Colonialism
Colonialism was the clear intent of all major powers in Europe in the Renaissance: Spain, Portugal, France and England were all travelling about the globe in search of booty and wealth in the form of rich pastures and places to deposit their civilisations. They raced across the globe to conquer and colonise and as a result England gained great masses of land throughout the Americas in the 1600s – what was to become the USA was the jewel in the colonial ‘crown' of England. Italy was also in on the action, sending ships through the Caribbean islands to South America. It was the actions of these two countries which inspired Shakespeare when writing The Tempest and throughout many colonialist attitudes are strongly displayed.
Particular attention must be paid to the relationships between the indigenous inhabitants of the island and those who have come from the outside; first Prospero and Miranda and then the shipwrecked group from Naples.
In modern times, many playwrights have re-written the The Tempest in an attempt to give the play a postcolonial voice, Aimé Césaire wrote A Tempest in 1969. The play is written for an all-black cast and aims to give the colonised a voice; deliberately commenting on slavery and the truth of colonisation. In modern times, Shakespeare is often seen as the great, white, male playwright whose voice overpowers all others. A similar depiction can be made of colonial countries and also, notably, of the character Prospero. Writers such as Césaire attempt to show a different perception of events and give voice to those who have been drowned out.
Demonising
It was common for colonialist countries to demonise the indigenous peoples who populated the countries to which they laid claim. This went beyond treating them as ‘others' and is shown through the language they used to describe them: savages, barbarians, monsters, and was used as an excuse to massacre and enslave these people.
Prospero, coloniser of the island, demonises Caliban for many reasons; because he fears him, because he could not understand him and because he could not change him. He constantly refers to Caliban as a "monster", as "filth" and as "deformed". In the first scene of Act four he calls him, "A devil, a born devil, on whose nature/Nurture can never stick" (ln. 188). Despite Prospero's lessons, guidance and "nurture", Caliban cannot be changed from his true nature and cannot unlearn his culture. He cannot understand why it would be wrong to rape Miranda, for him it seems only natural, however he is intelligent enough to realise that the idea causes great distress for Prospero and so he deliberately plays upon this. For these differences he is enslaved and treated by both Prospero and Miranda as a lesser creature than themselves.
Fear of miscegenation
Simply put, colonisers feared what would happen if indigenous people were allowed to breed with them and worked to maintain a ‘pure bloodline'. Usually, if people did mix races, they and their children would be outcast and the children labelled half-casts who were often not accepted by either culture. Indigenous people were viewed as lesser people and often used as slaves and so having children with an indigenous person also meant the colonialists lowering below their rank.
Prospero is horrified when Caliban talks of breeding with Miranda, scared not only for the honour of his daughter but disgusted at the thought of contaminating his bloodline with that of what he calls a "vile race" (Act 1, Scene 2). Conversely, when Ferdinand comes along, his duty as royalty to produce heirs would have been known to Prospero; however he encourages the advantageous match between his daughter and the prince.
Appropriation
Often, colonisers would take or copy for themselves pieces of the indigenous people's culture or lifestyle. Art, pottery and decoration of the time from all over Europe shows influences from the many cultures that had been encountered in their patterns, textures and design. When Stephano and Trinculo happen upon Caliban, their first thoughts are to take him back home and make a business of showing him as an attraction. Taking indigenous people back to Europe and displaying them for money was common among those returning from colonised countries.
The colonised: Why aren't they grateful?
This was the eternal question asked by colonisers and is evoked time and again by Prospero. Why, asks Prospero, is Caliban not grateful for the language and ‘civilisation' he has tried to teach him? Why is Ariel not satisfied with being freed from the tree? He cannot understand why they only demand from him liberty and the repossession of their home when, in Prospero's opinion, under his control the island has much improved. Colonisation gave no credit to the unique cultures which came before. The aim of it was to spread the country's influence and holding over as much land as possible, making it just like home.