Tsvetan Wrote:
It has been a little bit confusing so far, but overall I don’t think I’m lost. I know what’s going on and even though the language is hard I understand most of it.
I noticed that Shakespeare chose to make it very romantic, with kind of a fairy tale love, because Prospero’s daughter, Miranda and Ferdinand fell in love with each other the moment they met. It seemed like it was a part of Prospero’s grand scheme, so I think that there might be some magic involved there. Other than that I’m very curious now what Prospero’s plan is, because he was pretending to be upset by the love between his daughter and Ferdinand, yet he said that everything is going according to plan. I was also surprised to see how verbose Caliban is, considering he learned to speak pretty late in his life, after Prospero taught him.
Chloe Wrote:
When I read this on my own it was difficult for me to understand and my mind just could not grasp the words or make any sense of them. I felt like I was just reading the words and going back and forth between the characters not understanding the situation or conversations. However once we read it aloud in class my understanding for it definitely deepened. It was easier to distinguish the characters and their attitudes as they were finally separated and their own person as opposed to me reading every one and getting mixed up in my mind. The language also became a little clearer, I mean there is still some confusion and frustration over it seeing as how it is completely different but I could slowly get used to reading it. I think reading aloud helped the language to become clearer because it was getting broken up by each character saying their own lines and as a group we were able to go over what was happening. When you read a play to yourself especially Shakespeare it’s just a bunch of words that run on and on with no clarity.
So far the play isn’t that bad. It isn’t my personal favorite and I wouldn’t choose to read this on my own but I could get into it as long as we continue to go over it now and then. What I like about this play and many that Shakespeare has written is that he uses universal themes in his works of literature. I love how you can always find something to relate to and compare it to other situations or readings to better understand it. It’s also funny to think about how were this written in a language we understood better they are actually really interesting stories.
I’m most excited or interested to see how Prospero plans on getting his title back and having everything work out to his liking. The fact that he uses magic to do so surprised me as I didn’t think that would be a theme in this play. The few of Shakespeare’s works that I have read or heard of or been exposed to somehow don’t usually have magic as being part of them, I saw Shakespeare more into people and their interactions between one another. I also like Miranda because so far she is the only female character we have come across and she seems to have some secrets of her own or an interesting mind due to the fact she remembers her past when she shouldn’t. I would like to see this play performed by professionals I have a feeling it would be much more enthralling. However I know it will surprise me in the end and by then I will be interested greatly it is just hard to get through.
Josh Wrote:
The first thing I have to comment on, however obvious it may be, is the difficulty of understanding some of the words in context the first time I read a line. I believe that reading the text out loud as it is intended to be read makes comprehending the action much easier. However, at other times I find the unfamiliar dialect entertaining. Some lines which stood out to me were on page 851, where Prospero asks Miranda, "Dost thou attend me?" to which Miranda replies, "Sir, most heedfully." Another example is on page 864, where Miranda makes a comment about a spirit and Prospero responds with, "No, wench. It eats, and sleeps, and hath such senses as we have, such." The more I read, the more I find Shakespearian or Elizabethan English to be comical.
Nicole Wrote:
I like that the play begins in a frantic state on a boat during a dangerous storm that is caused by the Tempest. Though Shakespeare brings many characters into the story all at once, the reader can quickly get a sense of these characters' personalities. I guess we do see who people really are in times of panic.
It is interesting that Shakespeare decided to use a time of panic to introduce his characters. I am guessing that we are seeing the worst side to these characters because of the situation. Shakespeare seems to have given us their normally hidden sides to examine first. But the mariners still try to hide their fear of the storm for some peculiar reason that intrigues me, unless they are just plain cowardly. I am also curious to know why Gonzalo believes that Boatswain should be hanged and not drowned. What kind of act has Boatswain committed to make a man believe such a thing?
Everett Wrote:
As far as Act I of The Tempest goes, I can't tell what or how it'll go. No signs of romance have flickered through characters yet, but I can make a few uneducated guesses...
Like a lot of Shakespeare's writing, I bet the love between two characters will be forbidden or frowned upon. Even plays that are not romance, contain forbidden factors to them. For example, I recently went to the play Macbeth, which has to do with a desire to have power and control, a power that is not entitled to them, so they take matters into there own hands. It seems like the major conflict in most of his work is a forbidden desire for someone or something. In Tempest, I'm predicting the Duke's daughter falling in love with the king's son. The Duke and his daughter live on an island, in a cave, which makes me assume he was banished and punished for something. The King may have had say
Another factor of Macbeth and so far in The Tempest, is the fact that I can hardly understand what it is that is being said. Macbeth made absolutely no sense to me with the language so foreign and sophisticated. The Tempest hasn't been quite as bad, but at the same time that is because we read the first act together and analyzed it together. I think that going through The Tempest in class rather than at home is the best way for myself to get what is going on without falling behind or completely misunderstanding the text.
Otherwise, it's a little too early to decide whether I like The Tempest or not, but I am approaching it positively.
Katherine Wrote:
So far, I am having trouble understanding some parts of the play, but other than that, I am enjoying the play. My favorite part so far in act I, scene I, when Boatswain is telling the people of higher class that they need to go down stairs because they are in his way. The fact that this low class person is being sarcastic and out right rude to these people shows that Boatswain does not care about what class he belongs to, he will speak his mind regardless. The people of the higher class were definitely bothered by his remarks and felt offended. My favorite line is when Sebastian says to boatswain “A pox o’ your throat, you bawling, blasphemous in-charitable dog!” (847). I do not know why exactly I like this line but I just thought it was a funny thing to call someone. I guess I’m just not used to hearing language like that. Over all I like the play I’m just having trouble following what is going on.
Bobby Wrote:
From reading The Tempest so far, the language is presented itself to be a challenge for me. Though I have read Hamlet, I did not remember the Shakespearean language to be this difficult. I have noticed since it is a romance play, some similarities with Romeo and Juliet such as love at first sight and forbidden love. Though it may not be clear if it is really forbidden because when Ferdinand and Prospero met, it seemed at first Prospero did not mind that Miranda and Ferdinand took a liking to each other. I think that’s only because it might be part of his plan. He has a tight control over his subjects and is the cause of the storm that shipwrecked his brother and the king of Naples. I predict that he has a sinister plan to either get revenge on his brother or take back his title of duke.
A question I have is why does Prospero tell his past to his daughter now? From the text, it seems like Miranda is a young adult or near that age. I also wonder why at that particular moment he decided to reveal the past to her, a time when he caused the storm to sink the King’s ship. It mentioned that Ferdinand is only the third man she has seen. Miranda does not seem to get out much or leave her home. A characteristic shared by Denver from Beloved.
Zeehan Wrote:
As I was reading scene two of part one, the story reminded me of Hamlet a lot, which made me think that Shakespeare uses the same themes in his plays, such as disloyalty, jealousy, love, and revenge. Relating to Hamlet, when Prospero told Miranda the story of how Antonio betrayed him and became powerful, it reminded me of how Claudius killed his own brother for the throne. Through reoccurring actions such as these in his plays, Shakespeare is probably suggesting that jealousy and betrayal is in human nature, which is caused by desire of power and money. The language of the story made it rather difficult and longer to read. Also like in Hamlet, both of the kings were kind of naïve, and trusted their brothers, who were very jealous and cunning. Also like Hamlet, ghosts help the protagonist take revenge from the antagonist, except in the tempest Arial had to do it because it was his punishment for his crime. I really don’t like Prospero because he thinks too highly of himself, he still can’t accept the fact the he is not in his royal state anymore. He thinks that everyone loves him and that he is responsible for all the good things that happened to people. I hated the way he spoke to Caliban so condescendingly. But I guess that’s how people acted with slaves at that time. It’s surprising however, the way Caliban speaks. This is believable because he only learned to behave and act the way his master taught him to. In the end, I was confused. Did Prospero want Miranda and Ferdinand to fall in love? If so, why did he disapprove of it in front of Miranda. Is Prospero using his daughter to get his revenge?
