All I can say is Thank the Lord for Sparknotes. I have always struggled with
comprehending and analyzing readings in modern day English, let alone older
English. Sparknotes has been extremely helpful because next to the original
text, they have the modern text, which makes it much easier to understand because
when I got confused I could just slide my eyes over to the other side. The
summaries at the end of each scene were also very helpful to conclude
everything. I have not read many plays written by Shakespeare, only Romeo and
Juliet and Macbeth. I did not enjoy Romeo and Juliet, but I did really like
Macbeth so I am curious to see how I will feel about the Temptest.
Act I Scene I did not particularly
interest me. Although it did remind me of Life
with Pi just because it was
about a ship during a storm. Though, this is the only similarity. I do think
starting a story or play off with an action scene is a great way to get the reader’s
attention though, just not for me personally.
Act I Scene II was much more interesting. I enjoyed
hearing the different background stories. I still am a little confused about
Prospero and his brother and the ship, but I am hoping after class, or as we
continue to read that that will make more sense.
I have already learned to like Ariel and Miranda. I am
not quite sure how I feel about Ferdinand though; I have not read enough in the
play to know much about him. Prospero seems to be a cool wizard. I feel bad
that he had an evil brother that usurped him.As for Caliban, I am not a fan. He does
seem to have some evil in him. But why? I want to learn more about Ariel and
Caliban and how they lived with the witch
Sycorax. I am also looking forward to seeing how the love of Miranda and
Ferdinand either blossoms or withers.
I am looking forward to read more and find out about the
characters, even though it is a hard reading.
It is hearing about others problems with Shakespeare in the past that saddens me because he is a rather wonderful writer. Granted, I managed to have a pretty good experience with him in high school mainly due to my great teachers. I consider myself fortunate because my exposure to Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth, Hamlet, and Much Ado About Nothing were fun and exciting. I still remember my sophomore year acting as Claudio in my group’s modern reenactment of the scene where he falls in love with Hero. My leather jacket and Bieber hair were on point…anyways, yes! I am also excited to see where and how these characters progress. Will Ferdinand and Miranda live happily ever after? Is Prospero betrayed by Caliban or Ariel? I’m curious to see the interaction between the shipwrecked royals and the island inhabitants.
ReplyDeleteI only had one bad experience with Shakespeare. However, after a quick recovery he became one of my favorite authors. I took the class on Shakespeare through Hood last semester and loved it! Through that class I was introduced to Prospero's world and the Tempest. The Tempest is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays, partially due to the wonderfully laid out characters. I think that Prospero can best be compared to a puppeteer. As he dictates everything (well almost everything) that happens on the island.
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