Saturday, March 29, 2014

Who is Caliban? How does Ariel torment him?

According to Caliban himself in Act I, Scene 2, he is the only inhabitant of the island that Prospero and Miranda land on:


This island's mine, by Sycorax my mother, Which thou takest from me. When thou camest first, Thou strokedst me and madest much of me, wouldst give me Water with berries in't, and teach me howTo name the bigger light, and how the less, That burn by day and night: and then...

According to Caliban himself in Act I, Scene 2, he is the only inhabitant of the island that Prospero and Miranda land on:



This island's mine, by Sycorax my mother, 
Which thou takest from me. When thou camest first, 
Thou strokedst me and madest much of me, wouldst give me 
Water with berries in't, 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 show'd thee all the qualities o' the isle, 
The fresh springs, brine-pits, barren place and fertile: 
Cursed be I that did so! All the charms
Of Sycorax, toads, beetles, bats, light on you! 
For I am all the subjects that you have, 
Which first was mine own king: and here you sty me 
In this hard rock, whiles you do keep from me 
The rest o' the island.



In this speech, Caliban indicates both that the island is his because it was his mother's and he is its sole inhabitant, "For I am all the subjects that you have."


In Act 3, Scene 2, Ariel the fairy torments Caliban by pretending to be Trinculo, a jester on the shipwrecked vessel whose crew lands on the island.  For example, Caliban tells Stephano and Trinculo:



I am subject to a tyrant,/A sorcerer, that by his cunning hath/Cheated me of the island



When Ariel enters invisibly to mimic Trinculo and proclaim "Thou liest," Caliban's response indicates his tormented and enraged state:



Thou liest, thou/jesting monkey, thou!/I would my valient master would destroy thee./I do not lie.



Ariel continues to repeat the accusation and further plots against Caliban by telling Prospero of Caliban's attempt on his life: "This will I tell my master."

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