Troubles Of An Expanding Society : Slavery, Language, And Imperialism

The Tempest was Shakespeare’s last play that was written shortly after England colonized Virginia in 1609. Throughout the play, there are many different references to imperialism and colonialism within the characters. The Tempest analyzes the imperialistic relationships between England and America but applies it to personal human interaction between the central characters. The island gives newcomers a sense of endless possibilities like claiming the land for themselves because of the belief in the Great Chain of Being and the seventeenth century being an age of exploration. The idea of ruling a colony lured many people into the idea that having that kind of power over a large group of people is attainable. Master-servant relationships are

    William Shakespeare wrote The Tempest, arguably his finest work, on the eve of European colonization of the New World in 1611 (Hollander and Kermode 445-46). As a result, common European ideas about the New World in the early 1600s are alluded to throughout the play (446). Through the propagandistic writings of explorers like Captain John Smith, who authored a sensational and unsubstantiated account of his dramatic rescue from death at the hands of Indians by the Indian chiefís beautiful daughter, Pocahontas, many Europeans developed an interest in the inhabitants of the New World (Smith 24-25). Indeed, from the various explorers' stories that trickled hack to Europe, two different

For slaves the transition to the New World was at times isolating and difficult. There were rotten, terrifying, and sometimes inhumane experiences that the slaves’ experienced as they transitioned to the New World. Slaves dealt with loneliness when their families were separated because they were sold or because of situations where the owners were controlling their lives.

Aime Cesaire’s A Tempest is a ‘new world’ response to Shakespeare’s The Tempest. In Cesaire’s adaptation, the characters and plot are generally the same. However, there are a few small deviations from Shakespeare’s The Tempest that make a significant impact on the play as a whole, and lead the play to illustrate important social issues occurring in the time of the adaptation.

Slaves transition to the New World was at times isolating and difficult. As they transitioned to the New World they experienced terrifying and sometimes inhumane treatment. Slaves dealt with loneliness when their families were separated because they were sold or because of situations where the owners were controlling their lives.

This research paper will first discuss the working definitions and scope of postcolonial theory which the essay will use a tool and framework for comparing the two texts, Shakespeare’s comedy The Tempest written in 1610 and the epic poem the Epic of Gilgamesh. The paper will then individually discuss the postcolonial concerns and themes reflected both literary classics, along with the tensions that arise when applying these concepts of power, knowledge and ethics. Postcolonial theory refers to the critical discipline that responds to and analyses the cultural ramifications of colonialism and imperialism on nations and their people (Chegg, 2017). Colonialism, in the context of this paper, shall refer to the relationship between nations who seek to extend and further their authorial powers over other nations, lands or territories and their captive lands or peoples. By critiquing and analyzing the cultural ramifications of the role of colonialism, postcolonial works of literature seek to question and change the manner or lens in which the said culture is being perceived, and challenge the dominant narratives promulgated by the colonizer during the period of colony.

In this motif tracing, I argue that the epithet “monster” is used as an agent of othering, a way to remove Caliban from the other characters and depict him as something other than human. In Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Caliban’s name is only said eight times, while he is addressed as “monster” the rest of the 34 times he is spoken to. This motif is used to belittle and dehumanize a unique character that plays an essential role in the plot. Shakespeare’s use of this epithet combined with Caliban’s servile role, restraint of his speech to simple diction, and portrayal as an insurgent, causes the uncultured native to be born. This plays into the 16th century view of the native: one who is there to serve the more sophisticated, knowledgeable masters.

