Teddy Purnell
1/29/09
Mr.Salsich
Room 2
Confined in Servitude
An Essay About Confinement and Servitude in “The Tempest”
The Tempest, by William Shakespeare, is about a magician named Prospero who has been stranded on an Island with his daughter after being outcast from his kingdom. The island was once home to an evil sorceress named Sycorax. Prospero now controls Caliban, Sycorax's deformed son, and Ariel, a spirit, who was once Sycorax's slave. Although Caliban and Ariel hate each other, they may have more in common than they think.
In The Tempest, Ariel has been confined and forced into servitude by Sycorax. On page 18, William Shakespeare writes about how Ariel, as a slave of Sycorax, “wast a spirit too delicate to act her earthy and abhorr'd commands”. Ariel refused to do Sycorax's bidding, “Refusing her grand hests”. For twelve years, Ariel was confined in a pine tree by Sycorax. While she was, Sycorax gave birth and also died. When Prospero comes to the island he releases Ariel, and Ariel serves him. Now, both Ariel and Caliban, the son of Sycorax, are Prospero's slaves.
Caliban is confined and forced into servitude by Prospero. Caliban is confined to live in a cave by Prospero after Caliban tries to rape Prospero's daughter, Miranda. Caliban tells Prospero that if he didn't interfere, he would have “peopled else this isle with Calibans.” For trying to rape his daughter, Prospero doesn't let Caliban see the rest of the island. Caliban is also threatened by Prospero that if he disobeys Prospero's commands, Prospero will “rack thee with old cramps, fill all thy bones with aches, make thee roar that beasts shall tremble at thy din.” Everywhere Caliban goes, Prospero sends Ariel after him and if Caliban does anything he shouldn't, Ariel will torment him, invisible to all but Prospero. Caliban is hated by Ariel, probably because of the cruelness of his mother. Caliban and Ariel may not know it, but they have something in common: they are both slaves of Prospero.
If they really wanted to be free from Prospero, Ariel and Caliban could work together. They may not want to admit it, but they are each other's only hope. To get away from their confinement and servitude, they must put aside their differences and work together. In the end, I think that they will escape from Prospero.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Tristan's Essay
Tristan Yerkes
English 2
Mr. Salsich
27 January 2009
“Ask a Man In For Life, if He Would Take Another Chance:
An Essay On Confinement of Ariel and Caliban In William Shakespeare’s The Tempest”
Confinement is a word with a relatively simple definition: restriction or limitation within the boundaries or scope of something. At first glance, this definition seems pretty clear-cut, but in The Tempest by William Shakespeare, confinement takes on several different roles in the lives of Shakespeare’s characters. Caliban and Ariel’s situations are both defined by confinement, are very different, and also very similar.
Confinement can take many different forms, and in Ariel’s case, she makes a choice that results in her undetermined confinement. Ariel makes the choice to not perform Sycorax’s evil tasks, resulting in her confinement. Prospero retells this decision when he says, “For thou wast a spirit too delicate to act her earthly and abhorr‘d commands.” Ariel made this decision, accepting the probability of her punishment, and so, her confinement. Originally, Ariel had no certainty as to how long she would spend imprisoned, but when Sycorax died, she knew it was for life. Once again, Prospero reminds Ariel of the witches death, saying, “[Sycorax] died and left thee here.” Prospero is perfectly accurate when he says Sycorax “left thee here”, showing that Ariel then had no one to release her, and no hope of becoming free. One may say that Ariel was “confined” with the understanding that that confinement was a death sentence unknowingly self-bestowed upon Ariel when she chose to not perform Sycorax’s evil deeds.
Ariel has her own situation, but Caliban also has a situation he has to deal with. Being horribly disfigured,[OPENER] Caliban was forced into slavery by Prospero. Caaliban led a life on Prospero’s island, lurking about, performing Prospero’s deeds, and lamenting the loss of his witch-mother Sycorax. Caliban did not choose this life, unlike Ariel, he never made a decision that led to his confinement. Caliban had been enslaved for most of his life, beaten, and treated like scum. This treatment sucked away what little hope Caliban ever had of escape or release. Caliban had to live his life this way, disagreeing with his enslavers’ motives. [CLOSER]
Caliban had a hard life, as did Ariel, but they had different lives, with different types of confinement. Caliban had a life of enslaved confinement imposed upon him for no reason, whereas Ariel chose to disobey Sycorax, resulting in her lifelong confinement. Caliban had, not only different reasons for his confinement than Ariel’s, but also a different type of confinement altogether. In ways, the two are essentially identical, but in other ways, they are polar opposites.
