The Purpose of Caliban in The Tempest Essay -- Tempest Shakespeare

The Purpose of Caliban in The Tempest One of the indispensable themes displayed in The Tempest is the wave-particle duality of nature and society. This is made apparent through the character of Caliban. Caliban is a dis-figured fish-like creature that inhabits the island where the play The Tempest, takes place. Caliban is the son a witch-hag, and the only native on the island. In Calibans offset speech, he suggests that Prospero stole the island from him. (Act 1, Scene 1, line 331-342) This islands mine by Sycorax my mother Which thou takst from me. When thou camest first, Caliban is a servant to Prospero, the right duke of Milan. Caliban is a monstrous, and ugly creature. He is often referred to as servant-monster by others characters. At the start of the play, Caliban curses at the authority of Prospero because his dislikes him. (Act 1 scene 2 line 321-324) As wicked dew as eer my mother brushd with ravens feather from unwholesome fen Drop on both A south-west blow on ye And blister all oer Although Caliban has a foolish tongue, he is very knowledgeable on the island. Prospero recognizes his survival on the island but shows no respect for this. (Act 1 scene 2 line 366-371) Hag-seed, therefore Fetch us in fuel and be quick, thourt best, Caliban shows inconsideration and greed when he attempts to rape Miranda. Miranda is Prosperos only daughter. Caliban admits to the accusations of the attempt of rape, and states that he would have populated the island with his offspring. (Act 1 scene 2, line 349) O ho, O ho Wouldt had been done Thou didst prevent me I had people else This isle with Calibans Caliban is intimat... ... creature. Caliban is a character that learned to survive, salutary as every one does through life. Works Cited and Consulted Davidson, Frank. The Tempest An Interpretation. In The Tempest A Casebook. Ed. D.J. Palmer. London Macmillan & Co. Ltd., 1968. 225. Kermode, Frank. Introduction. The Tempest. By William Shakespeare. Cambridge Harv ard UP, 1958. xlii. Palmer, D. J. (Editor) The Tempest - A Selection of censorious Essays London MacMillan Press Ltd., 1977. Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. The Riverside Shakespeare. Ed. G. Blakemore Evans, et. al. Boston Houghton Mifflin Company, 1974. Stott, Jon et al. The Harbrace Anthology of Literature. Second Ed. Harcourt Brace and Company, 1998. Solomon, Andrew. A Reading of the Tempest. In Shakespeares Late Plays. Ed. Richard C. Tobias and Paul G. Zolbrod. Athens Ohio UP, 1974. 232.