Hag-Seed I. Dark Backward Quote / Example Prologue: Scripted interpretation of opening scene from The Tempest Ariel described as wearing “blue bathing cap and iridescent ski goggles”. Techniques - Screenplay format - Rhyme / Rap format - Juxtaposition of Shakespearean generic conventions with contemporary elements (Correctional Players, “Announcer” - Camera directions - Metatextuality - Flash-forward (structural technique) 1. Seashore “Felix brushes his teeth. Then he brushes his other teeth, the false ones…” - Paronomasia Humour “He smiles: the illusion of a smile. Pretence, fakery, but who’s to know” - Present tense, limited third person perspective Comparison/Significance Conveyance of uncontextualized details foreshadows elements of Atwood’s reinterpretation and ‘conversation’ with The Tempest Metatextuality of Ariel – discussion of costume, elements of construction of character explicitly described alongside character’s interaction with scene. Prologue as a flash-forward ‘framing device’; collision of The Tempest with HagSeed reader is yet to fully understand context of what is happening. Paronomasia is the formal term for ‘puns’, which can take several different forms. In this case, it relies on the repetition of a word where the meaning changes upon the second utterance. In this case, the teeth are the same thing but the meaning shifts in the second sentence to reframe the reader’s impression of the first one. This is representative of the novel’s textual density – the meaning of the text gains a certain depth when considered in relation to the source material, The Tempest. In what way does this introduction to Felix also highlights the theme of performance/appearance? Note also that the perspective and tense keeps the reader close to the protagonist’s thoughts whilst maintaining the detachment that comes with watching a performance. “How he has fallen. How deflated. How reduced.” - Anaphora Truncated sentences Congery “There. Not a syllable fluffed.” - Interior monologue Metatextuality Congery is a rhetorical technique in which the same idea is repeated using different words. This unnecessary but lexically diverse repetition demonstrates Felix’s obsession over his humiliation and ‘exile’. How does this mirror, align or collide with the depiction of Prospero in The Tempest? Felix reassures himself that he is ready for his revenge – this sets the stage, so to speak, for the events that he is about to set in motion. Note how this mirrors Prospero’s manipulation of events in The Tempest. The performance metaphor also calls the reader’s attention to the metatextuality of the novel as a piece of fiction that involves the staging of the very play it reinterprets. “Le make magic. And let’s shove it down the throat of that devious, twisted bastard, Tony” - Metaphor Juxtaposition 2. High Charms “That devious, twisted bastard, Tony, is Felix’s own fault.” - Anadiplosis This reference to the previous chapter is also a form of nonlinear foreshadowing as it is also later revealed that Felix shouted this at Tony prior to the events of the novel. “He’d recently lost his only child, and in such a terrible way.” - Ambiguity Connotation “Felix the cloud-ridingenchanter, Tony the earthbased factotum and goldgrubber” - Symbolism “And Hermione’s return to life as a vampire in The Win e Tale: that had actually been booed. Felix had been delighted: What an effect! Who else had ever done it? Where there are boos, there’s life!” - Metatextuality Colon Metaphor “Miranda: what else would he have named a motherless girl with a middle-aged, doting father?” “It was like an enormous black cloud boiling up over the horizon. No: it was like a blizzard. No: it was like nothing he could put into language.” - Textual allusion Rhetorical question - Pathetic fallacy The violence of ‘shoving’ something metaphorically down someone’s throat ironically contrasts with the idea of ‘making magic’. Tony is representative of Antonio, Prospero’s brother in The Tempest. The repetition of the last clause in the last chapter as the beginning of the next chapter (an example of anadiplosis) emphasises and reframes the information by adding further context. Felix reflects on how he allowed Tony more and more responsibility until Tony was able to take power from him altogether – a neat mirroring of Antonio’s eventual supplanting of Prospero in The Tempest. E plain A ood p po e in ing anadiplosis here. We don’t find out how Felix lost his only child at this point, but we do get to find out – through the use of the adjective ‘terrible’ - that it was in tragic circumstances. Compare this to the relationship between Prospero and Miranda as representative of a way in which Atwood subverts/challenges the original text. Prospero as concerned more with books and magic, Antonio as someone able to manipulate government for means of political empowerment. Note also the allusions to the classical elements – Felix as associated with the air, Tony as associated with the earth. Which characters are alluded to in The Tempest with this particular use of symbolism? In what way could Atwood, through Felix, be seen here as commenting on the process of adapting Shakespeare in a way that could be interpreted as irreverent or disrespectful? The use of colon establishes a relationship of cause-and-effect; the play led to a negative reaction and, in contrast and surprise, this actually ‘delighted’ Felix. This demonstrates the conscious construction of a text that subverts the source material. Art (Hag-Seed) imitates life (a character and their daughter) imitating art (character consciously referencing The Tempest). Felix attempts to describe his feelings about Miranda’s death by using the weather echoing Shakespeare’s regular use of weather motifs). Unlike Shakespeare, though, Felix decides that this kind of metaphor is inadequate when describing the reality of such a tragedy. How does the language here allude to the storm at the beginning of The Tempest? “What he couldn’t have in life he might still catch sight of through his art” - Metaphor 3. Usurper “He’d noted with distaste the pattern of alternating hares and tortoises on Tony’s red tie” - Foreshadowing Symbolism Textual Allusion “The Chair, Lonnie Gordon, was a decent man but a paralysing bore” - Metonymy Antithesis Contrast between qualities: Good but dull/tedious/annoying. The ‘Chair’ is a metonym that represents Lonnie’s ultimate power over the Board. Lonnie is analogous to Alonso, the King of Naples in The Tempest. “I feel you’re losing, you know, your edge” - Low modality Metaphor Compare the ‘edge’ lost here a director losing touch with his artistic skills and become irrelevant in terms of his creative ideas) with how effective a leader Prospero (who devoted all his time to studying his books) would have been. “his Miranda would live again” Felix will use his ‘art’ to conjure up the spectre of his dead daughter. In this case, the art is the metaphorical ‘magic’ of the theatre – a realm in which a kind of false reality is created by the director on the stage. Hence, Miranda lives on in Felix’s imagination, and The Tempest becomes an engine through which he will be able to generate the adolescent Miranda he never got to meet. In what way here does the depiction of Felix mirror, align or collide i h Shake pea e depic ion of Prospero? Felix recalls the meeting in which Tony betrayed him and his contract as Artistic Director was terminated by the Board (who finance the plays). The tie alludes to the fable of the Tortoise and the Hare – between Tony and Felix, who is who, and why? Ho and h i Ton lang age conveyed in a key of low modality in this quote? “Ejected! Tumbled out! Discarded!” “The secrecy, the sabotage. The snake-like subterfuge. The stupendous betrayal.” 