Caliban’s character in Shakespeare’s The Tempest is definitely dependent: he is obeying a current master of him through the whole play, which master is in total control of his slave. However, his attitude to his different masters vary vastly.
As we first meet Caliban we see him as a slave of Prospero, in a situation where he is treated cruelly and strictly: “Thou poisonous slave, got by the devil himself Upon thy wicked dam, come forth!”. In spite of the slandering it is interesting how Prospero explains his daughter, Miranda how largely Caliban’s “services” are needed: “But, as 'tis, We cannot miss him: he does make our fire, Fetch in our wood and serves in offices That profit us.” The basis of the relationship between Caliban and Prospero seems to be fear; Caliban fears his master’s huge power, his knowledge in magic: “I must obey: his art is of such power, It would control my dam's god, Setebos, and make a vassal of him.”. It also gets clear soon enough that the “animal-like” and mostly instinctly acting Caliban hates Prospero, he does not respect him. He speaks with an ignorant and raw voice, curses his master with dirty words. He can not even stand getting orders from him. At the same time, Caliban’s hatred is not baseless for he was the one, who was already on the island when the cast out Prospero and his daughter Miranda have arrived. The island belonged to Caliban’s mother, the witch Sycorax who was defeated by Prospero and now should belong to him. Instead he is a slave on his own island. This makes him outraged and as he blames Prospero his speech seems quite disappointed and hopeless: “This island's mine, by Sycorax my mother, Which thou takest from me. When thou camest first, Thou strokedst me and madest much of me, wouldst give me Water with berries in't, and teach me how To name the bigger light, and how the less, That burn by day and night: and then I loved thee And show'd thee all the qualities o' the isle, The fresh springs, brine-pits, barren place and fertile”. Even so he obeys Prospero but only because of his fear from the cruel punishment which he knows very well.
A whole other attitude can be observed if looking at the scene where Caliban meets the two drunkards Stephano and Trinculo rambling around the island. First he thinks they are spirits of Prospero and that they are only here to whack him: “Lo, now, lo! Here comes a spirit of his, and to torment me For bringing wood in slowly. I'll fall flat; Perchance he will not mind me.” He starts begging at the two oddballs, not to hurt him. Then he realizes that they are not slaves of Prospero but still can not figure out what they are and how they got there so he is still afraid of them. This fear is flawlessly gone after having some of Stephano’s narcotic wine. Caliban gets drunk of the wine he has never tasted before and starts to think that Stephano is some godlike creature: “That's a brave god and bears celestial liquor. I will kneel to him.”. Unlike he did to Prospero, Caliban starts to worship Stephano, as his new “master”, in his bemusement he swears loyalty to him, admires him and kisses his feet: “I'll show thee the best springs; I'll pluck thee berries; I'll fish for thee and get thee wood enough. A plague upon the tyrant that I serve! I'll bear him no more sticks, but follow thee, Thou wondrous man.” Although Caliban’s “new master” contemns and snubs him just as Prospero did, in a way Stephano seems to enjoy the sudden situation and likes the idea that he has a slave now. Caliban does not notice the rude comments on him because of the wine he has drunk. He is desperately seeking for the aid of a greater force which can help him defeat his ’tyrant’ master Prospero. This time he even seems to be happy that he found such an aid and a slight ray of hope for his freedom and the wine of course makes him sing: “No more dams I'll make for fish Nor fetch in firing At requiring; Nor scrape trencher, nor wash dish 'Ban, 'Ban, Cacaliban Has a new master: get a new man. Freedom, hey-day! hey-day, freedom! freedom, hey-day, freedom!”.
From Prospero’s and Stephano’s aspect their relationship with Caliban is largely similar. They both treat him just like a slave (Stephano even calls him a monster), but perhaps Caliban needs the aid and guidance of someone smarter than him anyhow because he possibly could not stand on his own. He needs to be shaped to act more like a human being, to have morals. For this reason maybe Prospero would be his right master, he could teach him to become more civilized, just as he did back in the time when Caliban was younger. Most obviously he still cares much more about Caliban and about his teaching then the drunken Stephano does.
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