Julie Wrote:
I can understand why many people found this play to be confusing. But I truly don't find it that confusing. Perhaps it is the fact that I have seen more Shakespeare plays that I can remember or that I have read so many plays that I can easily visualize what's going on. I love the characters. The Boatswain in particular I find hilarious. To be able to have such a witty attitude even while their boat is sinking. Its just so great. When I was reading his character in class, I have to admit, it was fun. All of the kings servants are great. To be on a sinking ship and not care about their lives are in danger simply because one of them has a feeling is great. Shakespeare can be very funny when he wants to be. Personally, I find it to be so interesting. Its actually funny in certain points. It's a very well written play and I would love to see it preformed, or even be part of the performance. Out of all of the plays I have seen I don't think that The Tempest is one of them. I wish I had however. I did find the first act rather short though. It's not really how I'm used to seeing acts split up. Oh well. I can tell that I will enjoy this play.
Stacey Wrote:
The first act opens with a violent storm. There is a lot of confusion and tension aboard the ship. The passengers are divided between two groups, the royal passengers and the crewmembers (mariners). While the storm is raging, so are the dispositions of the passengers. The royals act crude and demanding. They create complete chaos on the upper deck, not allowing the boatswain who is an expert sailor to do his job. He orders against their will for the nobles to go down under deck and leave him to do his job without distraction. At this time it is clear that friction is brewing. The nobles resist authority, and disrespect the boatswain whose main concern is guiding everyone to safety. The passengers include Alonzo, King of Naples, his brother Sebastian, and Antonio, Duke of Milan. This scene brings a lot of frenzy among the passengers and crew.
Simultaneously, as scene two unfolds, the “real” Duke of Milan, Prospero and his daughter Miranda are introduced. As they watch the Tempest from the island, Prospero recalls the events that took place during the last twelve years. Apparently, his brother Antonio plotted to overthrow him. He had him and Miranda put on a boat, drifting through the seas. They somehow landed on this island. Prospero has managed to become knowledgeable in magic, so there is no coincidence as to why this Tempest has taken place. It was indeed no act of nature, but the magical powers of Prospero to plot this situation. He planned this to seek revenge against his brother.
Sherry Wrote:
I felt, as usual when ever reading a play, that it's quite hard to envision or imagine the full effect of the scene. I didn't really like or enjoy rather, the opening of the play. I just wanted to skip it and get to a meaningful part. But it's just like a book, the beginning is always difficult but every word counts and holds significance.
After reading further I noticed that you can pick out certain traits of the characters. Pretty much, a strong presence of characterization was in fact clear and in your face so you can see what to expect from them. Or how to place them in categories of statute and personality I suppose. Upon my statement, I enjoyed the attitude of Boatswain because I believe people aren't greater or superior because of a title they carry. And he certainly portrayed that attitude toward Gonzalo and the other men of the court. Gonzalo also stood out to be ignorant and far fetched in a sense that he wishes cruelty or death on to someone who is merely trying to save lives. I think Boatswain was justified to say what he did because at a moment of danger, everything is put to the side and you got to fight for yourself. It can't be the important put first.
Besides that, I think the relationship between Miranda and Prospero, is a little strange. Could be the language back then or just me. What also stood out to me was Prospero's attitude toward Ferdinand. It's kind of hard for me to know how he is speaking, what tone since I'm reading it. Seems to like, waver in my mind. And it's hard to tell if something he's saying is good or bad.
Friday, January 2, 2009
The Tempest Act II Journal Entries
Chloe Wrote:
Act II was a lot easier to understand than Act I was. I think it had to do with the work we are doing in class but also just getting accustomed to the language. Another reason is that I noticed this Act especially scene I had a lot of humor and comedy in it. My favorite characters so far are Antonio and Sebastian. It is true they were being very childlike considering their situation and the seriousness of it but they were funny. I liked the fact that they were trying to make light of the situation and were very witty about it. Shakespeare is known for his comedies but you don’t see it sometimes and especially in his more well known works they are very much known for their drama so to see it here is enjoyable. It’s also interesting to think about the type of person Shakespeare is through reading his works because these are his thoughts and creations and in each character there may be a little piece of him.
Josh Wrote:
Again, I find myself reading the characters' lines multiple times in order to get the true meaning out of them, and I find that it helps me to read them out loud. However, I like the way in which the play is developing. Antonio and Sebastian are getting closer to executing their plan, and I am very interested in the way their second attempt will turn out, as their first was interrupted. The love story between Ferdinand and Miranda is developing too--Miranda finally tells him her real name. I am excited to see where all three of the sub-stories connect, and which individuals get slighted. I believe that will be the most interesting part of the play.
Julie Wrote:
I really do love Shakespeare. I now fully understand my brother's obsession with his plays while he was in high school. This play is just so clever. I am especially getting to love Sebastian. All of his responses are so witty and amazing. Like after everyone falls asleep, and he is speaking with Antonio, and he says something along the lines
of, "How strange, you speak as though you are asleep, and yet your eyes are open and you are walking around." I mean, he's just so sarcastic and awesome. Perhaps I'm just weird to like his character, I just fell as though he is so interesting as apposed to everyone else in the play. Miranda and Francisco are as I figured them to be, silly teenagers who have fallen hopelessly in love and no nothing of it. Prospero is the stereotypical banished king with super powers. Alonso defiantly has the kingly feel to him, and I just feel like everyone else is so, bland.
I do still like the play.
Katherine Wrote:
When I first started reading this play I did not really find it humorous. It was not until act II, scene I when Antonio and Sebastian were being sarcastic and making jokes that I found the humor in this play. Although the humor was at the Gonzalo's expense, they were being very funny. I felt so bad for Alonso. It is the worst feeling in the world to feel like you are the reason someone is dead, nevertheless your son. Gonzalo is very sweet. He was being extremely kind to Alonso and tried his best to be there for him. Act II, scene ii was also very funny. A drunken Stefano really brought humor to the table. When he stops at the four-legged body covered with a cloak he immediately sees the money people would offer back home to view him. This part reminded me of the circus. The fact that he felt that he could make money off Caliban's deformities was actually sad.
Everett Wrote:
So for in Act II, I’m having an easier time following along. The language has gotten easier to translate except for a few cases where I had to look it up in regular language, but other than that, I'm beginning to get into it, the more I get it.
A few parts I struggled with though where when Sebastian and Antonio have their swords out before Ariel wakes them all up. Why were they planning on killing Gonzalo, and even more, who is Gonzalo? I guess he's like the King's right-hand-man, helping him make decisions and such. They held their swords over his head until Ariel woke the king and Gonzalo.
I also don’t seem to understand why the ship wrecked crew split up and how it happened, as well as why Prospero destroyed their boat. We might be expected to know by now, but seeing as I miss a lot of information because of the writing, I can't really tell. I do think Prospero ship-wrecked the boat in hopes of getting even with King Alonzo. I'm pretty sure he hasn't actually said so, but because of his story to his daughter Miranda about how the King and his brother ruined his life, I see it as foreshadowing possible rivalries within the island, or death.
As far and Miranda and Ferdinand go, I can't believe they fell in love like that. Maybe it because it's just a script, I don't get the emotions right. If it were a movie or a play we were studying it would be much easier to understand due to expression. So with that problem, I have a really hard time giving each character a personality. I'm sure will get used to it though.