4. Garment “Two men from Security came into the room then … He kicks himself now for having been so predictable.” Lonnie is characterised as “truly distressed” and “a sentimental old coot”, and someone who was outvoted by the other Board members. - Congery Congery as a feature of Felix’s personality / narrative voice. Why? What is this representative of? - Shifting tense Atwood carefully controls the shifting perspective from past to present, allowing the reader to orient themselves in relation to the narrative. Compare this sophisticated use of tense and how it eflec mode n i ing o Shake pea e own contextual language-constructing methods. - Characterisation Intertextuality Aside from Alonso, what other character from The Tempest is Atwood alluding to? Note that Lonnie is the one who gives Felix all the props and script he’d created for his aborted Tempest production. 5. Poor Full Cell “…Felix didn’t have the sensation of driving. Instead he felt he was being driven, as if blown by a high wind. He was cold, although by this time the drizzle had stopped and the sun was shining, and also he had the heat turned on.” The main street of Makeshiweg is described as a hodge-podge of cultural and historical influences – Renaissance, Celtic, Inuit, English, Victorian, Thai, Mexican. “A retreat where he could recuperate” In his hiding, Felix styles himself as “Mr. Duke” 6. Abysm of Time “…Maude as … Sycorax the witch, and Walter as Caliban the semi-human log-hauler and dishwasher, in … his Tempest of the headspace – but that didn’t last long. None of it fitted” “He found himself gravitating to children’s stories in which everything came out all right in the end … Girls left for dead in glass confines or four-poster beds, then brought back to life by the touch of love.” 7. Rapt in Secret Studies “The snoop gremlin: Google” - Pathetic fallacy Symbolism Felix is describing his journey from his dismissal back to his home – how does his language reflect the themes and events of The Tempest? In what way is the journey me apho ical o eflec i e of P o pe o - Symbolism Setting What is Atwood saying about the modern o ld in he de c ip ion of Feli hometown? Compare to Shakespeare’s exploration of ‘the world’ in The Tempest, IE. Colonialism, discovery, sovereignty. - Intertextuality Compa e Feli e ea o he han o P o pe o e ile In ha a a e he different? What is the significance of the new name he gives himself? - Intertextuality Metatextuality - Textual allusion Synthesis of ideas - Dramatic irony Zoomorphism - Textual allusion Dramatic irony Intertextuality relates to how texts interrelate and comment on one another, whereas metatextuality refers to the way a text comments on its own construction. In this description of his landlords, Felix reveals the difficulties in applying the rules of The Tempest to his reality. Why do you hink ha none of i fi ed Felix synthesises the ideas from the various children’s stories into one universal story that appeals to him. What doe hi gge abo Feli mindspace during his exile? In what way is it reflective or subversive in regards to P o pe o Felix’s use of the internet, something that is more than familiar to the reader, is ironically described as a ‘new’ and somewhat supernatural force (Google is zoomorphously compared to a gremlin). In Felix’s mind, this technology is rendered as a form of a magic echoing Prospero’s powers), however, this is a form of dramatic irony as the reader is aware of Google’s mundane and commonplace nature. The reader knows that Miranda doesn’t exist and Felix, on some level, is also aware of this. In terms of dramatic irony, the continuance of this conceit (as the narrative moves on) sees Felix begin to forget that this Miranda is a figment of his imagination. The introduction of chess is a direct reference to The Tempest, in which the character’s final scene depicts her playing chess with Ferdinand (in the case of The Tempest it is symbolic of the battle of the sexes). In the context of Hag-Seed, what might the chess board be symbolic of? “It was amazing how much you could learn about a person over the Net” “When she was eight, he taught her to play chess” “Pull yourself together. Break out of your cell” - Metaphor 8. Bring the Rabble “He was summoned by email … by which he divined that there weren’t any other applicants.” - Motif of magical language Bathos - Note the metaphorical phrase “break out of your cell”. How does this reflect the themes of The Tempest? Atwood uses the verbs ‘summoned’ and ‘divined’ to continue the magical motif alluded to in previous chapters. How does hi einfo ce Feli cha ac e i a ion a a Prospero-like figure? Bathos refers to the undercutting of something serious with something ridiculous. In this case, Felix’s descent into mental breakdown and his use of dramatic language related to supernatural powers is undercut by the mundane event of receiving an email (which is followed by an interview at McDonald’s . “She clearly had a vision of Felix lying on the floor with a homemade shiv sticking out of his neck and a puddle of blood spreading around him” “Shakespeare? But surely that’s far too… there are a lot of words… They’ll get discouraged” - Visceral language Imagery How does the introduction of Fletcher Correctional change/challenge/reinforce the nature of the text as a remake or reinterpretation of The Tempest? - Ellipsis Metatextuality How has ellipsis been used to reflect E elle eac ion o Feli idea of aging Shakespeare with the inmates? Con ide A ood incl ion of hi ne a dience fo Shake pea e In ha a are the inmates like you (or not like you) the average reader when it comes to Shakespeare? “The three plays he’d done so far were acceptable, because although each one ended with a clutch of deaths, each also provided a new beginning in the shape of whoever it was who won.” - “With Shakespeare it was always more or less, he took pains to point out” - Metatextuality Commentary on the nature of studying Shakespeare. What is Atwood saying when she says that there is a degree of mo e o le hen i come o Shake pea e pla The plays are performed for video – digitally recorded and edited – due to the dangers of assembling a large audience in the correctional centre. - Contrast Setting Metaphor The nature of performance is different due to the context of Fletcher Correctional, and highlights the contrast between the contemporary setting and the source material of The Tempest. “The limelight shone briefly and in an obscure corner, but it shone” Allegory The plays of Julius Caesar, Richard III and Macbeth as allegorical for the experiences of the prisoners – tragic, involving murder, and ending with the chance of a new beginning. How might The Tempest prove to be inspirational or identifiable to the prisoners? The metaphorical “obscure corner” echoes the setting of the play’s scenes in “remote” parts of the Island. 