February202012

 The Tempest Costume Critique: Miranda

Okay, so, as much as I love the Julie Taymor Tempest, Miranda’s first costume (see the first two pictures) in the movie really threw me off. I love the dress and I would totally want to wear it, but that’s just the problem. It looks like they went to Urban Outfitters and bought her a muslin dress. Now don’t get me wrong I LOVE Sandy Powell and this kills me because I think she is just downright brilliant and I LOVE Oralando and she is soooooo fantastic but this first dress just seemed off and too modern. I mean if you’re sitting there for the first half of the movie wondering if I could buy myself a dress like that at Anthropologie, something’s not working. Although later in the movie, Miranda wears sort of an asymetrical dress with, what almost looks like a painted bustier (third picture). This, my friends, is brilliant. The tattered ends of the dress give it that “I’ve lived on an island my whole life” feel while the bustier is really fashion forward but still looks like it could have been fashioned out of an old painting. Overall this Miranda was defiantly more of an artistic fashion forward, runway Miranda all thanks the the brilliance of Sandy Powell. 

Now we move onto a very realistic and practical approach. If you direct your attention to the fourth picture, you will see what looks like a raggedy, cut off, and distressed Elizabethan style men’s shirt. This design is very realistic and probably makes the most sense; but in my opinion is a little boring and The Tempest is a fantastical play filled with magic, not all of it needs to make sense. But, with that said, I think this costume serves its purpose well. 

Now for some fun!! If you look at the fifth picture you will see Ferdinand and Miranda looking all “lovey-dovey” on the beach. Everything looks pretty good, you’ve got Ferdinand wearing a nice white puffy shirt, a brocade vest, some pirate-tastic sailor boots; Miranda looks good she’s in all shades of green (which makes her hair look FANTASTIC) she has a nice velvety cape and green dre— HOLD UP…is she wearing TOMS????  I don’t even know what to say….It’s too much for me to deal with right now. 

Lastly, we come to the “oh-so-pretty-but-where-the-hell-did-you-get-that” dress. I know its just a rendering but whey would you even think about that. I know its traditional and all but it just doesn’t make sense. Did like Ariel just whip you up a dress in his spare time or have you not grown since you were three… 

Stay Fabulous,

Paige

Toms shoes The Tempest tempest costumes costume WTF Urban Outfitters Muslin Art fashion shakespeare miranda Ferdinand 

February182012

“True, / And look how well my garments sit upon me, / Much feater than before. My brother’s servants / Were then my fellows; now they are my men” - Antonio (2.1.312 - 315))

In this passage, Antonio attempts to convince Sebastian to murder his brother and to take his place as the King of Naples.  When Sebastian says that he remembers when Antonio did the same thing to his brother, Prospero, Antonio agrees and points out how well it turned out in his favor. In this quote, the word garments is not only referencing his beautiful clothes - one of the many benefits of being a Duke - but also the power which came with his Dukedom. The word “feater” means “more elegantly” and is in reference to his garments, again emphasizing how he feels that he is the better ruler. Another thing that emphasizes his lust for power is the line “My brother’s servants… now they are my men” because it demonstrates how he has no regard for the consequences of his rise to power, even if it meant losing friends or family.  This whole passage exemplifies Antonio’s power hungry nature and his greedy and selfish behavior.  

~Megan 

The Tempest Quotes Antonio 

February172012
“I’ll show thee the best springs. I’ll pluck thee berries. I’ll fish for thee and get thee wood enough….I’ll bear him no more sticks, but follow thee Thou wondrous man” (2.2 166-170).”

This quote is when Caliban decides to commit himself to Stephano’s slavery because they gave him alcohol. This quote is important because he decides to do all the dirty work that he promised Prospero before he turned on him. He told Prospero that, “And then I loved thee, And showed thee all the qualities o’ th’ isle. The fresh springs, brine pits, barren place and the fertile” (1.2 402-405). Caliban basically promised Prospero the same things he is promising Stephano, and doesn’t understand that although he may be escaping from Prospero’s slavery, he is actually subjecting himself to the slavery of someone else. Stephano is actually only a power hungry butler who plans on selling Caliban to the zoo, when they are back in Naples, while Prospero is a born and raised duke who took care of Caliban before Caliban tried to rape Miranda. The theme of colonization is prominent throughout the play and I believe that Caliban’s situation is an allusion to the different countries trying to take over native land by conquering the people. Caliban is very naive about the intentions of his “employers” so he believes that he can be free from his torture if he becomes a slave to someone else.

