Mowat’s argument does help me understand certain moments in the play much better by providing historical background evidence. I do know much about witchcraft and manuscripts from around the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries because I’ve read a lot about this time. The church disagreed greatly with anything that dealt with witchcraft but Mowat made it clear that the church also felt that anyone who did not believe in demons and spirits were heretics and were against the Catholic church. One part that I was able to grasp better was the last scene of the play and the epilogue. Prospero claims that he is going to get rid of his staff and his book in the last scene of the play and I saw this merely as his sorcerer’s book. Mowat helped me notice that it could most likely is this very book but could also mean his book that allows him to rule the country and maintain control over his subjects and spirits. Another scene that Mowat helped clarify is in the first act when Prospero claims that “Knowing I loved my books, he furnished [him]/ from [his] own library with volumes that/ [he] prize[s] above [his] dukedom” (1.2.198-200). This helped me realize that this could be both towards his sorcery and as a humanist scholar who is looking to expand his empire.

I believe that Mowat made a clear, successful claim for her argument and I mainly agree with her. I feel that Prospero can easily be seen as a magician or a colonialist adventurer through his books. The way that Prospero always leaves to consult his book is evidence that he receives all his strength and power from his books. Even other character’s claim that without his books Prospero would be a normal man just like everyone else. I don’t feel like Mowat really skips over any major ideas found in The Tempest because she makes a split analysis of Prospero’s books. She believes his manuscript is part grimoires and partly used just for theatrical purposes.

Quotations taken from William Shakespeare’s The Tempest and Barbara A. Mowat’s “Prospero’s book.”

The greatest example of similarities between The Tempest and the articles supplied is the description of the attempt to cross the ocean. The shipwreck in The Tempest is very comparable to the shipwreck in William Stachey’s True repertory of the wreck and redemption of Sir Thomas Gates, July fifteenth, sixteen hundred and ten. Both scenes display distraught characters trying the best they can to keep afloat and make it to land. Stachey writes “carefulness, grief, and our turn at the pump or bucket were sufficient to hold sleep from [their] eyes,” showing the hectic, all consuming fight in Shakespeare’s play for the sailors to make it through the storm. Another similarity between these two writings show a commander taking charge to help lead his team to success, except in The Tempest the sinking boat was due to Prospero’s wish to stop the ship. Therefore, it can be seen that Shakespeare was greatly influenced by his peer’s written works and actually incidents that occurred during his time.

Another similarity that can be seen is the description of new lands and new peoples. Many of the works we have read have made natives of new lands seem inferior to Europeans and the land seems unused. Descriptions seem to insult the undeveloped land while trying to compliment it. In Sir Walter Ralegh’s The Discovery of Guiana the country is described of completely untouched and pure with sexual allusions that “the country still hath her maidenhead… and never conquered or possessed by any Christian prince,” showing that it is an open reception for Europe to take hold and secure. Shakespeare seems to neither completely agree with proto-imperialism nor disagree with it. He draws from many different works and from his own beliefs. Because neither England nor any other European power was completely imperialistic at this time, Shakespeare shows all the different ideologies. He seems to like the undeveloped lands and people of the “new world” but also shows the common belief that these peoples were less sophisticated and intelligent. Similar descriptions can be seen in Francis Petty’s Sir Frances Drake’s Famous Voyage Round the World, in which the lives and homes of the people are described as very austere.

With these excerpts it can clearly be seen that Shakespeare draws from other works along with his original ideas. This can be greatly seen with the journeys in The Tempest and the native peoples and lands found.

Quotations taken from William Stachey’s True repertory of the wreck and redemption of Sir Thomas Gates, July fifteenth, sixteen hundred and ten and Sir Walter Ralegh’s The Discovery of Guiana.

Hermione is portrayed almost perfectly in the film. I imagined her to be tired and very direct in all of her statements. I saw her making the final plead for Leontes to come to his senses and love her like he did before all the accusations. The film showed her to be very haggard and almost given up all hope. This is how I imagined her exactly when she arrives to court; very articulate and prepared for anything. She is a very strong character. The only difference between the film and my interpretation is Hermione’s appearance. She is sweat-stained and wearing a grungy linen dress. I imagined her being very distressed and tired but coming to court wearing her royal clothing.

