Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Final exam questions. Answer 2 in your blue book. This will be due during the scheduled final exam slot which I will post later. (Either May 6th or 7th).
1). Unnatural Behavior. The Tempest is concerned with a conflict brought about by the "unnatural" behavior of a villainous protagonist (in this case Prospero's younger brother Antonio) who plots against and overthrows the rightful ruler of the land, usurping the throne. In ususurping the throne he has acted against God (since a monarch was thought to rule through divine will) and violated the bonds of brotherly love (and of human decency, exposing his banished brother's innocent daughter to a life of hardship or death). Antonio's "unnatural" behavior also recalls that of the traitors/usurpers in Richard II: in order to usurp his cousin’s throne Bolingbroke must gain the support of the noblemen and the people of the state. In the end he successfully disposes Richard II. But in The Tempest, what goes around comes around: shipwrecked on Prospero's island, Antonio is at the mercy of the brother he deposed, while Alonso's younger brother Sebastian plots to kill him and usurp his throne. (The presence of two sets of "unnatural" brothers is present. Look for passages that illustrate these parallels as you read. Note references to "natural" and "unnatural" behavior, to divine justice or Providence, and to "nature" in the text. Be sure that you have the various characters straight!
2) Comic Relief? The "unnatural" behavior of the brothers Antonio and Sebastian is mirrored by the comic subplot of the drunken butler Stephano, the jester Trinculo (whose name also implies drinking), and Caliban (more on him below), who enlists their aid to help him kill Prospero. Here the themes of treachery, plotting, and fitness to rule are treated. But as was true in A Midsummer Night's Dream (the "Rude Mechanicals or actors”) , these characters also serve as foils to the protagonists. Note ways in which the comical subplot mirrors darker, more serious events in the play as a whole. Do they get what they deserve? Is Caliban's punishment at the end of the play fitting?
3). And what about this Caliban? He is native to the island and claims to be its rightful ruler. He welcomed the shipwrecked Prospero and the infant Miranda to his island, found them food and drinking water, taught them to survive. He is sensitive to the beauty of Ariel's songs, and his own speeches can be surprisingly poetic. Note the passages in which this side of Caliban is expressed. Yet he is also presented as a monster, a "thing of darkness," the offspring of the witch Sycorax and the Devil. He is said to be "ungrateful" to Prospero and Miranda, who have done "everything" for him -- after all, they brought him civilization and language -- and he responded by trying to rape Miranda! From Prospero's perspective (as well as Miranda's), this barbaric ingratitude is sufficient justification for enslaving Caliban, causing him to be tormented by invisible spirits which pinch him to keep him in line (note passages which express their point of view). But from Caliban's perspective, Prospero is the ungrateful one, and a tyrant to boot. It was Caliban's island before Prospero arrived there; it was Caliban who did "everything" for the newcomers -- after all, without him, they would have perished. What then could be more "natural" than the union of Caliban, the island's only eligible bachelor, with Miranda, the only human female? (Who else is she supposed to marry -- her own father??) Consider the relative merits of these two positions and perspectives and pay attention to the passages in which they are expressed.
4.) Please elaborate on the two main characters in Shakespeare’s Richard II. Examine Bolingbroke's last speech. How does this speech reveal his thoughts on the death of Richard and his future as England's new monarch? Also examine Richard's final speeches as he awaits death. What do these speeches reveal about Richard the man and Richard the king?
5.) What is the point of the low-class characters in Much Ado About Nothing and Measure for Measure?
Why do they commit such drastic errors in word usage and word choice?
What does it mean that they are able to understand each other despite the egregious verbal mistakes?
How do we compare them to the upper-class characters?
6. Much Ado about Nothing is a play about both the strength of family bonds and the importance of reputation in forming new family alliances.
Note the prince's (Don Pedro's) embarrassment at thinking he may have matched Claudio with a slut and Leonato's desire to die when his daughter is publicly humiliated.
What codes does this set of social values place upon women in this society?
How do Beatrice's exuberant speech and Hero's alleged infidelity relate to each other in this code?
Good luck!
1). Unnatural Behavior. The Tempest is concerned with a conflict brought about by the "unnatural" behavior of a villainous protagonist (in this case Prospero's younger brother Antonio) who plots against and overthrows the rightful ruler of the land, usurping the throne. In ususurping the throne he has acted against God (since a monarch was thought to rule through divine will) and violated the bonds of brotherly love (and of human decency, exposing his banished brother's innocent daughter to a life of hardship or death). Antonio's "unnatural" behavior also recalls that of the traitors/usurpers in Richard II: in order to usurp his cousin’s throne Bolingbroke must gain the support of the noblemen and the people of the state. In the end he successfully disposes Richard II. But in The Tempest, what goes around comes around: shipwrecked on Prospero's island, Antonio is at the mercy of the brother he deposed, while Alonso's younger brother Sebastian plots to kill him and usurp his throne. (The presence of two sets of "unnatural" brothers is present. Look for passages that illustrate these parallels as you read. Note references to "natural" and "unnatural" behavior, to divine justice or Providence, and to "nature" in the text. Be sure that you have the various characters straight!
