The Tempest Colonialism and Slavery Quotes

All hail, great master! Grave sir, hail! I come
To answer thy best pleasure. Be ‘t to fly,
To swim, to dive into the fire, to ride
On the curled clouds, to thy strong bidding task
Ariel and all his quality.

– William Shakespeare

The Tempest, Act 1, Scene 2. Speaking his first lines in the play, the spirit Ariel shows his loyalty to Prospero by telling him that he is willing to do whatever his master Prospero asks of him. But his is also the language of a slave and submissive who does his master’s bidding without question.

This blue-eyed hag was hither brought with child
And here was left by the sailors. Thou, my slave,
As thou report’st thyself, was then her servant,
And, for thou wast a spirit too delicate
To act her earthy and abhorred commands,
Refusing her grand hests, she did confine thee.

– William Shakespeare

The Tempest, Act 1, Scene 2. An iritated Prospero spells out to Ariel his indebtedness to his master. He tells him that when he was in the service of the witch Sycorax, she abused and enslaved him after he refused to carry out her commands. She imprisoned him in a cloven pine tree.

This island’s mine, by Sycorax my mother,
Which thou tak’st from me. When thou cam’st first,
Thou strok’st me and mad’st much of me, wouldst give me
Water with berries in ‘t, and teach me how
To name the bigger light and how the less,
That burn by day and night. And then I loved thee,
And show’d thee all the qualities o’ th’ isle,
The fresh springs, brine-pits, barren place and fertile.
Cursed be I that did so! All the charms
Of Sycorax, toads, beetles, bats, light on you,
For I am all the subjects that you have,
Which first was mine own king; and here you sty me
In this hard rock, whiles you do keep from me
The rest o’ th’ island.

– William Shakespeare

The Tempest, Act 1, Scene 2. Caliban asserts his rights through his mother to the island, which he claims Prospero took from him by flattering him, giving him berries, teaching him about the sun and stars and then betraying him. He admits that he loved Prospero at first. He showed the magician all the qualities of the island with its freshwater springs and saltwater pits, Caliban being a native inhabitant and close to nature. But he curses himself for doing so, and Prospero as well, who now confines him in a cave on the island. Invoking the name of his witch mother Sycorax, Caliban once again calls on her wicked magic charms to curse his captor. He is unforgiving about how Prospero has mistreated and enslaved him. All of this raises the question of who is the monster here – Caliban or Prospero? Perhaps both!

Abhorred slave,
Which any print of goodness wilt not take,
Being capable of all ill! I pitied thee,
Took pains to make thee speak, taught thee each hour
One thing or other. When thou didst not, savage,
Know thine own meaning, but wouldst gabble like
A thing most brutish, I endowed thy purposes
With words that made them known. But thy vile race,
Though thou didst learn, had that in ‘t which good natures
Could not abide to be with. Therefore wast thou
Deservedly confined into this rock,
Who hadst deserved more than a prison.

– William Shakespeare

The Tempest, Act 1, Scene 2. Miranda tells Caliban that he has such an evil nature he cannot be shaped into anything good. Taking pity on him at first, she said that she spent much time educating him and teaching him to speak, but because of his evil nature no good person could abide to be with him. So he deserves to be confined to this rock prison, she believes. Prospero’s colonizer attitude to the "savage" slave who needs to be rescued from his "brutish" nature comes across loud and clear in Miranda’s words about Caliban. He is depicted as sub-human, a monster.

Hag-seed, hence!
Fetch us in fuel; and be quick, thou’rt best,
If thou neglect’st or dost unwillingly
What I command, I’ll rack thee with old cramps,
Fill all thy bones with aches, make thee roar
That beasts shall tremble at thy din.

– William Shakespeare

The Tempest, Act 1, Scene 2. Prospero uses dehumanizing and demeaning language to Caliban – "hag-seed" (metaphor) – and threatens to employ his magic to inflict pain on him, if he does not willingly obey his commands to fetch in the fuel, and do it quickly. He will rack him with cramps, make his bones ache, and cause him to roar so much that beasts will tremble, he threatens. Prospero shows his own monstrously vindictive and imperialistic side here in his dealings with his slave.

You taught me language; and my profit on ‘t
Is, I know how to curse: the red plague rid you,
For learning me your language.

– William Shakespeare

The Tempest, Act 1, Scene 2. The monster bites back! Caliban is reacting angrily to Miranda’s attack on him as a savage that she tried to educate. He says that he gained nothing of value from the education, except that he learned how to curse. He hopes that she dies of the plague for teaching him her language. Ironically Caliban is also capable of using beautiful, poetic language, as in his "Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises" speech (Act 3, Scene 2). At the heart of The Tempest is the vexed and toxic relationship between the colonized and colonizer, Caliban and Prospero. Caliban deeply resents Prospero’s and Miranda’s attempts to "civilize" him and sees them only as oppressors. He is rebelling against the use of language as a tool of colonization and repression. His threatening words in this passage are foreshadowing of his plot later in the play to kill Prospero and take his daughter.

PROSPERO: [to Ferdinand] Follow me.
[To Miranda.] Speak not you for him. He’s a traitor.
[To Ferdinand.] Come,
I’ll manacle thy neck and feet together.
Sea-water shalt thou drink; thy food shall be
The fresh-brook muscles, withered roots, and husks
Wherein the acorn cradled. Follow.

– William Shakespeare

The Tempest, Act 1, Scene 2. Prospero’s imperialistic nature comes to the fore as he threatens to take Ferdinand into captivity, manacle his neck and feet together, give him sea water to drink, and mussels, old roots and empty acorn shells for food. He tells Miranda not to speak for him as he is a traitor. There is a certain dramatic irony here, as the audience is aware that Prospero is in favor of the love union between Ferdinand and Miranda and actually set it up, but he doesn’t want Ferdinand to feel that he has won his daughter too easily.

What, I say,
My foot my tutor? – Put thy sword up, traitor,
Who mak’st a show, but dar’st not strike, thy conscience
Is so possessed with guilt. Come from thy ward,
For I can here disarm thee with this stick
And make thy weapon drop.

– William Shakespeare

The Tempest, Act 1, Scene 2. After Ferdinand draws his sword and says he will resist Prospero’s threats to manacle and enslave him, Prospero puts a magic spell on Ferdinand that stops him from moving. Once again Prospero shows the considerable powers that he has when he uses his magic to protect himself.

I’ the commonwealth I would by contraries
Execute all things; for no kind of traffic
Would I admit; no name of magistrate;
Letters should not be known; riches, poverty,
And use of service, none; contract, succession,
Bourn, bound of land, tilth, vineyard, none;
No use of metal, corn, or wine, or oil;
No occupation; all men idle, all;
And women too, but innocent and pure;
No sovereignty.

– William Shakespeare

The Tempest, Act 2, Scene 1. The theme of colonialism and the relationship between the European colonizer and native colonized people are explored throughout The Tempest, especially in Prospero’s control of the island and Caliban. But it’s also not far under the surface of the kind and noble Gonzalo. Here he delivers a speech about his idyllic plantation, a new colony of commonwealth, where lack of social rank, labor, riches and poverty would deliver a utopia. Work would be abolished and people would live a life of leisure. Gonzalo imagines creating this perfect state on an island like the one they are on. There would be no kingship, he pledges. Yet he would be ruler and "execute all things." Spoken like a true colonizer! The irony here in Gonzalo’s commonwealth speech is clear.

SEBASTIAN: Yet he would be king on’t.
ANTONIO: The latter end of his commonwealth forgets the beginning.

– William Shakespeare

The Tempest, Act 2, Scene 1. As Gonzalo describes how he would colonize the island and build a perfect state without laws and social hierarchy, Sebastian and Antonio continue to ridicule him with sarcastic comments. But they do highlight inconsistencies in Gonzalo’s imagined paradise and the irony in his speech. For example, Alonso says he would have no sovereignty, yet at the same time he would be king. These are important observations in a play which deals with the themes of freedom, power and servitude.

All things in common nature should produce
Without sweat or endeavour. Treason, felony,
Sword, pike, knife, gun, or need of any engine
Would I not have; but nature should bring forth
Of it own kind, all foison, all abundance
To feed my innocent people.

– William Shakespeare

The Tempest, Act 2, Scene 1. Gonzalo is describing the perfect world that he would create in his plantation on the island ruled by him. He personifies nature as he dreams of the bounty it would produce to feed everyone. There would be no treason, crime or weapons on his fantasy island.

Were I in England now, as once I was, and had but this fish painted, not a holiday fool there but would give a piece of silver: there would this monster make a man. When they will not give a doit to relieve a lame beggar, they will lay out ten to see a dead Indian.

– William Shakespeare

The Tempest, Act 2, Scene 2. Here Trinculo imagines that if he were in England, he could exploit Caliban’s monstrous appearance for economic profit. He cynically remarks that the English would not give a penny to help a blind beggar, but they would give ten to see a dead Indian. Trinculo is echoing Prospero’s imperialistic nature here.

Thou does me yet but little hurt. Thou wilt anon, I know it by thy trembling: now Prosper works upon thee.

