himself beyond their proper places. Hence the scheme by Caliban against the master would have seemed to the viewer of Shakespeare in much the similar way it seems to Prospero as a foul conspiracy to Trinculo who eventually dismisses Caliban as the monster who is most ridiculous. Hence to the audience of the Shakespeare during that time, Caliban not only would have been perceived to a greater extent as evidently defiant, however he might have been also well-thought-out as inhumane, the initial handling and treatment of Caliban by Prospero would have been perceived as unwisely kind rather than being perceived as unduly cruel.
To a renaissance audience, the use of magic by Prospero, as well as his widespread expression less landscape was far less challenging than they are currently are. Whilst looking at the Tempest from a rather chronological background, one vast meaning and which have a vast majority of analysis appears to have discovered by the new world America, British Empire and the status of colonialism. It is referred in some instances as the fear of what is unknown, but in the play it means also more to do with the new chance and a new start on a new country. As a new country, the Tempests magical isle to a permits people to realize the new starts, with individuals on the island exonerated as they all travel back to the real word. Part of the play also shows the humanity status which is compared to nature. The forgiveness of Prospero avails to the individuals a new existence. However, fear of the unidentified is present in the form of Caliban, the monstrous servant who is not fully human.

Shakespeare’s audience would have regarded the suppression of emotion as the admirable wise man effort to privilege reason over the passions; a very significant aspiration of the Renaissance. Tempest interpretation and more so Prospero character should not be confined to the postcolonial ideas- it is reasonable to consider him as the hero and protagonists as the Renaissance audience would have probably regarded him.