The Tempest- A Reflection of the ‘Age of Reconnaissance’

‘The Tempest’ is one of the most acclaimed works of William Shakespeare. Written in 1610-11, it is regarded as the last play that Shakespeare wrote on his own. Last week I saw a video showcasing the recreation of this iconic play. Being inclined to history, my thoughts constantly revolved upon the fact that how incredibly Shakespeare has reflected the ‘Age of Reconnaissance’ in this play. In this blog, I attempt to shed light upon the historical context of this play. 

The Age of Reconnaissance began when Christopher Columbus accidently discovered the New World (modern day America) which he believed to be India. Thereafter began the Spanish colonization of the New World. As this era of voyages and exploration was the very time when Shakespeare penned down The Tempest, so it is not surprising to note that the play’s plot reflected the beginning of the era of colonization. 

To begin with, Prospero, after betrayed by his brother Antonio, captures the island of Sycorax and enslaves her son Caliban, a native inhabitant of the land. Also, he becomes the master of a spirit named Ariel. The inspiration of this idea, perhaps, was taken from the ancient slavery system in Greece. 

Further, colonization was aptly termed as ‘White Man’s Burden’, justifying the idea of colonization by making the natives civilized and educated. This idea is reflected in the episode wherein Prospero forcefully teaches his language to Caliban. This further reflects the ideology behind colonization wherein colonizers imposed their culture upon the natives. Moreover, Prospero’s treatment of Caliban as a half man, calling Caliban a thing of darkness, a sense of superiority, controlling the movements of the spirit (Ariel), and taking all the affairs of the island into his hands reinforces this reflection. It throws light upon the thought-process of conquistadores.  

The later episodes of the play provide a glimpse into post-colonial context. One cannot help but notice a strong hatred in the heart of Caliban against his colonizer Prospero. Caliban, at various instances in the play, is shown as displaying a strong resistance to his oppressor. The best example is the one when he staunchly refuses to learn the language that Prospero enforced upon him. Interestingly, he uses it only to curse Prospero. This again shows his intention to strike back upon his master. These attempts of protest thus can be interpreted as a reflection of the post-colonial context. 

Finally, I would suggest that next time you get to read or watch this celebrated work of Shakespeare, view it within this context and you will enjoy it more.

‘Oscar’ Adaptation of Jules Verne’s Around the World in Eighty Days

1957 was a momentous year for the global film industry. The most prestigious film award given to celebrate the excellence in the celluloid world, the Oscars introduced the Best Foreign Language Film category. In the same year, Michael Todd’s globe-trotting cinematic masterpiece Around the World in 80 days bagged nominations in eight different categories out of which it managed to win the honor in five categories. These were – Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Music and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Around the World in Eighty Days authored by Jules Verne, was American theater and film producer Mike Todd’s first Hollywood production. This movie was developed in 70 mm widescreen film format, also called Todd-AO format. The classical cinematic experience had an ensemble of around 70,000 extras. It also holds the credit of establishing an idea of inviting other Hollywood and international film personalities for cameo performances in a movie. In spite of these facts, novelist Jules Verne’s ‘Aroundthe world in eighty days’ is remembered as one of the few Best Picture Academy award winners, which had no nominations for acting.

Good Screenplay

S. J. Perelman received the Academy award in screen writing for this movie. Best known for his humorist pieces, Perelman authored several short stories, books as well as screenplays. He brilliantly scripted a rib-tickling travel adventure screenplay (taken from ‘Around the world in eighty days’).  The only problem which cinema critic emphasized was longer film duration. The film held audiences on tenterhooks during the movie, so as they were confused that they might miss a travel thread.

The film was a true cinematic experience in every sense. Mike Todd’s production embellished some big international names of the film industry. Perelman’s humorous punches makes this film an exciting and humorous globe-trotter of all time. Apart from this 1956 movie, numerous stage plays, television shows, cartoons, and of course movies were based on this imaginative masterpiece crafted by Jules Verse.

Are The Four Horsemen of The Apocalypse Harbingers Of Destruction?