-Amanda

quotes the tempest caliban prospero 

6PM
This is a photo depicting the scene where Miranda and Ferdinand talk while he carries logs. (I’m mostly going to focus of the shift in Miranda rather than solely this scene.) We are first introduced to Miranda when she is talking with her father, Prospero. She is very submissive and appears to be a very respectful daughter. With her engaged responses like “Your tale, sir, would cure deafness.” (1.2 106), she clearly displays her love for her father. However, when she meets Ferdinand (she thinks he’s a spirit and unearthly, and he is also the first man she’s felt romantic feelings for - he’s the third man she’s ever seen…), her attitude towards her father shifts. She is still respectful, but begins to disobey him because of the intense emotion she feels towards Ferdinand. “My father/ Is hard at study. Pray now, rest yourself./ He’s safe for these three hours.” This line demonstrates Miranda’s shift in behavior. Her love for Ferdinand is triumphing over her devotion and obedience to Prospero. After offering to carry the logs for Ferdinand, she tells him her name. “Miranda.—O my father,/I have broke your hest to say so!” (3.1) She also is acting in a way which her father has taught her not to “ But I prattle/ Something too wildly, and my father’s precepts/ I therein do forget.” And ends the scene by confessing her love and practically proposing to Ferdinand. We see Miranda go from acting completely submissive to the man who taught her everything (Prospero), to sneaking around his orders to be with the man she loves (Ferdinand). -Annsley

This is a photo depicting the scene where Miranda and Ferdinand talk while he carries logs. (I’m mostly going to focus of the shift in Miranda rather than solely this scene.) We are first introduced to Miranda when she is talking with her father, Prospero. She is very submissive and appears to be a very respectful daughter. With her engaged responses like “Your tale, sir, would cure deafness.” (1.2 106), she clearly displays her love for her father. However, when she meets Ferdinand (she thinks he’s a spirit and unearthly, and he is also the first man she’s felt romantic feelings for - he’s the third man she’s ever seen…), her attitude towards her father shifts. She is still respectful, but begins to disobey him because of the intense emotion she feels towards Ferdinand. “My father/ Is hard at study. Pray now, rest yourself./ He’s safe for these three hours.” This line demonstrates Miranda’s shift in behavior. Her love for Ferdinand is triumphing over her devotion and obedience to Prospero. After offering to carry the logs for Ferdinand, she tells him her name. “Miranda.—O my father,/I have broke your hest to say so!” (3.1) She also is acting in a way which her father has taught her not to “ But I prattle/ Something too wildly, and my father’s precepts/ I therein do forget.” And ends the scene by confessing her love and practically proposing to Ferdinand. We see Miranda go from acting completely submissive to the man who taught her everything (Prospero), to sneaking around his orders to be with the man she loves (Ferdinand).

-Annsley

father daughter Prospero Miranda Ferdinand The Tempest 

2PM

Mona Lisa

The famous Leonardo DaVinci painting portrays a healthy woman who welcomes all that come her way. She welcomes everyone, just as the new world welcomes millions of people seeking new found opportunities. The Mona Lisa and the New World are both healthy, fertile, pure, new and welcoming, and they share their virtues with Miranda. Miranda is new and innocent like the land she lives on, she welcomes Ferdinand and worries for Prospero’s ship and crew members. Miranda represents the future of the population of the new world to Caliban, but to Prospero she represents his journey back to dukedom. The Mona Lisa also has a beauty that no one can ignore. Miranda, to Ferdinand, is “So perfect and so peerless, are created/ Of every creature’s best.” as Mona Lisa is to Leonardo DaVinci.

-Kai

the tempest shakespeare mona lisa art new world renaissance 

February152012
Hieronymous Bosch Creatures and Caliban Sorry to be sticking with the Caliban trend… There was an image in our copy of The Tempest (Folger, page 84), glossed in the reference notes, of a fish-bird-man-thing - a visual interpretation of Caliban. Of course, there are a million interpretations of Caliban (and Ariel too), but this one was so eerie that it got me thinking of some paintings I’ve seen by Hieronymous Bosch. A bit about Bosch:  he lived simultaneously in line with and before his time, and a century prior to Shakespeare. A Dutch painter of the 15th century, Bosch’s work represents the transition from the religious imagery of the Middle Ages to the individualist imagery of the Renaissance; his work’s content derives from Biblical scenes (such as Genesis, Hell, The Last Judgement, etc.) though the imagery he uses is visionary and magical. His creatures are often absurd hybrids of things…hence, we may consider them many of them Caliban-like… This image is a detail from Bosch’s Temptation of Saint Anthony.  Besides the connection to the wild visual representations of Caliban, I think Bosch’s larger body of work reflects larger themes in The Tempest: for instance, the work represents different types of power - magical, religious, political, etc, through this rare combination of religious imagery and individualized artistic style. Also, Bosch lived at a time of toss up between religious hierarchy and individual autonomy, and he also lived though the era in which European nations began conquests to the New World. I like to think Bosch was embracing the concept of the New World in his art, as his paintings of abnormal creatures were breaking the artistic codes of the day.  _Mikhaila

Hieronymous Bosch Creatures and Caliban

Sorry to be sticking with the Caliban trend…

There was an image in our copy of The Tempest (Folger, page 84), glossed in the reference notes, of a fish-bird-man-thing - a visual interpretation of Caliban. Of course, there are a million interpretations of Caliban (and Ariel too), but this one was so eerie that it got me thinking of some paintings I’ve seen by Hieronymous Bosch.