Stacey Wrote:
Prospero and his little spirit friend Ariel make up a plan to revenge the enemy. We learn that everyone is okay on the ship. Ariel cast a spell on the passengers, creating a frenzy. Through this confusion, Prospero can regain his status. This act exposes the wickedness of Prospero’s enemies. It was revealed in this scene that the passengers were returning from the wedding of King Alonzo’s daughter, who got married for political reasons. They were headed from Africa to Naples. This wedding parallels the plan for Prospero’s daughter Miranda to fall in love with Antonio’s son, Ferdinand. A spell is cast on him. He is believed to be dead as a result of the Tempest, giving Prospero the opportunity to make this wedding happen. During this scene, we are met with a full cast of characters who intermingle with one another. Prospero’s plan begins to fall into place, as he uses magic to torment his enemies.
I am not a fan of this story. It is a struggle for me to form a connection with these characters. I find their actions to be unrealistic, due to the magic involved. I enjoy stories that are more real than fiction.
Zeehan Wrote:
I enjoyed the humor that Shakespeare presents through the conversation between Antonio and Sebastian in the beginning of scene one in act two. I love some phrases that Shakespeare uses such as “of Naples and of Milan, what strange fish hath made his meal on thee?” I found scene one very funny. Antonio and Sebastian, both amused me with their funny comments and annoyed me because they kept on criticizing and complaining how the island has nothing to live on while Gonzalo kept trying to console Alonso by saying that they can survive in the island. I almost wanted to strangle Antonio and Sebastian because they kept on talking about things that didn’t matter like “widow Dido” and made fun of Gonzalo even though he said something sensible. Antonio is definitely the worst. First he betrayed his own brother by taking his kingdom and now he is convincing Sebastian to kill his brother for the throne.
Scene two was also very humorous and I enjoyed it very much. In scene two, I felt like Shakespeare showed the nature of European imperialism through the characters Stephano, Trinculo, and Caliban. Stephano and Trinculo represented the Europeans while Caliban represented the natives. Stephano’s ideology is like the European explorers ideology, who tries to profit off everything they found on the land they explored. At the beginning of the scene, all Stephano was thinking about was how the possession of Caliban would profit him immensely. His attitude towards Caliban shows the Europeans attitude towards natives and how they believed the natives were savage and monstrous looking. Stephano also made Caliban drunk to get Caliban to do things for him just like many Europeans made Indians drunk and conquered them.
Nicole Wrote:
I don't know what to expect out of Caliban's new worship for Stefano. I don't think them meeting was part of Prospero's plan which would mean Prospero is in less control than he believes to be in. Being that there are quite a few roaming men on Prospero's island all of a sudden, problems will certainly arise.
I wonder if Caliban's cloak serves any power like Prospero's does and how Prospero will react to Caliban freeing himself out of his enslavement. I would have thought Ariel would have tried to make Stefano and Trinculo drown or swim away rather than towards the island in order to carry out Prospero's plan perfectly.
Also, what exactly is Prospero trying to do by making his enemy's son fall in love with his daughter and vise versa. At first I thought that he is using his daughter to lure Ferdinand in because he knows Alonso will come looking for his son. Then Prospero would torture Ferdinand in front of Alonso as to torture both of them, but if Miranda loves Ferdinand he would be hurting her in the process. Shakespeare's characters seem to do a lot for their family and loved ones, I do not think Prospero would want anything but happiness for Miranda.
I don't think Sebastian will be able to take Alonso's dukedom as Antonio suggests. Though Antonio and Sebastian are both jealous of their brothers, Sebastian has a guilty conscience and may not go through with killing Prospero's enemy.
Bobby Wrote:
So far, the language still presents itself a challenge to me. Though I am not very excited about what is going on, I am not completely bored by the play. The circumstances in Act 2 reveal the nature of the characters. Gonzalo is the basically the good hearted man who tries to cheer everyone up when everyone is all angry and depressed. Though it seems he is not treated well. Antonio has shown himself to be a treacherous villain. This is shown when everyone was asleep; he wanted Sebastian to kill the king. As for Sebastian, I don’t know if he is good or bad yet. From what I got, he seems to be indecisive and easily tricked. He was at odds with himself on whether to kill his brother or not, his conscious was against Antonio’s temptations. It is too bad Gonzalo woke up, otherwise we could have really see Sebastian’s true nature.
Act II was a lot easier to understand than Act I was. I think it had to do with the work we are doing in class but also just getting accustomed to the language. Another reason is that I noticed this Act especially scene I had a lot of humor and comedy in it. My favorite characters so far are Antonio and Sebastian. It is true they were being very childlike considering their situation and the seriousness of it but they were funny. I liked the fact that they were trying to make light of the situation and were very witty about it. Shakespeare is known for his comedies but you don’t see it sometimes and especially in his more well known works they are very much known for their drama so to see it here is enjoyable. It’s also interesting to think about the type of person Shakespeare is through reading his works because these are his thoughts and creations and in each character there may be a little piece of him.
Josh Wrote:
Again, I find myself reading the characters' lines multiple times in order to get the true meaning out of them, and I find that it helps me to read them out loud. However, I like the way in which the play is developing. Antonio and Sebastian are getting closer to executing their plan, and I am very interested in the way their second attempt will turn out, as their first was interrupted. The love story between Ferdinand and Miranda is developing too--Miranda finally tells him her real name. I am excited to see where all three of the sub-stories connect, and which individuals get slighted. I believe that will be the most interesting part of the play.
Julie Wrote:
I really do love Shakespeare. I now fully understand my brother's obsession with his plays while he was in high school. This play is just so clever. I am especially getting to love Sebastian. All of his responses are so witty and amazing. Like after everyone falls asleep, and he is speaking with Antonio, and he says something along the lines
of, "How strange, you speak as though you are asleep, and yet your eyes are open and you are walking around." I mean, he's just so sarcastic and awesome. Perhaps I'm just weird to like his character, I just fell as though he is so interesting as apposed to everyone else in the play. Miranda and Francisco are as I figured them to be, silly teenagers who have fallen hopelessly in love and no nothing of it. Prospero is the stereotypical banished king with super powers. Alonso defiantly has the kingly feel to him, and I just feel like everyone else is so, bland.
I do still like the play.
Katherine Wrote:
When I first started reading this play I did not really find it humorous. It was not until act II, scene I when Antonio and Sebastian were being sarcastic and making jokes that I found the humor in this play. Although the humor was at the Gonzalo's expense, they were being very funny. I felt so bad for Alonso. It is the worst feeling in the world to feel like you are the reason someone is dead, nevertheless your son. Gonzalo is very sweet. He was being extremely kind to Alonso and tried his best to be there for him. Act II, scene ii was also very funny. A drunken Stefano really brought humor to the table. When he stops at the four-legged body covered with a cloak he immediately sees the money people would offer back home to view him. This part reminded me of the circus. The fact that he felt that he could make money off Caliban's deformities was actually sad.
Everett Wrote:
So for in Act II, I’m having an easier time following along. The language has gotten easier to translate except for a few cases where I had to look it up in regular language, but other than that, I'm beginning to get into it, the more I get it.
A few parts I struggled with though where when Sebastian and Antonio have their swords out before Ariel wakes them all up. Why were they planning on killing Gonzalo, and even more, who is Gonzalo? I guess he's like the King's right-hand-man, helping him make decisions and such. They held their swords over his head until Ariel woke the king and Gonzalo.
I also don’t seem to understand why the ship wrecked crew split up and how it happened, as well as why Prospero destroyed their boat. We might be expected to know by now, but seeing as I miss a lot of information because of the writing, I can't really tell. I do think Prospero ship-wrecked the boat in hopes of getting even with King Alonzo. I'm pretty sure he hasn't actually said so, but because of his story to his daughter Miranda about how the King and his brother ruined his life, I see it as foreshadowing possible rivalries within the island, or death.
As far and Miranda and Ferdinand go, I can't believe they fell in love like that. Maybe it because it's just a script, I don't get the emotions right. If it were a movie or a play we were studying it would be much easier to understand due to expression. So with that problem, I have a really hard time giving each character a personality. I'm sure will get used to it though.
