How Does Shakespeare Present Evil In The Tempest

While many authors have attempted to establish an understanding of evil and the complexities that come along with it, few have been as successful as Shakespeare in displaying the multiple dimensions which come about from trying to define such an abstract concept. One only has to look to the characters of Sebastian, Antonio, Prospero, and Caliban within The Tempest to observe the complicated manner that the play conceives of evil. Some of these characters may initially appear to be the most evil of God’s creations while others seem to be responding in a reasonable manner based on their situations. Shakespeare does a fantastic job of inverting, at least partially, the assumptions that the audience may construct, however, and grants us vital insight into how may dimensions the concept of evil has. Take, for instance, Antonio. The current Duke of Milan, it is revealed that he obtained this position through less than honest means, stealing the crown from his brother and protagonist of the play, Prospero. In the words of Prospero, Antonio
He is unique in this work because he relishes in curses and his violent nature, openly admitting to his attempted rape of Miranda, stating that “[If] thou didst prevent me, I had peopled else this isle with Calibans” (Shakespeare 1.2.350-351) when Prospero reminds him that he treated Caliban well until the attempted rape. Of all the characters within the play, Caliban is the one with the largest desire for retribution for perceived injustices. Not seeking power or glory or land, Caliban only seeks the painful death of Prospero, going to extreme lengths in an attempt to do so. Caliban is the most concrete conception of evil in this play, namely because he responded in an evil manner to respectable behavior and openly embraces his evil tendencies. In this way, Caliban cements himself as the purest conception of evil within The