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Question 1

Intro - Thesis

Answer 1

21st-century composers develop relationships with canonical texts to illuminate how the author’s contexts influence depictions of power, control, and metamorphosis, forming a sophisticated textual conversation that analyses the parallels of evolving human thought.

Question 2

Intro - Context

Answer 2

Margaret Atwood’s modern reformation of William Shakespeare’s polyphonic text ‘The Tempest’ in her 2016 novel, ‘Hag-Seed,’ effectively explores the nature of changing societal values through her reflection on Shakespeare’s 17th-century ideals of power structures regarding gender and colonialism along with the capability of art in evoking human evolution.

Question 3

Intro - Link

Answer 3

Thus, each composer demonstrates the purpose of textual conversations in forming relevant debates that resonate with and challenge their respective audience’s understanding of society.

Question 4

P1 - Thesis

Answer 4

Atwood’s deconstruction of the ‘Madonna/hag’ dichotomy depicted in Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest,’ effectively challenges transhistorical patriarchal values through her construction of complex female characters, hosting a dynamic textual interplay between differing ideals of gender constructed by the composers’ respective contexts.

Question 5

P1 - Context

Answer 5

Atwood’s addition of various female characters portrays women’s realistic and multifaceted experiences, resonating with 21st-century liberal feminism and contrasting Jacobean gender binaries.

Question 6

P1 - Evidence 1

Answer 6

She forms a dissonance from Shakespeare’s dichotomous description of women as either religious images of “holy innocence” or “damned hags” that reinforce his contextual Jacobean values of women’s chastity and devotion through the androgynous characterization of Anne-Marie.

Question 7

P1 - Evidence 2

Answer 7

Attributed with autonomy, childish innocence, and expletives, “[Felix] was never ready for when a slice of filth came out of [Anne-Marie’s] child-like mouth”, Atwood effectively challenges prevailing traditionalist expectations for women.

Question 8

P1 - Evidence 3

Answer 8

By juxtaposing Anne-Marie with Shakespeare’s Miranda, Atwood forms a dissonance from the patriarchal values that permeate classic texts, deconstructing possessive, objectifying language such as “my foot” that reduces her to a “prize” regarded by “if [she] be maid” as Christian Providentialism dictates female value by virginity. Anne-Marie’s independence thus reflects the evolving female autonomy within postmodern society.

Question 9

P1 - Evidence 4

Answer 9

Miranda’s marriage to Ferdinand conveys her static character arc in the declarative “By immortal province, she’s mine”, wherein Shakespeare conforms to the values of the patriarchy and Great Chain of Being, restricting Miranda to the archetype of the powerless woman.

Question 10

P1 - Evidence 5

Answer 10

Opposingly, Atwood extends her adaptation to “free” Miranda from Felix’s imprisonment, contrasting Miranda’s 17th-century ending to align with modern aspirations for female liberation.

Question 11

P1 - Link

Answer 11

Atwood’s reconstruction of women within her postmodern context allows for a dissonance from dichotomous stereotypes enforced within each context, transcending historical confines of femininity and resonating with modern feminist values to prompt audiences to consider prevailing power imbalances within canonical texts.

Question 12

P2 - Thesis

Answer 12

While honouring Shakespeare’s ambition to challenge assumptions of ‘The Other’, Atwood reconstructs the narrative to form a compelling textual conversation surrounding post-colonialism, opposing prevailing power structures and encouraging audience aspirations of reconciliation.

Question 13

P2 - Context

Answer 13

Influenced by the overwhelming incarceration in America and Canada’s adoption of the Nova Scotia Restorative Justice System challenging traditional incarceration, Atwood reforms Shakespeare’s colonial values to illustrate the multifaceted experiences of the alienated collective.

Question 14

P2 - Evidence 1

Answer 14

Atwood metatextually reforms the character of Caliban through her positive depictions of the prisoners, forming a dissonance from Shakespeare’s characterization of Caliban in biblical allusions, “poisonous slave, got by the devil himself.” Shakespeare hereby aligns descriptions of the island’s natives with Montaigne’s ‘Of Cannibals’, reflecting prominent 17th-century colonial ideals.

Question 15

P2 - Evidence 2

Answer 15

Atwood’s empathetic tone towards the prisoners, “I don’t care what you’ve done”, attempts to liberate such colonial prejudices amidst her postmodern context, challenging prevailing biases towards non-conformists.

Question 16

P2 - Evidence 3

Answer 16

Yet, Shakespeare’s comical dialogue between the shipwrecked crew and Caliban, “a most poor credulous monster!” juxtaposed by Caliban’s use of verse “the isle is full of… sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not”, constructs a subtle irony of 17th prejudices against natives, probing the validity of such preconceptions.

Question 17

P2 - Evidence 4

Answer 17

Atwood demonstrates the evolution of human thought equating to greater equality through her reformation of colonial sentiments and subversion of Caliban’s ending. Employing the meta-narrative raps, “Are you calling me a monster?” Atwood effectively reconciles Caliban’s character with the colonial prejudices that imprison him in ‘The Tempest,’ perpetuating empathy that challenges the prevailing oppression of minorities

Question 18

P2 - Link

Answer 18

Atwood’s reconstruction of prevailing colonial ideals of ‘The Other ’ perpetuates the evolving societal acceptance of those ostracised, highlighting the value of dynamic textual conversations in forming relevant reflections of the composer’s context on a text’s values and ideology.

Question 19

P3 - Thesis

Answer 19

Collectively, Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’ and Atwood’s ‘Hag-Seed’ illuminate the capability of the arts to prompt human metamorphosis, provoking the audience to consider the value of intertextual conversations in reflecting aspects of the human condition.

Question 20

P3 - Context

Answer 20

Atwood’s reimagination of Shakespeare’s 17th-century ideals of forgiveness and redemption, fostered by pre-existing Christian and emerging humanist beliefs, allows for a contemporary twist that accentuates the psychoanalytical capabilities of art in instigating personal evolution.

Question 21

P3 - Evidence 1

Answer 21

Shakespeare implements media res and stage directions in the play opening through Prospero’s Storm, “a tempestuous noise of thunder and lightning heard,” to introduce the power of the arts in forming an emotional release. Atwood mirrors this within the contemporary prison setting used to highlight the potential for human rehabilitation.

Question 22

P3 - Evidence 2

Answer 22

Yet, Atwood employs Felix’s heterodiegetic narration to illustrate the individual psychological traits underpinning the plight for redemption. As Felix is idiomatically driven by the hopes of “balancing the scales”, Atwood conveys the significance of absolving vengeance through the restorative nature of art rather than unbridled retribution.

Question 23

P3 - Evidence 3

Answer 23

She further extends the psychological benefits of arts healing through the prisoner’s capability to “For once… love themselves”, paralleled metaphysically in Prospero’s arc extending beyond using his arts for revenge: “I’ll break my staff”.

Question 24

P3 - Evidence 4

Answer 24

Solidified through each composer’s ambiguous epilogue, each author’s metatextuality bridges each plight through the allusion of being “free” to reconcile the character’s imprisonment by revenge, accept their circumstances and receive closure. As such, both composers highlight the capabilities of growth within their respective contexts, allowing Atwood’s construction of a world that resonates with the modern audience by reflecting the self-improvement and psychoanalytical philosophies of the 2010s.

Question 25

P3 - Link

Answer 25

Ultimately, the composers of “The Tempest” and “Hag-Seed” form a textual conversation that illustrates the enduring relevance of art as a catalyst for personal metamorphosis, emphasizing the human capacity for change.