Stacey Wrote:
Prospero and his little spirit friend Ariel make up a plan to revenge the enemy. We learn that everyone is okay on the ship. Ariel cast a spell on the passengers, creating a frenzy. Through this confusion, Prospero can regain his status. This act exposes the wickedness of Prospero’s enemies. It was revealed in this scene that the passengers were returning from the wedding of King Alonzo’s daughter, who got married for political reasons. They were headed from Africa to Naples. This wedding parallels the plan for Prospero’s daughter Miranda to fall in love with Antonio’s son, Ferdinand. A spell is cast on him. He is believed to be dead as a result of the Tempest, giving Prospero the opportunity to make this wedding happen. During this scene, we are met with a full cast of characters who intermingle with one another. Prospero’s plan begins to fall into place, as he uses magic to torment his enemies.
I am not a fan of this story. It is a struggle for me to form a connection with these characters. I find their actions to be unrealistic, due to the magic involved. I enjoy stories that are more real than fiction.
Zeehan Wrote:
I enjoyed the humor that Shakespeare presents through the conversation between Antonio and Sebastian in the beginning of scene one in act two. I love some phrases that Shakespeare uses such as “of Naples and of Milan, what strange fish hath made his meal on thee?” I found scene one very funny. Antonio and Sebastian, both amused me with their funny comments and annoyed me because they kept on criticizing and complaining how the island has nothing to live on while Gonzalo kept trying to console Alonso by saying that they can survive in the island. I almost wanted to strangle Antonio and Sebastian because they kept on talking about things that didn’t matter like “widow Dido” and made fun of Gonzalo even though he said something sensible. Antonio is definitely the worst. First he betrayed his own brother by taking his kingdom and now he is convincing Sebastian to kill his brother for the throne.
Scene two was also very humorous and I enjoyed it very much. In scene two, I felt like Shakespeare showed the nature of European imperialism through the characters Stephano, Trinculo, and Caliban. Stephano and Trinculo represented the Europeans while Caliban represented the natives. Stephano’s ideology is like the European explorers ideology, who tries to profit off everything they found on the land they explored. At the beginning of the scene, all Stephano was thinking about was how the possession of Caliban would profit him immensely. His attitude towards Caliban shows the Europeans attitude towards natives and how they believed the natives were savage and monstrous looking. Stephano also made Caliban drunk to get Caliban to do things for him just like many Europeans made Indians drunk and conquered them.
Nicole Wrote:
I don't know what to expect out of Caliban's new worship for Stefano. I don't think them meeting was part of Prospero's plan which would mean Prospero is in less control than he believes to be in. Being that there are quite a few roaming men on Prospero's island all of a sudden, problems will certainly arise.
I wonder if Caliban's cloak serves any power like Prospero's does and how Prospero will react to Caliban freeing himself out of his enslavement. I would have thought Ariel would have tried to make Stefano and Trinculo drown or swim away rather than towards the island in order to carry out Prospero's plan perfectly.
Also, what exactly is Prospero trying to do by making his enemy's son fall in love with his daughter and vise versa. At first I thought that he is using his daughter to lure Ferdinand in because he knows Alonso will come looking for his son. Then Prospero would torture Ferdinand in front of Alonso as to torture both of them, but if Miranda loves Ferdinand he would be hurting her in the process. Shakespeare's characters seem to do a lot for their family and loved ones, I do not think Prospero would want anything but happiness for Miranda.
I don't think Sebastian will be able to take Alonso's dukedom as Antonio suggests. Though Antonio and Sebastian are both jealous of their brothers, Sebastian has a guilty conscience and may not go through with killing Prospero's enemy.
Bobby Wrote:
So far, the language still presents itself a challenge to me. Though I am not very excited about what is going on, I am not completely bored by the play. The circumstances in Act 2 reveal the nature of the characters. Gonzalo is the basically the good hearted man who tries to cheer everyone up when everyone is all angry and depressed. Though it seems he is not treated well. Antonio has shown himself to be a treacherous villain. This is shown when everyone was asleep; he wanted Sebastian to kill the king. As for Sebastian, I don’t know if he is good or bad yet. From what I got, he seems to be indecisive and easily tricked. He was at odds with himself on whether to kill his brother or not, his conscious was against Antonio’s temptations. It is too bad Gonzalo woke up, otherwise we could have really see Sebastian’s true nature.
The Tempest Act III Journal Entries
Chloe Wrote:
The beginning of Act III was very endearing to me and a bit humorous. It is very reflective of the Elizabethan era and the roles of men and female. Ferdinand is being very much a gentleman and very chivalrous in setting up the fire and not letting Miranda do it. He is also sweet talking her and flattering her with his words. She in turn lets him have this attitude and plays into it as that’s how things were then and there were nothing different. It was all very polite and flirtatious and the reason it was humorous to me was because of how drastically different things are today. People are a lot more honest and straight forward about what they are thinking and feeling as opposed to beating around the bush and using flattery. However as I continued reading they were very straight forward and basically proclaimed their love to one another and it was really corny but sweet and I enjoyed reading this.
Julie Wrote:
This play is so exiting. There is love, betrayal, in more than one case, and funny lines. I couldn't help buy laugh during the scene between Caliban, Stephano and Trinculo. And the fact that Ariel came and pretended to be Trinculo, then Trinculo got smacked, funny stuff, funny stuff. I find it interesting that not only is Caliban betraying Prospero, but Sebastian and Antonio want to kill Alonso. What I find strange is that they all seemed to be responsible for taking Prospero’s throne from him, and now they are getting more greedy and want to get rid of the king. Very interesting. Shakespeare sure has an amazing writing technique. At this point, I don’t find the language all that difficult and I can so vividly see the play in my head that the story makes perfect sense. I am enjoying this play.
Katherine Wrote:
I am really starting to like Miranda. She is so sweet and innocent. In act III, scene i she is very kind to Ferdinand. I thought it was cute how Ferdinand said that he knows women but none like Miranda. The romance of this play is very fairytale like. Miranda the princess, never talking to a man and Ferdinand the prince falling for her. I thought Stefano, Trinculo, and Caliban plot to kill Prospero is a bit much. As Caliban explained how he is the owner of the island and that, they must burn Prospero's books. They want to do this so that after Prospero is dead, Stefano can marry Miranda and make her his queen of the island. The magic in act III, scene iii was great. I liked how when they drew their swords they could not move them because they were frozen in place by magic. I am really enjoying this play. It definitely has gotten better over time.
Everett Wrote:
All three scenes within Act three show very different events occurring all at the same time, Ferdinand and Miranda's passionate love, the plot to murder Prospero and become king made by Stefano, Trinculo, and Caliban, and the fear coming from Alonso and his men as they realize they are in a place surrounded by the magic of their enemy, Prospero. They all live their lives completely unaware of the others probably only miles away from them and I really find it ironic.
As well, this act has had a lot of character development and my opinions have changed a lot for many characters. The main changes are about Prospero. In class today we discussed Prospero's desire for power and his greed and aggression. Now really act III I feel like he's changing and becoming a little less self-centered. He admits to himself that the love between Ferdinand and his daughter is true and he not only approves but finds himself happy for them. Through the whole chapter he is kind to Ariel and shows no aggressions at all. More irony is that as soon as it seems as if Prospero is changing his ways, he is set to be killed. Before I thought I hated Prospero and felt pity for his sister and slaves, but now I feel so sad knowing that Prospero might die and I do not like Caliban. I thought he was strong and independent. I felt sympathy because his life was so hard. Although I can't deny how rude he way and how terrible it was to try and rape Miranda. But now, he caved so quickly and is now groveling to this drunkard and his buddy. I obviously over estimated his judgment of people and underestimated Prospero's heart.
