Abstract
Analyzed form a neo-colonial perspective, the character of Caliban in Shakespeare’s The Tempest has been seen as a vindictive and evil monster, who deserves to be punished and enslaved. Alternatively, more recent interpretations portray Caliban as an exploited and dispossessed victim of imperial slavery. This essay will focus on Shakespeare’s depictions of Calibon and Prospero’s relationship and the ways he may have suggested that that Prospero was in fact an oppressive slave master, and not an enlightened ruler. The historical context, general knowledge and sources that Shakespeare may have used as an inspiration for The Tempest Continue reading...