A bit about Bosch:  he lived simultaneously in line with and before his time, and a century prior to Shakespeare. A Dutch painter of the 15th century, Bosch’s work represents the transition from the religious imagery of the Middle Ages to the individualist imagery of the Renaissance; his work’s content derives from Biblical scenes (such as Genesis, Hell, The Last Judgement, etc.) though the imagery he uses is visionary and magical. His creatures are often absurd hybrids of things…hence, we may consider them many of them Caliban-like…

This image is a detail from Bosch’s Temptation of Saint Anthony. 

Besides the connection to the wild visual representations of Caliban, I think Bosch’s larger body of work reflects larger themes in The Tempest: for instance, the work represents different types of power - magical, religious, political, etc, through this rare combination of religious imagery and individualized artistic style. Also, Bosch lived at a time of toss up between religious hierarchy and individual autonomy, and he also lived though the era in which European nations began conquests to the New World. I like to think Bosch was embracing the concept of the New World in his art, as his paintings of abnormal creatures were breaking the artistic codes of the day. 

_Mikhaila

Hieronymous Bosch Caliban The Tempest Shakespeare Art 

February142012
Shakespeare’s The Tempest was written in the latter part of his life, therefore parts of the plot have been influenced by his other works. Similiarly to Macbeth, dynamic power struggles and greed are the driving forces behind the play’s plot. In the begining, Antonio decieves his brother, Prospero, and steals his throne. Antonio states that his garments have never sat so well upon him (71), divulging that his newfound power has only benefitted him, even though it came at a very high cost. Once Prospero has been exiled and he lands upon a deserted island, he befriends the native King, Caliban, and wastes no time in stealing his throne. Caliban reflects upon his situation saying, “this island’s mine by Sycorax, my mother, which thou tak’st from me.” (37). Ironically, Prospero has just inflicted the same fate upon Caliban that his brother wreaked upon him. This reveals that Prospero is not exactly an innocent victim because he applies his same punishment unto his servants. I find it ridiculous that characters’ would use revenge, betrayl, and greed to get ahead in their society when these things have only brought about pain and suffering to others; whatever goes around comes around so it was unwise for Antonio and Prospero to hurt others because karma is not kind. -Amy

Shakespeare’s The Tempest was written in the latter part of his life, therefore parts of the plot have been influenced by his other works. Similiarly to Macbeth, dynamic power struggles and greed are the driving forces behind the play’s plot. In the begining, Antonio decieves his brother, Prospero, and steals his throne. Antonio states that his garments have never sat so well upon him (71), divulging that his newfound power has only benefitted him, even though it came at a very high cost. Once Prospero has been exiled and he lands upon a deserted island, he befriends the native King, Caliban, and wastes no time in stealing his throne. Caliban reflects upon his situation saying, “this island’s mine by Sycorax, my mother, which thou tak’st from me.” (37). Ironically, Prospero has just inflicted the same fate upon Caliban that his brother wreaked upon him. This reveals that Prospero is not exactly an innocent victim because he applies his same punishment unto his servants. I find it ridiculous that characters’ would use revenge, betrayl, and greed to get ahead in their society when these things have only brought about pain and suffering to others; whatever goes around comes around so it was unwise for Antonio and Prospero to hurt others because karma is not kind.

-Amy

the tempest greed power 

February92012

“‘Twas a sweet marriage, and we prosper well in our return”(Act 2. Sc. 1. Lines 75-76) ~Sebastian

From what we have seen in the play so far, we can easily tell that there is a major power struggle occurring among many of the characters. Because of the situation that they have been placed in, the true colors of these characters has begun to show little by little, and in this passage, Sebastian does exactly that. The marriage they are referring to is that of Claribel to a prince from Tunis. Sebastian’s brief overview of the wedding details and his automatic change of topic to wealth demonstrates his rather selfish and materialistic personality. This trait is touched upon later in the Act, but I think that this is a short and simple summary of Sebastian’s motives and exemplifies his self-centered personality. 