Paulina on the other hand is depicted as very strong willed and determined. She is even better in the film than I could have imagined just by reading this act. She rebukes everything that Leontes has done and puts him in his place even after being called names. I did not fully appreciate her strength and sarcasm while reading this part of the play. In the film, though, she truly shows her vivacity and claims that “All faults [she] make[s], when [she] shall come to know them/ [She] [does] repent” (3.2.218-219), showing how she is different from the king who merely tries to cover up the truth in order to seem like he is not at fault. While reading I believed she was livid but was also greatly distraught over Hermione’s death. I felt this is seen in the movie but I also truly liked how the production shows her anger and resentment for Leontes, even going as far as Paulina throwing Leontes on the ground. It is very clear that both characters loath the dominant and stubborn personalities of the other. I would not change a thing about the way she was portrayed.

Quotations taken from William Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale.

From the beginning of the play, Antony and Cleopatra are described with role reversal. The first passage in the play describes Antony as being effeminized and Cleopatra being the man in the relationship. Philo claims that Antony will become “the bellows and the fan/ To cool the gipsy’s lust” (I.I. 9-10), which is then followed by the entrance of the two lovers and Cleopatra being fanned by “eunuchs.” This almost seems to symbolize that Antony will become like those eunuchs, castrated and effeminized to become a weak, passionate man. This same depiction of a weak Antony also shows the strength of Queen Cleopatra who will turn the “triple pillar of the world transformed/ Into a strumpet’s fool” (12-13), showing that she will sexually dominate him and lead him to forget his duties as a general. These same points can be seen in the description given by Cleopatra of changing clothes with Antony. This clearly shows the boundaries of gender and of cultures being blurred.

The idea of the East being exotic and passionate is clearly seen throughout the entire play.  It’s seen when Antony claims that his marriage to Octavia is “for my peace” (2.2.37), showing that Antony is remembering his duties while in Rome, but that “I’th’ East [his] pleasure lies” (38). He never once forgets that his pleasure and all of his passion lies in Egypt with Cleopatra, even though he marries another and takes on all his duties while in Rome. He is business in Rome and all pleasure in Egypt. This also is seen with the descriptions of Cleopatra, or the lack of descriptions. Age is said to not affect her and she is godlike in the way people react to her. This same image can be seen with descriptions of Egypt itself and by how the crocodile or “serpent of Egypt is bred now of [the] mud by the/ operation of [the] sun” (2.7.25-26). The whole East illustrates a mythological environment that the Roman Empire cannot appreciate or understand.

Gender and race presents an important role in Antony and Cleopatra much like in Othello. Like the anger and frustration between Othello’s and Desdemona’s love, Antony’s and Cleopatra’s love for one another faces hardships. They also encounter an angry friend of the main character plotting to tear the two apart, which seems more like jealousy than anything else. The love of Antony and Cleopatra is able to stay strong throughout the whole play. This is partly because they are both fully committed to each other and have seen both sides of the relationship, the weak and more feminine side and the stronger masculine side. This could be due to the fact that they both are very round, dynamic characters. They both have led countries and know what they need to do to accomplish their own goals and stay ahead of the game; this enables them to stay strong together and use their strong personalities to overcome certain barriers.

Quotations taken from William Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra.

Because Shakespeare’s play is an earlier rendition, it is easy to see some connection to it from The Tragedie of Cleopatra. May introduces the strong relationships between all the characters in the fifth act through the conversation between Eros and Antony. Very similarly to Shakespeare’s scene, Antony asks Eros to “take [his] sword, perform the promise/Which thou hast made, to kill” (2 May) Antony. Eros then kills himself instead in order to avoid betraying Antony’s wishes. This part shows the trust and loyalty that Antony had with his servants, and with all those who he loved. This is the same interpretation in Shakespeare’s play as seen when Antony says Eros is “Thrice nobler than” (4.15.95) Antony himself, showing that he has high respects for his servant. Another similar scene is Caesar’s speech that seems nearly like a eulogy for Antony. Both versions depict a “(weeping)” (4.16.27) Caesar who is clearly upset that his leading general and good friend has killed himself. The main difference is the passion in May’s version. Caesar seems more genuinely upset over Antony’s death and repeats several times how he wishes he could “express/This love” (6) of Antony to him in person. In Shakespeare’s version it seems more politically based.

