A Tempest

“The instruments of colonial power rely on barbaric, brutal violence and intimidation, and the end result is the degradation of Europe itself.” 

According to Kelley, in Césaire’s seminal anticolonial work of literature, titled Discourse on Colonialism, Césaire argues that colonialism actually “‘decivilizes’ the colonizer” (xi). Colonialist acts of brutality are often justified by racist beliefs and immorality, making “the master class” less human (xi). 

“All these ideas are rooted in notions of progress, all are products of modernity, and all fall short when it comes to envisioning a genuinely emancipatory future.” 

Kelley concludes the Introduction by asserting that Césaire’s critiques of ideologies like Marxism and fascism reveal his belief in universalism. To Césaire, culture is meaningless, and “cultured” European nations engage in murder and subjugation in the name of colonialism, thus compromising the notion of culture altogether. According to Césaire, no progress can take place without humanism and an acknowledgement of the truth that all people deserve freedom.

“Come, gentlemen, help yourselves. To each his character, to each character his mask. You, Prospero? Why not?” 

In the Prologue, the Master of Ceremonies asks the actors to select their own masks and their own roles. Through the character of the Master of Ceremonies, Césaire makes a metatheatrical point about the authoritarian nature of staging a play. A play is not a democratic art form; a director tells actors what to do, and actors read lines from a script written by the playwright. The Master of Ceremonies encourages freedom by inviting the actors to select their own roles. 

“It’s really too much! The fellow is taking advantage of the situation…”

During the storm at sea at the beginning of the play, the Boatswain, who represents the working class, takes a disrespectful tone with the noble gentlemen passengers of the ship. At this moment in the play, the gentlemen are standing on the deck of the ship, exposed to the elements; the Boatswain interprets their casual attitude toward the storm as disrespectful of nature and dangerous. In anger and fear, the Boatswain orders the gentlemen below deck so that the sailors can work to save the ship, and Antonio, the Duke of Milan, speaks these words, bristling at the Boatswain’s rough talk.

“Come, Daughter, calm yourself! It’s only a play.” 

Prospero’s first line of the play is addressed to Miranda, his daughter. While Miranda observes the shipwreck from the shore of the island, she becomes upset; the actor playing Prospero breaks character when he tells her to calm down, refusing to maintain the illusion that he is playing a role. This surreal moment draws attention to the fact that the actors are all playing roles determined by the playwright, another key facet of metadrama.

“Tree: that’s a word that really gives me a thrill! It often springs to mind: palm tree—springing into the sky like a fountain ending in nonchalant, squid-like elegance.” 

Ariel, Prospero’s mulatto slave, often speaks in poetic language, revealing his deep sensitivity to beauty and his intelligence. Ariel’s eloquence contrasts with racist stereotypes that assert that black people are primitive in mind and in spirit. Both the playwright and, ostensibly, the actor playing Ariel communicate their rejection of black stereotypes through Ariel’s language and tone.

“You, a savage…a dumb animal, a beast I educated, trained, dragged up from the bestiality that still clings to you.” 

Prospero speaks harshly to Caliban, revealing his racism and his barbarism. Ironically, Prospero, a white European representative of the “master class,” employs aggressive, crude language with ease, suggesting that his actual nature is aggressive and crude. Prospero’s unrefined manner reflects Césaire’s belief that the act of colonizing lowers the status of the colonizer.

“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.”

Caliban’s refusal to respond to the name Prospero has given him, his slave name, and his decision to call himself “X” echo the same decisions made by Malcolm X, an American human rights activist who was born Malcolm Little. When he became involved in the civil rights movement, he refused to use his last name, which he deemed his “slave name.” For both Malcolm X and Caliban, the decision to be called “X” represents a rejection of white authority and aggression.

“Vanquished, a captive—yet far from rebelling against my fate, I am finding my servitude sweet.” 

Ferdinand, the prince of Naples, speaks to Miranda about his willingness to be a prisoner of her father. Because his imprisonment means he will be closer to Miranda, with whom he has fallen in love, Ferdinand does not resent the theft of his freedom. Ferdinand’s hyperbolic acceptance of his status contains overtones of white privilege; as a white gentleman, Ferdinand can idealize his current situation and have faith in the reality that it is temporary. 

“And what about you? What good has your obedience done you, your Uncle Tom patience and your sucking up to him. The man’s just getting more demanding and despotic day by day.” 

revolutionary mindset of militant activist Malcolm X, criticizes and mocks Ariel for his peaceful approach to his relationship with Prospero. In this way, Ariel’s words recall those of Martin Luther King Jr., whose teachings on nonviolence contrasted with the aggressive messaging of Malcolm X during the fight for civil rights in America in the 1960s.

“I’m not fighting just for my freedom, for our freedom, but for Prospero too, so that Prospero can acquire a conscience. Help me, Caliban.”

Ariel beseeches Caliban for help, asking him if they can work together to gain their freedom and to demonstrate to Prospero that his colonial attitude is immoral and debasing to himself and to others. Ariel’s lofty idealism irritates Caliban, who rejects the suggestion that they work together, preferring violent methods to Ariel’s attempts at cooperation and mutual understanding.

“It’s obvious: a wondrous land can only contain wondrous creatures.”