English 2
Mr. Salsich
27 January 2009
“Ask a Man In For Life, if He Would Take Another Chance:
An Essay On Confinement of Ariel and Caliban In William Shakespeare’s The Tempest”
Confinement is a word with a relatively simple definition: restriction or limitation within the boundaries or scope of something. At first glance, this definition seems pretty clear-cut, but in The Tempest by William Shakespeare, confinement takes on several different roles in the lives of Shakespeare’s characters. Caliban and Ariel’s situations are both defined by confinement, are very different, and also very similar.
Confinement can take many different forms, and in Ariel’s case, she makes a choice that results in her undetermined confinement. Ariel makes the choice to not perform Sycorax’s evil tasks, resulting in her confinement. Prospero retells this decision when he says, “For thou wast a spirit too delicate to act her earthly and abhorr‘d commands.” Ariel made this decision, accepting the probability of her punishment, and so, her confinement. Originally, Ariel had no certainty as to how long she would spend imprisoned, but when Sycorax died, she knew it was for life. Once again, Prospero reminds Ariel of the witches death, saying, “[Sycorax] died and left thee here.” Prospero is perfectly accurate when he says Sycorax “left thee here”, showing that Ariel then had no one to release her, and no hope of becoming free. One may say that Ariel was “confined” with the understanding that that confinement was a death sentence unknowingly self-bestowed upon Ariel when she chose to not perform Sycorax’s evil deeds.
Ariel has her own situation, but Caliban also has a situation he has to deal with. Being horribly disfigured,[OPENER] Caliban was forced into slavery by Prospero. Caaliban led a life on Prospero’s island, lurking about, performing Prospero’s deeds, and lamenting the loss of his witch-mother Sycorax. Caliban did not choose this life, unlike Ariel, he never made a decision that led to his confinement. Caliban had been enslaved for most of his life, beaten, and treated like scum. This treatment sucked away what little hope Caliban ever had of escape or release. Caliban had to live his life this way, disagreeing with his enslavers’ motives. [CLOSER]
Caliban had a hard life, as did Ariel, but they had different lives, with different types of confinement. Caliban had a life of enslaved confinement imposed upon him for no reason, whereas Ariel chose to disobey Sycorax, resulting in her lifelong confinement. Caliban had, not only different reasons for his confinement than Ariel’s, but also a different type of confinement altogether. In ways, the two are essentially identical, but in other ways, they are polar opposites.
Ty's essay
Ty LeVarge
Mr. H. Salsich
English 02
January 27 2009
The suffering in confinement:
A comparison between Ariel and Caliban in “The Tempest”
Two figures of the past both despise each other and are stranded on one island with a merciful ruler is like being in a prison cell. With a roommate and a jailer outside the door who won’t listen means that chaos will break out at anytime. This is similar to Ariel and Caliban and how they are within tight space under Prospero’s rule. This is a wonder of how things will turn out in the future between them.
Being a servant of Sycorax, Ariel, over the years, had gone through some harsh punishments casted upon her. Ariel had gone through tough confinements for any type of disobedience to her mending masters. Ariel was first trapped within the confines of a pine tree by Sycorax for 12 years until she was freed. She was later threatened by Prospero to be sealed within an oak tree, if she was to disobey him, of which it would be nearly impossible for her to escape from. Ariel had been a loyal servant to Prospero and he does not want to let her go yet. She is loyal to Prospero and travels anywhere he commands her to go and does what he says. Through her loyalty, she is now bound to the island as a servant to her master. Ariel is bound to the island as if there were large walls and a gate that can only be unlocked by Prospero and that gate leads to her freedom.
Caliban has despised Ariel and Prospero for their cruelty towards him and he curses at them for their cruelty hoping that something lurid will happen to the both of them. Hurt by Ariel’s words makes Caliban feel as if they are another prison cell for him. He is not in control of how he looks, and yet Ariel still uses words to make him feel weak and helpless. Ariel seems to release her frustration upon Caliban because he is a punching bag to most because he seems defenseless. However Caliban was also bound to the island like Ariel. Caliban is also a servant carrying out Prospero’s deeds with great displeasure. He is also weighted down by Ariel and her cruel words and is nearly about to go off the edge because of all the pressure. Both of these factors bearing down on him are making him nearly lose his mind and he is going on the brink of disaster.
