Undermining the Otherness of Other: Caliban and Aaron
Linda Lonseth
Undermining the Otherness of Other: Caliban and Aaron
Much of the representation of the ‘Other’ in The Tempest and Titus Andronicus aligns with the Early Modern dictum that women be chaste, silent and obedient (Hull 31, 173, 195). In the interests of maintaining the social order, those that exhibited basic differences in skin colour, nationality or cultural values would likely have been expected to remain in a subordinate position within the hierarchy by adhering to the same rule that governed women – sexually restrained, silent in terms of dissent or independent thought, and obedient to their place in the hierarchy. This paper will discuss Caliban and Aaron in The Tempest and Titus Andronicus, looking at the ways in which they are clearly marked as ‘Other’ by their violation of this rule in addition to their basic differences. It will also include a demonstration of the way Shakespeare undermines this demarcation by creating similarities between the ‘Other’ and the dominant culture, and will show the means by which Julie Taymor further erodes this distinction in her film Titus. On the island in The Tempest, Prospero has recreated a patriarchal social hierarchy similar to the one he left behind in Milan. Despite the fact that he is a relative newcomer to the island, he has asserted his ‘right’ to be ruler, as he was in Milan before he was usurped by his brother Antonio (1.2.66-132). Apart from Prospero and his submissive daughter Miranda, Caliban is the only other human on the island - clearly human (Vaughan 10-15) - though Prospero regards him as slightly less, calling him “demi-devil” (5.1.275) and “the beast Caliban” (4.1.140). Whether Caliban is dark-skinned or not is not clear, though it is possible, given that he is the product of an unholy alliance between an Algerian-born woman (1.2.261-262) and “the devil himself” (1.2.321-322) (Tokson 54). In any case, he looks different enough that Trinculo says, “In England[…]
Undermining the Otherness of Other: Caliban and Aaron
Much of the representation of the ‘Other’ in The Tempest and Titus Andronicus aligns with the Early Modern dictum that women be chaste, silent and obedient (Hull 31, 173, 195). In the interests of maintaining the social order, those that exhibited basic differences in skin colour, nationality or cultural values would likely have been expected to remain in a subordinate position within the hierarchy by adhering to the same rule that governed women – sexually restrained, silent in terms of dissent or independent thought, and obedient to their place in the hierarchy. This paper will discuss Caliban and Aaron in The Tempest and Titus Andronicus, looking at the ways in which they are clearly marked as ‘Other’ by their violation of this rule in addition to their basic differences. It will also include a demonstration of the way Shakespeare undermines this demarcation by creating similarities between the ‘Other’ and the dominant culture, and will show the means by which Julie Taymor further erodes this distinction in her film Titus. On the island in The Tempest, Prospero has recreated a patriarchal social hierarchy similar to the one he left behind in Milan. Despite the fact that he is a relative newcomer to the island, he has asserted his ‘right’ to be ruler, as he was in Milan before he was usurped by his brother Antonio (1.2.66-132). Apart from Prospero and his submissive daughter Miranda, Caliban is the only other human on the island - clearly human (Vaughan 10-15) - though Prospero regards him as slightly less, calling him “demi-devil” (5.1.275) and “the beast Caliban” (4.1.140). Whether Caliban is dark-skinned or not is not clear, though it is possible, given that he is the product of an unholy alliance between an Algerian-born woman (1.2.261-262) and “the devil himself” (1.2.321-322) (Tokson 54). In any case, he looks different enough that Trinculo says, “In England[…]
Cited: Library, 1982. Sharp, Sister Corona. “Caliban: The Primitive Man’s Evolution.” Shakespeare Studies 14 (1981): 267-283. Tokson, Elliot H. The Popular Image of the Black Man in English Drama, 1550-1688