9. Pearl Eyes “It’s now Year Four of the Fletcher Correctional Players” - Tense “When you walk in here, you shed your daily self. You become a clean slate. Then you draw on a new face.” - Metaphor Congery Motif “Miranda doesn’t like when he’s away so much” - Reported speech - Intertextuality - Metaphor Motif “She’s insisting on greenery, she’s making him eat kale” “She won’t stray far from the house, he knows that. She can’t stray far. Something constrains her.” “The cloak of his defeat, the dead husk of his drowned self … In the gloom, the gloaming, it’s been transforming itself” Present tense denotes the centring of the text into the present – the narrative becomes more linear from this point, after now catching the reader up to the present day. This is where the events of The Tempest may start. The symbolism of the clean slate and drawing on the new face brings connotations of The Tempest’s themes of performance, renewal, transformation. In what way is Felix likely to follow his own advice? In what way do these themes apply to The Tempest? There are two kinds of dialogue in a text – direct speech (the sort of dialogue enclosed in quotation marks and coming directly from a character) and reported speech (when we are told what a character says in a more general sense). Throughout this chapter we hear from Miranda only through reported speech, via the third person limited perspective of Felix. This is representative of the fact that she isn’t real outside of Felix’s head – the reader can’t hear her speak directly and she is kept distant from the reader in this way as a symbol of her nature as an imaginary character. In what way is this description of the imaginary Miranda connected to The Tempest. What other characters or situations does this sound like? The motif of drowning alludes to The Tempest, and the reference to transformation taps into the play’s themes. What does the cloak now symbolise for Felix? II. A Brave Kingdom Quote / Example 10. Auspicious Star “Well, your wave-making has had results!” Techniques - Metaphor - Paronomasia “He refused to call them inmates, he refused to call them prisoners, not while they were in his theatre troupe.” - Congery Intertextuality “It’s about prisons” - Intertextuality 11. The Meaner Fellows “The smell of misery, lying over everyone within like an enchantment. But for a few brief moments he knows he can unbind that spell.” - Synaesthesia Motif “It’s got a thunderstorm in it. And revenge. Definitely revenge” - Summary “There will be trouble, thinks Felix, but not of the kind you mean” - Foreshadowing Subversion 12. Almost Inaccessible This chapter deals with the reality of working with prisoners to explore Shakespeare’s work; specifically the fact that these are traumatised men who could be triggered by some of the themes of the plays. - Motif Metatextuality “It’s theatre, Felix protests now, in his head. The art of true illusions! … It conjures up demons in order to exorcise them!” Comparison/Significance Estelle is referring to the attention that Felix has drawn from those who kicked him off the board. The ‘wave-making’ metaphor takes on a new meaning when considering the events of The Tempest. In a figurative way, Felix has created a storm that will bring his enemies to Fletcher Correctional. Compare Estelle to Ariel what are their similarities and differences? Felix articulates (in his characteristic way) his relationship with the inmates at Fletcher Correctional. In what way could they be seen as analogous for the various lesser spirits on the island in The Tempest? Felix speaks aloud one of his two key themes of The Tempest to explain to Estelle why the inmates will relate to it. The other (unsaid) universal theme is that of vengeance. Explain why the inmates will relate to The Tempest. In describing the prison, Atwood’s magic motif continues, with synaesthesia used to illustrate the overpowering sense of sadness found therein. Felix’s relationship with this isolated setting mirrors Prospero’s characterisation as the wizard who controls the island. Felix tries to ‘sell’ The Tempest to the prison guards after they express disappointment that it doesn’t seem to have any fight scenes in it. What other selling points does the play have? In what way are Atwood (and Felix) indicating the direction the narrative is heading in? How will Felix assert his power over the narrative? The magic motif is evident in the language used here. In what way could Feli opinion of the role of the theatre here be interpreted as reflective of the enduring power of Shakespeare? Note the use of the word ‘catharsis’. He also says, “All theatre is ephemeral”. What does this mean? “My island domain. My place of exile. My penance. My theatre.” 13. Felix addresses the players In this chapter, Felix matches up the characters from The Tempest to the inmates that he deems most suited to playing them. - Congery Metaphor Intertextuality Explain each separate simple sentence used here and why they have been listed in this particular order. - Appropriation Evaluation Characterisation The male love interest, Ferdinand, is played the con-artist WonderBoy. Ariel, the intelligent spirit who can travel on the wind, is 8Handz, a hacker who can travel through the abstract world of the internet. Gonzalo, the well-meaning but boring politician, is to be played by a podgy and dodgy accountant nicknamed ‘Bent Pencil’. The treacherous Antonio is played by SnakeEye, a financial fraud with a facial deformity that makes him look like he’s sneering. Caliban – described by Felix as ‘muscular’, ‘scowling’, ‘earthy’, and ‘potentially violent’ – could be played by many different inmates quite easily. “IT’S A MUSICAL… MAGIC: Used for what? PRISONS: How many? MONSTERS: Who is one? REVENGE: Who wants it? Why?” - Listing Abstraction of themes Felix breaks down each of the main themes (as he sees them) for the inmates. How would you answer each of the questions? “Along with your whoreson cigarettes, may the red plague rid them” - Textual allusion Metaphor Felix demonstrates how swearing from The Tempest can be transposed into the modern context of Fletcher Correctional. The recontextualising of the language in new ways assists the inmates in gaining a better understanding of Shakespeare’s vernacular. 14. First Assignment: Curse Words “Monotony is antiShakespeare” - Anthimeria Felix explains why ‘earth’ is considered an insult within the context of The Tempest - Metaphor Antithesis Pick three words of your own from The Tempest and use them in this manner. HINT The e li ed a he a of he next chapter] Anthimeria is when a word is used in a different way to usual, IE. A noun used as a verb, an adjective used as a noun. In this case the proper noun ‘Shakespeare’ is used as an adjective to describe monotony. Felix does this to illustrate the relationship between these two ideas – in his mind Shakespeare is not monotonous. Why do you think this? ‘Earth’ becomes insulting because it’s the opposite antithesis of the element ‘air’. In what way do the characters of The Tempest reflect this way of thinking? 