Conspiracy Hatched by Caliban in The Tempest
Question : Give the details of the conspiracy hatched by Caliban against Prospero ?
Answer: The scene 2 of Act 3 of “The Tempest” throws light on Caliban’s character which has deceitful quality of revenge.
Caliban feels that he has been wronged by Prospero. Caliban openly gives vent to his feelings about his master Prospero before his newly found “God” Stephano.
Caliban is grieved because Prospero, the powerful magician, has usurped his island by his magical power. He tells Stephano that once he was the ruler of this island. Prospero came and deprived him of his ownership and himself became the monarch here by his magical power. He adds that Prospero has many supernatural spirits which work for him.
Caliban tells Trinculo and Stephano that he is “subject to a tyrant, – a sorcerer, that by his cunning hath cheated me of this island.”
Caliban reaches out to Stephano and Trinculo, because he thinks that Stephano and Trinculo are capable of murdering Prosero. Caliban’s mind is influenced by alcohol, the other two might well have appeared powerful to a drunkard. Caliban plans to take him revenge by murdering Prospero with the help of Stephano and Trinculo.
So Caliban provoked Stephano to kill Prospero and become the king of this island. He hatches a conspiracy with Stephano and Trinculo to murder Prospero. Caliban offers to serve Stephano faithfully and devotedly, in case he kills Prospero .
Caliban discloses to them that Prospero is in the habit of getting a nap in the afternoon. Hence that is the right time for him to knock out Prospero’s brain and kill him.
Caliban suggests Stephano that before killing Prospero he should take possession of Prospero’ s books of magic because without his books he is totally weak and helpless. It is with the help of books of magic that he wields a great power over the invisible spirits on the island.
In order to tempt Stephano to put into action his plan, Caliban refers to the beauty of Prospero’ s daughter Miranda. After killing Propero, Stephano can win Miranda as his wife. The description of Miranda’s beauty makes Stephano declare that he will certainly kill Prospero.
In his drunken bravado, Stephano declares himself the king and Prospero’s daughter as his queen. He proudly says that he would then appoint Caliban and Trinculo as his deputeis.
Caliban who is quite eager to kill Prospero reminds him that in the course of half an hour, Prospero will fall asleep. He asks him pointedly if he will put an end to his life then. Stephano swears that he will certainly do it.