For this post, I'd like you to select a passage from the reading that you find particularly important / interesting / central to meaning / confusing (whatever, just have a reason).
Type the passage (including citation, of course) and then analyze the heck out of it.
Look at the language and overall connections to the text. What questions does it bring up? Does it have multiple meanings?
Don't use the same passage as someone else; however, I'd LOVE it if you'd build on / respond to some of your peers' blogs.
Also, be sure to sign your name (first and last initial) at the end!
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So all Ferdinand really says beforehand is that he has never liked a woman so much. Then Miranda kind of ruined the moment a little, I would think, with this: "I do not know one of my sex; no woman's face remember, save, from my glass, mine own..." and so on. Then says she hasn't seen that many men either...but why? Just why? She could've said "I like you too, Ferdy." But no. I pictured him sitting there going..,"Okkay...at least she's still pretty." That she just throws that out there, you know it's supposed to be significant...but it's so weird...
ReplyDeleteThe fact anyway, just seems very random, that Miranda has never seen a woman (aside from her servants when she was little). So...supposedly that's important, and it's obvious how it's put ut there in the story but...why? If there wasn't an odd, forced sense of significance in that, I wouldn't think much of it at all because I can't see how it would connect to the plot...does that mean she's manly? A lesbian? Those don't seem Shakespearian at all so...I find it very odd. I presume it's part of her father's manipulation...maybe for some odd reason he doesn't want her to see women...okay that still seems weird. That just stuck out to me like a sore thumb.
-Annalise
(sorry, the quote is on page 49)
ReplyDelete-still Annalise
This is a quote from Caliban "Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises, sounds and sweet airs that give delight and hurt not. Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments will hum about my ears; and sometime voices that, if I then had waked after long sleep, will make me sleep again; and then, in dreaming the clouds methought would open and show riches ready to drop upon me, that, when I waked, I cried to dream again" (56-57). I liked this quote because it incorporates a couple of the main themes of the story and tells the reader a little about Caliban. The main themes included are music, magic, and nature. The natural island is magical because there are voices all around the island singing and playing music. This quote shows the reader a gentler side of Caliban. The way he speaks of the island show just how much Caliban loves the island. "The isle is full of noises, sounds and sweet airs that give delight and hurt not". This quote shows Caliban's love for the island and the way it works. There is also a lot about dreaming and sleep in this passage which I found interesting. Caliban seems to prefer the dream world to reality. In reality he is treated like dirt and has to serve Prospero, but in his dreams there are riches falling from the clouds. "when I waked, I cried to dream again". This line is sad because it shows how desperate Caliban is to get away from his situation. He cries when he awakes from his dreaming because it is so much better than his real life. This passage shows us a side of Caliban that we do not see. There is a side to Caliban that is vulnerable and soft that is rare to see.
ReplyDelete~Kelsey G.
"I'll kiss thy foot. I'll swear myself thy subject"(Shakespeare 46).
ReplyDeleteThroughout the play, servitude is an ongoing theme. Miranda, Ariel, and Caliban are portrayed as being under the control of Prospero. In this selection, even Ferdinand, the king's son, becomes a slave for Prospero. As the trend seemed to involve the manipulative Prospero being superior to all others, I was surprised that Caliban swore his loyalty to Stephano, a drunk who clearly is not as intelligent or intimidating as Prospero. This adds an ironic and lighter-hearted aspect to the play.
Romantics were heavily influenced by Shakespeare, and unique perceptions of the individuals was a key point taken from him. Caliban definitely has a unique perception, living "wild" on the island, being influenced by Prospero, and being not quite human.
From the point of view of Caliban, it makes sense to swear loyalty to a new master. When Prospero first found Caliban, Caliban treated Prospero the same way he treated Stephano. Now that he has become extremely lonely with no true companions, I understand why he would so easily serve Stephano.
Shelby A
"They fell together all, as by consent. They dropped as by a thunderstroke. What might, worthy Sebastian- O, what might?- no more! and yet methinks i see it in thy face, what thou shouldst be. Th' occasion speaks thee, and my strong imagination sees a crown dropping on thy head" (35).
ReplyDeleteAntonio notes the strange manner in which all the men fall asleep except for Sebastian and him- but then quickly changes to the subject to Sebastian's potential as future king. He seems to try and invoke his personal feelings into Sebastian, but Sebastian rejects his ideas by suggesting he is sleep talking. I thought this quote was a huge turning point and served as a foreshadow to danger. It introduces feelings of manipulation and power of weak characters over others.
