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 triprelief&ndash without it, it would be a very dramatic play, if not boring.As because Prospero controls the whole island we know that nothing canreally happen that he doesn&rsquot fatality to, so the play is lackingtension 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 socialise for us, plus this is Calibans first drink and werecognise 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 most 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 take this drunkardfor a god, And worship this dull fo ol&rsquoAs well as providing humour, this think 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 almostsorry 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 angry that hetried&lsquo to violate the honour&rsquo of Miranda, but he is everywherelyharsh with him. The sub-plot shows us how Caliban is trusting just 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 usurpation, Prosp ero usurped from hisdukedom, 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 ability 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.