I can't think of a title...
Oct. 28th, 2009 12:46 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tsukikageFrom time-traveling cannibal mermaids, to...
Surprisingly enough, I'm acctually a little frustrated that this mini-essay is so mini. There's so much I want to talk about that I don't have room for. It's like... Academic Twitter. But at least the word restraint let's me get away with not having to think out the organization much.
[EDIT:
In The Tempest, it is easy to assume that Ariel is "free" while Caliban is "limited". I think there is a fair bit of truth to this analysis, but I also believe that freedom in The Tempest is largely a state of mind. On the one hand, there's the Buddhist freedom in knowing one's place and accepting it with grace, primarily exhibited by Ariel; on the other, there's the freedom of inhibition, and doing what one wants despite one's place, primarily exhibited by Caliban. While in the world of The Tempest it seems that the way to physical freedom is to accept one's place, it is unclear whether a certain degree of stubbornness is also required.
Ariel is more physically free from the beginning. He is more often called a servant, while Caliban is typically referred to as a slave; as an airy spirit he presumably has the ability to fly and is able to travel about invisible to anyone he wishes; he has the ability and freedom to change into any form he wishes (3.3). and he is entrusted with tasks that take him far from his master. At the end of the play he is even given complete freedom. (5.1.18-19) However, it is only out of graceful obedience that Ariel will be set free, or even spared the pains that Caliban is forced to endure, and Ariel is keenly aware of this and plays along accordingly. (1.2.294-300)
Caliban, on the other hand, is treated very much as a slave. He is spoken of degradingly, is very much trapped in his monster-like body, is entrusted only with simple tasks such as chopping wood, and setting him free isn't even considered (1.2.311-313). He is also frequently subjected to great physical pains because of his disobedience (1.2.368-374), but despite his fear of these pains, he can't seem to help openly expressing his malice towards Prospero. Ironically, it seems that his idea of freedom is to serve a master that he respects (3.1.168-172, 5.1.295-298), which is perhaps in turn a master that respects him (3.2.38-40). His returning to Prospero's service seems to imply both that the only place where he can be truly content is in his rightful master's service, and that he perhaps can get back on the same path of good favor that led Prospero to free Ariel - favor he originally fell from due to his own transgression (1.2.330-348).
There's so much more to talk about... Maa, ii ka.]
Surprisingly enough, I'm acctually a little frustrated that this mini-essay is so mini. There's so much I want to talk about that I don't have room for. It's like... Academic Twitter. But at least the word restraint let's me get away with not having to think out the organization much.
[EDIT:
In The Tempest, it is easy to assume that Ariel is "free" while Caliban is "limited". I think there is a fair bit of truth to this analysis, but I also believe that freedom in The Tempest is largely a state of mind. On the one hand, there's the Buddhist freedom in knowing one's place and accepting it with grace, primarily exhibited by Ariel; on the other, there's the freedom of inhibition, and doing what one wants despite one's place, primarily exhibited by Caliban. While in the world of The Tempest it seems that the way to physical freedom is to accept one's place, it is unclear whether a certain degree of stubbornness is also required.
Ariel is more physically free from the beginning. He is more often called a servant, while Caliban is typically referred to as a slave; as an airy spirit he presumably has the ability to fly and is able to travel about invisible to anyone he wishes; he has the ability and freedom to change into any form he wishes (3.3). and he is entrusted with tasks that take him far from his master. At the end of the play he is even given complete freedom. (5.1.18-19) However, it is only out of graceful obedience that Ariel will be set free, or even spared the pains that Caliban is forced to endure, and Ariel is keenly aware of this and plays along accordingly. (1.2.294-300)
Caliban, on the other hand, is treated very much as a slave. He is spoken of degradingly, is very much trapped in his monster-like body, is entrusted only with simple tasks such as chopping wood, and setting him free isn't even considered (1.2.311-313). He is also frequently subjected to great physical pains because of his disobedience (1.2.368-374), but despite his fear of these pains, he can't seem to help openly expressing his malice towards Prospero. Ironically, it seems that his idea of freedom is to serve a master that he respects (3.1.168-172, 5.1.295-298), which is perhaps in turn a master that respects him (3.2.38-40). His returning to Prospero's service seems to imply both that the only place where he can be truly content is in his rightful master's service, and that he perhaps can get back on the same path of good favor that led Prospero to free Ariel - favor he originally fell from due to his own transgression (1.2.330-348).
There's so much more to talk about... Maa, ii ka.]