15. Oh you wonder “He remembered the starving actor’s first rule: never pass up free food” “I don’t blame them. Being a girl is the pits, trust me” - - Metaphor Colon Third person limited perspective Colloquialism Elision Understatement “He was never ready when a slice of filth came out of her child-like mouth.” - Juxtaposition Connotation Synaesthesia “The bee was sort of our joke” - Textual allusion Innuendo 16. Invisible to Every Eyeball Else “He keeps his voice level, takes a few beats” - Asyndeton Present tense The metaphorical ‘rule’ that Felix refers to reveals the state of Anne-Marie’s career at this point of time. He perceives that her career has been cut short by Tony like his has – making her a co-exile and, therefore, a perfect choice to play Prospero/Felix’s ‘daughter’ Miranda. The audience’s impression of Anne-Marie is conveyed through Felix’s perspective, meaning that the reader only has access to part of her characterisation – the way she seems through his eyes. Consider this as a common issue between the texts Felix/Prospero as a figure of authority unable to recognise other perspectives, especially while attempting to orchestrate an elaborate revenge scheme. Anne-Marie’s use of the colloquial term ‘the pits’ carries the connotation that being a female isn’t a good experience. This slang term originated as an elision shortening of the word ‘armpits’, used to metaphorically represent something as being the worst. Anne-Marie’s conversational use of this colloquialism in response to the male prisoner’s not wanting to perform a female role is understated and ironic – or is it? What do you think and why? How have times changed for women between Hag-Seed and The Tempest. The casting of a female in an all-male context alludes to theatrical conventions in Shakespeare’s times. Felix’s attitudes in regards to gender and age are somewhat revealed through his reaction to Anne-Marie’s bathetic swearing. There is a clear contrast between his description of her language as ‘filth’ and his description of the way she looks ‘child-like’. What does this suggest about Felix? Anne-Marie’s tattoo is a deliberate allusion to one of Ariel’s quotes from The Tempest. The full explanation is left unsaid by AnneMarie but the way they connect is implied to be a form of sexual innuendo. In what way does this reframing of an aspect of The Tempest lead to Hag-Seed mirroring, aligning or colliding with The Tempest? Atwood uses present tense and asyndeton (the omission of conjunctions from a sentence to convey the pacing of Felix’s delivery of news to the inmates. In what way does this demonstrate The Tempest s theme of performance and how does the shifted context of Fletcher Correctional change he eade ie of hi heme “scurvy awesome” “way to red plague go!” - Anthimeria “Equally useless to tell them that “suck” in Shakespeare’s time did not have the many derogatory meanings it has since acquired, because it has those meanings now, and now is when they’re putting on the play” - Connotation Anadiplosis Metatextuality 17. The isle is full of noises “The outer gates swing open, propelled by invisible hands. My thanks, ye demi-puppets, Felix addresses them silently, ye elves of barbed wire, tasers, and strong walls” “Creating an illusion through doubles” - Motif Zoomorphism - Metaphor “…that’s why she’s rendered herself invisible, though she’s usually almost invisible anyway” - Paradox Dramatic irony “the small girl on the swing, frozen in Time’s jelly.” - Disassociation Personification Imagine you saw these lines of dialogue two years ago and had no knowledge of their context. How has your study of The Tempest/Hag-Seed changed your impression of these lines. Felix demonstrates a relationship of causeand-effect through his use of anadiplosis (each clause repeats a word from the end of the last clause – in this case ‘meaning’ and ‘now’ . He reasons that, as the word ‘suck’ has changed over time in the shades of connotation it carries, the prisoners will not be willing to engage with delivering it in the same way. Atwood uses Felix here to discuss one of the common issues with performing Shakespeare in the modern age. What conclusion does Felix come to and how does it reflect the influence of context on the performance of Shakespeare? Felix characterises the technology of the automatic gate with supernatural/beastly qualities, reflecting the ongoing magical motif that Atwood employs to describe Felix’s point of view. This supports the analogy of Felix-as-Prospero. Felix plans to use special effects to achieve his ‘magical’ feat – the use of video will allow him to create two versions of events; the reality and the projected false version. Consider this development in relation to The Tempest heme of pa alleli m and performance. Ho i Feli ela ion hip i h hi Miranda changing and what does it reflect? Note the use of dramatic irony or paradox in your response. Felix disassociates the girl in the photo from Miranda by referring to her as ‘the small girl’ rather than by name. He also personifies time (denoted by its capitalisation). What does this reveal about Felix at this point in time? Look at this quote from Prospero, in which time is also personified: “Now does my project gather to a head. / My charms crack not, my spirits obey, and Time / Goes upright with his carriage.” In wha a do he o o e mi o align o collide Thi i land mine “Caliban is bound to raise uncomfortable issues.” - Connotation Why ‘uncomfortable’? What is the connotation of this term in this context? Is this an understatement on Felix’s part? What do the prisoners and Caliban have in common? Felix discusses the nature of the island and how it is a different place for each of the characters – Caliban, Ariel, Prospero and Miranda , Alonso, Antonio and Sebastian, Gonzalo, Ferdinand, Stephano and Trinculo. - 19. Most Scurvy Monster “There’s more to Caliban, he’ll tell them, than just an ugly face” - Simile Metonym “PRISONER. PRISON. JAILER… I found at least seven prisons. Maybe you can find more…” - Metaphor Polyptoton “Let’s say a prison is any place or situation that you’ve been put in against your will, that you don’t want to be in, and that you can’t get out of.” Listing Synthesis of ideas Atwood uses Felix to synthesise the concept of the Island and what it represents to each character. Create a table and summarise what the island means to each character. Create an additional column, and summarise what the performance of The Tempest means to Felix, Estelle, Tony and Sal, the Fletcher Correctional Players, Anne-Marie. Felix considers Caliban to be a character with some depth. He rejects the metonymy of reducing Caliban to his looks. What do you think Felix means by this? What additional depths does Caliban have? Polyptoton refers to using multiple words with the same root meaning, EG. ‘PRISONER. PRISON. JAILER’ What is the purpose of this technique in this context? There are 9 literal and metaphorical prisons in The Tempest. What are they? III. These Our Actors Quote / Example P o pe o Goblin “Plus he’s a land stealer,” adds Red Coyote. “Suckin’ old white guy. He should be called Prospero Corp. Next thing he’ll discover oil on it, develop it, machine-gun everyone to keep the off it.” “…Tony and Sal, surrounded by goblins. Herded by them. Menaced by them. Reduced to a quivering jelly.” Techniques - Historical Allusion - Connotation - Context - Tricolon - 22. The Persons of the Play “Should he cast by type or against type? Uglies in parts that call for beauty, a gorgeous hunk as Caliban? Put them into roles that will force them to explore their hidden depths, or are those depths better left unexplored? Challenge the audience by showing them wellknown characters in surprising and possibly disagreeable guises?” “…fear can be very motivating. Sea-changing, you might say.” - Accumulation Metaphor Visceral Language Epiphora Foreshadowing - Stream of consciousness Metatextuality - Motif Metaphor 23. Admired Miranda “In the play, Miranda traditionally wears