The act begins with the technical note, “A noise of thunder heard”, (L. 1.) followed by a passage by Trincolo in which he vividly describes the storm (L. 18-24). A modified version of the exercises suggested at the beginning of the analysis of the play to simulate hurricane conditions could be used now to draw students into the mood of the scene.
The continuation of Trincolo’s discourse on the brewing storm and its relationship to the historical references in the chronicles can be considered here. Trincolo describes his first encounter with Caliban and immediately considers capitalizing on his “otherness” in the same manner chosen by Pedro Serrano, the shipwrecked Spaniard vividly described by Garcilaso de la Vega el Inca in his
Commentaries
. Serrano’s plight, having spent seven years on a desolate island, is worth reading here in its entirety for the pure theatricality of this adventure story. The following excerpt from this chronicle (three years into his dilemma another shipwrecked Spaniard joins Serrano, and four years later they are rescued by a passing ship) might prove insightful. Students can consider that Caliban’s “monstrous” appearance was probably a natural adaptive reaction to his environment:
Owing to the harshness of the climate hair grew all over his body till it was like an animal’s pelt, and not just any animal’s, but a wild boar’s. His hair and beard fell below his waist . . . Pedro Serrano and his companion, who had grown a similar pelt, seeing the boat approach, fell to saying the Credo . . . so that the sailors should not think they were demons and flee from them . . . They no longer looked like human beings . . . Pedro Serrano reached here (Spain) and went on to Germany where the emperor then was . . . In every village he passed through on the way he earned much money whenever he chose to exhibit himself. Some of the lords . . . contributed toward the cost of the journey, and his imperial majesty . . . gave him a reward of 4,000 pesos in income . . .
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The second quote from
The Tempest
parallels Garcilaso’s account as Stefano plans to capitalize on Caliban’s “otherness”:
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Trincolo: What have we here? a man or a fish? . . . Were I in England now 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.
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(L. 2534)
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Stephano: If I can recover him and keep him tame and get to Naples with him, he’s a present for any emperor that ever trod on neat’s leather [cowhide].
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(L. 6770)
Students will probably have many stories to tell of their experiences with circus “freak” shows, movies and television programs in response to the above quotes. They might want to consider themselves in a similar situation and explore the deeper feelings of “the other” in order to see it from a different perspective.
This act also contains a reference to the native New World peoples’ belief that the Spaniards were an incarnation of the gods of their legends. The first quote refers to Columbus’ perception of the Indians in present day Santo Domingo and the second is Stephano’s response to Caliban’s curiosity:
. . . They practice no kind of idolatry, but have a firm belief that all strength and power, and indeed all good things, are in heaven, and that I had descended from thence with these ships and sailors . . .
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Caliban: Hast thou not dropp’d from heaven?
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Stephano: Out o’ the moon, I do assure thee. I was the man i’ th’ moon when time was.
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Caliban: I have seen thee in her and I do adore thee . . .
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(L. 135140)
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The end of Scene II finds Caliban, under the influence of the wine that has been forced upon him by Stephano and Trinculo, deciding to change allegiance and to take them, instead of Prospero, for his masters. Caliban sadly mistakes for freedom what is actually just another form of servitude and slavery. The dialogue which proceeds from line 148 until the end of the scene again graphically depicts Caliban’s innate knowledge of natural lore and his willingness—indeed he begs—to share this native intelligence with the very people who enslave him. The following lines are particularly graphic:
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Caliban:
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I’ll show thee the best springs; I’ll pluck thee berries, I’ll fish for thee and get thee wood enough.
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(L. 160162)
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Caliban:
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. . . let me bring thee where crabs grow;
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And I with my long nails will dig thee pig nuts;
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Show thee a jay’s nest and instruct thee how
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To snare the nimble marmoset (monkey);
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I’ll bring thee
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To clustering filberts and sometimes
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I’ll get thee
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Young scamels [a type of shellfish] from the rock
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(L. 168172)
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Since many of the students who make up the bilingual population in New Haven come from the rural areas of the Caribbean, they might enjoy comparing and contrasting their knowledge of the natural wonders of island life with Caliban’s.
