March82012
If you were stranded on a desert island what three things would you bring? I have been asked this question many times and my answer sometimes includes a ping-pong table, sun glasses, and a book titled, “How to Build a Boat.”  I have never been stranded on a desert island, but Prospero has.  The play, The Tempest, is set on an island in the New World where Prospero and Miranda must live away from their home of Milan.   What three things would Prospero bring to a desert island? This first thing Prospero would pack is his magic.  Prospero gains his power from his magic.  Without it he would be powerless and weak.  Power is one characteristic that reminds him of his great life back in Milan.  The constant reminder of what he left behind pushes Prospero find a way back home. The next item on Prospero’s list is a book titled, “Manipulation 101.”  Prospero’s power doesn’t only come from his magic, but from his ability to easily manipulate others.  When He first arrived in the island, Prospero quickly gained control over Caliban and Ariel making them his indentured slaves.  With the ability to exploit those around him, Prospero gains authority over all existing forms of power and is able to create his own hierarchy of command. And finally, Prospero would bring his daughter, Miranda.  Like Prospero said in the play, Miranda is 1/3 of himself.  Miranda is Prospero’s only human connection to his past and the his only reason to have a bright future.  We see Prospero’s devotion to Miranda throughout the play.  Without Miranda, Prospero would not be civil and seek pure revenge for what his brother did. So, what three things would you bring if you were stranded on a desert island?  This question doesn’t ask how or why you got onto the island, or even how you would get off.  The question is about the time you spend on the island and what is most important to you.   What does Prospero care about and what does that reveal about his character? Do the things we bring define who we are and what we stand for? -Rachel F.

If you were stranded on a desert island what three things would you bring?

I have been asked this question many times and my answer sometimes includes a ping-pong table, sun glasses, and a book titled, “How to Build a Boat.”  I have never been stranded on a desert island, but Prospero has.  The play, The Tempest, is set on an island in the New World where Prospero and Miranda must live away from their home of Milan.  

What three things would Prospero bring to a desert island?

This first thing Prospero would pack is his magic.  Prospero gains his power from his magic.  Without it he would be powerless and weak.  Power is one characteristic that reminds him of his great life back in Milan.  The constant reminder of what he left behind pushes Prospero find a way back home.

The next item on Prospero’s list is a book titled, “Manipulation 101.”  Prospero’s power doesn’t only come from his magic, but from his ability to easily manipulate others.  When He first arrived in the island, Prospero quickly gained control over Caliban and Ariel making them his indentured slaves.  With the ability to exploit those around him, Prospero gains authority over all existing forms of power and is able to create his own hierarchy of command.

And finally, Prospero would bring his daughter, Miranda.  Like Prospero said in the play, Miranda is 1/3 of himself.  Miranda is Prospero’s only human connection to his past and the his only reason to have a bright future.  We see Prospero’s devotion to Miranda throughout the play.  Without Miranda, Prospero would not be civil and seek pure revenge for what his brother did.

So, what three things would you bring if you were stranded on a desert island?  This question doesn’t ask how or why you got onto the island, or even how you would get off.  The question is about the time you spend on the island and what is most important to you.  

What does Prospero care about and what does that reveal about his character?

Do the things we bring define who we are and what we stand for?

-Rachel F.

True Life truelife Prospero If you were stranded on a desert island what three things would you bring? The Tempest William Shakespeare Miranda power important English desert island island 

1PM

Prospero’s Power

In Act 5 scene 1, Prospero announces that after he’s done seeking justice upon his adversaries, he will “break [his] staff and.. drown his book” (149). If one had not read the play, a person might believe that Prospero has changed for the better, that he has realized the harmful consequences of possessing power and has decided to remove the very notion of power from his life. But Prospero’s “realization” is not this simple because he conveniently realizes the destructive effects of his magical abilities when he is coming into another source of power, his restoration as the Duke of Milan.  Without being reinstated to his position of former power, Prospero would most likely not have considered doing away with his cherished books.  Not only that, but in the epilogue there is no mention that Prospero ever saw this thought through.  So, is Prospero truly a merciful ruler, as everyone seems to believe, or in actuality is he a sneaky trickster with the upper hand?   

AMY

the tempest prospero magic power 

March72012

Leaving

In the plat The Tempest, a ton of leaving takes place in the play. First Prospero and Miranda leaving Milan, then the ship leaving Milan, and everyone leaving the island at the end of the play. However after leaving becomes arrival, just as the saying about closing one door and opening another. Every time a character closes a door of their own they open another door that leads to a plethora of opportunities. For Prospero specifically he closes multiple doors at one time, leaving one open that leaded him back to where he came from. Now he is going back to the start his “little life is rounded with sleep” (133). Prospero has made a full circle in his lifetime and now has no choice but to follow it until the end.

