For this post, I'd like you to select a passage from the reading (Act IV or V) 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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"The dropsy drown this fool! What do you mean to dote thus on such luggage? Let's alone, and do the murder first. If he awake, from toe to crown he'll fill our skins with pinches, make us strange stuff" (73).
ReplyDeleteThis quote surrounds the men's attempt to murder Prospero. Propsero sets out lavish clothes that he knows will allure Trinculo and Stephano. As predicted, they are immediately drawn to the elaborate and wealthy clothing and begin to dream about themselves in scenes of power. Caliban however is resolute on his plan of murder and has no care for the clothes. I believe this quote shows the humane side to Caliban and how he is not attracted by power and jewels. The reader begins to feel a sense of sympathy for Caliban, one that has been present from the beginning of his pathetic existence. This section of the story seemed particularly important to the plot because Propsero has the men under his mercy which was what he intended and they fell for it like the audience would expect. It reveals the true nature of these three characters and more of Prospero's plan.
Amanda R.
Amanda- great point about how this reveals even more about Caliban's true nature...also, way to go on getting the hw done so early!
ReplyDelete=LC
"TRINCULO
ReplyDeleteO King Stephano! O peer, O worthy Stephano, look what a wardrobe here is for thee!
CALIBAN
Let it alone, thou fool. It is but trash.
TRINCULO
Oh, ho, monster, we know what belongs to a frippery. O King Stephano!
STEPHANO
Put off that gown, Trinculo. By this hand, I’ll have
that gown.
TRINCULO
Thy grace shall have it" (72).
This passage is from the scene when Trinculo and Stephano are attracted to the beautiful clothes that Prospero has baited them with. While they are drooling over the rich attire, Caliban tries to bring them back to their plan to kill Prospero. I found this passage particularly interesting because of how each of the men acts towards each other. I was quite surprised in the apparent acceptance of Stephano's "kingship" by Trinculo. He has begun to call him "King Stephano" and "O worthy Stephano". Trinculo has very quickly accepted the sudden change of roles and readily acknowledges Stephano as his overlord. Also, we begin to see a rise in the bad treatment of Caliban by both men as they disregard Caliban's warning and insistence that they need to focus on their plan. Ultimately, this passage shows the result and reactions to the figurative tempest that has happened to each of the characters. They have all reacted to it very differently. One rose to the status of a king while one became his devoted slave and the other, his loyal lord. They all quickly adjusted to these roles and it resulted in the comical and idiotic scene above.
-Allison
"Though with their high wrongs I am struck to th' quick, yet with my nobler reason 'gainst my fury do I take part. The rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance. They being penitent, the sole drift of my purpose doth extend not a frown further" (75)
ReplyDeleteThis passage comes from the part in act 5 when Prospero decides to release all of the captives. This passage shows the knowledge that Prospero has. He says "Though with their high wrongs I am struck to th' quick, yet with my nobler reason 'gainst my fury do I take part." Even though Prospero hates these people and knows that they have all done wrong, he decides to let them go. Prospero looks past his feelings against these men and uses his instincts that tell him it would not be right to keep them here any longer. This is an example of the theme of intellect. "The rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance." This quote also shows the knowledge that Prospero has obtained over the years. He is a true philosopher. He does not let his emotions control his way of thinking things through. Prospero shows that he is better than all of the men on the island because he has that restraint and knows where the line is. He is the smartest of all man kind.
Kelsey G.
"But this rough magic I hear abjure...
ReplyDeleteTo work mine end upon their senses that
This airy charm is for, I'll break my staff,
Bury it certain fathoms in the earth
And deeper than ever plummet sound
I'll drown my book"(76).
Throughout the course of the play, and the many years Prospero has spent on the island, he has used magic to live and plot his revenge. His staff and his books have been the source of magical lifestyle, and meant everything to him. However, he sees how much harm he has caused the men on the island, especially the wise Gonzalo and King Alonso. Now that Prospero realizes his impact on the men, and has seen that they are repenting, he no longer needs magic. His reliance on books at Milan was the original cause of his downfall, and now that he has used it to his benefit, there is no need for it. With his own intellect, Prospero believes that he can solve his problems and lets go of his vengeful feelings. I found this interesting because throughout the play, I had considered Prospero to be somewhat immoral, only using his powers to benefit himself. Now it is apparent that Prospero does have a conscience, and is willingly to give up his indulgence in magic to forgive his enemies.
-Shelby A
Allison- great analysis and insight into how social disruption quickly settles into traditional roles. New boss, same as the old boss...
ReplyDeleteKelsey- Great point about Prospero's reason over emotion. Do you believe he is always able to be controlled by reason, though? What aobut in the case of dealings with Caliban? Why does Caliban "get to" him?
Shelby- Excellent choice of quote and insights. I also warm up to Prospero toward the end.
=LC
"Do not infest your mind with beating on the strangeness of this business. At picked leisure, which shall be shortly , single I'll resolve you (which to you shall seem probable) of every these happened accidents; till when, be cheerful and think of each thing well" (84).
