Caliban - Brute Or Noble Savage?
Caliban Brute or Noble Savage?
In 1609 a fleet of 9 ships with 500 passengers aboard suffered a severe storm en route to Virginia. One ship ran aground on a Bermuda Island where the entire company lived for a year whilst repairing the boat to take them to Virginia. Once in America, they reported that the Island was a terrifying place, surely haunted by demons. With Shakespeare's tastes already running to shipwrecks and storms it is obvious he already knew about their miraculous survival and so used the story as a starting point for the plot of his play.
Several aspects of the story run parallel to social issues of the period in which it was written. For example, Claribel, the King Alonso's daughter is wedded to the King of Tunisia in Africa. This relates to the betrothal of James I daughter, Elizabeth to the Prince Elector of Palestine. (It was at the festival for this event where The Tempest was first performed) The circumstances of the two weddings were not dissimilar, as both princesses (real and fictional) were irretrievably removed to marry foreign royalty. There is also the parallel of dead Princes. In reality, the royal family was mourning the death of Prince Henry, and in the play Alonso, the King of Naples fears his son, Ferdinand, was killed in the shipwreck.
Shakespeare addresses many issues throughout the play, but a major theme is one of discovery and self-discovery. Within the play Caliban represents nature; untamed, unable to communicate with language and uncivilised. Prosepero however, represents civilisation, depicted as virtuous and well learned. He is also the authoritarian figure. Within the text Shakespeare raises the question of whether Caliban is a Brute or a Noble Savage.
My opinion is that Caliban is a Noble Savage who's innocent ignorance ahs been irretrievably corrupted by the influence of civilisation. There are several justifications to support this.
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