As far as Alonso goes, with all of his men, I can't predict what will happen. Their journey will no doubt be dangerous with the spirits following them but I can't really see it going anywhere specifically. I look forward to finding out though.
Stacey Wrote:
A lot has happened throughout Act III. In scene i, Miranda and Ferdinand had a connection between one another, and decided to get married. They claimed to truly love each other. Ferdinand had never met someone as amazing as Miranda, and she had never known anyone other than her father. We learned that Miranda feels that Ferdinand does not deserve her, but if his wish is to marry her, than so be it. Miranda’s father, Prospero is against the marriage, however he had no choice but to let it persist. It is quite obvious to me that this is going to be an unhealthy marriage.
Scene ii opens up with the drunken men, Caliban, Stephano and Trinculo. It is in this scene that Caliban’s hate towards Prospero truly shows. As Caliban explains his hatred of Prospero to the other men, Ariel, Prospero’s little invisible friend appears. He listened to everything the men said, and even reported back to Prospero everything that was to be planned. Caliban made a deal with Stephano that if Prospero is killed, and his “magic books” are stolen, Stephano will have the role of being ruler of the island and boss of Caliban as well. Stephano will also be able to wed Miranda, after they capture her.
In scene iii, Sebastian, Francisco, Alonso, Gonzalo and Antonio are still hanging around the island. The men are becoming very worn out. So tired, that Alonso even gave up looking for his son. In this scene, Prospero threw a huge feast. However, when everyone was just about to eat, the food disappeared. Ariel did this to punish the men due to what they did in their past.
While reading parts i and ii of Act III, I began to feel a lot more comfortable with the script. I had a much better understanding of the story line. However, once I read part iii, I was a little confused. I found myself going back to previous lines to understand it better. I feel there was a lot going on in this scene, which is probably what contributed to my confusion.
Tsvetan Wrote:
I’m still wondering why the love between Ferdinand and Miranda is so important to Prospero’s plan. It was interesting, however, that when they were announcing their love to each other, they were completely honest about who they are. I think Shakespeare shows that for true love to exist, people must have no secrets.
While love is on one side of the island, everyone else that is there is plotting something. Caliban wants Stefano and Trinculo to help him kill Prospero, while Antonio and Sebastian want to kill Alonso and take overt the crown. I have a feeling that all of this is somehow a part of Prospero’s plan and he knew that they would turn against each other. I think that Caliban, however, will be punished for his treachery, because Ariel knows all about his intentions.
Bobby Wrote:
In act three, the plot really begins to move. We see that Miranda and Ferdinand have fallen in love, Caliban and his new group of friends plot to kill Prospero, and Antonio still wants Alonso dead. With so many characters that each has their own goals, this is sure to end in a tragedy. Knowing Shakespeare, that is the most likely ending. While most of these characters aim is revenge or of self-interest, only Ferdinand and Miranda’s wish is pure. Perhaps Shakespeare wrote this play to show the value of love in society and in human nature as a whole.
As I read the scene with Caliban, I thought that this part of the play is the comedy part. I still think it is, but I did not see the plot to kill Prospero coming. I might have expected from Caliban by himself but not when he is with his group. The three act like fools so much that anything serious out of them was inconceivable. Although it could just be the liquor talking.
The beginning of Act III was very endearing to me and a bit humorous. It is very reflective of the Elizabethan era and the roles of men and female. Ferdinand is being very much a gentleman and very chivalrous in setting up the fire and not letting Miranda do it. He is also sweet talking her and flattering her with his words. She in turn lets him have this attitude and plays into it as that’s how things were then and there were nothing different. It was all very polite and flirtatious and the reason it was humorous to me was because of how drastically different things are today. People are a lot more honest and straight forward about what they are thinking and feeling as opposed to beating around the bush and using flattery. However as I continued reading they were very straight forward and basically proclaimed their love to one another and it was really corny but sweet and I enjoyed reading this.
Julie Wrote:
This play is so exiting. There is love, betrayal, in more than one case, and funny lines. I couldn't help buy laugh during the scene between Caliban, Stephano and Trinculo. And the fact that Ariel came and pretended to be Trinculo, then Trinculo got smacked, funny stuff, funny stuff. I find it interesting that not only is Caliban betraying Prospero, but Sebastian and Antonio want to kill Alonso. What I find strange is that they all seemed to be responsible for taking Prospero’s throne from him, and now they are getting more greedy and want to get rid of the king. Very interesting. Shakespeare sure has an amazing writing technique. At this point, I don’t find the language all that difficult and I can so vividly see the play in my head that the story makes perfect sense. I am enjoying this play.
Katherine Wrote:
I am really starting to like Miranda. She is so sweet and innocent. In act III, scene i she is very kind to Ferdinand. I thought it was cute how Ferdinand said that he knows women but none like Miranda. The romance of this play is very fairytale like. Miranda the princess, never talking to a man and Ferdinand the prince falling for her. I thought Stefano, Trinculo, and Caliban plot to kill Prospero is a bit much. As Caliban explained how he is the owner of the island and that, they must burn Prospero's books. They want to do this so that after Prospero is dead, Stefano can marry Miranda and make her his queen of the island. The magic in act III, scene iii was great. I liked how when they drew their swords they could not move them because they were frozen in place by magic. I am really enjoying this play. It definitely has gotten better over time.
Everett Wrote:
All three scenes within Act three show very different events occurring all at the same time, Ferdinand and Miranda's passionate love, the plot to murder Prospero and become king made by Stefano, Trinculo, and Caliban, and the fear coming from Alonso and his men as they realize they are in a place surrounded by the magic of their enemy, Prospero. They all live their lives completely unaware of the others probably only miles away from them and I really find it ironic.
As well, this act has had a lot of character development and my opinions have changed a lot for many characters. The main changes are about Prospero. In class today we discussed Prospero's desire for power and his greed and aggression. Now really act III I feel like he's changing and becoming a little less self-centered. He admits to himself that the love between Ferdinand and his daughter is true and he not only approves but finds himself happy for them. Through the whole chapter he is kind to Ariel and shows no aggressions at all. More irony is that as soon as it seems as if Prospero is changing his ways, he is set to be killed. Before I thought I hated Prospero and felt pity for his sister and slaves, but now I feel so sad knowing that Prospero might die and I do not like Caliban. I thought he was strong and independent. I felt sympathy because his life was so hard. Although I can't deny how rude he way and how terrible it was to try and rape Miranda. But now, he caved so quickly and is now groveling to this drunkard and his buddy. I obviously over estimated his judgment of people and underestimated Prospero's heart.
As far as Alonso goes, with all of his men, I can't predict what will happen. Their journey will no doubt be dangerous with the spirits following them but I can't really see it going anywhere specifically. I look forward to finding out though.
Stacey Wrote:
A lot has happened throughout Act III. In scene i, Miranda and Ferdinand had a connection between one another, and decided to get married. They claimed to truly love each other. Ferdinand had never met someone as amazing as Miranda, and she had never known anyone other than her father. We learned that Miranda feels that Ferdinand does not deserve her, but if his wish is to marry her, than so be it. Miranda’s father, Prospero is against the marriage, however he had no choice but to let it persist. It is quite obvious to me that this is going to be an unhealthy marriage.
Scene ii opens up with the drunken men, Caliban, Stephano and Trinculo. It is in this scene that Caliban’s hate towards Prospero truly shows. As Caliban explains his hatred of Prospero to the other men, Ariel, Prospero’s little invisible friend appears. He listened to everything the men said, and even reported back to Prospero everything that was to be planned. Caliban made a deal with Stephano that if Prospero is killed, and his “magic books” are stolen, Stephano will have the role of being ruler of the island and boss of Caliban as well. Stephano will also be able to wed Miranda, after they capture her.
