Name:

How are oppression and power presented within the play?

How is colonialism a consideration within the play?

How do characters defy hierarchy?

Directions: Highlight the important part of the text below as it relates to the guiding
questions above.

The Tempest was written in 1611. At the time great voyages of discovery were undertaken by
fearless explorers such as Sir Walter Raleigh and Christopher Columbus to find new lands. The
Elizabethans were fascinated with sea voyages that led to the discovery of new lands and
peoples. At this time, the world was far different from how we know it now . . . places such as
America and Australia were yet to be discovered. Adventurers returned from great sea voyages
with stories to inspire and horrify the landlubbers back at home. Remember, most ordinary
people at this time travelled little, rarely leaving their own village or small town. Furthermore,
people’s understanding of their world was limited; people readily believed in sea monsters, and
many were convinced that the world was flat – if you sailed too far you would fall off the edge
of the earth. Explorers brought back with them many new discoveries that today we take for
granted – such as the potato and tobacco.

English colonialism seems to be on Shakespeare’s mind throughout The Tempest, as almost

every character, from the lord Gonzalo to the drunk Stephano, ponders how he would rule the
island if he were its king. Shakespeare seems also to have read and included ideas from
Montaigne’s essay “Of the Cannibals,” which was translated into English in 1603 . The name of
Prospero’s servant-monster, Caliban, seems to be an anagram or derivative of “Cannibal.’
Images of the Brazilian Tupinambá tribe who were said to practice cannibalism on their
enemies were widely circulated throughout Europe.

In society, people often classify or place others into a hierarchical system, and this system
portrays the hierarchy control and power, but some of the characters in The Tempest would not
be as powerful without the help from others. One of the greatest examples of hierarchy is
shown through Prospero, but without the help of others, Prospero’s aspirations would not be
possible.

While Prospero used his powers to free Ariel from the Sycorax, he uses his powers and magic to
torture Caliban. Ariel and Caliban react differently towards Prospero’s treatment and his
powers.
This play raises questions about who is savage and who is civilized and considers the context: as
Western travelers journeyed overseas and claimed land from indigenous populations, Western
people seemed to disregard the traditions that were already in place in such countries and
viewed cultural routines and rituals as unnecessary.

The English colonist William Strachey also compared the indigenous people of Virginia with the
first Great Britons. In 1612, he wrote:

Directions: Respond to the following questions in complete sentences being sure to cite
specific evidence from the text to support your ideas.

1. Prospero enslaves Caliban and Ariel, but he has very different relationships with both
characters. How does he treat them differently? How do they treat him differently?

2. How do characters like Ariel and Caliban have power, even though they are enslaved?

3. How has Prospero’s control changed Caliban as a person?

4. How are Caliban and Prospero similar?

Prospero orders Caliban to take Stephano and Trinculo to his cell and prepare it for the guests,
saying, "As you look to have my pardon, trim it handsomely" (5.1.290–291). Subservient again,
Caliban complies, saying " Ay, that I will. And 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!!" (5.1.292–
295).

5. These are Caliban's final lines. Is he more or less defeated than he was in the beginning
of the play? If Caliban is seeking grace, how does this fit into the metaphor of
colonization? How do Caliban's final lines compare to Prospero's final lines?