mod. a: hag-seed Flashcards
steak
revenge and forgiveness
“He wanted revenge. He longed for it. He daydreamed about it… It tastes like steak, medium rare.”
gustatory, predatory imagery, enhanced diction
* predominant desire for revenge
* parallels “bloody” imagery by shakespeare -> aligns betrayed protagonists
* overhwleming and consuming nature of revenge
* toxic light to audience
anguish
revenge and forgiveness
“How will they react when… Will there be anguish? Yes there will be anguish. Double-twisted anguish. No doubt about that.”
free indirect discourse, continued motif of predatory imagery, hypophora, high modality
* transparency of felix’s emotions -> increasing significance of mental health
* grief fuels felix’s desire for revenge opposed to usurpation
* power imbalance within felix and his prey -> parallels propero and his brother
* consuming nature of revenge
pleasure
revenge and forgiveness
“He got his revenge, such as it was. His enemies had suffered, which had been a pleasure…had been a greater pleasure.”
limited person narration, repetition of pleasure, resigned tone, omniscient narration
* forgiveness of others -> freedom of oneself = postmodern humanist values
* atwood’s discordant conversation on forgiveness
* ironic demonstration of the dicontent revenge has resulted in
* resigned tone collides with idea of pleasure in tempest
dejection
representation of the other
“The smell of dejection, shoulders slumping down… the body caving in upon itself,”
anti-aesthetic imagery, asyndeton, depressing atmosphere, morbid setting
* deeper understanding into adversities of the prisoners’ experience - atwood’s post-colonial attitudes
* metaphor for caliban’s experience as native
* positions prinsoners to similar status to caliban
names
representation of the other
“He call me a lotta names, the play a lotta games… but I’m Hag-Seed,”
synthesis of verse and rap
* evolving forms to evolving attitudes
* titular reference shows shift in power regime
* parallels use of verse in calbian’s evocative verse
