A Tempest: A Post-Colonial Text.

"Call me X. That would be best. Like a man without a name, or to be more precise, a man whose name has been stolen. You talk about history� well, that's history, and everyone knows it! Every time you call me it reminds me of a basic fact, the fact that you've stolen everything from me, even my identity! Uhuru!"

What is Post-Colonial Literature?

                Post colonial literature is a kind of writing which affected by the moment of colonization. Europe was colonizer in Asia, Africa, Middle East and many other countries. Post-Colonial literature deals with the problems of colonized nation especially the problem happened with act, culture and literature. If we talk about India, India was also very much affected through European colonizer. The post colonial literature also includes post colonial critiques of and about post colonial literature, the undertones of which carry communicate and justify racism and colonialism.

                Colonial writing is very much different from postcolonial literature. Somehow, post colonial literature is also focusing on world literature rather than British literature. Post colonial literature reflects the changing nature of British society, which became multi cultural place. Thus, Post colonial literature put light on literature written after independence and focusing on world literature.

A Tempest:

                

A Tempest is a play by Aime Cesaire written during 1969. It is an adaption of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”. A Tempest is written in the context of post colonial literature. If we look at the small summary of “A Tempest” than we can found that it is very much near to Shakespeare’s “The Tempest. Aime Cesaire doesn’t make any major changes in “A Tempest”. All the characters are majorly portrays as it is, but as we know “A Tempest” is an example of post colonial literature, Aime Cesaire has focused on three main characters, through which he wants to give his message. They are:

Prospero: A White Master

Ariel: A Mulatto

Caliban: A Black Slave

•  Ariel as a Mulatto:

     A mulatto is a kind of a person who has both Negro and European ancestry. The politically correct term for a person of a mixed race today is “biracial”.

                Mulatto also can be known as a person with half black and half white. These people in time of colonialism were dreamed to having white skin as they were the ruler (white men).

                If we see in the context of Ariel as a mulatto, he was also treated as a slave by Prospero. Prospero was a colonizer so he doesn’t care about people who are ill-treated by him. There is a time in the text which shows that how Prospero used to treat Ariel.

Ariel: Master, I must beg you to spare this kind of labour.

          Prospero: Listen, and listen well! There’s a talk to be                     performed and I don’t care how it gets done!

Ariel: You have promised me my freedom a thousand times and I           am still waiting.

                As Ariel was mulatto, he has desire to become a white but it is unfulfilled desire which never ends. Ariel always wanted to become free but his biological appearance and psychological state never make him free. His desire to become white is always driving him with Prospero. In hope that one day he become free from all this but at the end he doesn’t get anything. There is also one dialogue which shows how colonizer’s and mulatto’s mind works.

Ariel: Sometimes I almost regret it, after all, I might have                      turned into a real tree in the end…

Prospero: Stuff it! I don’t like talking trees. As for your                                 freedom, you’ll have it when I’m good and ready.

               

                This dialogue shows how colonizers mind works. As colonizer was in the power position, slave always stays mute. Their unfulfilled desires always stay silent. Ariel was obeying all the orders of Prospero but still he was unable to find his way or respect or desires. Ariel just has hope that one day he will get his function.

                Ariel, at the end couldn’t able to get his freedom and he was in illusion that he will get freedom.

Caliban as a black slave:

                Caliban was also working as a slave under colonizer Prospero. He was portrayed as a black slave in Aime Cesaire’s “A Tempest”. Caliban was the slave who was totally black. The biological structure of caliban was weird. The native of Caliban was most probably Africa and India.

                Caliban in “A Tempest” was portrayed as a black slave but as it falls under post colonial literature, Aime Cesaire had done some changes in the very beginning of the play. Caliban used his native language, which was forbidden to Prospero.

Caliban: Uhuru!
Prospero: What did you say?
Caliban: I said, Uhuru!
Prospero: Mumbling, your native language again! I’ve already                      told you, I don’t like it. You could be polite at least; a                    simple “hello” wouldn’t kill you.

“UHURU”: freedom.

                 -A Swahili word.

                -Swahili= a member of a Banta people of Zanzibar and the neighbouring coast of Africa.

                Caliban was many times raising his voice against Prospero, which shows that how Caliban fight against colonizer. It was not physical but it was verbal. He many times used his ideas to make Prospero realize that he had strength to fight against colonialism. In one conversation,

 Prospero: What would you be without me?

Caliban: Without you? I’d be the king, that’s what I’d be the king                of the Island. Island was given me by my mother,                            Sycorax.

                In this we found that Caliban had desired to be king but it was not fulfilled. Caliban wanted to defeat Prospero but it was next to impossible for him but still he didn't lose his hope.

                In scene 5, when Prospero sends all the lieutenants off the island, at the end Prospero and Caliban only left on island that can be seen as a fight of colonizer and colonized. The conversation of Prospero and Caliban is very much important during whole play.

Prospero: Come here, Caliban. Have you got anything to say in                       your own defence? Take advantage of my good                              humour. I’m in a forgiving mood today.

Caliban: I’m not interested in defending myself. My only regret is                 that, I've failed.

Prospero: What were you hoping for?

Caliban: First of all, I’d get rid of you. I’d spit you out all your                     works and pomp’s, your “white Magic!”

                This conversation was totally about what Caliban actually wants. Caliban was failed that he couldn't get freedom but that shows that he would still fight. He was no more became slave. He revolted against colonialism and that was the raise of post colonialism. There is one another conversation which defined that revolt very clearly.

Caliban: You know very well that I’m not interested in peace. I’m                 interested in being free! Free you hear?

Prospero: It’s odd…. No matter what you do, you won’t succeed                    in making me believe that I’m tyrant.

                Caliban at the end sung a song which stays alive when Caliban and Prospero left the stage but that song was still there.

Caliban: FREEDOM HI-DAY!  FREEDOM HI-DAY!

                “A Tempest” was answer to those questions which were raised during colonialism. It was about mulatto and black slave, which were treated like more than slave and then REVOLT become necessary.

                If Caliban did the same as Ariel than everything became normal and for the life time they became slave and freedom became illusion for them but Caliban had that strength that can fight against colonizer and his song was proof of that he was not died at all.

                Thus, Aime Cesaire had successfully portrayed all the issues which were needed in post colonial literature.