The Tempest Racism Essay

Shakespeare’s Victim; the Story of Caliban
The closure of the last residential school took place in 1996 in Canada; these schools, began in the 1800s, and over the centuries have made efforts in eradicating indigenous culture and assimilating it with mainstream Catholic culture. However, why was it deemed necessary to go to extreme measures and attempt a genocide of indigenous culture? Throughout the process of colonization, the European settlers saw indigenous people as something less than human, allowing them to be used as a means to an end. This was the normative thinking of the European culture of the time, and was also present in many works of literature written throughout these periods of voyage and colonization. This theme is present
This is prevalent in The Tempest since Prospero feels as though he is superior than Caliban, and thus has the right to exploit Caliban as a means to an end. Prospero’s superiority is prevalent in how he treats and addresses Caliban. In the play, Prospero calls upon Caliban saying, “What, ho! Slave! Caliban!” (Shakespeare 1.2.375). Prospero refers to Caliban as someone who is less than equal, or a “slave”. Most European nations of the time did not need concrete reasoning to invade these new lands; however, Pope Nicholas V issued the Dum Diversas to instruct the Portuguese king “to invade, search out, capture, vanquish, and subdue all Saracens and pagans whatsoever, and other enemies of the Christ…” (Muldoon 135). This legitimized the superiority of the Europeans and the inferiority of the “other”, thus allowing for exploitation. Similar to historical exploitation, Prospero also exploits Caliban making him do the unwanted chores. Prospero says, “But as ‘tis, we cannot miss him. He does make our fire, fetch in our wood, and serves in offices that profit us.” (Shakespeare 1.2.372-375). Prospero’s actions toward Caliban mimic the historical exploitation of indigenous people by European settlers, therefore making Caliban a victim of
Prospero also mimics this process with Caliban. When Prospero arrives on the island, Caliban is the sole inhibitor of the island thus making him the rightful owner, over Prospero. Caliban says, “And showed thee all the qualities o’ th’ isle, the fresh springs, brine pits, barren place and fertile. Cursed be I that did so!” (Shakespeare 1.2.403-406). Caliban is furious that he shows Prospero the riches of the island which Prospero uses and enslaves Prospero in return. This goes to show the unjust treatment towards Caliban as Prospero crowns himself the king and gains possession of all Caliban’s land. Caliban does not have any claim on the land, even as something little as a home. Historically, the indigenous lands were taken over, used for resources and privatized by the European colonizers. This same interpretation is taken upon by Caribbean poet Kamau Brathwaite in his poem “Caliban”. Brathwaite writes, “and now I see that these modern places have grown out of the soil, out of the bad habits of their crippled owners.” (Arnold 231). Brathwaite shows here that, through the eyes of Caliban, he sees new things coming to his island due to the “crippled owners”, or Prospero. Brathwaite interprets Caliban as a Caribbean slave who has to adapt to the New World and invent new rituals to make sense of his new