white.” - Symbolism “That’s why Caliban smells like a fish!” - Exclamation Comparison/Significance Think about the name of the character who delivers this piece of dialogue and the significance of this. How does this quote demonstrate the themes of colonialism and ep e en a ion of he o he Felix describes the function of the goblins in The Tempest and uses this aspect of the play to convince the inmates to work as his ‘enforcers’ during the performance. Explain how two of the listed techniques feature in the quoted extract. Stream of consciousness is used to demonstrate Felix’s thinking process, which could be seen as representative of the author’s own thinking process in constructing her retelling of The Tempest. To what extent has she played into these ideas or against them? These thoughts are conveyed by Felix at the end of this chapter after considering dressing the Goblins in black ski masks like “bank robbers and terrorists”. He likes this idea because it will scare Tony and Sal when they come to watch the performance. Why do you think Atwood and Feli ha e ed he e m eachanging he e White as a symbol of virginity. Note the use of the word ‘traditionally’ here, relating to The Tempest’s reflection of traditional values. Felix wonders what Prospero and Miranda eat while in exile on the island and deduces from the line “No mo e dam I ll build for fish” that Caliban has been providing fish for them to eat. Atwood uses this moment to demonstrate the level of detail that can be pulled from The Tempest by studying its lines. Felix, a Shakespearean expert, surprises himself at only working this out so many years after first reading the play. “It is real… More than real. Hyper-real. You’ll see.” - Foreshadowing “Forewarned is forearmed… this kid could talk the pants off a statue of Queen Victoria” - Hyperbole “Don’t blame me, blame my fucking hormones” “You’re doing well, only quench the swearing. It’s off-limits, remember; especially for Miranda” “This is a foreign language to Felix. What is Merida from Brave?” - Anadiplosis Profanity - Metaphor Textual Allusion 24. To the Present Business “Should he extend a helping hand? No, he should not…” “It does say in The Tempest, ‘Thought is free,’ but unfortunately that’s in a song sung by three idiots.” - Stream of consciousness - Irony Bathos Context “The King part – all he does is moan” - Truncated sentence Colloquialism “Felix waits until she’s gone. He lowers his voice.” - Present tense Verb choice Intertextuality “If you can fix up what I have in mind … I’m pretty sure I can get you early parole” Felix can’t help but hint at his plan to exact revenge upon Tony and Sal. Aside from functioning as a form of foreshadowing, how does this line reflect one of the key themes of The Tempest and the way that Hag-Seed offers a resonance or dissonance on said theme. Felix describes WonderBoy, the inmate he has cast as Ferdinand, to Anne-Marie. Compare and contrast Felix de c ip ion of WonderBoy to what we know about Ferdinand. In what way does each character reveal values and perspectives related to their time? Consider Felix’s perspective of Miranda and how this collides with Anne-Marie as a modern young(ish) female. In what way does this exchange reflect changing values related to context? Anne-Marie suggests using Disney Princesses for the masque scene, which is a little beyond Felix’s realm of knowledge (demonstrates by his obvious ignorance of the film Brave). How effective is this change to the play, and why is it necessary? Ho doe hi mall indo in o Feli thinking processes reveal changing values in ela ion o Shake pea e con e Felix is referring to a song sung by the drunken butler, Stephano, to Caliban and Trinculo while the invisible Ariel plays along with music. Felix draws this comment out as a contrast to the physical confines of imprisonment, though there are layers of irony and his anticlimactic contextualising of the quote provides a moment of bathos – that said, to what extent do you agree that ho gh i f ee ? Krampus, one of the inmates, conversationally summarises Alonso in the space of just a sentence. In what way has Atwood used the prisoners as a way to explore the way modern audiences can understand, appreciate and/or enjoy classical texts like The Tempest? Atwood’s choice of ‘lower’ modifies our impression of the conversation that Felix is about to have with 8Handz, and the use of present tense reminds the audience of events unfolding in real time and suggests a sense of urgency. This provides a parallel with The Tempest, in which Prospero schemes and he keeps the main part of his plans from Miranda (Anne-Marie). In ha a he e doe Feli p omi e o 8Handz provide a resonance between both texts? 25. Evil Bro Antonio “He said it was love at first sight. I said it was only a play, it wasn’t real.” - Intertextuality How does this exchange between AnneMarie and Felix, in regards to WonderBoy, reflect the themes of both texts? “Sieg heil, great monster!” - Historical allusion Metaphor 8Handz combines what he knows about Ariel with how he feels about Felix to adlib this line of dialogue. How does this quote demon a e A ood commen a on The Tempest from a 21st century perspective? SnakeEye and Felix discuss Act 1, Scene 2 of The Tempest and how boring it is. - Intertextuality Metatextuality 26. Quaint Devices “Humiliating for them, but their apotheosis waits.” - Lexical choices Metaphor/Irony “He’s spotted Felix for a masochist; not so far from the mark, thinks Felix.” - Irony Characterisation Atwood uses this scene to address the way directors and adapters (like herself) approach Shakespeare’s work. What happens in Hag-Seed in relation to this scene and how does Atwood demonstrate he challenge of adap ing Shake pea e play? Note also that this scene provides a chance to mirror/align/collide with the original text’s relationship between Prospero and Antonio. The use of ‘apotheosis’ here reveals the extent of the lexicon that Felix draws upon, and helps to reinforce his characterisation as an self-important intellectual. The use of the term ‘apotheosis’ is also ironic – the word relates to the divine elevation of something to its highest point; compare this definition to the role of these Disney toys in The Tempest. What does this mean and how does it reflect a resonance or dissonance between the two texts? 