Abstract
The paper interprets Shakespeare’s play as an apology for imperialism. It examines the work, particularly the figure of Caliban, in three different standpoints to facilitate a postcolonial reading of the text. The first section, “Is Caliban a Human Being?”, explores how the play lends evidence to the wide spread idea in the heyday of European imperialism that Blacks were non-humans. The second part, “Caliban’s Lot: Perpetual Slavery”, reveals how Shakespeare’s play contributes to the spread of the racist idea that the white race was the race of masters. The third stage, Caliban, Symbol of The Dispossessed Colonized underscores the paper’s claim that Shakespeare agreed with the idea of colonizing the peoples who did not enjoy the technical advances that Europe had attained in the years of its world imperialism.
Presenters
Ayao NubukpoPostdoctoral Research, Department of Linguas Extrangeras, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
COLONIALISM, IMPERRIALISM, RACISM, SLAVERY