~Megan 

quotes The Tempest Sebastian 

10PM

In 7th grade we read The Tempest and maintained a blog/chat similar to this Tumblr.  Strangely, I remember what I posted as a thirteen year old and now four years later I have a greater understanding.  Parentheses by The Blow is about the trust two people have and how their individual personalities contribute to creating this trust.  Four years ago, I interpreted the lines, “There’s plenty space to encase/ whatever weird way my mind goes,/ I know I’ll be safe in these arms” to sum up with relationship between Prospero and Miranda.  All throughout her childhood Miranda has grown up without an understanding of where she comes from until Act 1, Scene 2 in the Tempest when she asks what she is.  Miranda has trusted her father all these years in his “arms” to protect her because she is vulnerable to the unknown in the world.  What does Miranda’s unwavering trust reveal about her character?  Values she was brought us with? And her expectations of her father?  Now, I would like the interpret the opening lines, “Some philosophies fuel a belief in the self,/ constructed to keep one’s goods on one’s own shelf.”  This part of the song underlines the human condition to withhold parts of ones self or ones true actions.  Not disclosing the whole truth is just as bad as lying to someone.  In The Tempest, Prospero puts obstacles in the way of Miranda and Ferdinand’s love to force Ferdinand into enslavement.  Prospero repeatedly uses magic to get others to do what he wants and he never reveals the truth behind his malicious actions.  By withholding the truth behind his actions what does Prospero reveal about his true motives?  Are his untruthful actions deemed acceptable if they don’t hurt anyone?

-Rachel F.

true life music The Tempest william shakespeare 7th grade i was awkward 

10PM

ANDROGYNY IN SHAKESPEARE and its influence on modern entertainment.

In The Tempest, Ariel is more or less an androgynous character. It is an avoided topic, actually; Ariel is mostly referred to as “the spirit.” Perhaps Shakespeare made Ariel so in order to heighten our sense of the supernatural - thinking beyond the boundaries of male and female. In this way, The Tempest helped pioneer the concept of androgyny in characters, which has lived on in theater, film, fashion, art, etc. 

The first image is of an androgynous Ariel in a performance of The Tempest.

The second is of Cate Blanchett playing Bob Dylan in the film “I’m Not There” (2007). She is absolutely fantastic in this role!!!!!

The third is of actress Tilda Swinton, a popular image of androgyny in the media.  

_Mikhaila

The Tempest Ariel cate blanchett bob dylan I'm Not There Androgyny Tilda Swinton 

8PM

This is a clip from the movie The Tempest directed by Julie Taymor starring Helen Mirren, Felicity Jones, and Ben Whishaw. This clip is from around the lines 322-347 when Prospero is criticizing Ariel for complaining about his duties. I love this scene because it gives such a good visual of Ariel becoming the pine, but also the special effects emphasize both Ariel and Prospera’s power. They are able to turn their setting from inside a room into a flashback of Ariels imprisonment, which shows how Prospera and Ariel are able to control the island with their magic. I also like the fact that Julie Taymor made Prospero into a Prospera, male to female. In this scene, Helen Mirren portrays a very intimidating Prospera who I would be equally frightened of, male or female. Another reason why I like Prospero portrayed as a woman is because either way, Miranda cannot tell the difference between parenting. In the text, she has never known her mother, but in the movie, she has never known her father but that doesn’t make a difference because one or the other is still parenting her. What do you guys think of Prospero being portrayed as a Prospera?

-Amanda

the tempest media william shakespeare shakespeare helen mirren prospero russell brand 

February52012

Burdens

Like the Titan, Atlas, the characters of The Tempest have, or had, burdens unbearable as holding up the sky. Caliban has the burden of servitude to Miranda and Prospero, Ariel is under Prospero’s power until Prospero sets him free, Prospero is no longer the Duke of Milan, and Miranda has to suffer through her father’s horridly boring stories. Though all the characters have completely different problems they are all connected through the way they perceive their personal problems. This foreshadows and symbolizes a future connection of all the characters through a shared hate for something or someone.

-Kai

burden the tempest atlas art 

February22012

“I should sin to think but nobly of my grandmother. Good wombs have borne bad sons” (21).

This passage reveals that Miranda places the blame of her father’s misfortune on his mother, who birthed his malevolent brother, Antonio.   Her belief that her grandmother is responsible for Antonio’s actions reveals that, in larger terms, society uses women as a scapegoat for mens’ corrupt actions.  Because the woman is punished, in this scenario, shows that this is time period is a patriarchy and woman are considered second class citizens.  The line “good wombs have borne bad sons” exhibits that this is not an uncommon stereotype because good woman have had evil sons before.  

-AMY

quotes the tempest shakespeare 

Page 2 of 2 Newer entries →