The Sublime Savage: Caliban on Setebos Essay -- Caliban on Setebos Ess

The Sublime Savage Caliban on Setebos       Caliban my slave, who never / Yields us kind answer.  (The Tempest, I.ii.310-1)    Caliban on Setebos was one of Robert Brownings more(prenominal) popular verse forms among the Victorians, for its presumed mockery of orthodox Calvinism, Puritanism, and similarly grim Christian sects. And Browning as Shakespeares roughshod does indeed seem to hurl a few barbs in that direction, scarce the poets exercise seems to be as much one in election theology. Calibans bog-bound conjectures, in their significant departures from standard sacred doctrine, serve as some(prenominal) an interesting repudiation of Archdeacon Paleys attempts to rationalize God, and as an entertaining science-fiction tale, if you will, of religious sight under alternate circumstances.   Caliban is, of course, the salvage and deformed slave of Shakespeares dramatis per discussionae in The Tempest, son of the deceased witch S ycorax, servant of the mage Prospero, consort of and bootlicker for Stephano and Trinculo, failed plotters and drunken buffoons. As disproportiond in his manners / As in his shape (V.i.290-1), he has well-tried to ravish Prosperos daughter Miranda before being exiled to his cave, and in the course of the nobble attempts to overthrow Prospero himself and install Stephano on the throne of the island. At last, though, Duke Prospero comes to pardon change surface Caliban -- This thing of darkness I / acknowledge mine (V.i.275-6), and his drudge promises to be wise hereafter, / and seek for grace (V.i.294-5) or favor with his master.   Browning sure enough did his research in crafting the poem near the end of the work, Caliban cowers under Setebos antedate that has told... ... in a way, / Taketh his mirth with make-believes (ll. 168-9). Calibans easy acceptance of a capricious, practically cruel deity, and his willingness to abase himself in penance for irrational divine ange r, serves as a satiric reproof to both Paley and the Calvinists, and eloquent support for Brownings more palatable God of love. Shakespeares Prospero claims that, without his help and education, Caliban didst not, savage, / Know thine own meaning, but wouldst claver like / A thing most brutish (I.ii.357-9). Some of Brownings detractors considered Caliban on Setebos still to be brutish, for its harsh language and unpleasant philosophy. Yet the poem is successful in its aim it is an effective purgative to complacent religious theory, and an entertaining glimpse into a putative religion based on quite different tenets from Victorian Christianity.