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| | CliffsNotes::The Tempest:Book Summary and Study Guide |
 | | Caliban serves to illustrate ideas about the social hierarchy of the Renaissance world, which formulated a socially rigid—and very political—hierarchy of God, king, man, woman, beast. |
 | | Although he has far fewer lines than several other characters, Caliban, at only 100 lines, is often the focus of student interest, as well as that of many critics, often with an importance far greater than his actual presence in the play. |
 | | Whether Caliban is a monster, whether he is a victim of colonialism, or whether he represents some other disadvantaged element of society depends almost entirely on the social and cultural constructs and interests of the reader or audience. |
| www.cliffsnotes.com /WileyCDA/LitNote/id-130,pageNum-52.html (565 words) |
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