Cultural Differences in The Tempest, Montaigne's Essays, and In Defense of the Indians
             The Tempest, In Defense of the Indians, and Montaigne's essays each illustrate what happens when two very different worlds collide. As Europe begins to saturate New World soil, the three authors offer their accounts of the dynamic between the European invader and native other. Though each work is unique in its details, they all share a common bond: Shakespeare, de Las Casas, and Montaigne show the reader how European colonialists use differences in appearance and language to justify theft and slavery.
             The Tempest's Caliban serves as an instrument to highlight the colonialist notion of the other. Caliban is the original inhabitant of the island; it is his native land. But Caliban is ugly. Prospero claims that he is "not honored with human shape" (p. 17), and so the new European inhabitants never think of him as a potential equal- they see him as their inferior. This initial incongruity between characters supports further dehumanization of the native for the remainder of the play.
             Caliban's appearance does not only contribute to the Europeans' poor estimation of him, but it also serves as the justification of his slavery. When Trinculo says, "Wilt thou tell a monstrous lie, being but half a fish and half a monster" (p. 55), he communicates two important concepts. First, Trinculo reinforces the idea that Caliban is more animal than man. Next, he assumes that Caliban's exterior mirrors Caliban's interior. Caliban's physical deformities, according to Trinculo, also indicate deformity of character. Together, these faults aid Prospero's justification of forcing Caliban to "serve in offices that profit us" (p. 18).
             A second factor of Caliban's oppression is language. The ability to communicate that ends man's isolation from others and leads to civilization. When Prospero discovers...