The Tempest In Defense Of The Indians — страница 2

  • Просмотров 208
  • Скачиваний 5
  • Размер файла 15
    Кб

child-natives are capable of “growing up.” He maintains that “they are quite ready and willing to receive and embrace the word of God” (p. 26). With this, he shows his confidence that the Indians have the potential to equal the Europeans. Montaigne has a very different opinion of the natives. He shares the Shakespeare?s belief that language and culture are synonymous, but he differs in that he lauds the Indian tongue. Montaigne even goes so far as to compare Indian language with the most “civilized” language when he describes it as “a soft language, with an agreeable sound, somewhat like Greek in its endings” (Of Cannibals, p. 64). Montaigne also makes a point of describing the poetry and song of the Indians. The ability to create beautiful poetry certainly

connotes civilization. Montaigne comments that “not only is there nothing barbarous in this fancy, but it is altogether Anacreontic” (Of Cannibals, p.64). Though the primary focus of Montaigne?s essays and In Defense of the Indians is to vouch for the humanity of the Indians, the works also share a second purpose. As chronicles of European action in the New World they proof that Shakespeare was not unique in his belief of the inequality between European and native. Like Prospero and his peers, the Europeans in Montaigne and de Las Casas never consider the fact that the natives have the right to self-determination. The Europeans take over the land, imposing a new religion, a new language, and a new status on the natives. It is not even as if the Europeans choose to ignore

indigenous society; they do not entertain the possibility that a society can exist. Much like Prospero?s treatment of Caliban, Montaigne and de Las Casas? Europeans believe that the Indians are no more intelligent than animals, and just about as capable of organizing a society. This perceived inferiority justifies the natives? enslavement. Shakespeare, Montaigne, and de Las Casas all describe the usurpation of land from the Indians. De Las Casas discourages taking land with force, claiming that it is wrong to wage “war against men who are harmless?unarmed, and destitute of every human defense” (p. 26). Montaigne writes disapprovingly, “He who had awarded their country to him must be a man fond of dissention, to go and give another person something that was not his and thus

set him at strife with its ancient possessors.” (Of Coaches, p.67) With this, Montaigne describes how the Europeans ignore the fact that the natives have any rights to property. Again, the Europeans ignore the humanity of the Indians. Like the colonialists of de Las Casas and Montaigne?s essays, Shakespeare?s Europeans overlook Indian humanity when they seize the native land. Though Caliban defends his rights when he says, “this island?s mine by Sycorax my mother which thou tak?st from me” (p. 19) all Prospero hears are the words of an ugly, ignorant savage. Prospero pays no more heed to Caliban?s complaint than he would the lowing of a cow. To Prospero, both are animals meant for service. In spite of their similarity, Shakespeare, de Las Casas, and Montaigne portray

natives and colonialism in very different manners. De Las Casas insists that it is wrong to attack a childlike culture. Montaigne maintains that the natives are already a highly civilized people. In Shakespeare, the European actions that de Las Casas and Montaigne despise come to life. For Prospero, the native culture that Montaigne deems “evolved” and de Las Casas calls “gentle” is simply different and inferior. Montaigne says, “each man calls barbarism whatever is not his own practice” (Of Cannibals, p.58). Without understanding Montaigne?s true meaning, Prospero would wholeheartedly agree. Caliban certainly does not partake in the “practice” of Prospero. Like the natives in de Las Casas and Montaigne?s New World, Caliban has a different appearance and language.

However, where Montaigne and de Las Casas are proponents of respecting differences, Shakespeare?s Europeans use those differences to defend robbery and subjugation.