William Shakespeare, the Tempest (1611), Essay Example

Introduction

William Shakespeare’s play The Tempest focuses on the relationship between colonialism and language and how informal educational practices were deeply embedded in colonialism practices. The Tempest is primarily about colonialism because Prospero gets into Sycorax’s island and then subdues it and imposes his own culture. In terms of colonialism, Prospero represents the Europeans who took over the Native American land and enslaved the citizens. In the play, Prospero is described as deformed and seeking to make the Natives follow his treacherous ways. Prospero represents the European’s perception of other cultures. During the colonization era, Europeans regarded their colonies’ language as inferior and always undermined them. Therefore, it is important to explore the tight relation between colonization and language. This paper explores the role of schools and informal education in assisting the colonizers to enslave their colonies. This paper is based on William Shakespeare’s play The Tempest, which is insightful in the role language played in ensuring the colonizers maintained their rule among their colonizers.

The Tempest

In The Tempest, Prospero finds a land in isolation, which is ideal for educating his daughter. The island in the play presents a place of infinite possibilities where everyone can get to. Caliban states that “For I am the subjects that you presently have.” (Shakespeare I.ii). Prospero regards the land as his colony, and he exhibits a sense of superiority through Caliban as a half-man. Prospero pushed the natives through dehumanizing Caliban.  The relationship between Prospero and Caliban brings forth the problematic and complex relationship that existed between colonizers and their respective colonies. In the drama, Caliban is aware that Prospero treats him as a second-class citizen. Prospero wants Caliban to give up his ownership of the island in favor of his education. Caliban turns himself violent and bitter because he feels the education introduced by Prospero has robbed him of his land. Caliban’s plight represents the overall situation represented by the colonizers to the Natives. The introduction of education by the colonizers made them have full control among the locals and, as a result, promoted colonization. Caliban states that he dreamed of living again for “all the subjects that I have” (Shakespeare iii.iii).

The Tempest explores the colonizer’s influence on their colonies by creating opportunities and fears. The colonizers asserted through the provision of education that was regarded as superior to the colony’s situation. Colonists exposed colonies to intolerance and racism manifested through their assertion that their education system is much superior. In The Tempest, Sebastian criticizes Alonso for accepting his daughter to be married to an African. Education advanced in The Tempest resulted in the conquering and the ultimate slavery of the native people. Education was a means of exploring alternative societies and acquiring superior positions in society.

In The Tempest, each time Prospero attempts to teach Caliban about the language, the latter always refused to replicate. Therefore, Caliban does not change his nature despite Prospero’s influence. Prospero’s quest to teach Caliban the language represents the illusion colonizers had on their colonies. Caliban states that “the red plague should rid you for learning your language.” (1.11). Caliban presents the failed notions of colonizers on their colonies. Caliban represents the rule of the dominant class. The lessons Caliban learns through informal education represents the quests colonizers had on introducing their language to their colonizers. The post-colonization interpretation of the play is that informal education was a form of slavery to their respective colonies. On the island in the play, Prospero uses his language to control his puppets. In the colonialism period, language and formal education was a means the colonizers used to control their influence by asserting their superiority to the natives in the lands they controlled. From the colonizers’ perspective, controlling their colonizers’ language was a way of influencing their communication, thereby subjecting them to the forms of control they wished to assert.

Language played a significant role in enabling colonizers to exert their influence among their colonies. In The Tempest, Prospero and Miranda regard language as a way of knowing oneself. On the other hand, Caliban’s view of language is not similar to Prospero and Miranda. Even though Prospero taught Caliban language to make him feel empowered, he behaves conservatively. The language reminds Caliban that Prospero and Miranda of the way they are different from him. In the context of colonization, the language was forced upon the colonies in a bid to civilize them. The language was a form of taking away the freedom of the colonies and forcing them to adapt their colonizers’ ways of life. Caliban states that “you taught me the language, but what is my profit” (Shakespeare 1.11). Therefore, the language was a means for the colonizers to subjugate their colonizers and assert their influence. According to Caliban, the language introduced by colonizers was oppressive and was meant to enslave the colonies. Language introduced by colonizers was to be adopted by all their colonies as the colonies’ language was not standard.

Work Cited

Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. Vol. 9. Classic Books Company, 2001.