English 433G/633
Dr. Desmet
Summer 1996

The one piece of technical news that I have this time is that you can print the frequency distribution counts by hitting the [PRINT SCREEN] button at the upper right of your keyboard.

I. General Themes:

A. NATURE

Yes, it's back, the issue of Nature versus nurture or nature versus art. Frank Kermode has a good introduction to this topic in the Arden Shakespeare (xxxiv-liv).

1. Wordcrunch on natur*. Although the word may have a less broad range of meaning than it does in King Lear, for instance, there is a interesting balance between the idea that Nature (human or external) is good and that nature is evil. There is also a dichotomy between events that are "natural" and those that are beyond nature in either a good or bad way.

* What does it mean to be a "natural" in this play?

* Where do references to nurture appear in the play and what is the significance of the fact that this word appears only once? (You might also check the word education.)

2. CALIBAN

* Look for references to beast* and bestial. To whom are the epithets of bestiality applied in the play?

* In a similar vein, wordcrunch monster and monstr*. Is anyone besides Caliban ever referred to as monstrous? Do a comparative search between The Tempest and King Lear to see what kinds of person are considered monsters in Lear. Are there significant differences between the two plays?

* Try following some of your favorite animal images, such as bear*, wolf* and wolv*, toad*, bull*, lion*, ape*, hedgehog*, adder*, horse*, worm*, and of course fish*. Are there more references to sea animals in this play than in other plays that we have read so far? Are "fish" different in nature than the other animals referred to? (For instance, many of the animals that Caliban refers to are either predators or dangerous in some other way.) Are there references to animals cluster at any particular point in the play, and are animal images associated with particular characters?

* Prospero teaches Caliban to name the "greater" and "lesser" lights. Wordcrunch "sun" and "moon" to see what associations you get with these natural forces.

3. HUMAN NATURE

Since we are also discussing human nature here, wordcrunch on some tricky words: brave, noble / nobl*, and honor*.

Brave First of all, what sense do you have of what the word "brave" means? You might want to look it up in the Oxford English Dictionary. There is a complete set at the Reference section of the Main library and on the wall of the Main Office of the English Department. Who is brave?

Honor This word has both masculine and feminine meanings. There is a particular meaning of "honor" associated with Miranda.

Gentle The word "gentle" also can refer either to emotional temperament or to rank. Wordcrunch references to gentl* to see whether gentility is inborn or achieved. (This topic arose in The Winter's Tale in relation to the Clown and Shepherd's meteoric rise to the status of gentlemen.)

Noble This word also can refer both to social rank and to inner spirit. Wordcrunch on noble, nobly, and nobl*.

2. If you are interested in doing a paper on the relation between The Tempest and Montaigne's "Of the Cannibals," wordcrunch some words that appear in the translation of that essay in the Arden edition:

barbarous
savage
bastard
traffic
letters
magistrate
politic
contract* (appears at least 4 times. Is that impt.?)
succession*
idle
treason
envy

B. MAGIC AND RELIGION

1. Prospero's Art

We have talked some about the nature of Prospero's magic or art, which purports to be neoplatonic "white" magic, as opposed to Sycorax's supposedly "black" witchcraft.

* Wordcrunch on the words magic* and art*. Which word is used more often to describe Prospero's power? Are there any differences of meaning between the two terms? Look also for the way in which stage business might be suggestive in distinguishing between magic and art. (I'm afraid that in searching for "art," you'll get some interference from the verbal form--ie, "thou art.")

2. Look for some related words having to do with magic. * Try wordcrunching spirit*, witch*, elves, devil* and sorcerer to see what this yields. Are they good or bad? Are certain features of magical art associated only with Prospero, or does his magic share some features with that of Sycorax?

3. Try also looking up references to Sycorax* to see who knows about her and how she is characterized by speakers other than Prospero. Is she merely a witch or is Sycorax the rightful regent on this island, making Caliban her heir apparent?

2. Religion

a. Spiritual forces

A number of spiritual forces are referred to by characters in this play:

Fortune is the fickle goddess with the inexorable, mechanical wheel; fate is a linear process that comes to an absolute end. Wordcrunch on fortun*.

Fate: The three Fates spin, draw out, and then cut the thread of human life.

Destiny is a murkier idea. It was Aeneas's destiny to found Rome, so he could not remain with Dido in Carthage. Look up "destiny" in the OED to find the etymology of this word. What does the etymology tell you about the nature of Destiny?

Divine Providence, as we discussed in class, is the all-knowing of a benign but non-interfering Christian G-d, who sees both the beginning and end of time and knows that all is working eventually for the best, at least on a global scale. Wordcrunch on providence.

Wordcrunch references to these forces to determine which characters believe in forces outside human will, magic, or witchcraft. What conclusions can you draw?

b. The gods

* Look for general references to the god* in this play. What is the general relation between human beings and the gods in this play. You might do a comparative study with King Lear to see the difference between human/divine relations in the two plays. (Such a comparison might be good also for a long paper topic.)

* Look for references to particular gods that have appeared in previous plays that we have studied. Who are the important classical gods of The Tempest and why?

* Miranda's name is associated with wonderment. Look for references to admir* and to miracle and miraculous. In King Lear Edgar created a miracle for blind Gloucester through trickery. What creates miracles in The Tempest?

C. IMAGINATIVE GEOGRAPHY

Although other locales (such as Milan, Naples, and Tunis) are important to this play, the whole plot of The Tempest takes place in one locale, an island that can be considered either a paradise or a "desert."

1. Islands

* Wordcrunch references to island* and isle*. What can you tell from the way characters talk about the island? About its qualities, its ability to nurture or threaten its inhabitants?

* In a similar vein, wordcrunch the word sea*. What qualities and emotions are associated with the sea that surrounds Prospero's island? If you write on this as a paper topic, you'll want to think more broadly about the threat and promise of the sea, a place of exile but also a path to return home.

2. Elements

* There are particular qualities associated with the 4 basic elements in this play. Wordcrunch:

earth* and earth'd

water* ( as well as sea)

air*

fire*, flame, flam'd and lightning

and my favorite liminal state between earth and water: ooze* and oozy

* Wordcrunch the name Ariel to see what elements Ariel is associated with. (You will also get all of Ariel's speech prefixes, making this a long file.) You might also want to read Appendix B in the Arden edition of the play.

II. Other Matters

a. What is the function of music in this play? Wordcrunch on music*.

b. When and where do people talk about virginity in this play. Wordcrunch on virgin, virgin-knot, and maid or maiden.

c. Wordcrunch on "garment" to see what all the fuss is about those fresh garments.

d. Look up references to language, curse*, speech*, and speak*. What is the social function and drawbacks of language in this play?

Christy Desmet