Cleopatra’s death scene is also similar in both plays but has its differences. In Shakespeare’s play Cleopatra goes to Rome as a way to help her politically, almost ignoring her love for Antony. After Antony’s death and the sudden realization that Caesar is going to parade her around as a way to show the great power of Rome, Cleopatra knows she must find a way to die like a queen and remembers her love for Antony, which leads to her suicide. Similarly in May’s play, Cleopatra tries to win over Caesar and in failing she decides to kill herself and not be “led/…Before Caesar’s chariot, mock’d and flowted/And from a Queen become Octaviaes’ sludge” (16). However, in this later version it seems that Cleopatra is more aching to be with her love in heaven. Unlike many interpretations though, I believe that in Shakespeare’s version Cleopatra never forgets her love for Antony because she claims that  “If she first meet the curled Antony/He’ll… spend that kiss/ Which is [her] heaven to have” (5.2.93) showing that all she wants in the afterlife is to be with Antony.  This can also be seen in May’s version when Cleopatra claims she has waited too long to join Antony in the afterlife.

Another interesting influence seen in May’s interpretation is the symbolism and metonymy of Caesar and Cleopatra. Both characters in both plays are direct representatives of their home countries. Caesar is Rome and Cleopatra is Egypt. In May’s play Cleopatra makes sure that “the power of Rome”(17) knows she “liv’d, and di’d a Queen” and this can also be seen in the dressing of Cleopatra in her dress robes in the Shakespearean play. When Caesar speaks of Egypt it is always referring to Cleopatra as well. Also, Cleopatra speaks of Caesar as if he is actually Rome itself.

Quotations taken from William Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra and Thomas May’s The Tragedie of Cleopatra.

This article covers various passages from the play which can be interpreted very differently. The main passage it covered that really helped me interpret differently was from Act III Scene III when Iago states he has spent the night with Cassio.

Cry ‘O, sweet creature!’, then kiss me hard,

As if he plucked up kisses by the roots,

That grew upon my lips, lay his leg o’er my thigh,

And sigh, and kiss, and then cry ‘Cursed fate,

That gave thee to the Moor!’ (3.3.426-429)

I first look at this passage as just another means for Iago to advance his evil scheme against Othello by creating a false story. I do not look at it in any other way. Matz interprets this passage in a completely different fashion. He claims that Iago may be just creating this story to stir jealousy in Othello about his wife and Cassio, but he also believes that this might be showing Iago’s true desires for Othello. Since many characters “[serve] as stand-in[s] in this relationship” it is easy to assume that Iago is using Desdemona and Cassio as stand-ins while he tries to “win back Othello’s love.” Matz’s point made me look at Iago’s deeper desires towards Othello rather than look just at his anger.

Another aspect which I now interpret differently is Othello’s full trust and belief in his “friend” Iago. All throughout the play I wondered why exactly Othello never once fully rejected Iago’s stories of Desdemona’s adultery. I understand that his jealous nature would make it easy for him to believe Iago but Matz’s article shows that the relationships between two men during the early modern culture was just as close, if not closer, than between a husband and wife. Because of the strong political and social aspects contributed even more to male-male relationships, trust and loyalty became even more eminent.

Overall, I agree with the article’s main point. The author makes sure to cover both interpretations of the play. He claims that relationships cross boundaries on all aspects such as race, gender, and others but also primarily goes back to regular order. He claims that on the surface all seems normal but when delving deeper it is not the “natural” social order.



