OCR A2 English Literature 2013

Ok, little stuck on The Tempest, even though I have all the lovely contextual points, they are unfortunately not as relevant as they are in The Rivals and TWOB. Critics and other views is my main concern at the moment, I have all the quotes (mainly looking at the themes of power, usurpation (deceit), colonialism and relationships. Freud is one I've explored as a way of reading (Psychodynamic) and feminist views. Any more you guys could help me with? Thanks :smile:

Reply 341

1234jan27

Original post by simstaaar

will you share the ones you have already please? I have none :confused:

Jean Jacques Roussea - man is born free and everywhere he is in chains
Frye - there is a double edged irony at work in Blake

G H Durrant - Blake uses flowers as 'representing states of mind, or of soul' (use in The Sick Rose, The Lily, Ah! Sunflower, The Poison Tree, My Pretty Rose Tree)

Bowra - the virtues of peace mercy love and pity are distorted and used as a cover for base or cowardly actions

Marshall - 'state of the individual reflects the state of society in which he lives'

Marshall - (blake believed) 'law is not the remedy for social disorder and moral chaos but one of its principle causes'

Thomson - Blake was always poor in worlds wealth, always rich in spiritual wealth

Reply 342

1234jan27

Original post by tommoxham

Ok, little stuck on The Tempest, even though I have all the lovely contextual points, they are unfortunately not as relevant as they are in The Rivals and TWOB. Critics and other views is my main concern at the moment, I have all the quotes (mainly looking at the themes of power, usurpation (deceit), colonialism and relationships. Freud is one I've explored as a way of reading (Psychodynamic) and feminist views. Any more you guys could help me with? Thanks :smile:

What do you need help with? Critics? I've struggled on AO3 there too...

S.T Coleridge is a good one to use as its easy to remember who he is rather than some obscure lesser known critic... a few good things he's said I've picked out:
the enslavement of Ariel is as if 'we were to command one of the winds in a different direction to that which nature dictates'
before we see Caliban we expect to see an inhuman monster and are therefore turned against him
'the whole play is a succession of illusions'
Caliban is in some respects 'a noble being: the [pet has raised him far above contempt'

Wheale - the tempest 'mingles and confuses the natural and artificial'

Ben Jonson (easy to remember again as I'm using him for the other section) called Caliban a 'servant-monster' in alluding to the tempest
in the induction to Bartholomew Fair

Beck ' on this island of imagination we are inside Prospero's mind;

Good luck everyone!

Original post by 1234jan27

What do you need help with? Critics? I've struggled on AO3 there too...

S.T Coleridge is a good one to use as its easy to remember who he is rather than some obscure lesser known critic... a few good things he's said I've picked out:
the enslavement of Ariel is as if 'we were to command one of the winds in a different direction to that which nature dictates'
before we see Caliban we expect to see an inhuman monster and are therefore turned against him
'the whole play is a succession of illusions'
Caliban is in some respects 'a noble being: the [pet has raised him far above contempt'

Wheale - the tempest 'mingles and confuses the natural and artificial'

Ben Jonson (easy to remember again as I'm using him for the other section) called Caliban a 'servant-monster' in alluding to the tempest
in the induction to Bartholomew Fair

Beck ' on this island of imagination we are inside Prospero's mind;

Thank you so much, I think this might save my essay. I've written a few obscure ones that my teacher suggested, but these are names I know so I'll definitely remember them! How many quotes (roughly) do you think you've learnt for The Tempest?

Reply 345

Cest la vie

5

Original post by abismall

Okay, I can't remember who, but a critic has said something like, 'Is this a play that can only be realised in the mind?' Meaning that no performance can ever live up to the plays expectation because of the godlike status of Shakespeare's characters. Before Cleo's death, 'some squeaking cleopatra boy! My greatness i'th posture of a whore!' Is particularly ironic because in Jacobean times she would have been played by a male actor. If I was going to put anything in, that would be it!

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Ah ok thank you so much!!
Good luck! :smile:

Reply 346

binxgillam

1

Original post by simstaaar

What are your context points for a&c?

Firstly, considering Antony as a tragic hero/Enobarbus as the chorus of the tragedy is contextual, also the play is based on plutarch's histories of Antony and cleopatra, so you can talk about how that influenced Shakespeare's writing of the play. Eg there is a difference between plutarch's presentation of cleopatra after Antony's death, and Shakespeare's presentation. Plutarch presents her as a madwoman, while Shakespeare presents her as more dignified. Also, Enobarbus is not a major character in Plutarch, he is only mentioned once, so Shakespeare built his own character.

Reply 347

1234jan27

Original post by tommoxham

Thank you so much, I think this might save my essay. I've written a few obscure ones that my teacher suggested, but these are names I know so I'll definitely remember them! How many quotes (roughly) do you think you've learnt for The Tempest?

I've learnt those ones then vaguely know a few more I can paraphrase. Really worried about knowing them off by heart though

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Nervous.

