Caliban: Difference between revisions

 

== Character ==

 

Banished from [[Algiers]], Sycorax was left on the isle, pregnant with Caliban, and died before Prospero's arrival. Caliban, despite his inhuman nature, clearly loved and worshipped his mother, referring to [[Setebos (Shakespeare)|Setebos]] as his mother's god, and appealing to her powers against Prospero.<ref>{{cite book |editor-first=P. |editor-last=Hulme |title=The Tempest and its Travels |location=London |year=2000 |page=100}}</ref> Prospero explains his harsh treatment of Caliban by claiming that after initially befriending him, Caliban attempted to rape Miranda. Caliban confirms this gleefully, saying that if he had not been stopped, he would have peopled the island with a race of Calibans<ref>{{cite book |editor-first=P. |editor-last=Hulme |title=The Tempest and its Travels |location=London |year=2000 |pages=231–232}}</ref> – "Thou didst prevent me, I had peopled else this isle with Calibans" (Act I:ii). Prospero then entraps Caliban and torments him with harmful magic if Caliban does not obey his orders. Resentful of Prospero, Caliban takes [[Stephano (The Tempest)|Stephano]], one of the shipwrecked servants, as a god and as his new master. Caliban learns that Stephano is neither a god nor Prospero's equal in the conclusion of the play, however, and Caliban agrees to obey Prospero again.

 

== Notable stage portrayals ==

* 1960 – [[Patrick Wymark]] in the Marlowe Dramatic Society And Professional Players unabridged recording ([[Argo Records (UK)|Argo Records]], 216-218)

*1963 – [[Roy Dotrice]] in the [[Royal Shakespeare Company|RSC]] production