THE COMPARISON

THE TEMPEST BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE AND A

TEMPEST BY AIME CESAIRE

Yocefrino Leonardi Hibur 164214143

Vella Sophia A.R 164214157
THEORITICAL BASIS
COLONIALISM
• Colonialism, Western, a political-economic phenomenon whereby various European
nations explored, conquered, settled, and exploited large areas of the world (Webter
Ricard, Nowell Charles on Encyclopædia Britannica, 2017)
• The age of modern colonialism began about 1500, following the European discoveries of a
sea route around Africa’s southern coast (1488) and of America (1492)
• There are four common characteristics of colonialism:
 political and legal domination over an alien society
 relations of economics and political dependence
 exploitation between imperial powers and the colony
 racial and cultural inequality (citizendium.org, February 2014).
POSTCOLONIALISM
• Postcolonialism, the historical period or state of affairs representing the aftermath
of Western colonialism; the term can also be used to describe the concurrent project to
reclaim and rethink the history and agency of people subordinated under various forms
of imperialism (Duncan Invison on Encyclopædia Britannica, 2015) .
• As can be expected, it is characterized by opposition to the colonial conquerors, frequently
focusing upon racial relationships and the effects of racial domination; in addition, the
literature often indicts white and/or colonial societies. One such example of Postcolonial
literature is this vituperative passage written by Elaine Potter Richardson (eNotes.com, 28 Dec.
2014)
• The age of postcolonialism began about the 19th and 20th centuries.
THE MAIN CHARACTERS: ‘CALIBAN’ AND ‘ARIEL’
CALIBAN

• Cesaire  makes as if the captive of Caliban is not going that easy.

• He is portrayed as a rebellious and strong willed man. He is able of gaining
power and gathering people to attack Prospero, though he fails.

Caliban: Call me X. That would be
best. Like a man without a name. Or,
to be more precise, a man whose
name has been stolen. You talk about
history…well, that’s history, and
everyone knows it! Every time you
summon me it reminds me of a fact,
the fact that you’ve stolen everything
from me, even my identity! Uhuru!
Prospero: What would you be without me?
Caliban: Without you? I’d be the king, that’s what I’d
be, the king of the Island......
Caliban : In first place, that’s not true. You didn’t
teachme a thing. Except to jabber in your language,
chop the woods, wash the dishes.....(page 17)
Shakespeare’s  Caliban is powerless toward Prospero’s power. He is captured

“I must eat my dinner. This island’s mine by Sycorax my mother,Which thou tak’st from
me. When thou cam’st first,Thou strok’st me and made much of me; wouldst give me Water with berries
in’t; and teach me how To name the bigger light, and how the less, 335 That burn by day and night; and
then I loved theeAnd showed thee all the qualities o’ th’ isle,The fresh springs, brine-pits, barren place
and fertile...... (Page 46)

he is made to change the name with something he doesn’t like. He was also yelled by for
using his native language.

“You taught me language, and my profit

on’tIs, I know how to curse. The red plague rid you
For learning me your language! (Page 47)
ARIEL
• In ‘The Tempest’  Ariel is a non-human slave who was once saved by Prospero.
• Works to him by helping Prospero on the price of setting him free.
“Ariel Is there more toil? Since thou dost give me pains,
Let me remember thee what thou hast promised,
Which is not yet performed me. Prospero How now? moody?
What is’t thou canst demand? 245 Ariel My liberty.
Prospero Before the time be out? No more! Ariel I prithee,
Remember I have done thee worthy service,
Told thee no lies, made no mistakings, served
Without or grudge or grumblings. Thou did promise
To bate me a full year.”
• In ‘A Tempest’  Ariel is a human, white and black mixed man. He is
unwillingly forced to be enslaved by Prospero.
• Helps Caliban few times and he once says he regrets to be saved and rather
be cursed forever.
“Sometimes I almost regret it....after all, i might have turn into a real
tree in the end....tree: that’s a word that really gives me a thrill......(Page16)
THE WAY OF STORIES ARE WRITTEN

• Shakespeare makes Caliban as a slave he got when he stepped on the

island.
 Caliban plots a coup de Etat because he believes the
island is belong to him
 Prospero is just a stray and has no right to rule there.
• In ‘A Tempest’, the story is written in an explicit detail how evil
colonialism is.
 Caliban who is captured represents the people in an oppressed place and what
people with higher civilization done to him and his people was merely evil and
greed.
THE FOCUSES
• Shakespeare’s focus drives more into the relationship of the characters.
 Especially how lovely the romance that happens with Ferdinand and
Miranda, proven on how early it is for the love at the first sight story is
introduced.
 The story also ends happily with feast joy and love celebration.
• In Cesaire’s work, the story mainly tells about the struggles, the quarrel
and tension between two main characters Prospero and Caliban.
 It emphasizes Caliban’s resistance and hatred toward the king who takes his
‘freedom’
THE ENDING
The stories end with two completely different way.
• In Shakespeare’s work, story ends when Prospero forgives all his
enemies and people happily gather to hail the king that they believe to be a
hero.

• While Cesaire chooses the ending where although Prospero rules.

• As Prospero grows old and weak and finally died, people basically take
back what he had taken while he was alive.
• https://www.britannica.com/topic/colonialism
• http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Colonialism