Free Tempest Essays: The Comic Sub-plot :: Shakespeare The Tempest

The Importance of the Comic Sub-plot in The TempestThe comic sub-plot has various uses for the play. It brings lightrelief&ndash without it, it would be a in truth dramatic play, if not boring.As because Prospero controls the whole island we know that nothing can sincerely happen that he doesn&rsquot want to, so the play is lacking tenseness and the comic sub-plot prevents it from being a very boring play.Drunkness is amusing anyway, they fall about and say stupid things whichis entertaining for us, plus this is Calibans first drink and we severalize the feelings he expresses for this&lsquo celestial liquor&rsquoand makes it all the more funny. That Caliban sees these two fools askings also makes it amusing&ndash&lsquo I prithee, be my God&rsquo asTrinculo says&lsquo A some ridiculous monster, to make a wonder of a poordrunkard&rsquo. When he sees what they are later he is disgusted withhimself&ndash&lsquo What a thrice-double ass Was I, to post this drunkardfor a god, And worship this dull fool&rsquoAs well as providing humour, this trust of Caliban&rsquos echoes hisformer trust for Prospero. He hasn&rsquot learned from when Prosperoturned on him, his navety shows through his trust and adoration of thewine. Through the&lsquo aside&rsquo comments of Trinculo and Stephano weknow they are using and teasing him. Its in this situation we feel almost meritless for Caliban, this&lsquo abhorred slave&rsquo, this&lsquodemi-devil&rsquo is still very trusting and doesn&rsquot he have reasonto hate Prospero? He is an animal, with animal instincts and cannot betrained otherwise. Though Prospero is understandably angered that hetried&lsquo to violate the honour&rsquo of Miranda, but he is overlyharsh with him. The sub-plot shows us how Caliban is trusting yet again,and we can see how affectionate he would have been to Prospero when hefirst arrived on the island, and how understandably bitter he would bewhen his master turned on him.This is an echo of the theme of usurpat ion, Prospero usurped from his dukedom, Caliban usurped from his island&ndash Prospero tries to get hisdukedom back and Caliban tries to get his island back at the firstopportunity. It would seem at the end that justice has prevailed,forgiveness over vengeance, good over evil, but really just Prospero hasprevailed, he successfully usurped and successfully got un-usurped.Caliban is shown as the most nave of the three, but he is the cleverest.He knows Prospero&rsquos power is in his books, he knows that the robesStephano and Trinculo are duped by are&lsquo but trash&rsquo and aboveall he speaks some of the most beautiful poetry of the play.