Analyzing Caliban as a Tragic Hero in Shakespeare's The Tempest

Caliban is one the most mysterious characters in William Shakespeare’s play The Tempest. Caliban is a man of unknown origin and a "savage, deformed slave" who is enslaved and forced to work for Prospero. Caliban is a slave but he's also complex with his own motivations and emotions. Caliban can be seen as a tragic figure, someone whose flaws lead him to his demise.

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Shakespeare portrays Caliban as a creature of nature. He is in tune with the island and its creatures, describing the island in affectionate terms and talking to its animals. He is also a creature of supernatural origin, the child of the witch Sycorax and the devil. This gives him a certain power and status, but also a certain vulnerability. He is subject to Prospero’s whims, and can be easily manipulated.

Caliban's greatest flaw is his ambition. Caliban wants to take control of the island and overthrow Prospero. He is driven to join forces with Stephano, a drunken sailor, and Trinculo to take over the island. Caliban's ambitions are misguided, and his attempt to take control of the island fails. Prospero defeats Caliban and he is forced to return to servitude.

Caliban’s downfall is also due to his lack of foresight. He is unable to see the consequences of his actions and his short-sightedness leads him to disaster. He fails to recognize the danger of associating with Stephano and Trinculo, and his ambition ultimately leads to his downfall.

Caliban’s tragic circumstances evoke pity and sympathy from the audience. He is a victim of circumstance, a creature of nature and of supernatural origin who is enslaved by a powerful sorcerer. He is a tragic hero, a figure whose flaws lead to his downfall. His ambition and lack of foresight bring him to disaster, and the audience is left with a sense of pity and sympathy for his plight.

Conclusion

In conclusion, The Tempest's tragic hero is Caliban. Caliban is both a creature of natural and supernatural origin who is taken captive by a powerful wizard. His ambition and lack foresight led him to tragedy, which elicited sympathy and pity from the audience. His failure serves as a warning to his audience to not be too ambitious and to understand the consequences of their actions.