"The Tempest" vs. "Of Cannibals"

Paper Summary:

This paper compares William Shakespeare's play, "The Tempest" and Michal de Montaigne's essay, "Of Cannibals," in which they explore the barbaric man in his natural environment and the detrimental effects the moral man's artificially civilized society has upon it. The paper shows how Shakespeare's play is a direct criticism of the perspectives of Montaigne in his essay.

From the Paper:

"The contrast between the priorities of the natural world and civilization brings out the weak characteristics of nature. Caliban's actions are guided by his innate practicality to emphasize on necessity, whereas the moral man is theoretically driven more so by moral concerns. This notion is apparent when Caliban attempts to "rape" Miranda. Prospero accuses Caliban when he says: "...Thou didst seek to violate the honor of my child." Caliban rebuts Prospero's accusation by stating: "O ho, O ho! Would't have been done!/ Thou didst prevent me; I had peopled else/ This isle with Calibans. (I.ii. 347-349) Caliban justifies his actions with the imperative need to proliferate his race, which is part of his nature. However, Prospero and Miranda perceive this brutish act as savage and immoral. And in doing so, validate their superiority and exploitation of Caliban."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Greenblatt, Stephen. The Norton Anthology of English Literature: Volume B. Eighth. London: W.W. Norton & Company Ltd., 2006.
• Montaigne, Michel de. "Of Cannibals." From "Selected Essays: The Charles Cotton-W. C. Hazlitt Translation." Revised and edited, with an introduction by Blanchard Bates. New York: Modern Library, 1949. Pp. 74-89.
• Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. First. London: W.W. Norton & Company Ltd., 2004.

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