Caliban=Imperialism

After looking deeper into The Tempest, it becomes clear that Shakespeare is making a point about imperialism.  During British colonization, we saw Great Britain as a country looking to imperialize many nations and teach these nations their ways.  British leaders looked down on these nations and saw their people as nothing more than savages.  Within The Tempest, Caliban represents the natives and those nations colonized by the British.  Caliban was among the first to inhibit the island in which he now works as a slave.  He is the only true native to the island, and he feels that Prospero has taken the island from him.  When Caliban first comes on scene he tells Prospero that “This island belongs to me because Sycorax, my mother, left it to me” (Shakespeare  43).  Caliban also familiarized Prospero with the island by showing him all the freshwater springs along with all the fertile places.  This relates to the colonization period because as nations came in to gain control, they took over the natural resources and used them for their own benefit.  They also put people to work, in the same way Caliban is forced to labor for his master, Prospero. 

Going along with the article about postcolonialism, we see how Caliban was manipulated and forced under Prospero’s control.  Postcolonial theorist Frantz Fanon observed the circumstances of the blacks under French control.  He noted “that as soon as the colonized were forced to speak the language of the colonizer, the colonized either accepted or were coerced into accepting the collective conscious of the French” (Ashcroft 239).  Once Caliban was taught language, he was able to communicate with Prospero and Miranda.  With this he was able to show them around the island and teach them about the nature of his birthplace.  However, Caliban did not readily accept the ways of his colonizer.  Once the relationship between him and Prospero turned sour he regrets learning language at all and says, “You taught me language and all I can do with it is curse.  Damn you for teaching me language!” (Shakespeare 45).