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How are the themes of servitude and freedom explored through the characters of Ariel and Caliban in Act III of The Tempest?
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How are the themes of servitude and freedom explored through the characters of Ariel and Caliban in Act III of The Tempest?
This entry is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.
3 Comments
Ping Wang (she/her)
Ariel and Caliban both servitude by Prospero. Ariel is actively submissive and performs every task Prospero gives him with perfection, accuracy, and Prospero’s approval. Ariel hopes that his excellent job performance will be rewarded with an early day of liberty. His obedience is time-bound, and he is willing to give and perform 100% for the sake of his goals. Ariel’s servitude is hopeful and temporary.
In the other hand, Caliban is defiantly obedient to Prospero. He is compelled to complete his work for fear of punishment. In Act III, he instigates Stephano to help him kill Prospero, showing that Caliban is filled with hatred for Prospero’s enslavement and oppression. He tries to escape Prospero’s control over him. He also wants to be free but willing to become Stephano’s servant, hoping that Stephano will help him kill Prospero and fulfill his revenge. Caliban’ servitude is resentful and seemingly permanent.
Tsering Choedon
I agree. In addition to it…In Act III of The Tempest, Ariel, and Caliban show different ideas of servitude and freedom. Ariel serves Prospero willingly, hoping he will soon be set free. This hope makes him follow orders without much complaint. Caliban, however, feels trapped by Prospero. He once ruled the island and now hates being a servant. When he meets Stephano and Trinculo, he hopes they might help him escape Prospero. So, while Ariel is loyal because he believes in freedom, Caliban rebels, desperate to break free.
Tsering Choedon
In Act III of The Tempest, Ariel, and Caliban show different ideas of servitude and freedom. Ariel serves Prospero willingly, hoping he will soon be set free. This hope makes him follow orders without much complaint. Caliban, however, feels trapped by Prospero. He once ruled the island and now hates being a servant. When he meets Stephano and Trinculo, he hopes they might help him escape Prospero. So, while Ariel is loyal because he believes in freedom, Caliban rebels, desperate to break free.