The Tempest - Shakespeare; Analysis of Caliban

ant" Caliban illustrated by Alfred Kubin (1918). Jack Birkett plays Derrick Jarman's rather deluded, hunchbacked Caliban, which Lanier explains as Jarman's intention to "disrupt the play's status as an icon of straight high culture" by implanting "camp" and "transgressive sexualities", in his 1980 film 'The Tempest'. Similarly in class Patrick successfully presented Caliban, as having a limp to reflect the Shakespearian belief that the disabled were inferior. William Hogarth's painting depicts a Caliban akin to Jarman's, whereas Henry Bayton's 1926 production presented a distinctive fishy, monstrous Caliban (much like Henry Fuseli's first painting of Caliban (1789)), which received much criticism.
             Caliban's entrance to the play in act 1:2 asserts his inferiority, " Thou poisonous slave...come forth!" and sees him display a range of emotions not normally attributed to a primitive being. Caliban is very emotional when reminiscing, reflecting his simplicity, but in Jarman's he is so overly emotional it suggests a mocking of Prospero, insulting him and we are introduced to this wily interpretation. Caliban is melodramatic, emphasising his emotions especially his resent, I "showed thee all" and "thou takest from me." Caliban reminisces, "when thou cam'st first thou strok'st me.... and I loved thee" however his resent at showing the island to Prospero, is overwhelmingly he exclaims, "Cursed the eye that did so!" Caliban's anger at his oppression and being taught our language, as opposed to his instinctive "gabble" allows Caliban "to curse. The red plague rid you!" Messina presented these fierce emotions very literally but Jarman's version was more effective through better character interaction, the evident mutual detest of Prospero/Miranda and the native. How...

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The Tempest - Shakespeare; Analysis of Caliban. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 01:12, March 29, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/25627.html