“Be not afeard. The isle is full of noises, / Sounds, and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not. / Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments / Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices / That, if I then had waked after long sleep / Will make me sleep again; and then in dreaming / The clouds methought would open and show riches / Ready to drop upon me, that when I waked / I cried to dream again” (3.2.130-138).
My creation most closely resembles a mobile, with musical instruments and notes hanging below a cloud. I chose a cloud as one of the central elements of my design because Caliban mentions that the “clouds…would open and show riches.” Moreover, this passage emphasizes a sort of liminal space between awake and asleep. Clouds are a common way to portray a dream-like, heavenly state, such as the one Caliban describes. Musical instruments and notes hang from the cloud, referencing the “noises,” “sounds,” and “twangling instruments” that one hears on the island.
Below the cloud and musical symbols are ears and eyes belonging to Caliban. Creating this somewhat simplistic depiction of Caliban’s existence gave me a new perspective on his character. Caliban’s language is arguably one of the most fascinating elements of The Tempest. Learning European language revolutionized Caliban’s native life and culture, altering him forever. Caliban speaks in many distinct forms varying from eloquent poetic verses to prose to chants to curses. Our understanding of Caliban comes about through speech and is influenced by the concept of language. In my creation, I have taken away the mouth—Caliban’s ability to speak—and limited him to only two senses, sight and hearing. Caliban has lost a significant part of him—the part that was transformed by Prospero. He is stuck in silence, without the ability to use his words to enhance the world. However, consequently, he has gained a new appreciation for his other senses, most likely strengthening his capacity for sight and hearing. He comprehends life in a new way as an extremely conscientious observer. He listens carefully to the sounds of the island, unable to respond, but yearning to understand more. Additionally, Caliban regains his native state, before Prospero taught him language. His dream-like conditions bring him back to a previous time, when it was just him and the sounds.
The mobile is mostly composed of the colors white and silver, causing it to promote a bright, pleasant vibe. Caliban loses his rugged, beastly qualities and emerges in a lighter, happier manner. He seems tranquil in his dream, forgetting about the negative and enjoying the positive. He has one eye open and one eye closed, representing the blurred line between awake and asleep. The music brings about a dream, yet he may still be awake. He exists in a liminal space of the dreams and reality of sound.