Jacob Hammonds Dec 10 2013 World Literature, Conn The Tempest and Colonialism The Tempest by William Sha

espeare is a play !ritten bet!een 1"10 and 1"11# $t this time %uropean countries !ere racin& to coloni'e (orth and South $merica, $)rica, *ndia, and other areas# The plot o) the Tempest re+ol+es around, the Du e o) ,ilan, -rospero.s attempts to re&ain his his post throu&h the use o) ma&ic and manipulation# -rospero, in his /ourney to return home has t!o sla+es, Caliban and $riel# The relationship bet!een the !estern !orld and these ne! territories is e0plored thou&h their interactions#

-ropero.s most loyal sla+e is $riel, a spirit !ho -rospero )reed )rom entrapment )rom a tree prison# $riel is mostly loyal to -rospero and is &rate)ul to him )or )reein& him# -rospero.s second sla+e is Caliban, !ho resents -rospero )or o+erta in& an island that !as ri&ht)ully Caliban.s# * belie+e that there are t!o sla+e characters to con+ey di))erin& opinions o) colonialism )rom a nati+es point o) +ie!# $s the play pro&resses both sla+e characters. relationship to -rospero chan&es# * belie+e these interactions are meant to sho! the chan&in& attitudes to!ard the nati+e people o) coloni'ed lands#

*n the )irst act $riel.s relationship to -rospero is mostly amiable# $riel is than )ul to -rospero )or )reein& him )rom imprisonment# $riel is respect)ul to -rospero and does his biddin& !ithout complaint# * belie+e this dynamic illustrates the belie) that the people o) coloni'ed lands are recepti+e to !estern in)luence, e+en ensla+ement, because the !estern !orld can o))er )reedom )rom an unsophisticated !orld# *n this act $riel per)orms -rospero.s demands !ithout complaint# When $riel reminds -rospero about reducin& his ensla+ement -rospero lashes out at $riel, rein)orcin& -rospero.s mastery o+er $riel# Caliban on the other hand is resent)ul and lashes out a&ainst -rospero#

Caliban curses -rospero and is consistently rebellious# *n an ar&ument bet!een Caliban and -rospero, -rospero chastises Caliban )or cursin& him in the lan&ua&e tau&ht to him by -rospero# Caliban responds !ith 12ou tau&ht me lan&ua&e, and my pro)it on.t *s, * no! ho! to curse# The red pla&ue rid you )or learnin& me your lan&ua&e#34line 3""5# This illustrates the resentment o) the nati+e people o) coloni'ed lands to!ard their settlers# Caliban as a +oice )or the indi&enous people desires nothin& )rom the settlers, and !ishes to be le)t to his old !ays be)ore coloni'ation# $t this point in the story Sha espeare has presented three counter ar&uments# -rospero is the +oice o) the !estern man, !ho.s desires )or status and po!er in the !estern !orld o+ershado! the needs o) people o) coloni'ed lands# -rospero sees Caliban and $riel as disposable tools in his 6uest )or po!er# $riel is recepti+e to -ospero.s domination o) him, and !ould rather li+e as a sla+e to a ne! master than return to his old !ays# Caliban represents any indi&enous people !ho !ould rather be le)t to their o!n de+ices and !ays, and !ish to ha+e nothin& to do !ith the !estern !orld#

*n act t!o !here Caliban meets Trinculo and Stephano, Caliban is still +ie!ed as less than human# $)ter a comical misunderstandin& bet!een the three men# Trinculo and Stephano 6uic ly label Caliban as a 1most ridiculous monster3, and be&in to manipulate him )or their o!n bene)it# This scenario is the second time Caliban has been manipulated by !esterners# This leads me to belie+e that culturally, the mistreatment o) indi&enous people )or &ain, !as a common practice )or !esterners# *t !as also interestin& to see Caliban accept Trinculo and Stepano.s !ine, a)ter despisin& e+erythin& !estern# * belie+e this is meant to sho! the +arious !ays !esterners control indi&enous people, !here e+en &i)ts can be used as tools )or manipulation#

*n $ct three Caliban, !ith the help o) Stephano, be&ins to plot a&ainst -rospero# $riel o+er hears

this and uses his in+isibility to tric Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo# $t this point Caliban and $riel still ha+e di))erin& +ie!s o) their master -rospero# $lthou&h Stephano appears to be helpin& Caliban his interest lies becomin& 1the 7in& o) the *sland3# To o+erthro! -rospero Caliban plots to steal his boo s !hich are the source o) his po!er# * belie+e that the boo s actin& as -rospero.s po!er represents the intellectual and technolo&ical po!er used by the !est to dominate the people o) coloni'ed lands#

The )ourth act a))ords Caliban the opportunity to e0act re+en&e on -rospero# 8n)ortunately Stephano and Trinculo are distracted by the )ine &arments laid out by $riel# This points to the )ic le nature o) the coloni'ers !ho &i+e up on their mission to ill -rospero easily# This scenario a&ain illustrates the !esterners manipulation and mistreatment o) indi&enous peoples#

The play is resol+ed !hen -rospero summons the cast to the sta&e# $riel is )reed )rom his sla+ery, and -rospero as s $l)onso to reinstate him as the du e# $)ter the other characters lea+e the sta&e -rospero claims the audience has ensla+ed him to the sta&e and he cannot be )reed unless the audience )rees him !ith applause# This endin& to me seems peculiar because -rospero has chan&ed )rom the oppressor to the one bein& oppressed#

The )act that he needs the audiences applause or appro+al to be )ree.d could ha+e se+eral e0planations# -erhaps a)ter all o) -rospero.s mistreatment and manipulation throu&hout the play has been redeemed by his )reein& o) $riel and Caliban, and apolo&i'in& to ,iranda and the cre! o) the !rec ed ship# Sha espeare !rote the three characters -rospero, Caliban, and $riel, and !rote a comple0 !eb bet!een them# Caliban is consistently resents a !estern presence, !hich leads me to belie+e Sha espeare !as +ery a!are o) nati+e peoples resistance to coloni'ation# $riel seems to ha+e a underlyin& resentment )or -rospero but plays the system to better his situation# Sha espeare.s portrayal o) Caliban and $riel seems to point to a &eneral opposition o) coloni'ation#

The character -rospero, i) read as an archetype )or the !estern settler, e+o es an air ambi&uity# He portrayed as manipulati+e and po!er hun&ry, but is seemin&ly redeemed by the audience by the end o) the play# Ta en at )ace +alue, this could be interpreted as a rally )or colonialism, but the humani'ation o) $riel and the abuse o) Caliban point in a di))erent direction# -erhaps Sha espeare paints an u&ly picture o) -rospero to demoni'e colonialism## -rospero only &i+es up his control o) the characters once his !estern interests are )ul)illed# This to me doesn.t seem to redeem his character# The )reein& o) -rospero by applause could be Sha espeare ta in& the &eneral opinion o) the people, sho!in& them the e+il o) it, and )orce them to applaud their o!n !ic edness#