How Is Caliban Presented In The Tempest

Caliban is one of William Shakespeare’s most bizarre and intricately crafted characters, which is a bold statement to make, however his undeniable presence in The Tempest both in text and on stage cannot be ignored. The rambunctious, uncontrolled, fiery spirit of Caliban hides many of his inner qualms and this facade has been a topic of interest for many in the world of literature, but Caliban’s issues are larger than his spineless body and those, combined with his antagonism encompass much of The Tempest as a whole. Through Caliban’s continued submittance to a “master” and vengeful antics he illustrates that fear can be the driving force behind the manifestation of unbounded desperation for attention, a recurring theme among other characters.
Sebastian conveys this when he says, “Shall free thee from the tribute which thou payest. And I the king shall love thee.”(2.1.259-260) which reassures Antonio of the action they are about to perform and give him protection and attention something that similarly, Caliban would also desire as the language resembles the previous quote in which Caliban remarked, “...and I loved thee”(1.2.334-336) in a manner implying that he too expected love in return. Had this been said to Caliban he would have been at Sebastian’s feet, seeing as he is the most prominent symbol of this theme, but likewise Antonio agrees to the idea. Notice that Sebastian uses freedom in the context of him becoming King similar to Caliban seeing Stephano’s “rule” as something giving him freedom because it provides attention and protection. The recurrence of this makes this an encompassing theme of The Tempest as most prominently underlined by Caliban and his character encapsulating that message in the play as he interacts with Prospero and