A Discussion Comparing The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and The Tempest by Shakespeare - Essay Example

A Discussion Comparing “The Heart of Darkness” and “The Tempest”   “The Tempest” and “The Heart of Darkness” are the most striking adventurer novels to ever be found in literature . The fact that both novels are written by notable American and British authors only increases the desire to read and compare the  books side by side. While British playwright William Shakespeare wrote “The Tempest” as a play, British novelist Joseph Conrad wrote “The Heart of Darkness” as a straightforward novel . A number of similarities in story line and depiction of themes between the two will become quite evident once one reads the stories from beginning to end.   To begin with, the stories of colonialism is an important theme in both stories. Joseph Conrad depicted a meeting of two worlds in “The Heart of Darkness”. He portrayed the advanced European society in a negative light as colonizers while the South Africans were considered primitive and as such, ripe for colonization. Conrad wishes to express through his novel that there are certain races of people who need to be saved from themselves due to their lack of culture. In this case, the South African difference from the White occupiers meant that they were not “civilized”. Their differing cultures and traditions made one race view themselves as better than the other. The depiction of the South Africans as “savages” leaves a clear understanding for the viewer that the new arrivals in the country did not even bother to try and get to know the culture and traditions of the natives before passing judgment upon them. Take for example following quote from the book: “Mistah Kurtz—he dead. Catch ’im,’ he snapped with a bloodshot widening of his eyes and a flash of sharp teeth—‘catch ’im. Give ’im to us.’ ‘To you, eh?’ I asked; ‘what would you do to them?’ ‘Eat ’im!’ he said curtly” (341). Thus showing how the occupiers believed the Africans to be uneducated and cannibals because of the way they spoke and acted. In what they believed to be a good effort at civilizing the Africans, they chose to take over the land using their power and education to overcome the natives. The colonizers were not there to help the South Africans, rather they were there because they are a greedy lot who could easily gain the upper hand over the weak and uneducated South Africans whom they considered to be savages because of their way of life is evident in the following statement from Marlow: "The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much.(4). "   The point of the story is to consider the true meaning behind colonization. It begs the reader to consider if there is every truly a race of humanity that needs saving from itself simply because it is not what one is used to. Colonization is not really an act of saving the people of a land. Instead it is a way of stealing from them. This is a sentiment that becomes clear in part 1 of the novel that states: "She talked about weaning those ignorant millions from their horrid ways, till, upon my word, she made me quite uncomfortable. I ventured to hint that the Company was run for profit. (9)”. These are topics that I found myself thinking about as my reading of the book progresses. The answers to my pondering were actually contained within the book as well. The reading gave me a clear understanding of the theme of colonization in the book as a method of slavery and wide scale theft. I will present more information about this while presenting the comparison of the events and characters in this story with those events and characters as depicted in “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare later on. Readers must keep in mind that at the time that William Shakespeare wrote The Tempest, Britain was on the cusp of becoming the greatest conqueror of countries that the world had ever seen at the time. It was the dawn of British imperialism. As such, The Tempest seemed to be the method by which Shakespeare felt he would be able to argue the case of his country and its quest for colonization. For even then, those colonized were not happy at having to answer to the occupiers as their masters. Their land having been taken away from them and the forced acceptance of the alien traditions and cultures of the British were a bone of contention among the inhabitants and the colonizers of the time. To quote: You taught me language, and my profit on’t Is I know how to curse. The red plague rid you For learning me your language! (I.ii.366–368) In this speech, delivered by Caliban to both Prospero and Miranda, the reader can recognize that there is a pained and cursed relationship existing between the colonized and the colonizer. It is this relationship that Caliban is rejecting because it is one that exists between the colonized and the colonizer that makes it clear that the question of the benefits and drawbacks of colonization are central to the theme of the story. While Caliban is viewed by Prospero as a savage for his inability to act in the ways that the latter percieves as educated, Caliban also views Prospero in the same manner and for the same reasons. This causes the two to have differing points of view about their relationship. While Caliban considers Prospero his oppressor, Prospero believes that he is doing a good deed by changing who Caliban is by educating him. However, actions within the story show that the colonized never asked to be changed, therefore, they seem ungrateful for the help and changes that the colonizers have made to the people and their land. Colonizers are never viewed in a good light. The British even more so since they have a history of enslaving the people from the countries that they colonize. Through plays such as The Tempest, William Shakespeare tries to make it acceptable for his country to “tame” the “wild” countries by making them their submissives. Taking away their identity and culture because the British deem it “beneath” their standards. However, they treatment of the slaves, as depicted in The Tempest, proves that the British have no intention of ever letting the original inhabitants of the land become their equals. In fact, the only reason that they even try to teach the “savages” the English languages is so that it will become easier for them to communicate with one another. It has nothing to do with educating the slaves at all. Teaching them the English language only made it easier for the British to colonize the people. However, the colonized, Caliban for one, has learned that he can gain an advantage out of speaking the tongue of the oppressors in order to fight them on equal ground. As he continues to explain in a drunken stupor: 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 (III.ii.130–138). The mysterious music that Caliban refers to is actually the English language. A language that is like magic and music combined because it allowed him the power to curse his opressors in a language that they understood. This situation proves that Caliban is not a savage but rather a sensitive person who knows the beauty of language and how to use it. Reminding the invaders of the beauty of his island and how its inhabitants are connected to the land through respect and love for the land where they grew up. It becomes obvious that Caliban is trying to explain to Prospero that just because they have colonized the land and turned its people into slaves, that does not mean that they have actually conquered the land for themselves. Nor does the fact that the slaves now have the ability to speak the language of their occupiers mean that they have won the loyalty and affection of the people they have enslaved. That means that regardless of what the colonizers do, they will not win the blind loyalty of the colonized people. That is the discussion which now leads us to look at the connection between The Tempest and Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness. It is at this point that the fact that Joseph Conrad was born Polish and only became a British citizen after the Polish defied Tsarism. Which is the most likely reason why he considered himself an outsider in British society. He never considered himself capable of blind loyalty to the British. It is believed that “The Heart of Darkness” was based upon the personal experience of Conrad during his trip to Belgium. For some reason, he chose to set his story against the Congo River instead. But opening the story on the Thames instead of in Africa. In doing so, Conrad managed to create a sense of continuity in the discussion of imperialism and slavery. As he explains in a quote of the main character Marlow: The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking away from those who have a different complexion or slightly fatter nose than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much. What redeems it is the idea only" (9) Just like William Shakespeares Caliban, Conrad has his main character, Marlow openly admit that imperialism has ugly consequences that claim to be for the betterment of the colonized, that is not always the case. Throughout the novel, the racial side of conrad remains evident as he does not dare to think of the slaves as the equal of the Whites. Nor does he believe that they would be fine if left to their own devices. Rather, Marlow uses the savagery and lack of education of the slaves to explain why they need to become enlightened beings as colonized people. This is the only way that he can think of to defend the imperialism of the British rule. In Marlows mind, colonizing these people actually saved them from themselves because: They were dying slowly—it was very clear. They were not enemies, they were not criminals, they were nothing earthly now—nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation, lying confusedly in the greenish gloom." (26) This was the image that came to Marlows mind when he first came into contact with the “savages” of the land. It is through the treatment of these people that our eyes are finally opened to the fact that colonization is not what we were led to believe it was. Instead, the readers come to discover that imperialism and conquest results in the mistreatment, overworking, and slavery of the true owners of the land. The images of slaves being left to die outdoors, without food, care or medicine is a close enough depiction of the woes of Caliban for his people. There is no humane way to treat the savages. That is one point that Shakespeare and Conrad seem to agree upon. Their reason behind this? Both men viewed the slaves as less-than-human because they lacked education and could not speak the English language. Consider the following quote from “Heart of Darkness”: " They howled and leaped, and spun, and made horrid faces; but what thrilled you was just the thought of their humanity—like yours—the thought of your remote kinship with this wild and passionate uproar. " (59-60) The Africans were so far different from the Whites that these glimpses of the sounds of the “savages”, which no doubt was their vernacular language, makes him wonder if these people could be his equal. Marlow chooses to reassess his beliefs about mankind. He begins to understand that just because these people are colonized slaves, that does not mean that they are any less human than he was. Through the quotes that have been presented in this paper, the comparison of “The Tempest” and “Heart of Darkness” becomes even more interesting and compelling. Of particular interest to me is the fact that both authors, who seem to be both defending and questioning the imperialistic ideas of Britain and its treatment of the slaves. Both men seemingly willing to defend the slaves although stopping short at calling them their equals. Whatever the reason, Shakespeare and Conrad successfully wrote a social analysis of the treatment of the colonized nations and the reasons why slavery was more savage than the actual savagery of the slaves themselves. . Read More