Art Leaving The Tempest Shakespeare William Shakespeare Prospero 

7PM

Obedience In Shakespeare

So I am assistant directing a middle school production of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the  Shrew, which is all about obedience. For those of you who are not familiar with the story, it is about a sassy shrew-ish girl named Katherine (Kate) and a man named Petruchio who tames her….there’s a lot of other things that happen too but for the purposes of this post, that’s all that matters. IN the end of The Taming of the Shrew, Katherine is completely obedient to Petruchio and both Katherine and Petruchio are praised for Kate’s good behaviour. In calls as well, when we discuss the Tempest, we spend a lot of time talking about Miranda’s obedience to Prospero and how she will make a wonderful wife for Ferdinad because she is so obedient. What do you think this says about women in Shakespeare’s time? Has is expectation of obedience changed?

Paige

Obedience Prospero Miranda Ferdinand The Tempest The Taming of the Shrew Katherine Kate Petruchio 

March42012

As Christine and Kelsey have touched on earlier, the debate between revenge and justice is a huge one. In The Tempest, Prospero has the opportunity to carry out the ultimate form of revenge by killing Antonio, Alonso and the whole crew during the storm created by Ariel. He instead allows them to arrive on the island, and he elongates their torture through a series of magical events. To me, this connects to the idea of the death penalty (a quick, relatively easy death) as reparation for a crime versus life in prison (a long drawn out punishment). In the Tempest, Prospero chooses to draw out the punishment and make the evil men feel guilty, vulnerable and homesick instead of killing them right away. He would rather have them feel true guilt than die immediately. In The Tempest as in real life, there is a line between justice and revenge. In our legal system today, we have both the death penalty and a life sentence in prison. Does the death penalty classify as revenge while the life sentence in prison as justice? Or are both acts of justice against convicted criminals?

COURTNEY 

death penalty revenge The Tempest shakespeare justice 

March12012

“In one voyage / Did Claribel her husband find at Tunis, / And Ferdinand, her brother, found a wife / Where he himself was lost; Prospero his dukedom / In a poor isle; and all of us ourselves / When no man was his own” (Act 5. Sc. 1. Lines 249 - 254).

In this passage, Gonzalo and the rest of the boat party have just discovered that both Prospero and Ferdinand are alive. Gonzalo speaks out to the group as a whole, and points out the many positive aspects to their being stranded on Prospero’s island. The reason for their journey was the wedding of Claribel, Alonso’s daughter, to a prince in Tunis. Because of that journey, the ship was brought into the clutches of Prospero and Ariel, and the men from Prospero’s past were placed upon the island in order for him to enact him form of justice for past events.  These events led to the eventual meeting of Ferdinand and Miranda, something which Prospero had planned as a way to regain his lost power in Milan, as well as a way to gain favor in the eyes of the King of Naples, Alonso.  And, because of this marriage, Prospero was eventually able to regain the kingdom and power he lost due to his brother’s betrayal.  I think that this passage symbolizes how, although the initial journey and arrival on the island was filled with many negative prospects, in the end, there were also several very positive outcomes, giving the whole play a more positive tone.  

~Megan 

The Tempest quotes act 5 gonzalo 

7PM
“O wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is! O, brave new world
That has such people in ‘t!”

Page 159

I think this quote really shows Miranda’s naivete.  She is so surprised to see all the people on the island.  Miranda, having grown up on this island alone with no one but her father and Caliban, has never seen other human beings. The first man she sees is Ferdinand and she is stunned by him and falls instantly in love with him.  Now she sees all these other men on the island and refers to them as “godly creatures”.  She is so open and accepting and easily impressed.

- Sandra

the tempest quotes 

February292012

“Some subtleties o’ th’ isle, that will [not] let you/ Believe things certain.” (Act V, Scene 1, line 140-141)

This quote of Prospero’s reminded me of Caliban’s speech about the island (Act 3 scene 2, lines 148-156) when he talks about all the magical happenings of the island. In Caliban’s opinion all the sounds and spirits of the island and harmless and the island is wonderful. However, in Prospero’s note here we see that although the island is full of magic, this isn’t necessarily as great as Caliban sees it. The magic of the island that Caliban talked about, like the “sounds and sweet airs” cause Alonso and company to question the world around them and what is real and what isn’t. Also in this scene Prospero is having his sort of last hoorah with his magic before giving it up so in noting that the island causes people to question realities he could also be referring to the negative side of magic. This is a first for Prospero considering the entirety of the play thus far we have seen Prospero using magic to his advantage. With this view of the island readers can further see a change in Prospero from being strictly power hungry to being more forgiving and human in a sense.

