Critical Introduction

John Hamilton Mortimer (1740–1779) was a painter of history scenes and portraits, as well as an illustrator. His speciality was romantic images of Italy. His depiction of Caliban is one of a series of images of Shakespearean characters that also included Shylock, Ophelia, and Richard II. The image, like the rest of the series, stresses both the external appearance and the dramatic emotion of the character. The image emphasizes the duality of this monster: he is base and bestial, a goat-man driven by uncontained lusts, but also a tormented creature eliciting pathos from the viewer.

Charles A. Buchel (1872–1950) was a late Victorian painter and printmaker who produced numerous images of Shakespeare performances, including several of Herbert Beerbohm Tree, a leading actor of his day and successful theatre manager. Buchel's paintings of Tree seem especially interested in the roles of outsiders and villains such as Macbeth, Othello, Shylock, and Caliban. His drawing of Tree as Caliban displays the character's distinctly monstrous fea-tures—whiskers, fangs, and pointed ears—but the stress is on the actor's emotion. He seems more frightened than frightful, with his shining eyes peering out from beneath his shaggy brows. While there is a besital quality to the figure, it is one that seems to stress his role as hunted rather than as hunter. This drawing was made in preparation for a full figure illustration that shows Caliban's furry body and taloned hands and feet, but also shows him clutching what seems to be a rosary. Tree was the first major star to choose to play Caliban over Prospero, and he was also the first to use electric lighting for a theatrical production. It was used to stress Tree's emotional performance, captured in Buchel's drawing.

Viewing Questions

What are the strong points of similarity between these two images? What are the interesting differences? How do the different media—engraving and charcoal—affect the images and your response to them?