The Tempest: Immigration and Otherness Ayra Arshad College

William Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest, depicts characters of different beliefs and values. Apart from their mental differences, some are also set apart by certain physical features that cohere with the plot and extract different themes. One such theme, that can be found in The Tempest, is migration. Simply put, migration is the act of moving from one place to another. The concept of migration goes on to subcategorize different types of migratory movements, some of which can be seen in Shakespeare’s play. However, The Tempest goes beyond merely showing readers several forms of migration by also portraying the effects people have with migratory movements. It depicts just how migration effected the characters and how different characters responded to migration. For instance, Caliban is one character whose behavior is effected by migration in that it made him more hostile and spiteful.

Caliban is a character who, although has not migrated himself, has been faced with immigrants and the effects of migration. Caliban lived on the island before Prospero had involuntarily migrated to it. In Caliban’s eyes, the island is his birthright and he is its rightful owner therefore Prospero, a mere refugees’ reign over him and the island...