27. Ignorant of What Thou Art “He reminds himself that she doesn’t leave footprints, so lightly does she tread.” - Situational Irony Symbolism At the beginning of this chapter, Felix thinks about Miranda playing in the snow but notices that there aren’t any footprints to indicate that she has down this recently. The quoted section of his thoughts provides an example of situational irony after this point. The first clause suggests to the reader that Felix has remembered here that Miranda isn’t real, however, the second clause provides a different explanation for her lack of footprints – playing against the reader’s expectations. This example of situational irony demonstrates how much further into his delusion Felix has gone. What does this gge abo Feli de elopmen a hi point in the play? 28. Hag-Seed “They’ve use backscreen projections, they’ve used inflatables, they did it on stilts a few years ago” - Enumeratio Metatextuality Enumeratio is a rhetorical technique in which details or examples are listed to emphasise and amplify a point. In this case, Anne-Marie gives a range of examples explaining how the masque scene has been dealt with by other directors of The Tempest. How does this sequence of the novel demonstrate metatextuality? “It’s not my play … It’s our play.” - Epiphora Context 29. Approach “…real life is brilliantly coloured, says another part of his brain. It’s made up of every possible hue, including those we can’t see. All nature is a fire: everything forms, everything blossoms, everything fades. We are slow clouds…” “There they are, them and their sound bites, three hundred miles away” - Symbolism Paradox Pathetic fallacy Metaphor Anaphora Inclusive/collective pronouns - Embedded clause Metonym Miranda delivers Ariel’s dialogue into Felix’s ear while he rehearses as Prospero and he becomes excited that she has found a way to include herself in the play. - Intertextuality Characterisation The use of ‘play’ at the end of two successive clauses is a form of repetition (epiphora, to be exact , however, the change from ‘my’ to ‘our’ shifts the overall meaning of who the play belongs to. What point might Atwood be making about The Tempest here in terms of the ever-changing context of Shakespeare? Felix considers the complexity of human experience here, reflecting the complex nature of The Tempest itself as a ‘problem play’, IE. A play that some critics have found difficult to define. Pick one of the techniques listed here and explain how the Atwood has used this technique to express the complexity of using literature to express the human experience. The metonym of ‘sound bites’ is included as an embedded clause to expand on how Felix sees the ‘they’ of the sentence Tony and Sal). The two antagonists are reduced to ‘sound bites’, a term that refers to the catchy quotes that politicians offer for the media to use, and only one part of their existence. Why has Felix used this metonym to describe Tony and Sal? Consider the development of the plot here in relation to Felix and his ‘imagined’ daughter Miranda. From a psychological standpoint, his mind has found a way for him to ‘carry’ his hallucination of Miranda with him into the prison as she’ll be understudying the part of Ariel. Her invisibility provides a way for him to rationalise to himself why the other characters will not be able to see her. IV. Rough Magic Quote / Example 30. Some Vanity of Mine Art “DREAMS…” Techniques - Stream of consciousness - Metatextuality “You’re not my real dad” - Intertextuality A con man playing an actor. A double unreality. - Metatextuality 31. Bountiful Fortune, Now My Dear Lady “The contact was courtesy 8Handz: each side could trust the other like a brother” - Hyperbole Colon “Heritage Minister Price and Justice Minister O’Nally are pulling the plug on the Fletcher Correctional literacy program” - Alliteration Metaphor Historical allusion “Lady Luck can be a nice dame” - Textual allusion Personification 32. Felix Addresses the Goblins “But first, the pre-battle speech” - Metaphor Connotation Textual allusion Generic Conventions Alliteration Motif “Tip of the tongue” Comparison/Significance Felix, upon waking from a dream, considers the significance of dreams to The Tempest and reconsiders the role of this theme in the text. His rejection of this theme, “The guys have their hands full as it is,” is representative of the author’s place as editor when considering which elements of The Tempest to include in Hag-Seed. What is one other element of The Tempest that has been mostly or entirely left out, and why? Anne-Marie reminds Felix that she isn’t the real Miranda to his Prospero. Consider how this provides a point of dissonance with The Tempest. This is meta-metatextuality, in a way, as the text (Hag-Seed) is commenting on Felix’s text his production of The Tempest) as a commentary on the original text Shakespeare’s The Tempest). How does this provide commentary on the motif of performance as a reflection of appearance vs. reality. In this scene Felix organises through 8Handz to get drugs and needles that will allow him to sedate Sal and Tony, and/or make them hallucinate. How does this provide a parallel with the nature of P o pe o po e in The Tempest? It’s worth remembering that Hag-Seed takes place in an entirely different context to Shakespeare’s The Tempest. In what way does this extra detail provides an opportunity for Atwood to discuss modern values relating to literature? Felix’s personification of good fortune as ‘Lady Luck’ mirrors Prospero’s praise for his ‘dear lady’ ‘Fortune’ for bringing his enemies to the island. Wh ha Feli ed he e m p e-battle peech he e Look a he echniques listed for assistance] The repeated alliterative phrase ‘Tip of the tongue’ is a vocal exercise designed to help actors prepare for speaking articulately and clearly. These kind of vocal warm-ups are usually alliterative ‘tongue-twisters’ as they help actors exercise their mouth shapes before delivering lines. This features as a motif throughout Hag-Seed in order to remind the reader of the performance aspect: the performance of The Tempest and the ‘performance’ that Felix is putting on for everyone else’s benefit. “Phil … might lose his nerve and break the charm” - Motif Metaphor “…for Alonso and Gonzalo – sorry, for O’Nally and Lonnie Gordon” - Freudian slips The Ho No Come “What’s the quote? Nature versus nurture, something like that” - Textual allusion Low modality “Freddie is awkward, wideeyed: this is a whole other world, one that he’s never thought much about” - Metaphor Textual allusion “Nice idea, this ginger ale. Too bad there’s no booze in it” - Dramatic irony “He’s gazing deeply into her wide blue eyes … Now he’s looking at her one bare shoulder” - Imagery Adverbs “I couldn’t have done it all without Ariel … Without Handz” Phil the Pill is one of the few inmates who objects to Felix’s secret plan. Felix and the other inmates have convinced him to play along, however, Felix has not included Phil in the main Goblin business just in case Phil has a change of heart at the last minute. The ‘charm’ referred to here continues the magic motif utilised by Atwood in her description of Felix’s thought-processes. In this case the ‘charm’ refers to Felix’s ‘magical’ ability to convince and manipulate the inmates into doing his bidding. Look back through this document and collect all the magic metaphors together to show the extent of this motif. Bonus points if you can find any of your own examples from the text surplus to what has been already listed. A Freudian slip is an unintentional error that reveals subconscious thoughts. In the case, Felix mistakenly refers to two of the visiting politicians as characters from The Tempest. Wh o ld Feli efe o O Nall and Lonnie as these two particular characters? The second example, where Felix refers to Handz as his character’s name, indicates Felix’s increasingly unstable state of mind. Sal alludes to a famous and ongoing philosophical debate regarding which aspect of a human’s origins has more influence – their genetic make-up (nature) or their upbringing (nurture). The quote he is unwittingly referring to is from The Tempest, “a born devil, on whose nature/ Nurture can never stick”, delivered by Prospero in regards to Caliban. What do you think in regards to this debate which is more influential; nature or nurture? In The Tempest, Ferdinand speaks the now-famous line, “O brave new world, that has such people in’t” in reference to Miranda. In what way does Freddie, the son of the politician Sal, provide a reframing or reimagining of The Tempest? Sal reflects on the ginger ale offered to him as he drinks it. In what way is this dramatic irony, or how does this moment shape our impression of the character? Atwood uses the adverb ‘deeply’ to describe the way Freddie looks at AnneMarie upon meeting her. Why does she describe their meeting in this way? In what way does this meeting between these two characters provide a parallel counterpoint to The Tempest? In what way does it provide a dissonance between the two texts? 