11.2.3
Race & Pronouns - Quotes
Test your knowledge with free interactive questions on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.
Quotations About Race
Caliban is treated as subhuman by the other characters because he is a different race to them.
Treatment of Caliban
- 'Here you sty me' in Act 1, Scene 2.
- 'Sty' is used as if it were a verb. This implies that he was treated like an animal kept in a pigpen.
- Referred to with the pronoun 'it'.
- This dehumanises and degrades him.
- 'Tis a villain, sir'.
- This is especially degrading coming from a woman (Miranda).
Views of the island
- Caliban embraces the island. He says: '…the isle is full of noises, / Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight, and hurt not.'
- The island unnerves characters from Europe - Stephano and Trinculo see Caliban as a 'devil' and 'monster'.
Pronoun Usage in Jacobean England
Pronouns were used carefully to signify power and control in social interactions.
Pronouns in love
- Miranda and Ferdinand show their mutual respect by addressing each other as 'you'.
- Miranda asks Ferdinand: Do you love me?'
- Ferdinand’s response: '…I / Beyond all limit of what else i’ th’ world, / Do love, prize, honour you'. His response neutralises the power balance because he places himself below Miranda - to 'honour' and 'prize' her.
Addressing inferiors
- 'Thou' = often used by superiors when speaking to their inferiors.
- Gonzalo speaks down to the Boatswain: 'yet remember whom thou has aboard'.
Pronoun snobbery
- Antonio and Sebastian mock Gonzalo when he tries to comfort the King.
- Antonio says: 'Fie, what a spendthrift is he of his tongue.'
1Key Words
2Context & Overview
2.1Context & Overview
3Act 1
3.1Act 1 Analysis
4Act 2
4.1Act 2 Analysis
5Act 3
5.1Act 3 Analysis
6Act 4
6.1Act 4 Analysis
7Act 5
7.1Act 5 Analysis
8Key Characters
8.1Major Characters
8.2Minor Characters
9Themes
10Authorial Method
10.1Authorial Method
11Recap: Main Quotes
11.1Characters Quotes
Jump to other topics
1Key Words
2Context & Overview
2.1Context & Overview
3Act 1
3.1Act 1 Analysis
4Act 2
4.1Act 2 Analysis
5Act 3
5.1Act 3 Analysis
6Act 4
6.1Act 4 Analysis
7Act 5
7.1Act 5 Analysis
8Key Characters
8.1Major Characters
8.2Minor Characters
9Themes
10Authorial Method
10.1Authorial Method
11Recap: Main Quotes
11.1Characters Quotes
Practice questions on Race & Pronouns - Quotes
Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.
- 1What pronoun is used to refer to Caliban?Multiple choice
- 2
- 3Quotation from Ferdinand Put in order
Unlock your full potential with Seneca Premium
Unlimited access to 10,000+ open-ended exam questions
Mini-mock exams based on your study history
Unlock 800+ premium courses & e-books