In scene iii, Sebastian, Francisco, Alonso, Gonzalo and Antonio are still hanging around the island. The men are becoming very worn out. So tired, that Alonso even gave up looking for his son. In this scene, Prospero threw a huge feast. However, when everyone was just about to eat, the food disappeared. Ariel did this to punish the men due to what they did in their past.
While reading parts i and ii of Act III, I began to feel a lot more comfortable with the script. I had a much better understanding of the story line. However, once I read part iii, I was a little confused. I found myself going back to previous lines to understand it better. I feel there was a lot going on in this scene, which is probably what contributed to my confusion.
Tsvetan Wrote:
I’m still wondering why the love between Ferdinand and Miranda is so important to Prospero’s plan. It was interesting, however, that when they were announcing their love to each other, they were completely honest about who they are. I think Shakespeare shows that for true love to exist, people must have no secrets.
While love is on one side of the island, everyone else that is there is plotting something. Caliban wants Stefano and Trinculo to help him kill Prospero, while Antonio and Sebastian want to kill Alonso and take overt the crown. I have a feeling that all of this is somehow a part of Prospero’s plan and he knew that they would turn against each other. I think that Caliban, however, will be punished for his treachery, because Ariel knows all about his intentions.
Bobby Wrote:
In act three, the plot really begins to move. We see that Miranda and Ferdinand have fallen in love, Caliban and his new group of friends plot to kill Prospero, and Antonio still wants Alonso dead. With so many characters that each has their own goals, this is sure to end in a tragedy. Knowing Shakespeare, that is the most likely ending. While most of these characters aim is revenge or of self-interest, only Ferdinand and Miranda’s wish is pure. Perhaps Shakespeare wrote this play to show the value of love in society and in human nature as a whole.
As I read the scene with Caliban, I thought that this part of the play is the comedy part. I still think it is, but I did not see the plot to kill Prospero coming. I might have expected from Caliban by himself but not when he is with his group. The three act like fools so much that anything serious out of them was inconceivable. Although it could just be the liquor talking.
The Tempest Act IV Journal Entries
Bobby Wrote:
Act 4 was surprisingly shorter than I expected. It only had one scene throughout the Act. I noticed that it did not really follow the separation of scenes by the characters. In this act, Ferdinand, Miranda, Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo were all in the same scene. However they have not come in contact with each other so the separation is not completely lost. Prospero continues to be at the center of everything, controlling the strings of the plot.
With the play almost about to end, I wonder what is going to happen. With Caliban out of Prospero’s way and Ferdinand engaged to Miranda, all Prospero has to focus on are his brother and King Alonso. From the incident that happened to them last time because of Ariel, they are all in distress making them easy targets for Prospero. Also I wonder about the safety of Alonso’s life. Antonio still wants him dead and probably so does Sebastian. I think that Prospero knows about this plot because so far he is the only one that knows everything that is going on. I do not know if he will allow them to succeed because he is not really fond of Alonso and Alonso is partly the reason that Prospero is in the island. Despite this, Ariel did save the King’s life earlier and everything that Ariel does is the will of Prospero.
Tsvetan Wrote:
The further we get into the play the more it seems that Prospero is actually one of good guys and his plan is just something that he has to do, because he was hurt so much by his brother’s betrayal. He is very understanding towards his daughter and wants only happiness for her and Ferdinand.
What surprised me is that he didn’t punish Caliban and his accomplices when they came to his cave with the intentions to kill him. Instead the scene was a bit comical, which was probably Shakespeare’s intention. I’m used to his plays being tragic most of the time, so I’m curious what might happen in the end.
Stacey Wrote:
Act IV begins with Prospero giving Ferdinand permission to marry his daughter Miranda. It is quite evident that Prospero thinks very highly of his daughter, and feels she deserves only the best. This section of the play made me realize how much society has changed since this time. It is clear that Miranda and Ferdinand were not able to make the decision to get married themselves, but instead, the marriage had to be approved by her father. In today’s society, the parents of the female do not have a say in her marriage. They no longer have the power to make the decision of this matrimony. Even though this decision still takes place within certain cultures, such as arranged marriages, this choice is not as harsh as it once was.
As the act continued, Ariel gathered spirits (Juno, Iris and Ceres) to throw a celebration in honor of Ferdinand and Miranda’s wedding. At the celebration, the spirits basically blessed the couple to lead a long and happy life together. However, Prospero suddenly remembered what Caliban had in store for him. He immediately sent the spirits away, and ended the party. Ariel protected Prospero by leading the spirits to a dirty pond, and left them there.
When Prospero and Ariel returned back to the cell, they hung up clothes on a clothing line. Soon after, the drunken men entered the scene to commit the murder. However, Trinculo and Stefano were fascinated by the clothes, and could care less about murdering Prospero. Suddenly, noises of hunters were heard, causing the drunken men to run away. Little did they know these “hunters” were exactly what they wanted.
I’m really enjoying this play. It is much easier to follow, and I am definitely getting the hang of the language used.
Everett Wrote:
Act IV has continued to change my opinions on certain characters. The plot is also becoming a bit more predictable. I may not be correct but the fact that I can finally at least make a prediction is a change from the previous act where I had no idea what would be happening.
Firstly, I continue to find Prospero as a protagonist than an antagonist. I thought that he was a negative person, making sure everyone was miserable with him. He proves the exact opposite when he says to Ferdinand, "If I've punished you too harshly, I'm ready to make it up to you now, since I've given you a third of my life—everything I live for—my daughter Miranda." He has no one on the island but Miranda and offering her to him is a very selfless act. He is not only giving her away to anybody, but the son of the King that helped destroy him and send him to the island he is trapped on. He was able to push his hate aside and think about someone else's happiness, very unlike what the class had previously thought about him.
I'm assuming that when Alonso is presented to Prospero to suffer for all that he has done, Ferdinand will interfere, making everything much more complicated. He'd be torn between his new love and his father, not able to have both. I bet conflict will rise and it will be like a tempest. The story opens with a tempest and it may close with a tempest, some sort of symbolism about violence of humans.
When I say Macbeth I made the symbolic connection of the destruction of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth to the destruction of the mind. They suffered immensely through guilt and torture. Although I don't know much about Shakespeare and his writing, both of these plays seem to also relate to the mind, about how much it can take either romantically or with guilt or anger, anything at all. Maybe it is just me, and it is not the intention at all, but as I read I find myself always thinking about it psychologically.
Katie Wrote:
I am really enjoying the Tempest even though it’s almost done. It was hard to get into but it turned out to be a very funny and entertaining play. I enjoyed act IV and the blessing of the marriage. The song between Juno and Circes very cute. To me Ferdinand and Prospero talking about Miranda’s virgin knot, and not breaking it before the marriage ceremony was awkward. I would not have wanted my father talking to my husband about that. You would think Ferdinand would be uncomfortable himself but I guess during that time period it was normal or expected for the father of the bride to talk to the groom about that. I really enjoyed this act of the play, it was easy to understand and I was able to picture it clearly in my head. I thought the sprits roles in this act were great and having them bless the marriage was perfect for the Tempest.
Chloe Wrote:
The beginning of this Act was very fun and entertaining to read about. I like the romance and the celebration over Miranda and Ferdinand’s marriage. It was fun and light hearted and Prospero was happy over the fact that his whole plan was working out and everything seemed to be falling into place. The songs and dance of Juno, Iris, and Ceres show the Greek and Roman influence of the Elizabethan time. They are goddesses of rainbows, agriculture, and the other gods. They each have a purpose and represent something different and this just show that during the Elizabethan era they were still feeling the revival of Greek and Roman ideas present during the Renaissance.
The discussion about Miranda’s virginity was also interesting. This shows the position of woman at the time and the formality and importance in the way things were done. It was necessary for the father of the bride to speak to the soon to be husband and establish rules and create an understanding. As a woman of today this bothers me because this is a discussion that should be with Miranda as it is her body but back then she was considered to have no mind of her own. And being Prospero I would be worried about Ferdinand who has had so much experience, it sounds like he might taint her and corrupt her.
