In Shakespeare's play, The Tempest, the character Caliban is a native of an island that is now controlled by the sorcerer Prospe
ro. He acts as Prospero's servant. In this excerpt, Caliban confronts Prospero. CALIBAN. . . When thou camest first, Thou strokedst me and madest much of me, wouldst give meWater with berries in't, and teach me howTo name the bigger light, and how the less, That burn by day and night: and then I loved theeAnd show'd thee all the qualities o' the isle, The fresh springs, brine-pits, barren place and fertile: Cursed be I that did so! All the charmsOf Sycorax, toads, beetles, bats, light on you!
What can be inferred about the character of Caliban based on his description of "the fresh springs, brine-pits, barren place and fertile"?
A.He feels superior to his audience.
B.He is a stranger in this place.
C.He is knowledgeable about nature.
D.He is formally educated.
Caliban is the antagonist of the sage Prospero. He is described as a rude, wicked and ignorant savage who rebels against his master. Shakespeare's Caliban is not one-dimensional nor simple. It has a natural and wild power and its own right.
The excerpt exposed in the question shows a part of the confrontation between Prospero and Caliban is the most dramatic of all oppositions of the play. In this excerpt, when Caliban speaks "the fresh springs, brine-pits, barren place and fertile" shows that he is knowledgeable about nature.
