Virginia & other New World reports Shakespeare’s Tempest (Echoes of Thessalonians in this typeface) Voyage of the Sea Venture • Flagship separated from fleet • Deafening thunder, darkness; howling Hurricane, wreck on Bermuda, • Ship leaking, fear of splitting social turmoil, capable leadership, • Safely lodged in rock crevice organized effort, and deliverance • Beauteous, spirit-infested, storm-prone island • “Still-vexed Bermudas” St. Paul, 2 Thessalonians Governor labors like others, both in the • Low and high conspiracies to remain on storm and ashore the island, usurp the leadership + Geneva Bible comments Governor could have led by authority, but • Resistance to work did better by setting an example • Romantic fantasies of paradise No shame for leaders to work: “… Behavior of nobles in the storm blatantly we wrought with labor & travaile opposite to that of Strachey’s leaders
night & day…” • Prince carries logs, makes sport of it Better to lead by example: “Not but • Contrasted with Caliban that we had authority, but that we John Smith & his allies • Ariel works with good will vs. under compunction might make ourselves an example “proper gentlemen …making it their delight unto you to follow us.” to hear the trees thunder as they fell” Caliban: “I must eat my dinner” Bad to be a useless burden: “… we “gentlemen … doing but as the president” Miranda: would not be chargeable to any of • ”Invader” in ruler’s power; Labor turned to sport you.” daughter physically intercedes No work, no food: “…If there were “Labors of 30 or 40 honest and industrious • Invader plots to marry daughter any which would not work, that he men shall not be consumed to maintain and supplant ruler should not eat” 150 idle varlets” • 13-14 years old “He that will not work shall not eat” • “Nonparell” “… none ought to live idly, but ought to give himself to some vocation, to Pocahontas event details, both real and get his living by, and to do good to slanderous rumor (Smith to marry & rule) others.” “Man not born for himself alone” [Plato via St. Elmo’s Fire: Ariel flames on mastheads Cicero]; benefit others, posterity; reap fruit Sycorax’s god = Patagonian god Setebos;
of one’s labors; find work for dispossessed; Marmosets build commonwealths; make discoveries. Caliban: dams for fish
Hmm … Montaigne’s “cannibals”: Pigafetta (Richard Eden translation); Gonzalo’s Golden Age Montaigne (Florio translation); Montaigne’s “cruelty”: Ariel vs. Prospero Roanoke reports; others on tenderness; virtue vs. vengeance