– William Shakespeare

The Tempest, Act 2, Scene 2. Caliban says this to Trinculo, who is hiding under Caliban’s garment to protect himself from the storm. Caliban thinks that Trinculo is one of Prospero’s spirits coming to torture him because he is not working hard enough. This is further insight into Prospero the cruel master, who is apparently accustomed to tormenting his slave Caliban with pain if he doesn’t work hard – in this instance bringing his wood home fast enough.

These be fine things, an if they be not sprites.
That’s a brave god and bears celestial liquor.
I will kneel to him.

– William Shakespeare

The Tempest, Act 2, Scene 2. Caliban thinks that Stephano and Trinculo are gods after he is given some liquor by Stephano, probably his first experience of alcohol. It is no surprise that Caliban, who feels mistreated and and enslaved by Prospero, would seek to align himself to the first new humans that he meets on the island. This desperation speaks to his desire for revenge against his master. But it is also ironic that he wishes to break away from the power of one master, only to give himself to another.

I’ll show thee the best springs; I’ll pluck thee berries;
I’ll fish for thee and get thee wood enough.
A plague upon the tyrant that I serve!
I’ll bear him no more sticks, but follow thee,
Thou wondrous man.

– William Shakespeare

The Tempest, Act 2, Scene 2. In this humorous scene, Caliban promises to follow his new "god" and master, the drunken Stephano. He will show him the best springs, pick berries, fish and fetch wood for him – being a native inhabitant, Caliban knows the island well and is close to nature. There is an irony in Caliban cursing his enslaver Prospero with plague, while switching allegience to Stephano who has branded him a monster and is hardly going to treat him much better.

There be some sports are painful, and their labour
Delight in them sets off. Some kinds of baseness
Are nobly undergone, and most poor matters
Point to rich ends. This my mean task
Would be as heavy to me as odious, but
The mistress which I serve quickens what’s dead
And makes my labours pleasures. O, she is
Ten times more gentle than her father’s crabbed,
And he’s composed of harshness.

– William Shakespeare

The Tempest, Act 3, Scene 1. Having been enslaved by and put to work by Prospero, Ferdinand walks on stage carrying a heavy log. At first he complaints about the pain of his labor, but then says that some forms of work are "nobly undergone," and reveals that his love for Miranda is what drives him and makes his work pleasurable. She is ten times more gentle than her father, he says.

Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices
That, if I then had waked after long sleep,
Will make me sleep again: and then, in dreaming,
The clouds methought would open and show riches
Ready to drop upon me that, when I waked,
I cried to dream again.

– William Shakespeare

The Tempest, Act 3, Scene 2. This is one of the most poetic passages in The Tempest, spoken by Caliban, and the speech has a haunting and dream-like quality about it. It shows that Caliban is not just all monster and anger but a much more complicated and multi-sided character capable of eloquence and beautiful expression. He describes the magical qualities of his beloved island of which is a native, his deep attachment to it, and his own dreams. In his moving speech Caliban attempts to reassure the others, spooked by the invisible Ariel’s mysterious music resulting from Prospero’s magic, that the island is indeed full of sounds and music that give pleasure but don’t hurt. Does this poetic speech with its powerful imagery and calm and thoughtful language reflect the true nature of Caliban? Is his brutish and monstrous and side then a reaction to the cruel way he has been treated by his slave master Prospero – a case of nurture and not nature? If you treat a person like a monster, do they not sometimes become the monster? The Tempest is often seen as a critique on the cruel treatment of colonized peoples by their European colonizers, as depicted in Prospero’s treatment of Caliban and Ariel.

A devil, a born devil, on whose nature
Nurture can never stick; on whom my pains,
Humanely taken, all, all lost, quite lost;
And as with age his body uglier grows,
So his mind cankers. I will plague them all,
Even to roaring.

– William Shakespeare

The Tempest, Act 4, Scene 1. Prospero calls Caliban a born devil and no amount of education or nurture can change his basic nature. And as he grows older, his body as well as his mind grows uglier. This speaks to the colonizer mentality Prospero holds in that he sees creatures like Caliban as inferior beings who need to be civilized. Prospero vows to put Caliban and his fellow plotters Stephano and Trinculo in agony until they roar in pain.

I’ll be wise hereafter
And seek for grace.

– William Shakespeare

The Tempest, Act 5, Scene 1. This passage is from the fuller quote: "I’ll be wise hereafter And seek for grace. What a thrice-double ass Was I, to take this drunkard for a god And worship this dull fool!" As he leaves the play, Caliban claims to have learned a lesson and be wiser, recognizing his mistake in having admired and given his allegiance to his new master Stephano. But we don’t actually know what happens to him after that. Did he accompany Prospero to Milan? Or did he remain on the island as its ruler? Did Prospero’s gain his freedom from Prospero? All this is unclear as Shakespeare provides no resolution like he did in the case of the other major characters, he keeps us guessing to this day.
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