- amanda r
"For no kind of traffic would I admit; no name of magistrate; letters should not be known; riches poverty, and use of service, none... all things in common nature should produce... nature should bring forth, of it own kind, all foison, all abundance" (33).
ReplyDeleteHere Gonzalo is explaining what he would do with the island if he was in charge. In this description I found many Romantic elements that could have perhaps inspired Romantic writers. Gonzalo believes that nature should be the one ruling the island and not a king. He believes that no man should be greater than another but that "should not be... riches poverty" and that " all things in common nature should produce". At the end of this quote Gonzalo says that nature should take control of everything and that man does not need to mess with this. When I read this passage I connected it to William Wordsworth's "The World is to Much With Us" for his message is also that man should not tamper with the beauty of nature. The Tempest, being a role model for many Romantic writers, portrayed Gonzalo as a care free guy who would rather let nature take control than have man get in the way of how things are suppose to be.
- Haley
“’I’ll show thee every fertile inch o’ th’ island; and I will kiss thy foot. I prithee, be my god’” (46).
ReplyDeleteI agree with Shelby’s post, in that servitude and ownership is a recurring theme in Shakespeare’s "The Tempest." When Caliban meets and interacts with these two strangers, Trinculo, the jester, and Stephano, the drunk, he is willing to do just about anything to befriend them, so that they will take ownership of him. Although the two, especially Trinculo, tease and belittle Caliban, calling him monstrous and fish-like, they agree to protect Caliban from Prospero. Caliban describes to the two the unfair circumstances he has faced, since becoming Prospero’s slave. He is no longer free, and was tricked into serving this wicked man. Caliban goes on for several lines, trying to convince Trinculo and Stephano to be his master, for he promises to show these strangers all the wonders of the island. This shows just how manipulative and unfair Prospero is to Caliban and how, as a result, Caliban is desperate to do anything to escape his master’s wrath.
-Kelsey F.
"Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows. I will have shroud till the dregs of the storm be past" (42).
ReplyDeleteUpon reading this quote, I at first found it very humorous, however, I then thought of how it may apply to the book. Although Trinculo found Caliban to be bizarre, he still decided to go against his instincts to shield himself from the storm. I also find this passage to be very ironic, in that, Caliban seems to be the most physically strange of the islands inhabitants. However, the response that Trinculo recieved after Stephano arrives is extremely positive. Ferdinand, om the other hand, comes across the island's human inhabitants. Physically, these people are the most normal, however, there is much more potential for misery in his situation.
-Jeff B.
CALIBAN
ReplyDelete...A plague upon the tyrant that I serve!
I’ll bear him no more sticks, but follow thee,Thou wondrous man.
TRINCULO
A most ridiculous monster, to make a wonder of a poor drunkard.
(46)
I found this part of the play very interesting. Not only does Caliban reject his former master, Prospero, but there is also a reversal of roles. Suddenly, Stephano, a drunk is being worshiped as a god and now has a creature to rule over. Caliban is co grateful for him for the drink and his generosity towards him that he throws himself at Stephano. Stephano gladly assumes the role of a ruler after being of a lower class and being laughed at all his life. However, the thing that I found most interesting about this passage is what Trinculo says throughout this reversal of roles. He continuously insults Caliban calling him a monster and saying that he was only acting this way because he was drunk. It seems that Trinculo is a bit jealous of Stephano. He is trying to take away from the power that has so readily been bestowed upon Stephano and make it seem like nothing. Trinculo has been cast aside and is now a bit of a third wheel and he wants to bring down Caliban as much as he can to make him seem like he's just crazy with alcohol. It will be interesting to see how this situation progresses.
-Allison K.
[Alonso, Sebastian, etc. draw their swords]
ReplyDelete"Ariel: You fools! I and my fellows are the ministers of fate. The elements, of whom your swords are temepered, may as well wound the loud winds, or with bemocked-at stabs kill the still-closing waters, as diminish one dowle that's in my plume.My fellow ministers are like invulnerable."
(p.61)
I chose this passage because I believe it really conveys two major Romantic themes in "The Tempest": the supernatural and nature and the relationship between the two. The "ministries" or spirits of Prospero's that come along with Ariel, their leader to frighten and address the shipwrecked nobility on Prospero's island represent nature. As said by Ariel, "..may as well wound the loud winds, or with bemocked-at stabs kill the still-closing waters..." Ariel and his fellow ministries embody the true power of nature in a celestial form and wield power over the shipwrecked nobility both in their form and through nature itself as shown by the mighty tempest that destroyed the kingship. Though Ariel's magic creates the tempest, it is not out of nature's power to create such a storm and it is the hand of nature that carries out Ariel's commands. This passage shows the power of nature in a different form that even further illustrates its power over humanity that fights in vain to control nature.