Original post by 1234jan27

I've learnt those ones then vaguely know a few more I can paraphrase. Really worried about knowing them off by heart though

Posted from TSR Mobile

I hate that it's essentially a memory test rather than one about our views and understanding of the texts. I've nailed down my critics for TWOB and The Rivals, just hoping the questions are alright.

Reply 350

garyheehee

4

Original post by tommoxham

Ok, little stuck on The Tempest, even though I have all the lovely contextual points, they are unfortunately not as relevant as they are in The Rivals and TWOB. Critics and other views is my main concern at the moment, I have all the quotes (mainly looking at the themes of power, usurpation (deceit), colonialism and relationships. Freud is one I've explored as a way of reading (Psychodynamic) and feminist views. Any more you guys could help me with? Thanks :smile:

I'm stuck on AO4 knowledge! I don't suppose you could help me out a bit? :s-smilie:

Reply 351

binxgillam

1

Original post by tommoxham

I hate that it's essentially a memory test rather than one about our views and understanding of the texts. I've nailed down my critics for TWOB and The Rivals, just hoping the questions are alright.

Amen to that, closed text is such a stupid concept

Reply 352

gman10

18

Just thought I would announce this is my last post before entering the exam hall this afternoon... Good luck everyone, and I'm sure you will find me back on this thread after the exam asking how it went :smile:

Keep faith and in the words of the Dalai Lama, "In order to carry a positive action we must develop a positive vision"

WE CAN DO THIS! :biggrin:

Reply 353

Cest la vie

5

Is everyone going to start with the section they feel more confident with or the one they feel less confident with?

Reply 354

tommoxham

Original post by garyheehee

I'm stuck on AO4 knowledge! I don't suppose you could help me out a bit? :s-smilie:

Of course, AO4 is context, and with that, my love of the past comes in handy.

If you didn't already know, The Tempest is based on a true event that happened approximately 2 years before it was first performed. A small fleet set out from London to colonise Virginia (in America). The flagship 'Sea Venture' carrying the expedition leader, Sir Thomas Gates, became separated from the fleet and ended up beaching itself in Bermuda (which was known as the Devil Island's and feared by sailors). Everyone thought they had died, and the news went back to London about their apparent fate. When they beached, the crew and civvies went onto the beach, and made a camp, before deciding what to do. Mutiny occurred, and eventually, there was the decision that those who wanted to move on sailed out to Virginia, and a small group of mutineers stayed on Bermuda.

More context, colonialism was a big thing at the time, the Empire was almost upon Britain, (another 2 centuries but the idea was picking up pace). People were discovering new places and the tales of magi (think Gandalf) were coming back into society as stories.

Shakespeare also took many ideas from other plays at the time. I'm not sure of their names, but google 'The Tempest influences' and a few should come up.

AO4 isn't weighted with The Tempest, it's your comparison texts you need to focus on for that, it's mainly AO3 (critics) and AO2 (quotations) for the standalone, and AO3 and AO4 (context) for the comparison texts.

Hope this has helped!

Reply 355

tommoxham

Original post by gman10

Just thought I would announce this is my last post before entering the exam hall this afternoon... Good luck everyone, and I'm sure you will find me back on this thread after the exam asking how it went :smile:

Keep faith and in the words of the Dalai Lama, "In order to carry a positive action we must develop a positive vision"

WE CAN DO THIS! :biggrin:

YOU CAN DO IT!!! As long as you get all those critics in for each text, and make sure you answer the question rather than ramble on about something else, should be ok. Also, my dad just said this to me (for the billionth time) 'Don't forget to P.E.E. in your exam'. Point.Evidence.Evaluation - Make your statement about the text, give a quotation to support your point and then a critic. Best way. Good Luck everyone, let's reconvene when we can back here for post-exam destress :')

Reply 356

garyheehee

4

Original post by tommoxham

Of course, AO4 is context, and with that, my love of the past comes in handy.

If you didn't already know, The Tempest is based on a true event that happened approximately 2 years before it was first performed. A small fleet set out from London to colonise Virginia (in America). The flagship 'Sea Venture' carrying the expedition leader, Sir Thomas Gates, became separated from the fleet and ended up beaching itself in Bermuda (which was known as the Devil Island's and feared by sailors). Everyone thought they had died, and the news went back to London about their apparent fate. When they beached, the crew and civvies went onto the beach, and made a camp, before deciding what to do. Mutiny occurred, and eventually, there was the decision that those who wanted to move on sailed out to Virginia, and a small group of mutineers stayed on Bermuda.

More context, colonialism was a big thing at the time, the Empire was almost upon Britain, (another 2 centuries but the idea was picking up pace). People were discovering new places and the tales of magi (think Gandalf) were coming back into society as stories.

Shakespeare also took many ideas from other plays at the time. I'm not sure of their names, but google 'The Tempest influences' and a few should come up.

AO4 isn't weighted with The Tempest, it's your comparison texts you need to focus on for that, it's mainly AO3 (critics) and AO2 (quotations) for the standalone, and AO3 and AO4 (context) for the comparison texts.

Hope this has helped!