2) Comic Relief? The "unnatural" behavior of the brothers Antonio and Sebastian is mirrored by the comic subplot of the drunken butler Stephano, the jester Trinculo (whose name also implies drinking), and Caliban (more on him below), who enlists their aid to help him kill Prospero. Here the themes of treachery, plotting, and fitness to rule are treated. But as was true in A Midsummer Night's Dream (the "Rude Mechanicals or actors”) , these characters also serve as foils to the protagonists. Note ways in which the comical subplot mirrors darker, more serious events in the play as a whole. Do they get what they deserve? Is Caliban's punishment at the end of the play fitting?
3). And what about this Caliban? He is native to the island and claims to be its rightful ruler. He welcomed the shipwrecked Prospero and the infant Miranda to his island, found them food and drinking water, taught them to survive. He is sensitive to the beauty of Ariel's songs, and his own speeches can be surprisingly poetic. Note the passages in which this side of Caliban is expressed. Yet he is also presented as a monster, a "thing of darkness," the offspring of the witch Sycorax and the Devil. He is said to be "ungrateful" to Prospero and Miranda, who have done "everything" for him -- after all, they brought him civilization and language -- and he responded by trying to rape Miranda! From Prospero's perspective (as well as Miranda's), this barbaric ingratitude is sufficient justification for enslaving Caliban, causing him to be tormented by invisible spirits which pinch him to keep him in line (note passages which express their point of view). But from Caliban's perspective, Prospero is the ungrateful one, and a tyrant to boot. It was Caliban's island before Prospero arrived there; it was Caliban who did "everything" for the newcomers -- after all, without him, they would have perished. What then could be more "natural" than the union of Caliban, the island's only eligible bachelor, with Miranda, the only human female? (Who else is she supposed to marry -- her own father??) Consider the relative merits of these two positions and perspectives and pay attention to the passages in which they are expressed.
4.) Please elaborate on the two main characters in Shakespeare’s Richard II. Examine Bolingbroke's last speech. How does this speech reveal his thoughts on the death of Richard and his future as England's new monarch? Also examine Richard's final speeches as he awaits death. What do these speeches reveal about Richard the man and Richard the king?
5.) What is the point of the low-class characters in Much Ado About Nothing and Measure for Measure?
Why do they commit such drastic errors in word usage and word choice?
What does it mean that they are able to understand each other despite the egregious verbal mistakes?
How do we compare them to the upper-class characters?
6. Much Ado about Nothing is a play about both the strength of family bonds and the importance of reputation in forming new family alliances.
Note the prince's (Don Pedro's) embarrassment at thinking he may have matched Claudio with a slut and Leonato's desire to die when his daughter is publicly humiliated.
What codes does this set of social values place upon women in this society?
How do Beatrice's exuberant speech and Hero's alleged infidelity relate to each other in this code?
Good luck!
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Question about Caliban
Caliban is a character in THE TEMPEST who can be seen as representative of larger issues relevant in Shakespeare's day. Columbus has discovered the New World and colonization begins. In your opinion, how does Caliban represent what is going on in the world at that time or not? Elaborate. Feel free to use quotes or passages from the text. Also, feel free to bounce ideas off of one another. You can also respond to comments made by classmates. Examine how Caliban is depicted in the video below as well and feel free to comment about it as well.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Q- Ariel (more questions forthcoming)
And what about Ariel? A spirit in the service of the magician Prospero, he is similar to the fairy Puck who serves the Fairy King Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Note passages which make clear these parallels. But there are essential differences. Consider e.g. the bonds that tie them to their respective lords. Is their service offered willingly? Is it equally justifiable in each case? (Service to one's king or rightful lord is considered to be part of the "natural order" in Shakespeare’s time. But is Prospero Ariel's rightful king?) On the other hand, Prospero seems to feel genuine affection for Ariel, who for the most part serves him cheerfully enough. What do we make of that relationship? Finally, in A Midsummer Night's Dream we noted that in addition to being forces of Nature, the Fairies represented something concerning the power of dreams -- or of poetry, or of art -- to change "reality." Is anything analogous going on in The Tempest? Look for passages that emphasize the link between education (books, poetry, art), magic and power. Recall that TheTempest, Sheakepeare’s last complete work before retiring to Stratford, has commonly been considered Shakespeare’s "farewell to poetry" (Prospero breaking his staff, source of his magic, equals Shakespeare breaking his "pen," source of his magical artistry). To what extend can we equate Prospero’s magic with Shakespeare’s literary artistry or, more generally, with the magic of the theater?
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