1) Caliban is initially presented kindly by Prospero, but after attempting to assault Miranda, is made Prospero's slave and seen as a monster. 2) Prospero describes Caliban's mother Sycorax as a "foul witch" and "blue-eyed hag", casting her in a negative light, though we only have Prospero's perspective. 3) Caliban's interactions and statements can be interpreted differently based on how the actors portray his emotions - whether regretful or unrepentant - leaving Caliban's character more ambiguous.

1. How does Shakespeare present Caliban in the tempest?
By Emily Bulpitt
In the play "The Tempest" Caliban is seen as Prospero's slave.
When Prospero and Miranda arrive on the island, Caliban was
kind and friendly "and then I loved thee" but in an attempt to
attack Miranda, he is now Prospero's slave and treated as a
monster.
At the beginning of the extract, Prospero and Ariel are talking
about Caliban's mother, Sycorax. Shakespeare presents Sycorax
as a "foul witch" which gives the impression that Sycorax isn't a
very nice character. Shakespeare also describes Sycorax as a
"blue eyed hag." We don't know if we can trust what Prospero
says as true as we haven't met Sycorax.
Shakespeare also describes Sycorax to have "unmitigable rage."
This shows that Sycorax is unhappy and so gets angry easily. He
also says "her earthly and abhorr'd commands" which shows she
wanted Ariel to do horrible things and when she refused, Sycorax
locked Ariel in a tree for 12 years.
Next Prospero and Mirranda talk about Caliban. Prospero calls
Caliban "a freckled whelp hag born, not honoured with human
shape." This shows that Prospero looks very lowly on Caliban
and he has never seen anything like him before. when Mirada
talks to her father, she says "'tis a villain,sir, I do not love to look
on." There are different ways to view how Miranda can say this. If
when she says it, she acts innocent and in harms way when she
is near Caliban, we decide that we are happy that Caliban is
Prospero's slave. However if when she says that phrase, she
acts snobbish and arrogant, our opinion could change of Caliban.
This also happens when Caliban, Prospero and Miranda are
talking. Caliban says "o ho,o ho! Thou didst prevent me;I had
peopled this isle with Calibans." if he says it unrepentantly and
frustrated then that would make us on Prospero's side. But if he
says it regretfully and as though he was lonely, our opinion could
change. We could also see this in the second extract taken from
later on in the play.
The extract is about Caliban talking to Stephano about what he
wants to do with Prospero. It starts with him saying "I am a
subject to a tyrant, a sorcerer, that by his cunning hath cheated
me go the island." When he says this, we are sympathetic for
him. As we work our way though the extract, we begin to feel less
sympathetic and more against Caliban. He uses the phrase "thou
mayst knock a nail into his bead." Also he says "with a log batter
his skull, or paunch him with a stake, or cut his wezand with thy
knife." When he says this, he is describing to Stephano ways to
get rid of Prospero. He uses all the type of weapons that poor
ordinary people would have instead of swords. This shows that
he is a slave and that he relies on nature. At the end of the

2. extract Caliban says "aye lord she will become thy bed" which
means that they treat Miranda as a trophy because Stephano is a
fat drunkard man and Miranda wouldn't choose him as a husband
but Caliban's saying as a reward "she will become thy bed."
When Prospero and Miranda first arrived on the island, Prospero made
a fuss of Caliban and treated him well. "When thou camest first, thou
strokedst me and madest much of me" this is implying that Prospero
treated Caliban with respect and kindness. To return the favour, Caliban
"showed thee all the qualities o' the isle" Miranda had also taught
Caliban how to speak, "you taught me your language." This contradicts
what is later said in the play as Miranda quotes "tis a villain sir, I do not
love to look on."
The way that I would make the actors act is different to the way other
directors would make their actors act. I would make Caliban act as
though he was innocent and make Prospero an evil wizard and Miranda
a snobby princess. I would make them act this way because I think that
Prospero is the bad character because Prospero returns the favour
from Caliban showing him the island, then making Caliban into his
slave. "For I am all the subjects that you have" I think is important to
make different ways to act the characters. So in conclusion
Shakespeare presents Caliban as a monster. He was a native and
Prospero and Miranda had never seen anything like it before. He was
treated as a monster and a slave. This play is all about racism in the
16th century.