-Ashley

The Tempest Shakespeare Prospero Caliban 

February282012

Ambiguity

First, the ambiguity.

The most ambiguous and ever changing character in The Tempest is the one and only Ariel (my personal favorite). Ariel’s character is a spirit whom does not have a gender (but Prospero calls Ariel “he”), age, race, culture, sex, etc., but Ariel does have a connection to Prospero until set free. His attachment to Prospero allows the readers a way to envision a face behind the personality of Ariel, though Shakespeare does not give evidence to support any of the ideas. Ariel’s ambiguity directly relates to the optical illusion above because, like Ariel, the photo can be seen as multiple things, but no one knows exactly what it is. In this case the photo is a glass or two faces (fewer options than Ariel), but both options can not be proven 100% true. Just because Prospero calls Ariel “he” does not automatically make Ariel a man.

-Kai

ambiguity The Tempest Shakespeare William Shakespeare Art Ariel 

7PM
Our discussions about the importance and meaning of dreams in The Tempest reminded me of an artist, Jim Shaw. He is known for a series of drawings he did based off of his own dreams in order to commemorate and prolong the magic that ends the moment we awaken. This notion relates to one that Caliban from The Tempest expresses in act 3 scene 2 - “when I waked/ I cried to dream again” – ultimately acknowledging that our dreams are in fact illusive and unattainable in real life. Still, Shaw’s work uncannily connects this same breach between fantasy and reality that Caliban laments. His dream drawings are not a surreal body of work, but one that attains an equilibrium by presenting fantastic, figurative scenes in a concrete, narrative, matter-of-fact manner. As in the case of this particular drawing – Heather – Shaw reaches this equilibrium visually, through the balanced juxtaposition of realistic rendering with abstract lines.  To create his dream drawings (a collection of over 200 pieces!) Shaw kept a voice-activated tape recorder next to his bed as he slept. The moment he awoke from a dream, he would immediately regurgitate everything he could remember. Later, he would play back the recording and draw out these images or stories. His drawings make the inspirational ideas that surface during sleep accessible, and dreams a cohesive part of reality. In regards to The Tempest, had Caliban the technology to record and play back his own dreams, I wonder if he would find himself uplifted from the burden of reality, or only more reminded that his dreams were unattainable.  _Mikhaila  

Our discussions about the importance and meaning of dreams in The Tempest reminded me of an artist, Jim Shaw. He is known for a series of drawings he did based off of his own dreams in order to commemorate and prolong the magic that ends the moment we awaken. This notion relates to one that Caliban from The Tempest expresses in act 3 scene 2 - “when I waked/ I cried to dream again” – ultimately acknowledging that our dreams are in fact illusive and unattainable in real life.

Still, Shaw’s work uncannily connects this same breach between fantasy and reality that Caliban laments. His dream drawings are not a surreal body of work, but one that attains an equilibrium by presenting fantastic, figurative scenes in a concrete, narrative, matter-of-fact manner.

As in the case of this particular drawing – Heather – Shaw reaches this equilibrium visually, through the balanced juxtaposition of realistic rendering with abstract lines. 

To create his dream drawings (a collection of over 200 pieces!) Shaw kept a voice-activated tape recorder next to his bed as he slept. The moment he awoke from a dream, he would immediately regurgitate everything he could remember. Later, he would play back the recording and draw out these images or stories. His drawings make the inspirational ideas that surface during sleep accessible, and dreams a cohesive part of reality.

In regards to The Tempest, had Caliban the technology to record and play back his own dreams, I wonder if he would find himself uplifted from the burden of reality, or only more reminded that his dreams were unattainable.

 _Mikhaila

 

Caliban Heather Jim Shaw Shakespeare The Tempest Art 

February242012

Tempest vs. Aeneid: Who really controls your fate?

