Tam O Shanter. A Tale - notes and quotes Flashcards
Real Story behind Tam?
inspired by real story of a man named Douglas Graham, a notorious drunk whose wife Kate was known to be a scold.
-Night in Douglas’ life - horse’s tale was plucked by humourists outside the pub - drunk too much.
-When confronted about it by his wife, claimed that it was evil witches by “Alloway Kirk” who took it.
How does the real life story add humour?
Draws upon real life scenarios of battle of the sexes, to find the comedy within marital disfunction
-Farcical mocker of lengths men go to to lie to their wives.
What is a ‘shaggy dog’ story?
-long, rambling story or joke, typically one that is amusing only because it is absurdly inconsequential or pointless.
“the fent a tale she had to shake.”
-Burns bring attention to the falsification of the tale being told.
-Tale - homophonic pun.
-talking about horse losing tail - however - spelt ‘Tale’
-Mocks the necessity for Tam to tell his wife a tale.
How does Burns draw from the conventions of an epic?
-Epic hero Tam
-Prophesy of catastrophe
-Supernatural to create a burlesque.
-Exaggerates shaggy dog story to an unbeleivable level.
“Charlie brak’s neck bane”, “the murder’d bairn”, “Mungos mither hand’d hersel.”
-ridiculous amount of natural horrors.
-listed.
-listing creates over the top - melodramatic feeling.
-narrator is trying so hard to be serious that it becomes ridiculous.
-Alliteration further exaggerates natural horrors.
“Remember Tam o’ Shanter’s mare.”
-on the surface seems a warning for men not to behave like Tam - consequences (tale gets stolen).
-However Tam escapes witches - portrayed as an epic hero “Ah Tam! Ah Tam!.” - shows poem carries no moralistic meanings.
-is really a warning to men that when they do go out drinking, they should remember to create clever stories to escape the consequence of their wife’s anger.
Battle of philosophies in Tam O Shnater?
-May not be a battle of the sexes - perhaps a battle of morals.
-moral and disapproving vs hedonistic.
Burns relationship with his father?
-Difficult relationship with his father.
-His father was a Scottish Calvinist, and upholder of strict moral values.
“She tauld thee weel thou was a skellum,/a blethering, blustering drunken blellum.”
-Strict moral value of tams wife (like father).
-Tams wife portrayed as a scolding shrew - condemns his pleasure seeking behaviour - rhyming couplet (“Skellum/blellum.”)
-Criticizes Tam - lazy annoyance and scoundrel - like Burn’s father’s view of his hedonism.
-Perhaps Burns put scolding voice of his father into shrew - in order to discredit his father moral judgements.
AO4: Repetition of comedic insults
plosive /bl/ alliteration emphasises Tam’s foolishness and Kate’ anger.
Tam’s wife is described as a “sulky sullen dame”
-Sibilance - emphasizes her role as an ill-tempered vindictive woman - portrays her voice (and therefore his fathers) - irrational annoyance - attempting to interrupt his headonism.
-Kate has power to indult husband - but does she have real power?
While we sit bousin, at the nappy,
And gettin fou and unco happy,
Celebrating the little joys of life, a comedic, light-hearted and jubilant tone to the poem. Burns was known to enjoy a drink - definitely not reprimanding tam. Overall light-hearted.
Use of first person pronoun “we” makes the poem relatable to its reader, so they can also appreciate the joyous moments of life.
Kings may be blest, but Tam was glorious,
O’er a’ the ills o’ life victorious!
Happiness is about the simple things - is not defined by wealth and power.
Genuine appreciation for the fun moments in life
A celebration of life-affirming enjoyment of the joys of this world
And, wow! Tam saw an unco sight!
Exclamatives -creates humour
Mimics Tam’s drunken awe
-mock suspense of epic tradition
Warlocks and witches in a dance;
creates Humerous image - absurd and farcical due to unlikliness - emphasises Tam’s (or Douglas’) drunken foolishness.