The four horsemen of the apocalypse by Vicente Blasco Ibáñez, allegorically refers to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse mentioned in the bible. In the novel, they are stated by Tchernoff who lives in the same building where Julio resides. Tchernoff elaborates his statement and mentions the beast of the Apocalypse, followed by the four horsemen who precede it.

According to the apocalyptic vision of Christianity, the four horsemen will punish the wrongdoings of the world through a divine apocalypse which will be a harbinger of the Last Judgment. Some historical texts associate the four horsemen to the ancient Roman Empire in which the Book of Revelation was written.

The four horsemen of the Apocalypse are described in Revelation chapter 6 of Bible, verses 1-8. The four horsemen descriptively symbolizes the horrendous events that will take place when the world will come to its end.  Revelation 6:2 mentions the first Horseman of the Apocalypse: “I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.” The first horseman has been referred as the Antichrist who is believed to be an opposing force to the divinity of Christ. It is believed that the antichrist will be given an absolute authority that will be unconquerable and anything that will come in its way will be perished. He is believed to be a false representation of Christ, who will also appear on a White horse.

Talking about the second horseman of the apocalypse, he appears in the Revelation 6:4, “Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword.” The second horseman symbolizes the gruesome war that will deliver the deadliest blow at end of the World. The third horseman is described in Revelation 6:5-6, “Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, ‘A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!’” The third horseman of the Apocalypse symbolizes the devastating famine that will end up in people shedding each other’s blood to fill their stomach. The famine will be an outcome of the war the second horseman.

The fourth horseman is mentioned in Revelation 6:8, “I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.” The fourth horseman of the Apocalypse is believed to possess the symbolic powers of the previous horsemen. He is as unstoppable as the Antichrist and is the harbinger of bloodshed. He will bring fatal plagues and diseases wipe out half of the humanity.  

The most heart wrenching aspect of the four horsemen of theApocalypse is that they are only a precursor to the judgement day, a day on which the severest of punishment will be inflicted on the humanity.

A Room of One’s Own – Virginia Woolf’s Tryst With Feminism

There have been many feminist criticisms, long before the idea of feminism became popular, but the most convenient and relevant critique has been Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own. It is an extended essay that argues for a substantive space for the women writers within the realms of a literary tradition dominated by men. The idea of the essay sprouts from Woolf’s own conception that “a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction”. In this masterpiece, Woolf talks about women both in the realms of a writer and a character in the literary works by men. She concludes about the huge discrepancy between the powerful and legendary male characters and their female counterparts in the classic fictional tales.

A Room of One's Own packs a scathing punch when it comes to delivering an impeccable feminist thought. It digs into the tryst of women with the history of literature through an unconventional and precise perusal of the social and material conditions like the leisure time, privacy, and financial independence that are essential for any literary creation to thrive. The study of such conditions becomes more relevant and interesting when seen through the prism of a woman’s deprived state. A state where they are deprived of the social and financial liberties and a state which strangulates their creativity, therefore restraining their ability to write a fictional masterpiece.

Woolf orchestrates a scathing criticism of the stereotypical hierarchies through a riveting display of her artistry. She innovatively weaves a fictional web in order to compensate for the gaps or the lack of factual record illustrating the literary prowess of women as well as the biases that revolve around the conventional scholarships.   In her tussle with this idea, Woolf launches a number of sociological and aesthetic critiques. She contemplates the state of women's own literature as well as the state of scholarship, both theoretically and historically, concerning women. She also elaborates an aesthetics based on the principle of "incandescence," the ideal state in which everything that is merely personal is consumed in the intensity and truth of one's art.

Through this work of hers, Woolf set the agenda for much feminist criticism to follow, whether by exploring and digging out the work of long forgotten women writers or by examining the assumptions behind the portrayal of women in literature. Kate Millett's Sexual Politics (1971) took an alternate path with its sharp and funny exhibition of male mythologies in D. H. Lawrence, Norman Mailer and others, while Ellen Moers's Literary Women (1976) and Elaine Showalter's A Literature of Their Own (1977) pursued the female tradition of writing along the lines of Woolf's suggestion that women writers can merely learn from their male predecessors on their own, but will never get any help from their (Men) side.