Essay Database

Caliban Why are we, as a society, so quick to judge those who look or act differently than us? Is it a natural human instinct to either make fun or take advantage of those who seem so different? Are they looking for acceptance so badly that they would do anything to gain your approval? Caliban, one of the standout characters in Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”, is one of these “different” people. He looks different, he …

…we, as readers, immediately set out to judge the supposed rapist. It is difficult to understand exactly what Shakespeare had in mind when he created the character of Caliban. I believe that Shakespeare justifies Caliban as a rational being by giving him some of the most beautiful lines of the play. Perhaps we the readers should take another look at Caliban not as a base, vile creature, but as one who just wanted to survive.