Quotations taken from “Slander, Renaissance Discourses of Sodomy, and Othello” by Robert Matz

So far this semester I feel like ENL 3334 has helped me to understand Shakespeare at a much deeper level rather than focusing mostly on the wording in an effort to understand the sonnets or plays. In this class, I have learned to take Shakespeare slow but not get so caught up on every small detail. Focusing more on the major plot twists and speeches throughout the plays have bolstered my understanding for each play. I feel like I can interpret the language and the plots much better. With the large quantity of cultural and historical information we were given at the beginning of the class and with the background details for each play we are given have really seemed to improve my assessment of Shakespeare. The quick pace of the class accompanied with the detailed information supplied makes it much easier to analyze Shakespeare’s works.

The works we have read in class so far this semester have all seemed quite interesting to me. My least favorite would be Richard II most likely because I just got so annoyed with how foolish some of King Richard’s actions seemed. The plot reminded me of King Lear which I really did not enjoy just because it seemed too slow. My favorite so far would have to be Twelfth Night just because I found it hilarious at times. I loved the cross-dressing and the exaggerated emotions and actions of characters, such as Orsino’s grief and heartache over Olivia’s mourning. Overall it has been really nice knowing the historical moments of the time and being able to spot these references in all of Shakespeare’s works.

I cannot say that the overall knowledge I have learned so far in this class has been relevant to my other classes. I feel like what I have learned will definitely help me in later English courses and also with understanding references to Shakespeare in other materials such as novels and movies. One thing I do find entertaining is the connection between the movie She’s the Man and Twelfth Night. I knew that the movie was based on the play but since I had never read the play it did not really matter to me. Now that I have read the play I feel that I understand the plot much better and it makes it an even funnier movie. Intro to Shakespeare has definitely improved my outlook and understanding of Shakespeare and made his works even more interesting to me.

The speaker of Sonnet 55 shows a hopeful attitude through imagery and structure. The imagery shows a positive belief in immortalizing the youth. He believes that physical structures such as “marble”(1) built to last lifetimes “shall [not] outlive”(2) his poem. Light imagery revolves around the descriptions of the youth, which makes him seem angelic especially compared to the “wasteful war”(5) that destroys statues and the “quick fire”(7) that burns down all humanity in the “ending doom”(12). The message displays an almost godlike image of the youth who “shine[s] more bright”(3) than anything and will outlive war and destruction because he will be praised “in the eyes of all posterity”(11). The speaker also displays this determined attitude through enjambment which adds to the listing affect of how the youth will overcome the attempts of time and death to erase him from history. It is then contrasted with a caesura in the final line which emphasizes that the youth will “live in [the sonnet], and dwell in lovers’ eyes”(14). Shakespeare uses imagery and structure to raise the issue of the youth’s immortality similar to Sonnet 65.

Sonnet 65 exhibits a similar perspective on immortality by using similar imagery and structure but uses a more desperate tone. This sonnet begins very similarly to that of Sonnet 55 by comparing the power of time to the power of beauty. The speaker in this sonnet believes that the power of “stone… [and] earth”(1) is stronger than the power of beauty which is “no stronger than a flower,”(4) creating a vivid image of stone crushing a weak flower. This personifies the youth again as a gentle creature as in Sonnet 55 but does not include the confidence that he will live forever, thus creating an earnest attitude.  Unlike the light imagery in Sonnet 55, the speaker of Sonnet 65 has a more morbid imagery while describing the “wreckful siege of battering days”(6) and of where “time’s best jewel from time’s chest lie hid,”(11) showing once again the youth as light imagery and time as the dark imagery. Shakespeare also personifies time and death towards the end through “his swift foot”(11) and “his spoil of beauty,”(12) which bolsters the speaker’s belief that time may outlast love and purity. To also show the desperation of the second speaker, Shakespeare uses a somewhat different structure in Sonnet 65. Each quatrain ends in a question, showing that the speaker worries his poem and the youth will not be immortalized. Similar to Sonnet 55, Sonnet 65 ends with a caesura in the very last line to emphasize the hope “[t]hat in black ink, [his] love may still shine bright”(14). This change in attitude is only seen in the last couplet and helps connect the two sonnets even further. These two sonnets cover the same issue of immortality through comparable tone, imagery, and structure.