Act 4 was surprisingly shorter than I expected. It only had one scene throughout the Act. I noticed that it did not really follow the separation of scenes by the characters. In this act, Ferdinand, Miranda, Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo were all in the same scene. However they have not come in contact with each other so the separation is not completely lost. Prospero continues to be at the center of everything, controlling the strings of the plot.
With the play almost about to end, I wonder what is going to happen. With Caliban out of Prospero’s way and Ferdinand engaged to Miranda, all Prospero has to focus on are his brother and King Alonso. From the incident that happened to them last time because of Ariel, they are all in distress making them easy targets for Prospero. Also I wonder about the safety of Alonso’s life. Antonio still wants him dead and probably so does Sebastian. I think that Prospero knows about this plot because so far he is the only one that knows everything that is going on. I do not know if he will allow them to succeed because he is not really fond of Alonso and Alonso is partly the reason that Prospero is in the island. Despite this, Ariel did save the King’s life earlier and everything that Ariel does is the will of Prospero.
Tsvetan Wrote:
The further we get into the play the more it seems that Prospero is actually one of good guys and his plan is just something that he has to do, because he was hurt so much by his brother’s betrayal. He is very understanding towards his daughter and wants only happiness for her and Ferdinand.
What surprised me is that he didn’t punish Caliban and his accomplices when they came to his cave with the intentions to kill him. Instead the scene was a bit comical, which was probably Shakespeare’s intention. I’m used to his plays being tragic most of the time, so I’m curious what might happen in the end.
Stacey Wrote:
Act IV begins with Prospero giving Ferdinand permission to marry his daughter Miranda. It is quite evident that Prospero thinks very highly of his daughter, and feels she deserves only the best. This section of the play made me realize how much society has changed since this time. It is clear that Miranda and Ferdinand were not able to make the decision to get married themselves, but instead, the marriage had to be approved by her father. In today’s society, the parents of the female do not have a say in her marriage. They no longer have the power to make the decision of this matrimony. Even though this decision still takes place within certain cultures, such as arranged marriages, this choice is not as harsh as it once was.
As the act continued, Ariel gathered spirits (Juno, Iris and Ceres) to throw a celebration in honor of Ferdinand and Miranda’s wedding. At the celebration, the spirits basically blessed the couple to lead a long and happy life together. However, Prospero suddenly remembered what Caliban had in store for him. He immediately sent the spirits away, and ended the party. Ariel protected Prospero by leading the spirits to a dirty pond, and left them there.
When Prospero and Ariel returned back to the cell, they hung up clothes on a clothing line. Soon after, the drunken men entered the scene to commit the murder. However, Trinculo and Stefano were fascinated by the clothes, and could care less about murdering Prospero. Suddenly, noises of hunters were heard, causing the drunken men to run away. Little did they know these “hunters” were exactly what they wanted.
I’m really enjoying this play. It is much easier to follow, and I am definitely getting the hang of the language used.
Everett Wrote:
Act IV has continued to change my opinions on certain characters. The plot is also becoming a bit more predictable. I may not be correct but the fact that I can finally at least make a prediction is a change from the previous act where I had no idea what would be happening.
Firstly, I continue to find Prospero as a protagonist than an antagonist. I thought that he was a negative person, making sure everyone was miserable with him. He proves the exact opposite when he says to Ferdinand, "If I've punished you too harshly, I'm ready to make it up to you now, since I've given you a third of my life—everything I live for—my daughter Miranda." He has no one on the island but Miranda and offering her to him is a very selfless act. He is not only giving her away to anybody, but the son of the King that helped destroy him and send him to the island he is trapped on. He was able to push his hate aside and think about someone else's happiness, very unlike what the class had previously thought about him.
I'm assuming that when Alonso is presented to Prospero to suffer for all that he has done, Ferdinand will interfere, making everything much more complicated. He'd be torn between his new love and his father, not able to have both. I bet conflict will rise and it will be like a tempest. The story opens with a tempest and it may close with a tempest, some sort of symbolism about violence of humans.
When I say Macbeth I made the symbolic connection of the destruction of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth to the destruction of the mind. They suffered immensely through guilt and torture. Although I don't know much about Shakespeare and his writing, both of these plays seem to also relate to the mind, about how much it can take either romantically or with guilt or anger, anything at all. Maybe it is just me, and it is not the intention at all, but as I read I find myself always thinking about it psychologically.
Katie Wrote:
I am really enjoying the Tempest even though it’s almost done. It was hard to get into but it turned out to be a very funny and entertaining play. I enjoyed act IV and the blessing of the marriage. The song between Juno and Circes very cute. To me Ferdinand and Prospero talking about Miranda’s virgin knot, and not breaking it before the marriage ceremony was awkward. I would not have wanted my father talking to my husband about that. You would think Ferdinand would be uncomfortable himself but I guess during that time period it was normal or expected for the father of the bride to talk to the groom about that. I really enjoyed this act of the play, it was easy to understand and I was able to picture it clearly in my head. I thought the sprits roles in this act were great and having them bless the marriage was perfect for the Tempest.
Chloe Wrote:
The beginning of this Act was very fun and entertaining to read about. I like the romance and the celebration over Miranda and Ferdinand’s marriage. It was fun and light hearted and Prospero was happy over the fact that his whole plan was working out and everything seemed to be falling into place. The songs and dance of Juno, Iris, and Ceres show the Greek and Roman influence of the Elizabethan time. They are goddesses of rainbows, agriculture, and the other gods. They each have a purpose and represent something different and this just show that during the Elizabethan era they were still feeling the revival of Greek and Roman ideas present during the Renaissance.
The discussion about Miranda’s virginity was also interesting. This shows the position of woman at the time and the formality and importance in the way things were done. It was necessary for the father of the bride to speak to the soon to be husband and establish rules and create an understanding. As a woman of today this bothers me because this is a discussion that should be with Miranda as it is her body but back then she was considered to have no mind of her own. And being Prospero I would be worried about Ferdinand who has had so much experience, it sounds like he might taint her and corrupt her.
The Tempest Act V Journal Entries
Chloe Wrote:
After reading this last act and the epilogue I developed an opinion of Prospero and his plan. It seems kind of childish now that I think about. I understand he was upset over his position being taken from him and unrightfully so. However his whole plan was pretty malicious. It was pointless he did it just to seek revenge and play games with them. In the end it really had no beneficial result. He was just able to scare them enough to get back his title. He was in no way being the better or bigger person. It was very dramatic and strung out for no reason. But I guess that is what makes this play what it is, it has to be a little bit dramatic and extravagant. If it wasn't than it might not be Shakespeare.
Katie Wrote:
I could not believe that Prospero actually felt bad for the king, the king’s brother, his brother, and Gonzalo after Ariel told him what state they were in. I like Ariel felt bad for Gonzalo, he is so nice. Seeing how bad Prospero felt showed us another side of him. It was nice of him to send Ariel to release them and for him to break the spell and allow them to feel like themselves again. Prospero really seems to be feeling bad and sorry for everything he has done. I could not believe he quit magic and let Ariel go. This play ended up having somewhat of a happy ending. The characters forgave each other and said sorry for their actions and for going against each other. Over all this plays language was extremely complicated to get through but as time went by, I got more comfortable with the language and it was easer to understand. Over all I must say I really enjoyed this play.
