Shakespeare's The Tempest
a discussion by
scholars
on Saturday, 4 April 1998.
[1] From: Terry Ross
Date: Friday, 3 Apr 1998 09:10:00 -0500 (EST)
Subj: Re: The Tempest
[2] From: Louis Swilley
Date: Friday, 3 Apr 1998 08:22:27 -0600
Subj: RE: SHK 9.0305 Re: The Tempest
[3] From: Julie Blumenthal
Date: Friday, 3 Apr 1998 09:57:51 EST
Subj: Re: Tempest
[4] From: Hugh Howard Davis
Date: Friday, 3 Apr 1998 10:29:25 -0500 (EST)
Subj: Re: SHK 9.0305 Re: The Tempest
[5] From: Billy Houck
Date: Friday, 3 Apr 1998 11:10:32 EST
Subj: SHK 9.0305 Re: The Tempest
[6] From: William Williams
Date: Friday, 03 Apr 1998 14:10:06 -0600
Subj: Re: SHK 9.0305 Re: The Tempest
[1]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From: Terry Ross
Date: Friday, 3 Apr 1998 09:10:00 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Re: The Tempest
Billy Houck said,
> What strikes me about the Tempest is not the 20th century revisionist
> view that tells us that colonialism is bad, but the fact that this is
> the only Shakespeare play whose climax is forgiveness.
*The Tempest* is not the only one: Robert Grams Hunter, in his 1964
*Shakespeare and the Comedy of Forgiveness*, also put *Much Ado*, *AWW*,
*Cymbeline*, *The Winter's Tale*, and *Measure for Measure* in the
category of plays that feature "a denouement of forgiveness."
Terry Ross
[2]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: Louis Swilley
Date: Friday, 3 Apr 1998 08:22:27 -0600
Subject: RE: SHK 9.0305 Re: The Tempest
And "Measure for Measure"? "Much Ado"? "Winter's Tale"?
>What strikes me about the Tempest is not the 20th century revisionist
>view that tells us that colonialism is bad, but the fact that this is
>the only Shakespeare play whose climax is forgiveness.
[3]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: Julie Blumenthal
Date: Friday, 3 Apr 1998 09:57:51 EST
Subject: Re: Tempest
>What strikes me about the Tempest is not the 20th century revisionist
>view that tells us that colonialism is bad, but the fact that this is
>the only Shakespeare play whose climax is forgiveness.
Pardon gentles all if I cite the obvious here, but as one who's
fascinated by this particular theme in Shakespeare, I MUST correct Mr
Houck's statement here. It seems to me you can't throw a rock without
hitting a Shakespeare play which either directly or indirectly has
forgiveness as a major element in the climax/ resolution.
The obvious inclusions are the rest of the romances - mustn't Hermione
forgive Leontes in order to come down off her pedestal and take up with
him again? And it strikes me as well, having just seen the Cheek by Jowl
production of Much Ado (which, in fact, I'd love to hear others'
thoughts on if anyone else in the BAM area has seen it), that Hero must
do a good deal of forgiving as well in the last scene.
This is, of course, not to downplay the role of forgiveness in Tempest,
merely to underline that it exists elsewhere!
As long as we're seeking new threads, I think this whole concept - the
role of forgiveness and how that role changes and matures throughout the
canon - is highly worthy of discussion. I.e., in the earlier comedies,
it's a sort of 'taken-for-granted' plot device in order to get couples
back together for a happy ending, whereas in later plays it... Any
takers?
Julie Blumenthal
[4]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: Hugh Howard Davis
Date: Friday, 3 Apr 1998 10:29:25 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Re: SHK 9.0305 Re: The Tempest
Jennifer Jones asked about films of the Tempest and about modern
interpretations. I'm beginning research on films, now, so I'm also
interested in responses. The Tempest has of course become -Prospero's
Books-, Mazursky's -Tempest-, and Jarman's -The Tempest-, as well as
-Forbidden Planet-. I've read that -Yellow Sky-, a western with Gregory
Peck, is based on it, but I don't know much about it. Can anyone supply
me with information (or even a copy)?
Hugh Davis
[5]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: Billy Houck
Date: Friday, 3 Apr 1998 11:10:32 EST
Subject: SHK 9.0305 Re: The Tempest
The last time I directed The Tempest, what brought it all into focus was
this observation made by my friend Robert Patrick: This is a play about
a race against time.... will Prospero finish what he has set out to do
before Ariel gains his freedom?
Billy Houck
posting short
[6]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: William Williams
Date: Friday, 03 Apr 1998 14:10:06 -0600
Subject: Re: SHK 9.0305 Re: The Tempest
In answer to Charlie Mitchell's question about the command of the ship,
a Master is a Captain-see Macbeth "Master of the Tiger." So fall our
theories.
WPW
| Friday, 3 April 1998 |
Saturday, 4 April 1998 |
Monday, 6 April 1998 |
Tuesday, 7 April 1998 |
Wednesday, 8 April 1998 |
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