ReplyDeleteAt this point in the play, Prospero refuses to tell the story of his existence. This is a very different side of him, that the reader had not seen before. Prospero would never give up the opportunity to compose his own account of events with a great deal of embellishments thrown into the mix. Instead, Prospero decides to wait and tell them later. This story is not even included into the play itself, however, one can only assume that after the change of emotion (as detailed by past posts) that he will give the group of friends the actual truth, without the need of embellishments now that his task has been accomplished. This ties into the theme of books and stories, in that, the refusal to tell one marks the end of the play. All turns out very well for both sides, and Shakespeare also says his farewell to the audience as well; with the last story of "how it all came to be" left out of the equation.
-(a little bit of a stretch) Jeff B
I swear I know Shelby's quote from somewhere and it's driving me crazy...
ReplyDelete"Prospero. [Aside] I had forgot hat foul conspiracy Of the beast Caliban and his confederates Against my life. The minute of their plot Is almost come. [To the Spirits] Well done! Avoid! No more!" (69)
So Prospero's there with Miranda and Ferdinand talking through marriage plans and the spirits come to Prospero and tell him of Caliban and his "plot" to have Stephano overthrow him. I think Prospero's response is interesting because it shows much flaw in his character, and irony in that he's not supposed to be entirely mortal. He had 'forgot' about Caliban's 'plotting' some kind of evil, as if he had known all along that Caliban had a plot against him and consistently kept it in mind but now suddenly 'forgot'. Of course, until Stephano and Trinculo came along there was no even conflict between Prospero and Caliban because Prospero was a bully; Caliban knew he was defeated and inferior to try and fight back. But according to Prospero's story, it's like a fight between good and evil and Prospero must always stay on his toes because Caliban is inevitably up to something. I guess this would make him seem like a god that he can always be on his guard and know what's going on, and what's a hero with no bad guy attempting ruin the day? Or leadership, that is. And as far as Miranda knows, perhaps Ferdinand as well, Prospero is flawless, incapable of human error. So they are shocked to hear him in this state because suddenly he 'forgot,' human error, and Miranda says she's never seen him so angry because to her, everything's always under control--he can do anything and it's a breeze for him. But there's never been anything against him, as he says there is. It's almost like he's against the world but no one is against him either because he manipulated them into his control or he used his spirits to mess with them which looks like bad luck or coincidence. So it's easy to look like things are under conrol, because they are. Although he's a warrior a one-sided fight. It makes him look like there's always a battle, always people against him, but he never loses and no sweat. Now that there's actually a plot, he's in a fit of anger, and I almost see it as excitment really because now he can tie it into his story. Like, 'see! He's always against me!' But he had never acted that way before, now that there's a situation they see him handling things in a moral manner. And, as her father is pretty much the only person she has ever known, this kind of behavior must seem out of this world to her. So I think of his response there as a leak of mal-intent on his part, or leak in exposing the truth...and an immortal wouldn't leak because there's no flaw to reveal. So I think maybe Miranda wakes up a bit there--she's now witnessed a realistic vision of her life, but one that doesn't belong in the world that she knows.
“’Now my charms are all o’erthrown, and what strength I have’s mine own, which is most faint’” (87).
ReplyDeleteThis excerpt is taken from the very beginning of the epilogue, when Prospero is addressing the audience. In this, I see Prospero as a different character than who he is for the majority of the play. To the audience, he is acknowledging his weakness and mortality, in a sense. Without his ability to produce magical spells and without his two slaves, specifically Ariel, whom he has had wrapped around his finger for many years, Prospero really has no power. He is just a mere man subject to fate. I agree with Shelby’s post in that Prospero is willing to give up his evil, manipulative ways because he sees its many repercussions on the people who have been affected by them and, for this, he feels penitent. I think Shakespeare portrays a completely different side of Prospero at the end of "The Tempest," a more human one, which perhaps allows the readers to sympathize with some of his previous selfish actions.
-Kelsey F.
Jeff- I think there is power in withholding a story, too...
ReplyDeleteAnnalise- Excellent reading of Prospero's illusion of struggle and jolt of what he recognizes as a true threat.
Kelsey- I agree, in many ways this is a story of a man coming to terms with his own limitations and mortality.
=LC
“We are such stuff
ReplyDeleteAs dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.” 70
This snippet from the longer speech Prospero made on pages 69-70, immediately caught my attention. I was struck by its sad, gloomy tone. This is when Prospero realizes that everything he is and everything surrounding him is all a “dream.” It is at this point when he begins to question the legitimacy of his power. He starts to see how there isn’t any true substance to it and about how his "little life is rounded by a sleep". These realizations build up to what he said in the epilogue (Kelsey’s quote) “Now my charms are all o’erthrown, and what strength I have’s mine own, which is most faint”. As Kelsey said, this quote emphasizes the point when he admits that all of the power that he thought he had is false. In reality, he has no power without his two slaves. Like others who have commented above, I begin to grow sympathetic towards Prospero towards the end of the play. My respect for him grew when I read about his more noble, moral actions that help him to take responsibility for his earlier abuses of power.
