Using Act 1 Scene 2 of the Tempest, explore how Shakespeare uses language to characterise the relationship between Prospero and Caliban.

In their initial discussion of the character, Prospero admits to his daughter Miranda – and to an extent, to the audience - that Caliban “serves in offices that profit us” and therefore he and Miranda “cannot miss him”. Despite benefitting from his labour, Prospero proceeds to establish a negative image of Caliban for the audience, referring to him as “poisonous”, “wicked” and “got by the devil himself”. Before Caliban ever physically appears onstage he is noted in the stage directions as speaking from “[within]”, responding to Prospero’s harsh description yet remaining invisible to the audience. It is this, coupled with Prospero’s portrayal, that builds suspense for the watching audience, as they begin to anticipate their first view of this supposed “villain”, as Miranda refers to him.
Prospero commands “come forth”, and Caliban enters, demonstrating the power dynamic between the pair, in which Prospero commands and Caliban complies. However, from Caliban’s initial language it is clear that he does so unwillingly, as he enters the stage and begins cursing Prospero: “a south-west blow on ye and blister you all o’er!” Caliban’s language is punctuated by plosive sounds, as evidenced in the phrase “drop on you both!” This creates a guttural, animalistic, primitive effect, somewhat reinforcing the pre-conceived idea of Caliban as an uncivilised being, as created by Prospero’s language. However, in turn Prospero’s response is rich with sibilance, a repetition of the ‘s’ sound, as shown in the phrase “side-stitches that shall pen…”. Whereas Caliban’s language conveys anger through loud, explosive sounds, Prospero’s conveys the same emotion through the creation of an angry ‘hissing’ sound. This could be seen as representing aspects of their character: Caliban’s loud, primitive anger reflects his uncivilised upbringing, whereas Prospero’s subtler, yet still menacing portrayal of anger shows his rigidly controlled personality and upbringing in the courts of Milan.