He also insists that the only good thing about being forced to learn her language is that he can now fully express his hatred: “You taught me language, and my profit on ’t / Is I know how to curse” (I.ii.). Caliban attempted to rape Prospero’s daughter, Miranda, after they took him into their lodging. Millions of books are just a click away on BN.com and through our FREE NOOK reading apps. what is the purpose of Ariel's song. Caliban sees Prospero and Miranda as imperialists who took control of an island that he felt belonged to him. Such an analysis is borne out by the numerous indications that Caliban is innocent, childlike, and naïve – with his naivety being most clearly demonstrated by his all-too-ready attachment to Stephano as his new master. But instead of Prospero… When he hears someone approach, Caliban assumes it is one of Prospero's spirits, coming to torture him once again. In a way, Caliban ironically mirrors Prospero, who was also violently unseated from power. Caliban, though, cleverly notes that he knows how to curse only because Prospero and Miranda taught him to speak. Prospero then entraps Caliban and torments him with harmful magic if Caliban does not obey his orders. In his view, what has Prospero done wrong?' Prospero says he only confined Caliban to a ‘hard rock’ on the island after Caliban’s attempt to have his way with Miranda. SparkNotes is brought to you by Barnes & Noble. According to Caliban himself, also in II.2, Prospero originally showed Caliban some kindness, even giving him some wine (presumably this is what the ‘Water with berries in’t’ refers to). In a way, Caliban ironically mirrors Prospero, who was also violently unseated from power. Prospero then sends him away, telling him to fetch more firewood and threatening him with more cramps and aches if he refuses. Caliban does make a number of regretful decisions, after all. -he claims that after then taught him their language, all he can really do with it is curse. an island in the mediterranian, though it is never really stated. Caliban obeys him. He readily confesses to trying to rape Miranda, Prospero’s daughter (in II.2), although given the fact that he expresses no contrition over this, ‘confesses’ is not quite the word. Such an analysis of Caliban’s character, whereby he becomes the oppressed native and Prospero is the heavy-handed European coloniser, does map well onto Shakespeare’s text in some ways, although it’s worth bearing in mind that he is not just a colonised native, and such a reading runs the risk of limiting what Shakespeare is doing with the character of Caliban in the play. What an interesting article – yet for all his childlike character, he has the most beautiful, poetical words in the play regarding his love for the island…. It was the duty of the colonial powers to “take care” of the poor, dark, ignorant ones under their rule. Miranda describes her efforts as selfless and guided by pity. The creature is in some ways like Caliban – outcast by society. 2) Who is Ariel and why does he work for Prospero? However, when Caliban proved himself irresponsible and a threat to Miranda, Prospero confined Caliban to one part of the island. But Caliban knows that Prospero is far too powerful and his stubbornness relents by the end of the extract “ I must obey”. As Prospero tells us, he is the product of the witch Sycorax's hook-up with the devil and Caliban was "littered" (a word usually used to describe animals being born, like kittens) on the island after Sycorax was booted out of her home in Algiers (1.2). In addition to despising Prospero for enslaving him and divesting him of all power, Caliban also resents Miranda for the education she has given him.