Textual Conversations Flashcards
Evidence of Prospero’s want for revenge in Tempest
“At this hour/ Lies at my mercy all mine enemies” - Prospero
Evidence of value of forgiveness in Tempest
“The rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance.” - Ariel
Shakespeare’s context for revenge/forgiveness?
Religious ideals - forgiveness was more favourable.
What message is Shakespeare portraying through the theme of revenge/forgiveness?
Uses Tempest as a didactic text, teaching the accepted value that forgiveness is better than revenge.
What technique is used to contrast revenge and forgiveness in Tempest?
Juxtaposition between Prospero and Ariel;
“At this hour lies at my mercy all mine enemies” (triumphant tone)
“The rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance.” (Comparison creating humble tone)
Evidence of forgiveness over revenge in Hagseed
“This is certain, that a man that studieth revenge, keeps his own wounds green, which would otherwise heal and do well.” - Sir Francis Bacon (Analogy of effects of revenge)
Evidence of Felix’s want for revenge
“Suddenly revenge is so close he can actually taste it - it tastes like steak, rare.” (Simile)
“Let’s make magic. And let’s shove it down the throat of that devious, twisted bastard, Tony.” (Emotive language)
Evidence for Felix not being satisfied with revenge
“Anyway i succeeded….or at least i didn’t fail”
(Ellipses shows hesitation)
Felix realising forgiveness is better
The rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance (intertextuality)
Hagseed context for favouring forgiveness over revenge
Echoes Tempest; but not for religious ideals, rather because individualistic secular ideals.
What is the conversation surrounding revenge/forgiveness?
The value of revenge, and how forgiveness is more favoured. Both the texts resonate this value through the use of it as a prison, however for different purposes.
What is Prospero’s Imprisonment in Tempest?
Revenge is his prison
What shows Prospero’s Imprisonment by revenge?
The island is a figurative prison
“I find my zenith doth depend on a most auspicious star, whose influence…my fortunes will ever after droop.” (Personification of his fortunes shows how much he depends on revenge)
Evidence for Prospero being freed by forgiveness
“As you from crimes would pardoned be, let your indulgence set me free” (direct address to audience)
Their forgiveness of him is what sets him free.
How is Felix imprisoned by revenge?
It distracts him from forgiving himself and dealing with his grief
“It was an evasion, he knew that much…”
Evidence of Felix imprisoned by guilt
The delusions of his daughter are referred to as a cell, “Snap out of it Felix…Break out of your cell…”
“Fool, he tells himself. She’s not here. She was never here….resign yourself. He can’t resign himself.” (Truncated sentences, derogatory language, shows desperation with no freedom)
Evidence of Felix’s freedom from his guilt
“What was he thinking - keeping her tethered to him all this time?….to the elements be free. And finally she is.” (Rhetorical, relieved tone through the word ‘finally’)
Evidence for Prospero’s grief
“The king of Naples should presently extirpate me and mine…and confer fair Milan with all the honours on my brother.” (Adjectives such as ‘fair’ describe his fondness for his home, and therefore his grief over losing it)
Context of Tempest’s grief/loss
Elizabethan chain of being; rulers believed to be put in place by God. Shakespeare appeal’s to audience sense of justice by removing Prospero from rightful position.
Evidence of grief in Hagseed
“It was like an enormous black cloud bubbling up over the horizon. No: it was like nothing he could put into language.” (Simile with vivid imagery, repetition of the word ‘no’ showing severity of grief, relates to Shakespeare’s use of pathetic fallacy)
Art as a way to deal with grief in Hagseed
“… what he couldn’t have in life he might still catch sight of through his art…”
“He needed to get his Tempest back….his Miranda…must be given a life.”
Atwood’s context of grief/loss
Individualistic audience more aware and accepting of human emotions
Conversation created through grief/loss
The power of grief, but additionally how it can be expressed through art.
Evidence of colonisation in Tempest?
“This island’s mine by Sycorax, my mother, Which thou tak’st from me”
“A devil, born a devil, on whose nature nurture can never stick.” - Prospero talking to Caliban (metaphor of Caliban being a devil reflects opinions Shakespeare’s audience had of natives at the time)
“If thy greatness will revenge it on him -for i know thou darest but this thing dare not”
(Shows how caliban hates and fears prospero, also shows internalized prejudice ‘thing’)
Colonisation in Hagseed
“…ain’t gonna go get on the back of the bus, and you can give our land right back to us!” -Leggs (direct allusion to rosa parks)
Context of racism/colonisation in hagseed
Allusion to civil rights movements i.e. rosa parks
Conversation created by racism/colonisation
Atwood brings awareness to the current and ongoing contextual issues arising from the history of colonisation and continuous racism.
Context for women’s role in Tempest
A woman’s value was often determined by her virginity or ‘purity’, she had no say in life decisions and was owned by her father.
Evidence of the role of women in Tempest
“If thou dost break her virgin knot…no sweet aspersions shall the heavens let fall to make this contract grow.” (Euphemism for having sex, punishment for sex out of wedlock implies value depends on purity)
“I know thou canst not choose”
“As my soul prompts it”
Miranda has no say in her future and is manipulated by her father.
Context of feminism in Hagseed
Various feminist movements taking place, demanding further equality
Evidence of the theme ‘role of women’ in hag seed
“playing a girl, he’d risk being treated as one”
“Being a girl is the pits, trust me.”
“He was never ready when a slice of filth came out of her child-like mouth.” (Metaphors create a juxtaposition highlighting the continuation of societal uncomfort surrounding the disruption of a woman’s purity)
Conversation created about role of women
Takes the theme of how women were treated and adds to it in order to highlight current social issues with women’s rights and treatment.
Four big themes between the two texts;
Revenge and forgiveness creating freedom
Loss and grief, and the power of art to cope
Literature as a way to highlight social issues (Atwood did what Shakespeare could not): issues from colonisation and the treatment of women.