The island of magic and mystery that Shakespeare creates in The Tempest is an extraordinary symbol of both the political and social realities of his contemporary society, and of the potential for a reformed New World. Shakespeare’s island is a creation which allows the juxtaposition of real and idealised worlds, and shows his audience both what they and what they ought to be. The seventeenth century was a time of ideological upheaval in Europe, with Medieval ideas of a hierarchical and ordered society being challenged by Renaissance thinkers. For the dynastic powers, including England under Elizabeth I, colonialism was an important opportunity to realise territorial ambition and prove religious

The Tempest, by Shakespeare, offers the reader a variety of themes. The one theme that stands out the most is that of colonialism. During the time of Shakespeare, many European countries such as Spain, France, and England, were expanding their borders by taking over less developed countries, referred to as colonies. During this time of exploitation, there was skepticism concerning the possible success of the colonies. While some scholars believe that the play is about the Americas, I argue that the play reflects on colonialism in general and how it is destined for failure which is shown through the character’s relationships throughout the play.

       The Tempest is a classic example of Shakespeare’s dichotomized notions of right and wrong within the context of racial inherencies, a social commentary of the colonialism of the New World. An important theme in the play is the racial differentiation between Caliban and the other antagonists, primarily, Prospero, who comes to the island and enslaves Caliban to enforce his own rule. This relationship, as portrayed through the play, is a reflection of the historical social and racial tensions that existed between the colonizers of New Europe and the Native Americans and is illustrated through the language employed by Shakespeare and the interactions that take place between the characters. The Tempest

The role of language in Shakespeare’s play “The Tempest” is quite significant. To Miranda and Prospero the use of language is a means to knowing oneself. Caliban does not view language in the same light. Prospero taught Caliban to speak, but instead of creating the feeling of empowerment from language, Caliban reacts in insurrectionary manner. Language reminds him how different he is from Miranda and Prospero, and also how they have changed him. It also reminds him of how he was when he wasn’t a slave. He resents Prospero for “Civilising” him, because in doing so he took away his freedom.

In Shakespeare's play, Ariel is considered a spirit while Caliban is half human, and half beast. On the contrast in Cesaire's version of The Tempest, Ariel is a mulatto slave while Caliban is a black one. The political analysis in Cesaire's A Tempest, is the color standard which is proposed. It is a known fact that lighter slaves were primarily house slaves while darker slaves worked in the fields. It is seen how Ariel is treated nicer, is given lighter jobs and is actually freed at the end. On the other hand, Caliban is physically and verbally abused and is not freed. Cesaire makes it evident that it is a color issue. Cool pose: the dilemmas of black manhood in America states,"Field slaves would be lashed or deprived from foods if they harmed the often pampered house

If Shakespeare's play does comment upon European exploration and colonization in the Western Hemisphere, however, The Tempest does not contain a critique of exploitation, but, instead, an apology for it. Caliban was initially treated as an ignorant child and only put under wraps after he attempted to force himself upon the completely innocent Miranda. The charge of "rape" is made more credible in having Miranda pass judgment upon Caliban whom she calls an "Abhorr'd slave" (I, ii., l.352). Unlike our current understanding of European colonialism, Prospero puts Caliban in chains because he has earned the status of

Throughout William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Caliban, as the native, is treated as an inferior by Prospero and Stephano, the colonists. However, comparing The Tempest to European colonialist attitudes in the Elizabethan era provokes a 21st century audience to re-examine why Caliban is perceived as a monster. Caliban’s addiction to alcohol, his worship of Stephano, and his plot to kill Prospero are perceived as savage, yet upon further examination, are merely a way of coping with his fate, rather than a display of his intrinsically primitive nature. Parallels between Elizabethan colonialism and Caliban’s relationship with Prospero and Stephano make evident the fact that Caliban is inherently noble and the true victim of The Tempest.

William Shakespeare’s The Tempest blends elements of adventure and intellectual inquiry. The plot of Shakespeare’s last work contains comedy, romance, and action enough to sustain the interest of his common audience. However, there lies beneath the eloquent language and exciting plot an intelligent political commentary. Shakespeare uses the setting of a virtually uninhabited island as an experimental testing ground for the institution of slavery. Shakespeare shows through his island experiment that subjugation, once instituted, seems to perpetuate itself. While the most automatic explanation of this cyclical nature of slavery would be to say that this political rule is continued by the