Andrew's Wiki
Caliban Setebos

Caliban upon Setebos, or, Natural Theology in the Island

Content

• Natural Theology: this is a kind of theology you arrive at by yourself, by your own thinking, and is therefore actually just contemplation upon man, upon yourself. So Caliban upon Setebos is actually upon Caliban himself.
  • For Browning, this is very limited and won’t really show any God except the arbitrary jealous God whose best face is “peace” rather than Browning’s God, which is the God of Love.
  • The epigraph shows us that Browning isn’t on Caliban’s side: “Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thyself.” from Psalms
• His God is one of spite, jealousy, selfishness, only loves what helps him or makes him happy, plays favorites, has no real rhyme or reason. God does as He likes only.

Form

• Various length verses of blank verse
• Awesome descriptions and imagery of Caribbean