Upon their arrival on the island after the shipwreck, Gonzalo speaks to Antonio and Sebastian about his impressions of the island. Gonzalo’s obvious admiration for the natural beauty of the island and his respect for the inhabitants contrast with Prospero’s villainy and his belief that the island is full of savages; Gonzalo demonstrates a progressive mindset in his appreciation of the landscape, revealing himself as one of the few humanists in the play. 

“You’re really a bloodless lily-liver if you can see a king asleep without getting certain ideas…” 

At this moment, Antonio and Sebastian observe the king Alonso sleeping alongside his noblemen. Antonio’s suggestion that they murder the king in his sleep so that Sebastian, Alonso’s brother, can usurp the throne contains an allusion to Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth. In this play, Macbeth, a Scottish nobleman, murders King Duncan of Scotland while the latter is sleeping, causing chaos and disorder. 

“Poor young man! Can I help you? You don’t look like you were cut out for this kind of work!” 

Miranda speaks to Ferdinand as he performs heavy labor under the orders of Prospero. In the original play The Tempest by Shakespeare, Miranda is a robust young woman whose upbringing on the island has made her plucky and resourceful; the original Ferdinand is just as ill-prepared for island life as Césaire’s Ferdinand, suggesting that all members of nobility are out of touch with the realities of life. 

“Ah, an Indian! Dead or alive? You never know with these tricky races. Yukkk!” 

Trinculo and Stephano reunite near Caliban’s hiding place under the wheelbarrow, where he has fallen asleep. Drunk and ignorant, Trinculo mistakes Caliban for an Indian and reveals his lack of understanding of races different from his own. The error calls to mind Christopher Columbus’s erroneous belief that he had landed somewhere in the Indian Ocean when he reached the New World; thanks to Columbus, the misnomer of “Indian” continues to refer to the indigenous peoples of North America.

“There’s money to be made from a Nindian like that. If you showed him at a carnival…along with the bearded lady and the flea circus, a real Nindian!” 

Stephano speaks to Trinculo about Caliban, seeing financial potential in enslaving Caliban and selling him to a traveling carnival. His comic mispronunciation of the word “Indian” as well as his comparison of Caliban to stereotypical side-show circus acts emphasize his uncomplicated racism and his ignorance; the comic effect is uncomfortable, potentially destabilizing audience members who may not feel sure if laughing at Stephano is appropriate or inappropriate.

“Drink up, pal. You. Drink…Yum-yum botty botty!” 

Stephano speaks to Caliban as if Caliban were a child, revealing his belief that Caliban is unlikely to speak English. Stephano’s condescension represents mindsets typical of racist people who claim to mean well; in this moment, Stephano offers Caliban a drink, which is a kind gesture, while also showing disrespect in the language he uses to address Caliban.

“But that’s just the point…no one invited me…And that wasn’t very nice!”

Eshu, a Yoruban god, arrives at the engagement celebration of Miranda and Ferdinand, surprising Prospero and the other gods and goddesses. He is playfully critical of Prospero for not including him, feigning disappointment. As a trickster god, Eshu is a disrupter, and he offends the gods and goddesses of Roman and Greek mythology with his singing, his jokes, and his mere presence.

“My dear Iris, don’t you find that song quite obscene?”

Eshu’s song shocks Ceres, who uses the words “dear” and “quite” to communicate her disapproval of Eshu to Irish, delivering her message with stereotypically upper-class English expressions. By linking Ceres, a Roman goddess, to England, a colonial superpower, the playwright suggests that the mythological stories of Western civilization contain racist undertones.  

“There is a punishment to be meted out. I will not compromise with evil.”

Prospero justifies his plans to use violence on Caliban in this exchange with Ariel. In Prospero’s opinion, Caliban’s attempts to start a revolution warrant severe punishment. To Prospero, Caliban’s disrespect of his authority is worse than Caliban’s radical mindset, as evidenced by Prospero’s belief that Caliban is disrupting world order by asserting his need for freedom, no matter the cost.

“Prospero is the Anti-Nature! And I say, down with Anti-Nature!” 

As Caliban gathers his forces, which consist of island creatures most capable of inflicting pain on humans and other elements of nature, he tells Stephano that Prospero, a sorcerer with supernatural powers, represents everything that Nature should conquer. Caliban, on the other hand, is Nature personified, so he is able to assemble natural forces to combat Prospero’s supernatural forces.

“Not at bay…more like on the prowl…Don’t worry, it’s a pal of mine.” 

Caliban asserts his friendship with Nature by explaining to Stephano that the noise they hear of a “roaring of a beast at bay” is the sea (53). Caliban is confident that Nature is on his side, and the potential of the sea to overwhelm humans works to Caliban’s advantage. Caliban’s descriptions of the sea echo the first scene of the play, during which the shipwreck takes place; the wind in that scene is also powerful, but it has been commandeered by Ariel and Prospero. The angry sound of the sea suggests that the sea also seeks vengeance for an offense.

“It’s odd…no matter what you do, you won’t succeed in making me believe that I’m a tyrant!” 

After he frees Ariel, Prospero argues with Caliban, eventually offering Caliban a truce. Caliban rejects Prospero’s offer of peace, and instead, he demands his freedom. Prospero appears to have a crisis of conscience at this moment, just as Ariel hoped he would; Caliban’s single-minded focus is his freedom, not Prospero’s self-awareness. That Prospero mentions the possibility that he is a tyrant reveals that Prospero himself is more aware of his immorality than he is comfortable admitting.