Ariel and Caliban despise each other but yet suffer some the same punishments. Both were forced into becoming a servant in order to be free from their previous imprisonment. They are to stay within their island prison or face being isolated within an object. They paid the price for freedom, but was it really worth it?
RED OPENING PARTICIPAL
GREEN CLOSING PARTICIPAL
PINK FAST WORD
Mr. H. Salsich
English 02
January 27 2009
The suffering in confinement:
A comparison between Ariel and Caliban in “The Tempest”
Two figures of the past both despise each other and are stranded on one island with a merciful ruler is like being in a prison cell. With a roommate and a jailer outside the door who won’t listen means that chaos will break out at anytime. This is similar to Ariel and Caliban and how they are within tight space under Prospero’s rule. This is a wonder of how things will turn out in the future between them.
Being a servant of Sycorax, Ariel, over the years, had gone through some harsh punishments casted upon her. Ariel had gone through tough confinements for any type of disobedience to her mending masters. Ariel was first trapped within the confines of a pine tree by Sycorax for 12 years until she was freed. She was later threatened by Prospero to be sealed within an oak tree, if she was to disobey him, of which it would be nearly impossible for her to escape from. Ariel had been a loyal servant to Prospero and he does not want to let her go yet. She is loyal to Prospero and travels anywhere he commands her to go and does what he says. Through her loyalty, she is now bound to the island as a servant to her master. Ariel is bound to the island as if there were large walls and a gate that can only be unlocked by Prospero and that gate leads to her freedom.
Caliban has despised Ariel and Prospero for their cruelty towards him and he curses at them for their cruelty hoping that something lurid will happen to the both of them. Hurt by Ariel’s words makes Caliban feel as if they are another prison cell for him. He is not in control of how he looks, and yet Ariel still uses words to make him feel weak and helpless. Ariel seems to release her frustration upon Caliban because he is a punching bag to most because he seems defenseless. However Caliban was also bound to the island like Ariel. Caliban is also a servant carrying out Prospero’s deeds with great displeasure. He is also weighted down by Ariel and her cruel words and is nearly about to go off the edge because of all the pressure. Both of these factors bearing down on him are making him nearly lose his mind and he is going on the brink of disaster.
Ariel and Caliban despise each other but yet suffer some the same punishments. Both were forced into becoming a servant in order to be free from their previous imprisonment. They are to stay within their island prison or face being isolated within an object. They paid the price for freedom, but was it really worth it?
RED OPENING PARTICIPAL
GREEN CLOSING PARTICIPAL
PINK FAST WORD
Kyle's "Tempest" Essay
Kyle c. Sebastian
Professor H. Salsich
English 02
27 January 2009
English 02
27 January 2009
Captivity and Confinement;
An Essay on Ariel and Caliban’s Imprisonment.
TS: There are many things that are alike and completely different at the same time, like the yin and yang, one represents all the good and the other represents the evil, but together they keep life in a stable balance. SD: Ariel and Caliban are equal in the sense that they share the title slave, but they are both treated very different than the other. CM: Ariel will soon gain her freedom whereas Caliban will be a slave for Prospero until Prospero sees fit. CM: Ariel is also treated much better than Caliban. CM: She doesn't do the more strenuous work of the two and is treated more graciously.
TS: Someone who has never given Prospero a reason to dislike her, Ariel has certain privileges that Caliban does not possess. SD: She is treated with more civility than Caliban is shown from Prospero. CM: Prospero does not insult her or curse her for no reason like he does to Caliban. CM: She is also not given such arduous orders as Caliban is given either. CM: Prospero refers to her as “a spirit too delicate” to perform such tasks. SD: Ariel is also a slave like Caliban, but with one exception. CM: Prospero had told Ariel that he will “discharge” Ariel from his services if she does one more task for him. CM: She will break free from her confinement as a slave and Caliban will still be imprisoned. CS: All in all Ariel has a much more enjoyable “confinement” then Caliban has and soon she will not have one at all.
