Religious Conversion and Colonization in The Tempest

As Professor Little and other bloggers have stated, one of the key themes in The Tempest is colonization. In correlation with colonization, religious conversion seems to be another key theme. Shakespeare uses the two bumbling idiots of the play, Trinculo and Stefano, to demonstrate the futility of trying to convert other cultures to a specific religion.

In the play, Caliban is associated as one having others come in to his land and impede and his lifestyle. Stefano and Trinculo both force their ideals upon Caliban, symbolized by their alcohol. In Act 2, scene 2, the two colonizers get Caliban drunk:
"Come on your ways. Open your mouth. Here is that
which will give language to you, cat. Open your mouth. This
will shake your shaking, I can tell you, and that soundly. You
cannot tell who's your friend. Open your chaps again."
While there are other similar passages, this is the first instance in which the seemingly reluctant Caliban has alcohol forced upon him by Stefano and Trinculo. Shakespeare uses these two characters to portray how inept colonizing countries, England included, are in terms of colonizing. The colonies end up despising the colonizers, in part because their culture is destroyed.

Andrew Karcher
TA: Ian Hoch
Section 1E