Exploring the treatment of Caliban in Shakespeare's 'The Tempest'
I can describe how different characters treat Caliban.
Exploring the treatment of Caliban in Shakespeare's 'The Tempest'
I can describe how different characters treat Caliban.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Trinculo and Stephano’s first impressions of Caliban suggest that they see him as unnatural and inhuman.
- Trinculo’s repeated use of ‘monster’ to describe Caliban suggests that he sees him as an abomination.
- Stephano’s use of imperative language implies he sees himself as superior to Caliban.
- Caliban’s language may show that he sees himself as inferior and is desperate to prove his worth.
Keywords
Perfidious - If someone is perfidious then they are untrustworthy and deceitful.
Abominable - Something abominable is something very bad or unpleasant.
Superior - To be superior means to be higher in rank, status or quality.
Inferior - To be inferior means to be lower in rank, status or quality.
Imperative - Imperative language means commanding language.
Common misconception
That calling someone a 'monster' means that you find them terrifying.
While calling someone a 'monster' can mean you find them terrifying, it can also be a way of ridiculing someone and showing your dislike.
To help you plan your year 7 english lesson on: Exploring the treatment of Caliban in Shakespeare's 'The Tempest', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 7 english lesson on: Exploring the treatment of Caliban in Shakespeare's 'The Tempest', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 english lessons from the 'The Tempest' unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
You may want a copy of Shakespeare's 'The Tempest' for this lesson.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of peer pressure or bullying
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended