She was banished from her original home in Algiers due to her sorcery, and came to live on the island. We are reminded about her pure evil through interactions between Prospero and Ariel; apparently the witch trapped the spirit in a tree because he would not let her use his powers. Thus, Ariel remained there for many years in agony until Prospero freed him from the torture.
Although she is the only mother figure in the play, she seems to have not done a very good job; her son Caliban is presumably just as wicked. Shakespeare may have placed her there as Prospero's opposite; the two are very powerful, but she is portrayed as an evil women. Since Prospero is made to appear as a protagonist, this comparison could be potentially viewed on commentary of the roles of men and women; men with power are benevolent, while women with power are wicked and intend to do others harm.
It must also be noted that Sycorax and Prospero ruled over the island in the same way (control of spirits and dominion over magical forces.) It's only bad when Sycorax does it, though. And, of course, we're only told of Sycorax's "wickedness" by Prospero. Caliban talks about her strength and her control over wickedness, but only Prospero (who's a ridiculously unreliable narrator) calls her wicked.
ReplyDeleteGreat subject! I've got a soft spot for Sycorax, which is why I wrote a story about her.
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