TEXTUAL CONVERSATIONS ESSAY – ‘THE TEMPEST’ AND ‘HAGSEED’
“Never again will a single story be told as though it is the only one”
To what extent is this statement true, in light of your exploration of Textual
Conversations? Make close reference to the pair of prescribed texts studied.
Each text is a product of the time in which it was constructed. Despite this, the stories that
make up society’s canon of literature will continue to be told, appropriated and reimagined
throughout the ages. The timelessness of these pieces of literature stems not just from the fact
they are well-composed texts, but because of the continual relevance of the key ideas and
concerns of the author. Their authorial purpose involves the exploration of verities of
mankind, simultaneously calling for self-reflection and challenging each person to adapt their
behaviours in response to their key message. Shakespeare’s 1610 tragicomedy ‘The Tempest’
explores the key ideas of power and control as well as revenge and forgiveness through a
range of literary devices. As part of the Hogarth project, Margaret Atwood’s texts differs
from Shakespeare in form, as a novel employing mise-en-abyme. ‘Hagseed’ explores these
same paradigms in a modern setting appropriate to a 21st century audience and differing
social and political context compared to the Jacobean era. The exploration of these same
paradigms across two time periods highlights unchanging aspects in the nature of human
behaviour.
Power and control is a central focus in both Shakespeare and Atwood’s texts. As a key
feature of human nature, a desire for power and control forms a common character trope It is
explored through the characterisation of the protagonists, Prospero and Felix respectively.
Additionally, the motif of costume, as well as imprisonment are employed to convey this
paradigm to the audience and readers. Prospero, former king of Milan, is situated on an island
with daughter Miranda after being usurped by his brother Antonio. The extent of Prospero’s
power is derived from both his garments and his knowledge from reading. As a Renaissance
playwright in an age of discovery, “Pluck my magic garments from me – so – there lie my
art. This is reflective of the idea that without the garments, Prospero is unable to maintain this
level of power in his setting. Furthermore, Shakespeare’s social context is reflected in the
incorporation of the supernatural in Prospero’s persona. In Atwood’s reimagining, she
addresses the supernatural aspect of ‘The Tempest’ by adapting the power of the garments
into the power of theatre and costume for artistic director, Felix, who invents a new façade
Mr Duke. In doing so, Atwood is able to explore power and control in a renewed setting
appropriate to a modern readership, and express adulation for Shakespeare’s utilisation of the
theatre. The establishment of setting is vital in both texts to the communication of the
protagonist’s power and control. The island where Prospero has remained for many years
provides an environment of familiarity, which results in Prospero’s establishment of control
over all facets within. “Fletcher! ... The one place in the world, where with judicious timing,
he might be able to wield more power than they could”. The theatre within the prison
provides this degree of control for Felix also and the utilisation of setting in both stories
allows for the manipulation of other characters.
Both ‘The Tempest’ and ‘Hagseed’ require the protagonist to seek the help of other characters
in order to exercise their control and execute their actions. Prospero enslaves the spirit Ariel
and a native of the island, Caliban in order to achieve his goals. Ariel is vital to Prospero
maintaining an omnipresent viewpoint over all actions and people on the island. “He’d need a
degree of technical expertise he didn’t possess.... How risky! So much could go wrong”
8Handz is the parallel character in Atwood’s texts, and it is his technical expertise that Felix
utilises. In this way, Atwood’s text is more humanised and realistic because Felix lacks
TEXTUAL CONVERSATIONS ESSAY – ‘THE TEMPEST’ AND ‘HAGSEED’
“Never again will a single story be told as though it is the only one”
To what extent is this statement true, in light of your exploration of Textual
Conversations? Make close reference to the pair of prescribed texts studied.
complete control over the situations that unfold. On the island, Prospero’s power supersedes
Caliban and thus, Caliban becomes a subject of Prospero. Atwood’s post-colonial reading is
not inclusive of enslavement or forceful colonisation, but rather incorporates the motif of
imprisonment through the setting of Fletcher Correctional Facility. Atwood context includes
an interest in incarceration levels across North America. Thereby, Felix seeks the help of
inmates and provides an escape for them from a mundane existence to imprisonment by
teaching Shakespeare to them. Atwood can express commentary on Shakespeare’s text
through this medium. Furthermore, a greater display of human connection is revealed through
the absence of force and is also vital to fulfilling Felix.
The motifs of performance and imprisonment continue to be vital to the exploration of “a
universal theme. What he had in mind was vengeance – that was certainly universal” In
utilising their respective settings, Prospero and Felix spend a twelve year period plotting
revenge. They are imprisoned by their emotions and the desire to return to the position of
their former selves. “Hath my enemies brought to this shore... I find my zenith.” In both texts,
the protagonists are provided with an opportunity to exercise the power and control they have
regained. In the series of events that takes place, a strong image of a puppet-master forms as
the strings of each person and event are pulled to bring each offender, “the ivy which had hid
my princely trunk” or “that devious, twisted bastard Tony” to justice. An obscured sense of
justice is present and whether protagonists are justified in seeking a restoration of power
remains open-ended. Shakespeare’s audience, in line with the Chain of Being ideology, may
support Prospero, while the humanising aspect of Felix, a man who had lost everything
including his daughter generates empathy of a degree. “Suddenly revenge is so close he can
actually taste it. It tastes like steak, rare... Oh, to twist the wire!” Simile and synaesthesia are
employed by Atwood to further create the intensity of Felix’s desires to enact revenge and
continue to display how he is trapped by these emotions.
Performance remains key to the execution of the revenge plots in both texts. Stage directions
and internal monologues provide audience and readers with insight into the actions, lighting,
props and characters, which work like cogs in a machine to produce the intended result.
Particularly, for Felix, performance and theatre is his only skill and weapon. Once both
performances are complete, forgiveness becomes the centre focus of each story. “In virtue,
than in vengeance. They being penitent. The sole drift of my purpose doth extend.”
Shakespeare’s Prospero displays a far greater level of forgiveness towards Antonio in the
denouement of ‘The Tempest’ opposed to Felix. Felix’s performance is a display of an
intensified unforgiving nature of human beings, possibly to reflect Atwood’s belief of
growing intolerance in today’s society. Nonetheless, both texts in reaching resolution, are
released from their long obsessions for revenge and performances that had imprisoned them.
Prospero’s concluding monologue, “release me from my bands... let your indulgence set me
free” also Shakespeare’s personal context as he concluded his career as a playwright at this
time.
Despite the fact that each text is a product of its time, and for that reason will always contain
unique elements, the unchanging nature of human behaviour provides authors with common
character tropes and paradigms to explore in differing settings and contexts. The deliberate
TEXTUAL CONVERSATIONS ESSAY – ‘THE TEMPEST’ AND ‘HAGSEED’
“Never again will a single story be told as though it is the only one”
To what extent is this statement true, in light of your exploration of Textual
Conversations? Make close reference to the pair of prescribed texts studied.
parallels between the texts represents the influence that canon texts will continue to have in
modern writing to form not just single stories, but collections of texts that explore various
facets of our world. Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’ and Atwood’ reimagining ‘Hagseed’ are
excellent examples of texts from two different era, Jacobean and 21st century post-modernist
respectively, which both maintain a focus on power and control as well as revenge and
forgiveness. In exploring these verities, the authors are provided with the opportunity to
challenge their audiences to make changes to their own behaviours.
(1272 words) – might be a bit too long