TS: Caliban too is a slave like Ariel, but he is treated more like a seed of Satan than an actual living, breathing, feeling being. SD: His service to Prospero is a much less enjoyable one than Ariel’s, his life is constantly made miserable by Prospero. CM: He is made to do much more onerous work than Ariel is told to do and is whipped when showing desrespect. CM: He is also verbally abused by Prospero who refers to him as “poisonous slave” and tells him he was “got by the devil himself.” SD: Caliban will never have what Ariel is about to achieve as long as Prospero is alive, his freedom. CM: Ariel will soon be free of slavery, free to do what she pleases, free to say that no one owns her while Caliban will be stuck slaving for Prospero and his daughter. CM: Caliban will work for Prospero until he dies if Prospero sees fit and he won’t be able to do anything about it. CM: He will live in misery for the duration of his confinement for the sin tried to commit, raping Prospero’s daughter. CS: He also used the knowledge of language to curse those who gave it to him, but “the corruption of man is followed by the corruption of language” (Ralph Waldo Emerson) and Caliban has corrupted himself by doing just that.
TS: Ariel and Caliban are two very different beings in two very different situations. SD: Ariel is a beautiful, delicate spirit with magical powers whereas Caliban is a hideous, mutilated hell spawn that knows nothing but sin. CM: Caliban is doomed to live a life as horrible as the curses he spits from his horrid mouth. CM: Ariel will live a life as wonderful and unique as she herself is. CS: In the end evil will, once again, get the short end of the stick while good will prevail.
Key
Bold-Fast Words
Red-Parallelism
Blue-Participle Phrases
Monday, January 12, 2009
Ty's paragraph
Ty LeVarge
English 02
Professor. H Salsich
8 January 2009
Anger Leads Nowhere
A paragraph describing a theme of hate in The Tempest
A main theme in these two pages is hate and this is what Prospero was moving towards. “The King of Naples, being an enemy/ To me inveterate, hearkens my brother's suit;” is an example of why Prospero would show hate. Ever since Antonio removed Prospero’s dukedom, Prospero has hated Antonio for his treachery. Prospero, though he has been removed, still has power within to get revenge by using the sea to drown the boat that his enemies were on. He also shows his hatred of Antonio by believing that they thought of him as an evil being “He thinks me now incapable; confederates-- So dry he was for sway--wi' the King of Naples”. These thoughts only exercised his anger to further limits. For one to think of what may be true fuels his anger like grease in a fire. He also makes a statement and says, “Mark his condition and the event; then tell me If this might be a brother”. The part where he says, “If this might be a brother” refers to his brother as not a brother anymore, but some foreign object. This is another piece of hate that glowed in Prospero’s weary, hateful eyes. This shows how angry one could become over a small amount of years and with the power to control the elements; he could unleash fury upon anyone he wanted to.
English 02
Professor. H Salsich
8 January 2009
Anger Leads Nowhere
A paragraph describing a theme of hate in The Tempest
A main theme in these two pages is hate and this is what Prospero was moving towards. “The King of Naples, being an enemy/ To me inveterate, hearkens my brother's suit;” is an example of why Prospero would show hate. Ever since Antonio removed Prospero’s dukedom, Prospero has hated Antonio for his treachery. Prospero, though he has been removed, still has power within to get revenge by using the sea to drown the boat that his enemies were on. He also shows his hatred of Antonio by believing that they thought of him as an evil being “He thinks me now incapable; confederates-- So dry he was for sway--wi' the King of Naples”. These thoughts only exercised his anger to further limits. For one to think of what may be true fuels his anger like grease in a fire. He also makes a statement and says, “Mark his condition and the event; then tell me If this might be a brother”. The part where he says, “If this might be a brother” refers to his brother as not a brother anymore, but some foreign object. This is another piece of hate that glowed in Prospero’s weary, hateful eyes. This shows how angry one could become over a small amount of years and with the power to control the elements; he could unleash fury upon anyone he wanted to.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Tristan's Post!
