Caliban Character Analysis

by Meg Scully

 

     Caliban is one of the many character in Shakespeare's The Tempest. He is Prospero's dark, earthy slave, who is frequently referred to as the monster of the island by the other characters. Caliban is the son of a witch and the only real native of the island that appears in the play. He is an extremely complex character and tends to mirror several other character in the play. Caliban's desire for sovereignty of the island mirrors the lust for power that led the character Antonio to overthrow Prospero. Caliban's part in the conspiracy with Stephano and Trinculo to murder Prospero mirrors Antonio and Sebastian's plot against Alonso. Also, Caliban mirrors and contrasts Prospero's spirit servant, Ariel. Ariel is an airy spirit while Caliban is a creature of the earth.

 

     Though his interactions with Prospero and his daughter Miranda the we see Caliban's savage demeanor and grotesque appearance, but he has a nobler and sensitive side that comes out in his interactions with Stephano and Trinculo. He has several speeches about the island that he loves so dearly and his willingness to kill to get it back. It has been said that Caliban is one of the most intriguing characters in all of Shakespeare. A monstrous creature with a sensitive side.