34. Tempest Script of first scene of the Fletcher Correctional Players’ production of The Tempest. - Screenplay format Intertextuality 35. Rich and Strange “A shot. “They’ve killed him!” wails Sal.” - Present tense Truncated sentence Collage “Shhh! What you need to do is stick to the script.” - Imperative language “So would you mind if I did fall in love with you?” “I don’t think so,” - Ambiguity 36. A Maze Trod “I think we should look on the bright side. Until we know for sure.” (Lonnie) “He’s going to go on like that for hours” Tony - Metaphor Textual allusion Hyperbole “Did we record all of that?” - Juxtaposition Situational irony The use of a screenplay format conveys exactly how the first scene of The Tempest is performed by the Fletcher Correctional Players, however, Atwood blends this with the actual events happening in Hag-Seed from the moment where it says “The screen goes black”. How has the 21st century format of the screenplay been utilised by Atwood to shape new meaning in her own narrative? The sentences in this section of the text are fragmentary and truncated to denote the chaos that is taking place, and the lack of information that Sal and Tony have in regards to what is happening. The removal of Freddie from Sal, and his belief that his son has been killed, mirror events in The Tempest in regards to Alonso and Ferdinand. Anne-Marie, as Miranda, directs Freddie to play the part of Ferdinand. How has the narrative of Hag-Seed shifted the nature of Mi anda Fe dinand ela ion hip Wha does this reveal about the newer themes/values that Hag-Seed explores? Freddie plays the part of Ferdinand falling instantly in love with Miranda but also seems to be genuinely falling for Anne-Marie despite the intensity (or perhaps because of it?) of the situation. It is ambiguous at this point whether Anne-Marie is reciprocal of these feelings or not. What do you think? Why and how is this kept ambiguous by Atwood? Lonnie tries to reassure Sal that the gunshot they heard may not have meant Freddie’s death. Atwood continues to use Lonnie as a parallel for Gonzalo here, mirroring the way Gonzalo tries to get Alonso to appreciate the island after they are shipwrecked. In similar fashion, Tony undercuts this optimism much like Antonio does with Gonzalo. This scene goes on as a neat parallel to the scene in The Tempest Lonnie and Sal go to sleep, having been drugged by Felix, and Tony and Sebert discuss their secret plans for taking over in local government. Tony suggests that Sal and Lonnie might ‘die’ in the riots. The scheming of Tony and Sebert suddenly cuts to a scene of Felix watching them via camera, the equivalent of a dramatic ‘smash cut’ in a film where a contrast is provided between two scenes. The similarity of the scheming with Antonio in The Tempest also provides a chance for Atwood to surprise the reader as she provides an extra dimension through the revelation that this version has been recorded by 8Handz. In what way has the 21st century context allowed for Atwood to subvert the ideas in The Tempest here? 37. Charms Crack Not 8Handz uses two songs, Metallica’s Ride the Lightning and Leonard Cohen’s Bird on the Wire, in his role as Ariel to direct/charm the visiting politicians. “Eye of newt. Ketamine. Salvia. Mushrooms … They’ll be buzzed out of their minds” - Textual Allusion Intertextuality After listening to these songs and reading their lyrics, what is your impression of them in the context of the scenes depicted in Hag-Seed. What are these songs suggestive of? - Colloquialism Listing Metaphor 38. Not a Frown Further “We could put them on show … Gibbering lunatics. Street people. Addicts. Dregs of society. Always good for a laugh.” “People would pay good money to see this … Ministers of Justice in Drug-Fuelled Meltdown. Great headline!” “We know what you took! White-collar crook! / Whitecollar crook! We KNOW what you took!” - Textual allusion Congery Satire 8Handz explains to Felix what drugs are in the grapes, which provides a modern-day explanation for the ‘magic’ that is being worked on the politicians. How has Atwood used humour in this scene? In what way does it create a resonance or dissonance with Shake pea e i ing In their roles as Trinculo and Stephano, TimEEz and Red Coyote unwittingly mirror their dialogue about Caliban being the kind of side-show ‘freak’ that people would pay to see. In what way does Atwood use this moment to provide satirical commentary on our modern day context? - Antimetabole Inversion “Am I supposed to say, ‘I would, sir, were I human’?” - Textual allusion Irony Intertextuality 39. Merrily, Merrily “You’re crazy” - Bathos “The video’s already stored in the cloud” - Motif Paranomasia The ‘Caliban song’ sung at Sal, Tony and Sebert accuses them of being monsters due to their ‘white collar’ crimes. This inverts the idea that Caliban/the criminals are the monsters in this society (especially after Tony and Sal’s previous criticism of the prison). Wha hi e colla c ime a e being alluded to here? How does this criticism mirror, align or collide with The Tempest and its own commentary on monstrosity? 8Handz expresses confusion over the blurring of lines between what is happening and the events of The Tempest. Much like Ariel does to Prospero, he suggests to Felix that the politicians have had enough punishment. Felix recognises this resonance, which reminds 8Handz of the scene in question. His response brings into focus the layers of performance and reality that have collided in their scheme. Adding further density to this is the ‘presence’ of invisible Miranda also mirroring Ariel and asking Felix, “Do you love me?” The dramatic revelation of Felix and his demands is undercut by Tony’s rather cliched accusation that Felix is crazy. How does this exchange of dialogue highlight the changed context between the two texts? The double-meaning of the ‘cloud’ provides a technological explanation whilst continuing the magic motif. “True romance. You can’t fight it. Anyway, it’s the best outcome” - Bathos Truncated sentences “That’s what you do while you hold their feverish hands and stroke their foreheads in the hospital room, but despite everything they slip gently away from you, into the dark backward and abysm of time” - Imagery Flashback Euphemism “Why does it feel like a letdown?” - Anticlimax Felix’s offhand comment here provides a conversational tone that signals the break from the ‘performance’ they have all been enacting. It also provides a further example of the way Hag-Seed mirrors, aligns or collides with The Tempest; AnneMarie has been given an opportunity by Felix to reinvigorate her career and is therefore most likely to show some degree of loyalty to him, and her relationship with Freddie only serves to legitimise and strengthen the new deal that Felix has made with Freddie’s father, Sal. Explain how this reflects events in The Tempest. “Slip gently away from you” euphemistically refers to the toddler Miranda’s death, and reflects the pain of her passing. Coming this late in the novel, Atwood uses this flashback to remind the reader (and Felix) that his plans of vengeance and reward do little to fix the tragedy that has been with him for the entirety of this time. Consider how this contrast/compares with P o pe o characterisation towards the end of The Tempest. V. This Thing of Darkness Quote / Example 40. Last Assignment “That Miranda was a stone cold fox!” “Thanks,” says Anne-Marie a little drily. 