The island was left to him by his mother, Sycorax. Nevertheless, Prospero took charge of the isle and eventually enslaved Caliban. " Thou strok'st me I loved thee- is part of a quote that illustrates Caliban's relationship with Prospero before he was his slave. Prospero comforted Caliban and gave him water and berries; he taught him how to speak, as well. During this time Caliban loved Prospero and showed him the features of the island, "The fresh springs, brine-pits, barren place and fertile- Caliban regrets helping Prospero as he says towards the end of his speech, "Cursed be I that did so!" Caliban feels this way due to his imprisonment. However, Caliban was enslaved because he raped Prospero's daughter, Miranda. Rape appeals to the reader as a good cause for enslavement, but Shakespeare shows that Caliban deserves sympathy, instead of disgust. Caliban committed an illicit act that deserved punishment. However, he had not been nurtured by society and, therefore, did not know any better. It is his basic nature to do as !.
he feels. He does not know the difference between right and wrong. The reader tends to feel sympathetic towards Caliban because he is punished and oppressed for conduct he could not control. Prospero says, "A devil, a born devil, on whose nature/Nurture can never stick- which explains why even though Prospero taught Caliban the ways of civilized life, he still acted upon his natural instincts. Caliban still displays his natural behavior by being blunt and so-called detestable as a slave. Though, once the reader understands Shakespeare's intent, it can be inferred that Caliban is merely a sympathetic character who has lost his soul. He is helpless among the lives of the civilized, because civilized life is one he will never undertake. Caliban is a man of nature, but he should not be considered less honorable than someone from civilization. Shakespeare portrays Caliban as a very ugly and crude looking beast, which is how people of nature are pictured by citizens of society.