The theme of the natural world versus “civilization” is prevalent throughout William Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Nature, as expressed through Caliban and Ariel, is portrayed as an essentially decent and just force, despite the fact that a moral compass does not guide it. Caliban, in fact, essentially represents transcendentalist ideals, both through his unity with nature and his rejection of language. The introduction of “civilization” to this balance, however, is disastrous. Mankind is depicted as a deleterious force, exploiting the natural world for its own benefit and corrupting it in the process by attempting to destroy Caliban’s bond with his surroundings. The relationship between civilization and nature is one-sided, humans being the sole beneficiaries. Ultimately, Shakespeare makes clear his transcendentalist leanings, preferring the natural world to any product of “civilization.”
The monster Caliban serves as a metaphor for the natural world, exemplifying both its strengths and shortcomings. Nature is gentle and unprejudiced, qualities that come out in Caliban’s initial kindness to Prospero and Miranda. Caliban recalls, “…I loved thee, and showed thee all the qualities o’ th’ isle, the fresh springs, brine pits, barren place and fertile” (Act I, Scene 2, lines 402-405). Prospero later uses Caliban’s natural innocence and unfamiliarity with civilization against him.
The conflict between the priorities of the natural world and civilization brings out the poorer characteristics of nature, (poorer, that is, in the eyes of humans.) Caliban’s actions are guided by an innate pragmatism and emphasis on necessity, whereas mankind is led more by, at least theoretically, moral concerns. This is never more evident than when Caliban attempts to “rape” Miranda. Prospero accuses, “…Thou didst seek to violate the honor of my child,” to which Caliban retorts, “O ho, O ho! Would ‘t have been done! Thou didst prevent me. I had peopled else this isle with Calibans (Act I, Scene 2, lines 419-421). To Caliban, the propagation of his race seems the only natural. However, Prospero and Miranda perceive this attempted “rape” as a brutish, savage and immoral, and use the event to support their beliefs of superiority and justify the exploitation of Caliban.
Using the pretext of Caliban’s attempted rape, Prospero enslaves the monster and puts him to work gathering firewood. He orders Caliban to, “Fetch us in fuel; and be quick, thou ‘rt best, to answer in other business. Shrugg’st thou, malice? If thou neglect’st or dost unwillingly what I command, I’ll rack thee with old cramps, fill all thy bones with aches, make thee roar that beasts may tremble at thy din” (Act I, Scene 2, lines 441-446). Prospero exploits Caliban for his own benefit, while giving his new slave little in return.
Ariel is another symbol of Prospero’s exploitation of the natural world. The magician uses the fairy to exact revenge on his political rivals. Ariel, among other things, creates the tempest, escalates tensions between Caliban, Trinculo and Stephano and takes the form of a Harpy to accuse Alonso, Antonio and Sebastian of usurping Prospero’s dukedom. When Ariel notes that he has devotedly served his master, yet still not received his promised freedom, Prospero responds by pulling a guilt trip, issuing threats, (just as he does with Caliban,) and making more guarantees.

Ariel: I prithee, remember I have done thee worthy service, told thee no lies, made no mistakings, served without or grudge or grumblings. Thou did promise to bate me a full year.
Prospero: Dost thou forget the torments that I did free thee?…. If thou more murmur’st, I will rend an oak and peg thee in his knotty entrails till thou hast howled away twelve winters….After two days I will discharge thee (Act I, Scene 2, lines 287-356).

In this way, Prospero exploited the natural world through Caliban and Ariel.
In addition to exploiting the natural world, mankind tries to pervert nature in The Tempest. Caliban demonstrates his ties with the natural world, telling Trinculo and Stephano:
“Be not afeard. The isle is full of noises, sounds and sweet airs that give delight and hurt not. Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments will hum about mine ears, and sometimes voices that, if I then had waked after long sleep, will make me sleep again; and then, in dreaming, the clouds methought would open, and show riches ready to drop upon me, that when I waked I cried to dream again” (Act 3, Scene 2, lines 148-156).

Caliban is, in fact, a transcendentalist. He is one with nature, no different from the trees or rocks or animals that make up the island. However, the new arrivals, ignorant of this unity with nature, attempt to severe Caliban’s bond with the natural world, albeit unsuccessfully. This is seen most powerfully through the efforts of Miranda to teach the monster the English language. Caliban declines her endeavor, pointing out that, “You taught me language, and my profit on ‘t is I know how to curse. The red plague rid you for learning me your language” (Act I, Scene 2, lines 437-439). Indeed, language serves only, as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry Thoreau write, to cloud one’s harmony with the natural world, and as such, Caliban rejects it.
Another example of civilization’s attempt to corrupt the natural world, as well as mankind’s duplicity, comes towards the end of the play, when Caliban, Stephano and Trinculo are plotting to overthrow Prospero and take control of the island. Prospero hypocritically denounces Caliban’s insurrection, while simultaneously attempting to avenge the loss of his own dukedom at the hands of Alonso, saying, “…That foul conspiracy of the beast Caliban and his confederates against my life” (Act IV, Scene 1, lines 155-157).
Just as the magician’s political power was usurped, so too does Caliban feel his island was illegitimately taken from him, noting bitterly, “This island’s mine by Sycorax, my mother, which thou tak’st from me” (Act 1, Scene 2, lines 396-397). By plotting against the magician, he hopes to regain control of the isle and restore the natural harmony that reigned before the arrival of Europeans. Prospero’s reaction to this attempted coup epitomizes mankind’s hypocrisy in The Tempest.
Additionally, the monster’s devious and underhanded actions are a direct consequence of Prospero’s attempts to force European culture on Caliban, most notably language. He says angrily, “A devil, born devil, on whose nature nurture can never stick” (Act IV, Scene I, lines 211-212). To Prospero, the monster’s innate primitiveness prevent nurture from “sticking.” In actuality, it is not Caliban’s primitiveness that hinders nurture from “sticking,” but rather the reason why the monster is reluctant to accept civilization. To Caliban, his greatest treasure, as his speech to Trinculo and Stephano shows, is his unity with nature. Efforts to stifle this harmony lead Caliban to mount an insurrection. The high-handed attitude of the “civilized” towards the “barbaric,” that European culture is universally superior to natural ideals, is an important point in the nature versus nurture theme.

Ultimately, Shakespeare’s The Tempest is criticizing so-called “civilization” for the way it is imposed on the nature. In the play, the introduction of European culture into the natural world brings prosperity to mankind, but little or no advantage to characters like Caliban and Ariel. Additionally, “civilization” attempts to corrupt the natural world, bestowing on it aspects of Western culture that are in direct conflict with nature’s transcendentalist beliefs, most distinctly language. Overall, The Tempest is markedly opposed to the idea that nature must be made “civilized,” arguing that a wild, natural world is superior to a culturally advanced one.


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