Abstract

This is a study of Browning's Caliban in terms of liminality and transcendence, taking into account earlier views of Caliban's character as derived from Shakespeare. The first chapter presents a context for considering the poem, provides a brief history of the evolution of the character, and locates the poem historically and thematically within Browning's work. The second chapter focuses on the concept of liminality and its application to Caliban in his situation, treating his monologue as a type of ritual performance. Chapter three concentrates more closely on the language, syntax and peculiar grammatical choices of the poem and what this reveals about the psychology of Caliban and his concept of himself. The fourth chapter centers on the transcendent element in Caliban as we follow his theological argument and imaginative flights, and as we recognize the fundamental angst underlying his search for understanding.