LIT4 - Tempest - Miranda - quote analysis Flashcards
O, the cry did knock against my very heart. Poor souls, they perished.
-personified the “cry” to emphasise her pity
-very traumatising event as she describes it to have knocked her “heart”
-extreme sympathy for the sailors shown by her emotive language, like the verb “perished”
Had I been any god of power, I would have sunk the sea within the Earth
-illustrates her extreme desire for power (with a reference to God), by showing her clear lack of power in the play
-expressive language (with conditional verb “would”) presents her as a spirited character
-her power is only derived from her strong compassion
Abhorred slave, which any print of goodness wilt not take, being capable of all ill!
-picks up the colonialist attitude by calling C. a “slave”, denigrating him with extreme adjective “abhorred”
-says that goodness cannot lie within C., and is thus inherently bad by nature, showing the prejudice within the colonisers
-very uncharacteristic of M., since she is usually quite compassionate for other characters
So uncharacteristic, that sometimes directors give her speech here to Prospero instead
gabble like a thing most brutish
-Eurocentric attitude to other languages
-shown by insensitive verb “gabble”, implying her disregard for Caliban’s culture
-objectifies C., further emphasising her colonialist attitude
-once again, very uncharacteristic of M.
I might call him a thing divine, for nothing natural I ever saw so noble
-love at first sight - trope in romance/fairy tale stories
-deifies Ferdinand by using adjective “divine”, implying M.’s attraction to such a heavenly being
-adjective “noble” could suggest his respectability, but also his class which would be ideal for the daughter of a Duke to marry
Why speaks my father so ungently?…pity move my father to be inclined my way
-disobedience towards her father which is unusual of her, showing how she is developing throughout the play
-strong feelings shown by the personification of the noun “pity” to encourage her father to stop
nothing ill can dwell in such a temple. If the ill spirit have so fair a house, good things will strive to dwell with’t
-religious metaphor “temple” to describe F., further expressing Miranda’s love, and is extended by the phrase “so fair a house”
-M. assumes Ferdinand is morally good because of his appearance, implying her innocent behaviour
I would the lightning had burnt up those logs that you are enjoined to pile. Pray set it down, and rest you
-compassionate morals shown by her powerful language referring to the “lightning”
-desperate for F. to rest, clearly portraying M. as a sympathetic character and also reinforcing her love
Miranda. O my father, I have broke your hest to say so
-quiet disobedience of her father once again
-however, she regrets it, showing that she still has respect for her father, and is loyal to him
my modesty, the jewel in my dower
-metaphor to describe her virginity as being a “jewel”, a prized possession
-this gives her an economical quality, as if she is some sort of commodity for Ferdinand, and is top quality in comparison to other women
-reinforces the idea that she is an object in a political marriage
I would not wish any companion in the world but you; nor can imagination form a shape beside yourself
-absolute love, reinforcing the trope of love at first sight
-emphasises her heavenly view of F. with expressive language like her “imagination”
O wonder! How many goodly creatures are there here! How beauteous mankind is!…brave new world
-naive tendencies to assume good in all others, even those who are bad
-ironic as the nobles are corrupt, showing her immature view of the world