Sydney
Sydney
Prospero: And, like the baseless fabric of this vision... Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve,and like this insubstantial pageant faded, leave not a rack behind. We are stuff as dreams are made on, and our little like is rounded with a sleep. (pg.70)
ReplyDeleteThis monologue by Prospero occurs close to the end of act IV. To start it off, it seems that this "vision" that Prospero is referring to is the world. In this passage, he is essentially saying that nothing in our world is a substantial object, but just an illusion that we ourselves create. Before Prospero spoke this, the mini "play" that occured within the play had just ended. I believe that this scene was trying to say that all things in the world were part of a mere illusion. It is as though the world is having a dream and we are all parts in this scene that it plays out. This also goes along with the theme of a maker that is shaping everything. The earth being the maker of everything that occurs and Prospero being the maker of this island. We have such little significance in the world that it seems like we are just a mere dream that passes with time. The little impact we have is controlled by the "sleep" that the world is having. As the passage goes on, Prospero begins to realize that we are all part of this vision and that he to is a part of it. This begins to deteriorate the strength of the power he believed to have and possibly begins to start his descent back to normality.
Kyle S.
Prospero:
ReplyDeleteI rather think you have not sought her help, of whose soft grace for the like loss I have her sovereign aid and rest myself content.
Alonso:
You the like loss?
Prospero:
As great to me, as late, and supportable to make the dear loss, have I means much weaker than you may call comfort; for I have lost my daughter. (p.80)
I chose this passage because I believe it really shows a few key elements in the story through the character's perspectives. Here Prospero is describing patience as a "her" and the "soft grace" her "sovereign aid" gives him. Like his magic, Prospero gains his powers through knowledge gained from days spent studying and learning. The ability of Prospero to see beyond and to utilize things for what they really are, such as the Nature of his island sets him apart from the ship-wrecked nobility and their materialistic viewpoints. Though patience has no real magical power alike Nature, Prospero utilizes their "supernatural" power by truly appreciating them and by "understanding" their true potential. It is constantly reminded throughout the story that the power of Prospero lies not in his mortal body, but in the wealth of the world around him that he has learned to utilize. The power of the elements are manifested in Ariel and the "ministers of fate" that Prospero commands and he is able to do such acts through gained intellect and knowledge.
Period 6's Minister of Fate,
Daniel "Ariel" McNulty
p.s. Ariel in the male sense
"Prospero: If I have too austerely punished you, your compensation makes amends; for i have given you here a third of mine own life, or that for when I live; who once again I tender to thy hand. All thy vexations were but my trials of thy love, and thou hast strangely stood the test. Here, afore heaven I ratify this my rich gift" (63).
ReplyDeleteThis passage is the opening monologue of act IV. Prospero is telling Ferdinand that he is giving him his daughter, Miranda. This is a BIG deal to Prospero because Miranda is a third of his life, which is why he put Ferdinand through the "trials of love" and punished him so harshly. He wanted to be sure that the man he was giving his daughter away to loved her as much as he does. By giving Miranda away, Prospero gives his "rich gift".
-Danielle F.
Ariel: "Confined together in the same fashion as you gave in charge, just as you left them, all prisoners, sir, in the line grove which weather-fends your cell. they cannot budge till your release. the king, his brother, and yours, abide all three distracted, and the remainder mourning over them, brimful of sorry and dismay. but chiefly him that you termed, sir, "the good old lord gonzalo," his tears run down his beard like winter's drops from eaves of reeds. your charm so strongly works 'em that if you now beheld them, your affections would become tender."
ReplyDeleteThe emotions that Ariel seems to have appear as human although we know that ariel is not. he know swhat these peoplle feel like for he too is being confined to an area that he does not want to be. Ariel wants to be free more than anything just like the prisoners. Ariel shows exactly how much power Prospero holds by talking about the people that he is withholding. Prospero's brother, the king, and the kings brother are all in a crazed state of mine and the the rest are dreadfully worried about them, thus causing the men extreme distress. Gonzalo is the most distraught of them all for he is actually CRYING. Ariel discribes that his tears are running down his beard and this shows such raw emotion. then ariel proceeds to tell that if prospero actually saw these men, he would feel sorry for them.
{[Nicole L.}]
Miranda:
ReplyDelete"O, Wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world
That has such people in't!" (81).
This is when Miranda and Ferdinand (during their chess game), see all the "spectators" on the island. This quote is particularly ironic because the "creatures" she sees are not so "goodly." Antonio stole the throne from Miranda's own father, and Sebastion and Antonio both planned on killing King Alonso. Additionally, Trinculo and Stephano are a couple comical idiots/drunks/schemers who don't really do anything at all that could be considered remotely helpful to a single character.
Also, the chess game the couple is playing is symbolic of Prospero's control of his island's captives. He strategically manipulated Ferdinand and Miranda to find and love each other, as well as separating the other boat members into different groups. Additionally, just as the object of chess is to capture the king, one of Prospero's goals was to get back at the current Duke of Milan and he captured King Alonso as well.
Nice replies in return of this query with genuine arguments and describing everything concerning that.
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