41. Team Ariel “This play is about changing your mind” “…he flies off to tackle climate change. Sort of like Storm in the X-Men.” Techniques - Metaphor - Adverb Comparison/Significance Note the use of the adverb ‘drily’ to modify Anne-Marie’s response of ‘thanks’. Wha i he p po e of A ood i ing choice? What values are revealed or suggested by it? Li he a in hich Hand he i about The Tempest could be proven. - Summary of the abstract (thesis) - Intertextuality Metatextuality 42. Team Evil Bro Antonio “It was like leaving your car unlocked: he made crime easy for Antonio” - Analogy SnakeEye and Team Evil Bro Antonio outline a brutal sequel to The Tempest in which most of the characters are murdered by Antonio, including Miranda (who is also raped by Antonio and Caliban . This doesn’t sit well with some of the other characters (or, presumably, the reader). 43. Team Miranda “You’re talking as if Miranda is just a rag doll … But it wouldn’t be like that” - Generic Conventions Metatextuality - Metaphor Connotation Anne-Marie provides an alternate reading of the character of Miranda that reflects a feminist, 21st century context. “Anne-Marie rolls up her sleeve, shows them her bee tattoo” - Chekhov’s Gun Symbolism The bee tattoo, mentioned much earlier in the text, suddenly takes on more significant meaning as a charm that Miranda uses to control Ariel once Prospero frees him. “the illusory is real” - Metaphor Paranomasia “Goddess power, right in the nuts!” - Colloquialism Exclamation The wordplay employed by Anne-Marie here refers to Ariel’s acceptance of the illusory as his reality, owing to his own magical state. In what way could this be seen as a metaphor for the text(s) motif of performance? Anne-Marie’s feminist sequel to The Tempest summed up in one sentence. 8Handz and the other inmates on Team Ariel use their pre-existing knowledge of texts like The X-Men to draw connections to The Tempest, allowing for a deeper understanding (which illustrates the very point of intertextuality, and metatextually explains why a book like Hag-Seed should exist). The inclusion of climate change provides a 21st century lens through which the character of Ariel can be reframed. SnakeEye uses an analogy to demonstrate his understanding of what happened to Prospero, and illustrates the more complex nature of one of the key themes of The Tempest: power and responsibility. Who is at fault for what happened to Prospero and why? Wha do o make of SnakeE e scenario? Why do you think Atwood has included this? 44. Team Gonzalo “They’re just a show put on by Ariel. They aren’t real goddesses.” “They are now,” says AnneMarie. “Is extreme goodness always weak? Can a person be good in the absence of power?” - Metatextuality What is the significance of Anne-Ma ie retort to Feli a e ion ha I i Ce e and J no a en ac al godde e - Anthypophora 45. Team Hag-Seed “She had her failings, but she did what she could for him. She was tough” - - Generalised use of the pronoun ‘she’ in place of name Truncated sentence “…after a while of this he gets a bunch of disease … and then he flops over and dies.” - Historical allusion Visceral language “was there consent, who knows, he said, she said…” - Aposiopesis “They think he’s, like, rugged.” - Analogy Anthypophora is a rhetoric device in which a person poses a question for dramatic effect and then provides an answer. Bent Pencil, in discussing Gonzalo, poses these two answers and provides a partial answer in order to illustrate the complex nature of power. Look at the entire section of this chapter wherein Bent Pencil offers his summary of Gonzalo what points does he make about power? Note that Leggs refrains from naming Sycorax here, opting instead to refer to her only as ‘she’, thus demonstrating the sense of identification that many of the inmates feel for Caliban and his ‘tough’ mother. In what way is this illustrative of one of the key themes of both texts; representation of he o he Leggs’ imagined scenario of Caliban’s fate alludes to stories from history where Indigenous people were brought back to Europe by colonists and explorers. Susceptibility to new diseases is what killed the real life Pocahontas when she went back to England with John Smith didn’t see that in the Disney film, did we? It’s also one of the main things that led to the death of millions of American Indians when the Spanish first arrived in Mexico and the Caribbean. Consider this in relation to the representation of the other. Aposiopesis is a rhetorical device in which ideas are left incomplete. Leggs’ uses it here to convey a whole series of ideas related to sexual consent, protecting reputation, lying, etc. The brevity in which Leggs’ brushes over is darkly funny as it provides a sharp contrast with AnneMarie’s feminist reading two chapters earlier, and the colloquial/disjointed manner in which he says it also contrasts with his insightful discussion of Caliban’s nature just previously. Building on this humour is Leggs’ description of a new Caliban given a makeover by Prospero, and the analogy that he will become some kind of tortured/’emo’ musical genius with an substance-abused problem, like Kurt Cobain or any other number of counter-culture musicians. 46. Our Revels Leggs and the Hag-Seeds perform a new song they wrote about Caliban. - Allegory 47. Now Are Ended “Prospero is a prisoner inside the play he himself composed” - Metatextuality In what ways can the Caliban song be seen as allegorical for the experience of prisoners? Find some quotes from the song and explain how they could be seen as representative of the life of prisoners. Considering, for a moment, that Shakespeare definitely knew that The Tempest would be his last play. In what a co ld P o pe o epilog e be seen as metatextual? Epilogue: Set Me Free Quote / Example “He’ll break his staff, he’ll drown his book, because it’s time for younger people to take over” “Everything is ephemeral, he reminds himself. All gorgeous palaces, all cloud-capped towers. Who should know that better than he?” “… Handz deserved some good fortune, and the sea air would be so liberating for him.” “To the elements be free,” he says to her. And, finally, she is.” Techniques - Metaphor - Textual allusion - Metaphor Textual allusion Rhetorical question Motif - Paronomasia Textual allusion - Motif Textual allusion Embedded clause Comparison/Significance Felix uses the symbolism of Prospero’s rejection of magic as a metaphor for his own official retirement from professional directing. What does Felix mean by this? The personification of Lady Luck/Fortune is alluded to in the phrase ‘good fortune’, providing a subtle pun in regards to Felix looking after a post-parole 8Handz. Look carefully at the second clause in the quote and identify/explain how it alludes to Ariel. Felix ‘lets go’ of his Miranda and Atwood provides another mirror for the text’s other Ariel.
