From the Monster to the Oppres
Caliban, the original monster and barbarian in The Tempest, has been far removed in both time and interpretations from the original one Shakespeare created four hundred years ago. Having been portrayed in literary criticism as a giant fish, a grotesque monster, an American Indian, an African slave, his incarnation changes from "a savage and a deformed slave¡± to the "quintessential colonial victim¡±. Especially in recent years, Caliban has been a major socio-political emblem throughout the world. This paper tries to summarize the various interpretation of Caliban and to demonstrate Caliban's long and erratic journey through different time.Although no one knows what Shakespeare intended Caliban to be, it is clear that he used no single idea or figure as Caliban¡¯s model. It is extensively believed that a partial source of the model is the English wild man; however, other claims exist. Etymologically, since the words ¡°cannibal¡± was widely used in Shakespeare¡¯s day, many critics insist that this name suggests the savage¡¯s moral degradation. Some critics believe Caliban¡¯s name is kalebon, an Arabic word for ¡°vile dog¡±. Some argue that it deprives from the gypsy word cauliban, which means ¡°black¡± or
Some topics in this essay:
Indian African, Language-deprived Caliban, American Indian, World War, Latin Americans, Caliban Prospero's, American French, Third World, Latin American, Caliban Prospero, american indian, caliban¡¯s name, prospero's language, latin american, caliban american indian, shakespeare¡¯s original, critics argued, view prevalent, caliban's image, african slave, university press,
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Approximate Word count = 2369
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)
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