Mereani Wrote:
This play is a comedy so therefore in Shakespeare’s world it is to end happily, but I can’t convey the same feelings, when reading the end. I felt more sorry for Prospero, than happy and the ending did not end tie all the loose ends as I had intended it to. Because since this was a comedy I thought it would a happy ending; but instead the ending was ambiguous left open to even more possibilities. It does not give us the audience any closure for some of the characters since; for example Antonio and Sebastian sound like they do not at all have repented for their sins. They even make fun of Caliban (Caliban must really look strange for people to keep calling him a fish-like man), and talking about selling him at the market for money, they’re really jerks. Also I would like to know what happens to Caliban, does he stay at the island or travels all the way back to Nepal.
Prospero seems really lonely at the ending and I can’t help feel really sorry for him, because he has lost all motivation such as nothing to strive for like a goal that he had before, nothing to occupy him, since he has given up all his celestial powers. At the epilogue I was expecting some closure but its not to be found there, instead we see Prospero confessing that he is weak without his powers and can’t summon spirits and seems to directing his speech to everyone, as in the characters of the play and the audience. So I like The Tempest but I am very dissatisfied with the ending, because as I stated before I don’t really know what happens to the characters after the whole 3 hours on the island.
Everett Wrote:
Act V, the end of the play, was so far from what I had ever expected. From my very limited understandings of Shakespeare, he usually writes drama, filled with death and murder and a lot of suspense. The ending of The Tempest was so... happy and unrealistic, I can hardly believe it is the same author as the one I've known.
Everyone, absolutely everyone in that play ends up happy with exactly what they could hope for. No one has any dislike, even the strong rivalries between Alonso and Antonio with Prospero was cured in Act V. Prospero earns back his Dukedom, Alonso finds his son alive and well, about to marry, Ariel and Caliban are set free both leaving on good terms with Prospero, and Stefano and Trinculo are just set free, forgiven for the evil attempts.
If you ask me, it was all a little cheesy. The fact that is was just sooooo happy and fairy tale was a little irritating. Besides that, I found it to be a little rushed and abrupt. It seems like the conclusion was just stated without any detail or explanation.
I also wonder what Prospero had originally intended to do with Alonso and his crew. He had their ship destroyed and sent them to his island for some purpose, and I doubt it was to just forgive them right away. I could be wrong, and maybe we do know what he planned to do whether it was keep them prisoners or kill them, I just might have missed it. Even though I managed with most of the speech, I struggled a little and few lines throughout the play were just too complicated to begin to understand. Like everyone else said in class, I really got used to the language though compared to how I was at the beginning, not feeling the urge to look it up online every other sentence. Either the speech just became a little more straight forward or I just got comfortable with Shakespeare’s writing.
Bobby Wrote:
After finishing reading The Tempest, I found it full of surprises. Before reading the play, I thought it would end up like Hamlet, in which everyone dies. But it turns out that everything worked out for the best. Still I was sort of disappointed with the ending; I felt that though the ending may give the audience a sense of closure, it was a little plain. I thought it was supposed to be a tragedy. From the rest of the plays that Shakespeare wrote that I know, I guess that since this was his last play, he wanted to do something different.
Prospero was the character that surprised me the most. For so long he was portrayed as the mastermind behind everything that it was implied that he was evil. Yet at the end he ends up forgiving everyone. Though his dukedom is restored, I feel he failed to do anything significant. What was the point of all his actions? I might have missed something important. Despite all that, I enjoy reading The Tempest and it is something worth reading.
After reading this last act and the epilogue I developed an opinion of Prospero and his plan. It seems kind of childish now that I think about. I understand he was upset over his position being taken from him and unrightfully so. However his whole plan was pretty malicious. It was pointless he did it just to seek revenge and play games with them. In the end it really had no beneficial result. He was just able to scare them enough to get back his title. He was in no way being the better or bigger person. It was very dramatic and strung out for no reason. But I guess that is what makes this play what it is, it has to be a little bit dramatic and extravagant. If it wasn't than it might not be Shakespeare.
Katie Wrote:
I could not believe that Prospero actually felt bad for the king, the king’s brother, his brother, and Gonzalo after Ariel told him what state they were in. I like Ariel felt bad for Gonzalo, he is so nice. Seeing how bad Prospero felt showed us another side of him. It was nice of him to send Ariel to release them and for him to break the spell and allow them to feel like themselves again. Prospero really seems to be feeling bad and sorry for everything he has done. I could not believe he quit magic and let Ariel go. This play ended up having somewhat of a happy ending. The characters forgave each other and said sorry for their actions and for going against each other. Over all this plays language was extremely complicated to get through but as time went by, I got more comfortable with the language and it was easer to understand. Over all I must say I really enjoyed this play.
Mereani Wrote:
This play is a comedy so therefore in Shakespeare’s world it is to end happily, but I can’t convey the same feelings, when reading the end. I felt more sorry for Prospero, than happy and the ending did not end tie all the loose ends as I had intended it to. Because since this was a comedy I thought it would a happy ending; but instead the ending was ambiguous left open to even more possibilities. It does not give us the audience any closure for some of the characters since; for example Antonio and Sebastian sound like they do not at all have repented for their sins. They even make fun of Caliban (Caliban must really look strange for people to keep calling him a fish-like man), and talking about selling him at the market for money, they’re really jerks. Also I would like to know what happens to Caliban, does he stay at the island or travels all the way back to Nepal.
Prospero seems really lonely at the ending and I can’t help feel really sorry for him, because he has lost all motivation such as nothing to strive for like a goal that he had before, nothing to occupy him, since he has given up all his celestial powers. At the epilogue I was expecting some closure but its not to be found there, instead we see Prospero confessing that he is weak without his powers and can’t summon spirits and seems to directing his speech to everyone, as in the characters of the play and the audience. So I like The Tempest but I am very dissatisfied with the ending, because as I stated before I don’t really know what happens to the characters after the whole 3 hours on the island.
Everett Wrote:
Act V, the end of the play, was so far from what I had ever expected. From my very limited understandings of Shakespeare, he usually writes drama, filled with death and murder and a lot of suspense. The ending of The Tempest was so... happy and unrealistic, I can hardly believe it is the same author as the one I've known.
Everyone, absolutely everyone in that play ends up happy with exactly what they could hope for. No one has any dislike, even the strong rivalries between Alonso and Antonio with Prospero was cured in Act V. Prospero earns back his Dukedom, Alonso finds his son alive and well, about to marry, Ariel and Caliban are set free both leaving on good terms with Prospero, and Stefano and Trinculo are just set free, forgiven for the evil attempts.
If you ask me, it was all a little cheesy. The fact that is was just sooooo happy and fairy tale was a little irritating. Besides that, I found it to be a little rushed and abrupt. It seems like the conclusion was just stated without any detail or explanation.
I also wonder what Prospero had originally intended to do with Alonso and his crew. He had their ship destroyed and sent them to his island for some purpose, and I doubt it was to just forgive them right away. I could be wrong, and maybe we do know what he planned to do whether it was keep them prisoners or kill them, I just might have missed it. Even though I managed with most of the speech, I struggled a little and few lines throughout the play were just too complicated to begin to understand. Like everyone else said in class, I really got used to the language though compared to how I was at the beginning, not feeling the urge to look it up online every other sentence. Either the speech just became a little more straight forward or I just got comfortable with Shakespeare’s writing.
Bobby Wrote:
After finishing reading The Tempest, I found it full of surprises. Before reading the play, I thought it would end up like Hamlet, in which everyone dies. But it turns out that everything worked out for the best. Still I was sort of disappointed with the ending; I felt that though the ending may give the audience a sense of closure, it was a little plain. I thought it was supposed to be a tragedy. From the rest of the plays that Shakespeare wrote that I know, I guess that since this was his last play, he wanted to do something different.
Prospero was the character that surprised me the most. For so long he was portrayed as the mastermind behind everything that it was implied that he was evil. Yet at the end he ends up forgiving everyone. Though his dukedom is restored, I feel he failed to do anything significant. What was the point of all his actions? I might have missed something important. Despite all that, I enjoy reading The Tempest and it is something worth reading.
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