LIT4 - Tempest - Caliban - quote bank Flashcards
How is Caliban presented in the Tempest?
-Caliban, son of the witch Sycorax, is presented as a bitter creature who claims Prospero stole his island from him
-he plots with Stephano and Trinculo to usurp Prospero, albeit unsuccessfully, and can be seen as either a villain or a victim
-Caliban clearly shows villainous qualities, as he graphically describes his plans to murder his master in A3S2
-on the contrary, one can sympathise with his character as he is initially presented as a victim, and his devious actions henceforth can be seen as a justification of the oppression that he faces
What places in the play are good for talking about Caliban? Describe briefly what happens in all 4 of them:
A1S2 - first appearance with Prospero and Miranda
A3S2 - plots to murder Prospero with Stephano and Trinculo
A4S1 - chased away by spirits disguised as dogs
A5S1 - reconciles with P. and recognises his gullibility
Give some quotes from A1S2 from Caliban:
-This island’s mine…which thou tak’st from me
-O ho, O ho!…I had peopled else this isle with Calibans
What does Caliban say that is significant in A3S2?
-Batter his skull, or paunch him with a stake, or cut his wezand with thy knife
-Remember first to possess his books for without them he’s but a sot
-The beauty of his daughter…she far surpasseth Sycorax
-The isle is full of noises, sounds, and sweet airs, that give delight
Name some quotes from Caliban from A5S1:
I’ll be wise hereafter, and seek for grace. What a thrice-double ass was I to take this drunkard for a god and worship this dull fool!
Describe the significance of the events in A4S1 in relation to Caliban:
-theme of slavery is prevalent in the play, emphasised here where he is chased away by the spirits disguised as dogs
-contextual links to how Spanish settlers would chase slaves with dogs
-the injustice he faces here is arguably a reasonable rationale for his villainous behaviour
