Civilisation improvement Flashcards
(5 cards)
To what extent does the textual conversation between Shakespeare and Atwood suggest that civilisation has improved for the individual?
WHAT IS THE THESIS AND BPS
Society’s cruel, inhumane and materialistic nature during that time is highlighted by Shakespeare’s characterisation of individuals who are deemed as lesser in society. Atwood on the other hand explores the complexities of all characters including women and prisoners, giving them multifaceted personalities with nuances and motives.
BP 1 - Caliban is portrayed sterotypically as a primitive savage who is portrayed as a primitive savage who is deserving of the cruelty imposed upon him, refelcting the colonialist attitudes of the Jacobean era. -2
BP 2 - Society views prisoners as individuals who deserve no compassion even after they have served their time. Atwood’s personal belief condemns this and gives them dimension and compleity. -2
BP 3 - There is only one female character in the tempest - Miranda who is personified as submissive and docile with no autonomy, refelcting the Jacobean era. Miranda as possetion = materialistic nature of civilisation. -3
BP 4 - Atwoods adds more female characters who are all able to make their own decisions about their lives. She made conscious choices to remove misogynist themes - second wave feminist -3
Body Paragraph 1 and quotes
How has civilisation improved for the better
Topic - Caliban is portrayed sterotypically as a primitive savage who deserves the cruelty imposed on him.
Context -Reflects the colonialist attitudes of the Jacobean era, where indigenous people were viewed as inferior, uncivilised, and even subhuman. Caliban is a symbol of “Other,”.
Evidence 1 - “they will lay out ten to see a dead Indian.” - Hyperbole - They don’t see people of colour as humans but rather as commodities for profit. Reflects the age of exploration where the colonized peoples were exploited for economic purposes.
Evidence 2 -‘capable of all ill’, there will be no print of goodness in him’. - Even though they taught him language and civility he reverted back to his old ways becasue innate evil. The great chain of being and religious justification for colonial domination.
Summary – Caliban depiction lacks depth and reflects the inhumane and materialistic values of Jacobean society, where those deemed inferior were stripped of identity and exploited for profit or control.
Body Paragraph 2 and quotes
How has civilisation improved for the better
Topic - Even after they have served their time, prisonersthey struggle reentering society. Atwood condemns this and gives them complexity, dignity and a voice - the book is “hagseed”
Context - Atwood’s passion for prison rehabilitation - in a time where criminal justice reform and restorative justice were gaining traction.
Evidence 1 “They’re not evil. They’re just… damaged.” The juxtaposition of “evil” and “damaged” reframes the prisoners’ actions as responses to trauma or mistakes. Directly challenges the view in The Tempest where “Hagseed” is reduced to innate evil.
Evidence 2 - “He refused to call them inmates… not while they were in his theatre troupe.”- Metatextuality - Symbolically strips away the dehumanising label that society imposes. Language becomes a tool of rehabilitation as- they are seen as individuals capable of transformation.
Summary - Atwood grants agency for the marginalised through her characterisation. Imrovements in civiliastaion - a society that seeks to understand rather than condemn.
Body Paragraph 3 and quotes
How has civilisation improved for the better
Topic sentence - Lack of female representation. Miranda’s is portrayed as submissive and docile with no depth beside her role within the plot. Miranda as a possession - materialistic nature of civilisation.
Elaborate - Marginalization and the lack of acknowledgement to women as individuals was the norm during the Jacobean era.
Evidence 1 -“I am your wife if you will marry me. If not, I’ll die your maid” Submissive tone - Ties her worth to her purity and marital status rather than her individual identity. Her central role in the plot being for marriage exemplifies these cultural norms and demonstrates how women had no individuality.
Evidence 2 - “Obey and be attentive” -Imperative command - Prospero’s control over MIranda’s actions is shown, reinforcing her lack of autonomy and role in the social hierarchy. Role of women in the great chain of being and biblical ideals on women and obedience.
Evidence 3 - “The foul witch Sycorax” caricature - She is charectorised through the demenaing descriptions from others.
Summary - Tempest shows civilisation that dehumanises women and denies them depth. Mirandas character is a vessel for male control and has no complexity besides her role in the plot. Miranda as a possession - materialistic nature of civilisation.
Body Paragraph 4 and quotes
How has civilisation improved for the better
Topic sentence -Atwoods Reimagination of the Tempest has an increase in female characters who are all able to make their own decisions about their lives.
Elaborate - Atwood is a renowned feminist who made conscious choices to remove the underlying misogynist themes from the tempest.
Evidence 1 - ** “But then , at the age of three… High fever. Meningitis” - fragmentation & ambiguity - removes Miranda from the physical narrative to avoid the sexist tropes. The sentence structure reflects Felix’s emotional wellbeing w/ miranda as a hallucination.
Evidence 2 - ** “She’s not a fragile princess. She can take care of herself.” Assertive dialogue - presents an empowering representation of anindependent and self-sufficient woman. contradicts Tempest.
Evidence 3 -** “He’s given her a part. A real one.”** - Metafiction - Consciously rewrites female roles to subvert the shallow representation and contrasts it by giving them depth.
Summary - Atwood’s transformation of female representation from voiceless individuals to strong, self-sufficient women with autonomy and depth, demonstrates a clear improvement in how civilisation treats women.