Tristan Yerkes
English 2
Mr. Salsich
11 January 2009
Dost Thou Attend Me?:
The Use of Characterization, Conflict, and Internal Conflict in The Tempest By William Shakespeare
Shakespeare uses characterization and internal conflict on page 10 and 11 of “The Tempest” to portray how Prospero was rationalizing the act of sinking Gonzalo's ship. Shakespeare first uses characterization when Prospero repeatedly asks Miranda if she is listening. Prospero may think he is simply retaining Miranda's attention when he says, “Thou attend'st not.” but he is actually just pleading with her to not just hear what he is saying, but to agree and sympathize with him. Prospero cements this theory when he tells Miranda to listen, saying, “I pray thee, mark me” at the bottom of page 10 showing more of an air of pleading with her. Shakespeare uses internal conflict when Prospero appears swayed enough by Miranda's requests for him to stop the storm to explain why he is doing it. If Prospero had no doubts about conjuring the storm, and sinking the ship, he would most likely just kill everyone, and not pause to open himself up to vulnerability by explaining how evil Antonio is. Consequently, Prospero shows that he may be having second thoughts about the sinking of Gonzalo's ship, and he was unconsciously calling out for Miranda to keep convincing him that what he did was wrong, so that he may feel remorse. Shakespeare also uses conflict between Prospero and Antonio to show why Prospero sank Antonio's ship. Prospero says, “[Antonio] should be so perfidious!” showing his sincere dislike for Antonio, not a very well thought out reason for killing Antonio, but a reason nonetheless. Prospero also shows how they differ, telling Miranda that Antonio usurped his Dukedom. This scene is full of strong emotion, and much hate from Prospero towards Antonio, and by the end of it, Prospero has completely reassured himself and Miranda that causing the tempest was a wise choice.Thursday, January 8, 2009
Kyle's Tempest Paragraph
Kyle Sebastian
Professor H. Salsich
English 02
9 January 2009
A Sickening Feeling:
A Paragraph on Prospero’s Feelings towards His Brother Antonio on page10.
TS: An obvious theme on this page is the resentment that Prospero shows towards his brother. SD: The part when Prospero talks in an unkind manner about his brother clearly states his distaste for his brother. CM: “That a brother should be so perfidious!” is what Prospero says about his brother, someone who should be close to him and hold a certain place in his heart. CM: If Prospero can express openly his feelings of hate towards Antonio to his daughter than that shows how strong his feelings of loathing for his brother truly are. SD: Another reason that Prospero should show resentment towards his brother is that his common sense should tell him to. CM: Its only human to detest someone if they do something bad to hurt you. CM: An example of appropriately using your common sense to despise someone is of Simon Wiesenthal, a Jewish survivor who refused to forgive an S.S. soldier for what he had done to help Hitler exterminate the Jewish people. CM: While it may have been saintly for Mr. Wiesenthal to forgive the man, his common sense told him that the man had committed an unforgivable crime, Prospero acted in the same way. SD: Another factor to Prospero’s feelings towards his brother is that siblings are naturally competitive with one another. CM: When Antonio eventually “won” the title of Duke and Prospero “lost” to his brother it only deepened his hatred for his brother. CM: This seems like a very rare situation because I do fight with my brother and sister, but we don’t necessarily have feelings of hate as strong as Prospero’s. CM: We get more frustrated with one another, but we forgive each other at some point. CS: Its very plain to see that Prospero does not favor his brother, and I find it almost sad that he feels that way because if he lived in our time his brother probably wouldn't have betrayed him because we don't need to worry about becoming Duke these days.
Professor H. Salsich
English 02
9 January 2009
A Sickening Feeling:
A Paragraph on Prospero’s Feelings towards His Brother Antonio on page10.
TS: An obvious theme on this page is the resentment that Prospero shows towards his brother. SD: The part when Prospero talks in an unkind manner about his brother clearly states his distaste for his brother. CM: “That a brother should be so perfidious!” is what Prospero says about his brother, someone who should be close to him and hold a certain place in his heart. CM: If Prospero can express openly his feelings of hate towards Antonio to his daughter than that shows how strong his feelings of loathing for his brother truly are. SD: Another reason that Prospero should show resentment towards his brother is that his common sense should tell him to. CM: Its only human to detest someone if they do something bad to hurt you. CM: An example of appropriately using your common sense to despise someone is of Simon Wiesenthal, a Jewish survivor who refused to forgive an S.S. soldier for what he had done to help Hitler exterminate the Jewish people. CM: While it may have been saintly for Mr. Wiesenthal to forgive the man, his common sense told him that the man had committed an unforgivable crime, Prospero acted in the same way. SD: Another factor to Prospero’s feelings towards his brother is that siblings are naturally competitive with one another. CM: When Antonio eventually “won” the title of Duke and Prospero “lost” to his brother it only deepened his hatred for his brother. CM: This seems like a very rare situation because I do fight with my brother and sister, but we don’t necessarily have feelings of hate as strong as Prospero’s. CM: We get more frustrated with one another, but we forgive each other at some point. CS: Its very plain to see that Prospero does not favor his brother, and I find it almost sad that he feels that way because if he lived in our time his brother probably wouldn't have betrayed him because we don't need to worry about becoming Duke these days.
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