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Early on in the tempest we get a sense that Prospero might not be mr. [Hand crosses out nice guy on Prospero's name label]

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nice guy we'd hardly call summoning a tempest and causing a shipwreck polite

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but he has a side that's even worse than his boat destroying tendencies his habit [Prospero ringing a bell]

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of enslaving folks... One of these captives is a spirit named Ariel

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he's affectionate toward Prospero and obeys his every wish and command and [Ariel giving Prospero a roast chicken]

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although he'd like to be released he's gentle in his suggestions you know

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whenever it's convenient for Prospero the balls in his court well the other

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captain Caliban has a different attitude he hates Prospero's guts and plots to [Caliban slaps the roast chicken out of Prospero's lap]

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have him killed he even tries to rape Prospero's

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daughter which as you might imagine Prospero is not exactly thrilled about [Caliban chasing Prospero's daughter]

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even though these characters are both captives they're radically different

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opinions about Prospero come down to their different histories when Prospero

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and Ariel meet Ariel had been imprisoned in a tree by a witch named Sycorax and [Sycorax enslaving Ariel in a tree]

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no matter how much of a treehugger you are being imprisoned in one is no fun

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Prospero rescued Ariel so Ariel became bound to serve him also because of the [Prospero releases Ariel from the tree]

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whole saved from imprisonment in a tree thing

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Ariel feels a certain degree of gratitude well Caliban's history is

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radically different before Prospero arrived Caliban ruled the island he was [Caliban wearing a crown on an island]

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the son of Sycorac's and the undisputed big demon on campus however

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when Prospero did arrive, well Caliban went from ruler to slave a bit [Crown transfers from Caliban to Prospero's head]

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of a demotion there it's important to note though that subtextually, there's

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much more at play than merely resentment The Tempest was written in the early [Caliban throwing darts at a picture of Prospero]

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17th century when Europe's colonial expansion was on the rise all over the

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new world Europeans were arriving in areas inhabited by natives claiming [Europeans on a ship arriving on an island]

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their lands as their own and either killing or enslaving the natives while

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the Europeans were to say the least not ideal house guests in the play [European man picks up natives tee-pee and throws it away]

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Caliban is a native whose homeland is taken over by a European who makes him a

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slave sound familiar? well because of Caliban's link to

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colonialism the character has been played many different ways

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the less people care about the colonial aspect the more brutishly he tends to be [Caliban in a theater play]

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portrayed often as a terrifying subhuman or even comic figure however the more

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focus that an actor or director puts on the colonial aspect the more dignified

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the Caliban in such productions he's likely to be portrayed as a tragic slave [Caliban crying while in chains]

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or a rebellious hero rather than someone who can barely walk upright...For Caliban's

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sake it's a shame that a bunch of those different versions couldn't have [Prospero ringing bell and Caliban's appear]

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appeared in the same play because well a whole gaggle of Caliban's might make

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Prospero think twice about the whole enslavement thing [A bunch of Caliban's appear and Prospero runs away]

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