In The Tempest there are a lot of similarities with the epic poem we are currently reading in Latin class, Virgil’s The Aeneid. The fact that an intense, scary storm places the foreign men on a new, unfamiliar island where they must learn to survive, occurs in both works. But more intriguing in my opinion, is the mystic/magical/fatalistic experiences and events which occur in both works. In The Aeneid, the gods continuously influence and interfere in the lives of the humans to ensure that everything is playing out according to the predetermined fate. Similarly, in The Tempest, Prospero has all the power on the island, and he can manipulate and interfere in the lives of Alonso, Gonzalo, Antonio, Sebastian and all the other men (and Miranda) to ensure that all of them play into his desired plan. The question of whether humans really have control over the course of their lives is examined in both works. This idea is interesting because even in our society today, people have various opinions about whether all of our lives have a predetermined fate which is unchangeable or if there is a God who has a preset plan or if we as humans have the power to control and manipulate our own destinies. What do you guys think about this idea? 

the tempest shakespeare aeneid virgil fate 

11AM

The Tempest: Hollywood Drama’s Great Great Grandpa

While reading our latest assignment of The Tempest, Act IV, I was astonished to realize how similar it was to today’s soap operas, dramas, or reality TV. We are about to get a happily ever after, the marrige of Miranda and Ferdinand, but WAIT past drama, Caliban’s murderous plot, surfaces causing Prospero to hault the services and dramatically exit. A common tactic to lengthen movies, keep watchers tuned in, or just a hook to hold people though commercials is about 3/4 of the way though, cause drama, something critical that could ruin the imminent happy ending. By giving a taste of the good, by showing us a bit of the wedding, the watchers/readers get excited for the ending, ready to watch it. Throwing in the drama gets the watchers more invested because they understand what is at stake if the crisis is not resolved. Shakespeare employs this tactic when we get to see Ferdinand finally free and ready to marry and then throws in Caliban, Triculo, and Stephano’s plot to rile up the audience against them and keep them involved.

Many people say that Hollywood takes Shakespear and ruins it by adding unnessasary drama or artistic flair. Critics point to Romeo + Juliet, She’s the Man, Westside Story, 10 Things I Hate About You, and Independance Day saying that the drama was not true to the story and takes away from Shakespeares masterpieces. But its interesting to see that even back then he shamelessly used a reality tv device of hooking the reader. Maybe he wasn’t as stuffy as we all think.

-Clare Schneider

hollywood the tempest shakespeare grandpa reality tc reality tv 10 things i hate about you romeo and juliet westside story independence day shes the man 

February232012

Love Story

Much like Taylor Swift, Ferdinand and Miranda were “both young when [they] first saw [eachother]”, and their first glance led to love at first sight. This song alludes to one of Shakespeare’s earlier plays, Romeo and Juliet, that has a direct influence on Ferdinand and Miranda’s relationship, giving them a highly exaggerated love story. Taylor Swift calls to her forbidden love “Romeo take me somewhere we can be alone,… you’ll be the prince and I’ll be the princesss so baby just say yes.” Similiarly to Miranda, Taylor takes charge and tells her man that she wants them to be together; Soon after meeting him, Miranda frankly tells Ferdinand that she wants to be his wife (Act 3, Scene 1). Miranda’s “gung ho” attitude towards their future reveals that she wears the pants in their relationship, reversing the gender roles of her society.

AMY

love story taylor swift the tempest 

February212012
“The very instant that I saw you did
My heart fly to your service, there resides
To make me slave to it, and for your sake
Am I this patient log-man”

Pg 95 (Act 3, Sc. 1, 76-79)

Act 3, Scene 1, is all about Miranda and Ferdinand and their love for each other.  Ferdinand, earlier in his speech, says that “I am in my condition a prince.”  He is stating that he is in a very high position. In this section of his speech, he is saying that he will give up his high position and be a “log-man” for Miranda.  Love is often equated with sacrifice, and here, Ferdinand is sacrificing his pride and royalty for love.  Miranda, later in the scene, proposes to Ferdinand and they basically swear their love to each other.  Much like, Romeo and Juliet, Miranda and Ferdinand fall in love at first sight and quickly decide to marry.  I can’t help but wonder whether they will end up in a tragic situation like Romeo and Juliet.

- Sandra

quotes The Tempest 

7PM

In the movie, The Tempest, starring Helen Mirren, Felicity Jones, and Ben Whishaw, director Julie Taymore portrays Ariel as a being of the air and Caliban as a creature of the earth. Ariel disappears into thin air and blends in with the somber blue sky after a storm. Caliban is dark and is covered in what looks like mud or the bark of a tree. Typically, those associated with land stay true to their beliefs and roots and are slow to change to the evolving world around them. The air is affiliated with constant motion from wind and fluctuating movement. In the Tempest, the characters break from their appearance. Caliban is eager to switch alliances, while Ariels devotion to Prospera is unwavering. What does this switch reveal about the power of association to specific personality traits? Does this change our thoughts on any other characters that appear to fit in one box, but break from their affiliation?

-Rachel F.

art media The Tempest Ariel Caliban Prospera Helen Mirren Julie Taymore appearance earth air character traits 

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