Textual Conversations

Question 1

Evidence of Prospero’s want for revenge in Tempest

Answer 1

“At this hour/ Lies at my mercy all mine enemies” - Prospero

Question 2

Evidence of value of forgiveness in Tempest

Answer 2

“The rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance.” - Ariel

Question 3

Shakespeare’s context for revenge/forgiveness?

Answer 3

Religious ideals - forgiveness was more favourable.

Question 4

What message is Shakespeare portraying through the theme of revenge/forgiveness?

Answer 4

Uses Tempest as a didactic text, teaching the accepted value that forgiveness is better than revenge.

Question 5

What technique is used to contrast revenge and forgiveness in Tempest?

Answer 5

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)

Question 6

Evidence of forgiveness over revenge in Hagseed

Answer 6

“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)

Question 7

Evidence of Felix’s want for revenge

Answer 7

“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)

Question 8

Evidence for Felix not being satisfied with revenge

Answer 8

“Anyway i succeeded….or at least i didn’t fail”
(Ellipses shows hesitation)

Question 9

Felix realising forgiveness is better

Answer 9

The rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance (intertextuality)

Question 10

Hagseed context for favouring forgiveness over revenge

Answer 10

Echoes Tempest; but not for religious ideals, rather because individualistic secular ideals.

Question 11

What is the conversation surrounding revenge/forgiveness?

Answer 11

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.

Question 12

What is Prospero’s Imprisonment in Tempest?

Answer 12

Revenge is his prison

Question 13

What shows Prospero’s Imprisonment by revenge?

Answer 13

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)

Question 14

Evidence for Prospero being freed by forgiveness

Answer 14

“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.

Question 15

How is Felix imprisoned by revenge?

Answer 15

It distracts him from forgiving himself and dealing with his grief

“It was an evasion, he knew that much…”

Question 16

Evidence of Felix imprisoned by guilt

Answer 16

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)

Question 17

Evidence of Felix’s freedom from his guilt

Answer 17

“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’)

Question 18

Evidence for Prospero’s grief

Answer 18

“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)

Question 19

Context of Tempest’s grief/loss

Answer 19

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.

Question 20

Evidence of grief in Hagseed

Answer 20

“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)

Question 21

Art as a way to deal with grief in Hagseed

Answer 21

“… 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.”

Question 22

Atwood’s context of grief/loss

Answer 22

Individualistic audience more aware and accepting of human emotions

Question 23

Conversation created through grief/loss

Answer 23

The power of grief, but additionally how it can be expressed through art.

Question 24

Evidence of colonisation in Tempest?

Answer 24

“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’)

Question 25

Colonisation in Hagseed

Answer 25

“…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)

Question 26

Context of racism/colonisation in hagseed

Answer 26

Allusion to civil rights movements i.e. rosa parks

Question 27

Conversation created by racism/colonisation

Answer 27

Atwood brings awareness to the current and ongoing contextual issues arising from the history of colonisation and continuous racism.

Question 28

Context for women’s role in Tempest

Answer 28

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.

Question 29

Evidence of the role of women in Tempest

Answer 29

“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.

Question 30

Context of feminism in Hagseed

Answer 30

Various feminist movements taking place, demanding further equality

Question 31

Evidence of the theme ‘role of women’ in hag seed

Answer 31

“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)

Question 32

Conversation created about role of women

Answer 32

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.

Question 33

Four big themes between the two texts;

Answer 33

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.