In his essay entitled On the Cannibals, Montaigne asserts that what is natural is identical with what is good and that nature should be the light by which human action is guided. It therefore comes with no surprise that he presents a highly idealized characterization of the natives of the new world. The New World in this case refers to the new found land of France, found by the Greeks who referred to it as barbaric as they did to all other nations, which its residence are so natural and not influenced by the civilization experienced in the old world- Europe (Screech, 2004). Montaigne perceives these people who he constantly calls the cannibals, to be men who live in the way that nature intends them to live, that is with zero influence of modern civilization. In The Tempest similarly, Shakespeare characterizes Ariel and Cannibal in such a way that suggest he was significantly influenced by the Montaigne essay. In both works, the authors explore the relation between modernization and human nature.
In Shakespeare work, he gives a distinction between the natural/ uncivilized man who he represents with the character Caliban and the civilized man presented by Prospero (Shakespeare, 2000). The writer shows how a civilized man can rise above or sink beneath the savage. In this play, Shakespeare debate between art and nature based on the renaissance debate and colonization. The debate is whether civilized man and the natural man were superior. It advocates for the natural man being savage, immoderate and atrocious in disparity to the civilized nobility. The civilized man however is depicted to be noble, with self control and high mindedness. The uncivilized natural man is further advocated to be artless, unaffected and noble savage. On the other hand, the civilized man is said to be corrupt, affected, more adept at cloaking his vices which were refined and presented moral idol.
In The Tempest however, the author does not go to the extreme. The uncivilized man- Caliban is savage, intemperate, brutal and incapable of higher reasoning. These two people, the civilized and the natural represent the Old and New World. Caliban is the representative of the New World which has not been contaminated by civilization. They live in a free life that is determined by Mother Nature. Prosprero on the other hand represents the Old World which is the origin of colonization is depicted to have the magic to control nature though with some questionable aspects (Shakespeare, 2000). The New World uses instincts to think unlike the old world which has science and reasoning which guides their activities. There is a great distinction between Ariel and Caliban in their language which represents the differences in their level of civilization.
Montaigne in his easy On the Cannibal observes the natural man as not barbaric. He argues that it is barbaric to smash by torture and torments a body full of lively sense under pretence of pieties and religion than to roast and eat him after he is dead (Screech, 2004). His depiction of the natural man who he calls the cannibals is contrast with Shakespeare Caliban who is depicted as sympathetic and brutal. In his essay, Montaigne praises the cannibal as wild fruits that are produced by nature in its ordinary way without any form of artificiality. This to him is the best creation than that produced by fortune or art. What he is trying to put across is that the natural man is pure and has no influence of the European civilization. He is not corrupted or influenced by the civilization that is brought about by colonization. He represents the new world, a natural world. Montaigne depicts the cannibals as having maintained their purity and avoided contamination by civilization and therefore remained natural and inartificial.
In On the Cannibals, Montaigne disputes the use of terminologies such as barbarism which are commonly used by European to describe the New World. The new world has received very little form and fashion from art and human invention and is therefore not remote from its native simplicity (Screech, 2004). The European uses this word in relation to their own civilization, progress and cultural development as compared to the natural lives and culture of the people of the new world. The European perceives their culture as superior and human and that of the Southern Americans to be uncivilized. However, contrary to Shakespeare, he praises the uncontaminated natural culture by finding a lot of value in it. He sees them even without the perfect religion, government or exact and accomplished usage of things, it is genuine, useful and its natural virtues and properties are vigorous and sprightly by accommodating them to the pleasure of their own corrupted palate (Screech, 2004). Montaigne defines civilization as the way by which man interferes and has detracted both from nature and from human experience.
The new world is a pleasant and temperate country. There are rare cases of diseases and there are hardly any paralytic, toothless, blear-eyed or crooked with age people. They eat natural food that has not been added other cookery (Screech, 2004). For example, though they have fish like the old world, they eat it fresh. They are less civilized and they put on no cloths and use traditional weapons like bows and swords for war. The new world is made of France, Spain, Egypt, Hungary and the old world is Greece whose explorers discovered these lands during expedition sails.
In mores Utopia the concept of civilization can be well understood by comparing the agriculture, cities and government in relation to the modern development in the present cities, agriculture and government. Unlike the current civilized world, the world depicted on the book is basically based on agriculture. The cities do not attempt to expand since they think of the areas around them as land to be cultivated rather than one to be owned (More, 1992). The city exports its surplus and imports when in deficit. The cities are similar and are only distinguishable from each other by their geographical position and topography. The villages, cities are small in size which is made up of groups of thirty people led by an administrator called a phylarch.
Agricultural work was a revolutionary idea for its time for a variety of reasons. Agriculture was linked with the deprived in England and was therefore disdained by the wealthy. In the book, the class distinctions are a necessary part of life as land is depicted to be a something to be cultivated rather than to be possessed. In that framework therefore, the culture presented is seen as a natural society that is semi refined and uses the enclosure movement. The unsophisticated cities do not participate in trade and instead they give away their surplus. They also lack agricultural policies, economic structures and money which show how uncivilized they are.
The politics of Utopia is a mixture of freedom and oppression. It employs a independent administration with the people being represented by elected officials. The representation in utopia is fair since the people are represented by people of their choice contrary to the European representation where the rich and powerful represent the poor. The Utopia politics is operated in the rule of law. Amaurot, the capital of Utopia, is depicted to resemble the modern day London. This is in terms of its cleanliness and housing and the river that is said to pass through the city (More, 1992). A clear comparison can be made between the two cities. This is a projection of development in the cities which is contrary to what is in the farms.
Unlike Montaigne essay and Shakespeare that addresses the natural man and the civilized man in context of influence by civilization that is as a result of European colonization, the Utopia represent a semi civilized society whose cities and politics are civilized whereas it’s agricultural is yet to achieve such civilization. In all the pieces however, civilization is depicted as the absence of direct contact with nature.
Works Cited
Screech, M A. "On the Cannibals." The Essays: A Selection by Michel De Montaigne. England: Penguin Classics, 2004. 79-92. Print.
More, Thomas. Utopia. New York: Knopf, 1992. Print.
Shakespeare, William, and Christine Dymkowski. The Tempest. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2000. Print.