Forever yours,
Daniel "Caliban" McNulty
Ariel. "Prospero my lord shall know what I have done. So, King, go safely on to seek thy son." (40)
ReplyDeleteThis passage is one of my favorites out of acts 2 and 3. Ariel may seem to be unintelligent and easily minipulated but i believe that he knows exactly what he is doing. Ariel consciously makes the decision to whisper into Gonzalo's ear to wake him without Prospero's permission first. Earlier in the play, we discussed as a class how minipulative Prospero can be twords Ariel. However Ariel shows that he is aware of what is going on. He knows what everyone is capable of and what could happen to him if he was caught. The second sentence of my chosen passage is also catchy. It seems that Shakespeare is giving us a clue as to what happens next. Not only does it put our attention towards the king and his son but it also puts ideas in our minds. The two short sentences also form a couplate and if "The Tempest" is anything like the rest of Shakespeare's plays, rhyming is a sign of evil. Ariel is getting the readers ready for what is to come.
{[Nicole LaBelle]}
Brace yourself...very long quote:
ReplyDeleteTrinculo "Here's neither bush nor shrub to bear off any weather at all, and another storm brewing. I hear it sing i'th’ wind. Yon same black cloud, yon huge one, looks like a foul bombard that would shed his liquor. If it should thunder as it did before, I know now where to hide my head. Yon same cloud cannot choose but fall by pailfuls...Alas, the storm is come again! My best way is to creep under his gaberdine; there is no other shelter heareabout. Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows. I will here, shroud till the dregs of the storm be past." (41)
This quote stood out to me because I feel that this is an importance use of the storm as a symbol. I realize that Jeff choose the last two lines of this passage as his quote, but I’d like to focus more on the storm aspect of it. I think that the storm symbolizes the conflict and scheming that occurs on the island. The initial storm, which wrecked the ship, was set off with malicious intentions which suggests that storms will continue to symbolize the conflict and power struggle between the characters of the play. This passage uses the storm as a way to foreshadow the conflict that will ensue throughout the story. It shows how this conflict is inevitable and there is no where to hide from it.
The fact that Shakespeare decided to use the storm as a symbol of this tension is significant due to the fact that it is “pure” nature. A storm, in “real” life is under no human control. I like Danny’s point when he said, “This passage shows the power of nature in a different form that even further illustrates its power over humanity that fights in vain to control nature.” It is possible that Shakespeare is saying that it is uncontrollable human nature that these men become malicious and power hungry. The setting also reinforces this point. Because they are on an island, all social boundaries are gone. They are all on the same level and it is in this environment that we, as readers, can observe what Shakespeare believes to be true human nature.
-Sydney
P.S. Sorry I always post so late!! When I do my homework, I always save reading/blog post for last for some reason. It doesn't work in my favor because my quotes are always already taken, haha. I'll try to start doing the reading earlier. :)
Gonzalo- "Who, though they are of monstrous shape, yet note, their manners are more gentle, kind, than ok our human generation you shall find many-nay, almost any." (59)
ReplyDeleteWhen I read this passage, it confused me a little bit. My interpretation of this event was a group of spirits appearing before the group with everyone looking at them. These spirits seem to be part of the island and under Prospero's control. This shows the power that Prospero has and how much that we do not know about this power. By controlling these spirits, it seems that Prospero plays a god-like figure on this island. When Gonzalo says "...their manners are more gentle, kind..." it seems that he finds some value to these spirits. Since they appear to be coming from the island itself, it allows us to see the appreciation for nature and the fascination that Gonzalo has for the island.
-Kyle S.
Antonio - "Here lies your brother,
ReplyDeleteNo better than the earth he lies upon,
If he were that which now he's like, that's dead" (66).
I think my page numbers might be off because I left my book in school, so I'm reading off a different copy.
Antonio compares the sleeping body of King Alonso to the earth. However, he is not comparing the king to the beauty of nature, but to the dirtiness of the earth's ground. Shakespeare brings out some of the nastier aspects of nature through his depiction of a terrorizing tempest and using the earth to signify dirtiness and disgust.
In this passage, there is some foreshadowing when Antonio mentions that King Alonso looks as though he was dead. It is said in a tone (based on the lines before and after) that would make the reader believe that this idea would please Antonio. Indeed it would, as. shortly after, Antonio brings up the plan of getting Sebastian into power.
Also, although this may be completely unintentional, the placement of the word "better" in the line before makes it seem as though it fits in the last line of the quote, which would show that Antonio would think it better if Alonso were dead.