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Module A, Textual Conversations: Hag-Seed, Margaret Atwood

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Module A, Textual Conversations: Hag-Seed, Margaret Atwood MODULE A, TEXTUAL CONVERSATIONS: HAG-SEED, MARGARET ATWOOD AND THE TEMPEST, SHAKESPEARE - It can be argued that Atwood’s postmodern text ‘Hag-seed’ is a modern day extrapolation of Shakespeare’s seminal text, ‘The Tempest.’ Atwood's appropriation aids in illuminating Shakespeare's underlying themes by reinterpreting them for modern audiences. - Example Introduction: Although a quality text will explore universal human concerns, all texts are fundamentally influenced by the values of the respective composer’s context, and therefore will not easily transcend time without the act of appropriation. Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest, has enduring value as it both reflects and criticises the standard perspectives of his Jacobean era. Margaret Atwood has effectively appropriated this text within her novel, Hag- Seed, by adapting Shakespeare’s concerns to a modern era and utilising it to critique her own societies context. Atwood transposes the exploration of the treatment of marginalised people from the ostracised figure of Caliban to the disadvantaged group of prisoners that Felix seeks to direct. She also translates Shakespeare’s temporal commentary of gender roles within the patriarchal society of 17th century England as depicted through Miranda, into the feminist character of Anne-Marie. Finally, Atwood has reflected the provocative discoveries made by Prospero, as he experienced a reassessment of previous perspectives in order to evaluate new perceptions, through Felix, who undergoes a similar transformation of self. In this respect, Atwood’s text transcends time through effectively becoming a portal which draws concerns from the Jacobean era and translates them so that modern audiences can reflect on themselves and their own respective milieu. 1. Prisoners/Caliban Tempest: Caliban is a native, indigenous person on the island who has been imprisoned. Caliban is a major antagonist that works against the protagonist. Prospero believes that Caliban is as ugly on the inside as he is on the outside. Caliban has reason to hate Prospero as he ‘dethroned’ him on the island further enslaving him. On the other hand, Prospero had a reason to imprison Caliban as it only occurred when he attempted to rape Miranda. Caliban is a foil for Prospero = They have similar in common due to them both feeling betrayed by people we trust whilst both wanting to seek revenge. Quotes: (SLHMAN) 1. “Not honoured with human shape” (zoomorphism, satire) - Prospero, the embodiment of European colonisation, uses a zoomorphic description of Caliban to present him as a creature who is less than human, “not honoured with human shape”, in which Shakespeare satirizes the ethnocentric view of white ‘explorers’. 2. “Did litter here” (Bestial imagery) - The view of indigenous people as less human is continued once again through Prospero, who uses bestial imagery to describe Caliban’s birth; ‘did litter here’ which effectively reduces Caliban to the level of an animal. 3. “Hag-seed hence” (Discriminatory language) - This belief of native people is continued and made evident through the discriminatory language Prospero regularly uses in regards to Caliban; ‘Hag-Seed hence’. 4. “This islands mine by Sycorax my mother” (Authoritative language) - Shakespeare criticizes the modern view of indigenous people by later presenting Caliban as an oppressed and sympathetic character. This is evident where Caliban expresses his rightful claim to the island, using authoritative language to state that “this islands mine by Sycorax my mother.” 5. “Sounds and sweet airs” (Sensory imagery) - This positive and empathetic view of natives is continued throughout the play, evident in Caliban’s speech where he uses sensory imagery to describe the beauty of the Island; of its “sounds and sweet airs.” 6. ‘Noble savage’ (Irony, juxtaposition) - This reinforces the view of a ‘noble savage’ living in complete harmony with their surroundings Hag-seed: ‘Caliban’ is represented (supposedly) through the prisoners in Hag-Seed. This is believed as they represent those who are shunned by society as well as being imprisoned (in their own way). They are also similar to ‘Caliban’ through having done something to become imprisoned. By their own doing they have become imprisoned. ‘Hag-Seed’ is a name that describes Caliban so there is a belief that this could be implying that we are all ‘evil’ and imprisoned in some way – Due to there being no clear ‘Caliban’ in the novel. Quotes: (UPWIS) 1. “More than just an ugly face” (Metonym) - Although the views of colonialisation are clearly dissonant between the two texts due to a progression in the treatment of indigenous people as seen through Felix’s metonym which presents his view of Caliban as more “than just an ugly face”. 2. “Refused to call them prisoners” (Congery, intertextuality) - Atwood enables Felix as a personal criticism of the persecutions that inmates often face, evident where he states that he “refused to call them prisoners.” The congery enabled here is used to reflect that Felix refuses to see them as a collective marginalized group but instead as persecuted individuals. 3. “White collar crook” (Derogatory language, cliché) - Moreover, Atwood’s inclusion of clichés such as “White collar crook” emphasize the negative and often uninformed view of inmates, which ultimately reduces them to a stereotype. 4. “Bound to raise uncomfortable ideas” (Connotation) - However, Caliban has also been used within Hag-Seed despite being “bound to raise uncomfortable ideas”, as a connotation utilised to indicate that both the prisoners and Caliban are imprisoned both literally and figuratively which further displays how the two texts resonate 5. “The decision is also dumb as a stump” (Simile) Atwood’s view on the penitentiary system is made evident in a speech she made about the closure of six Canadian prison farms, a program intended to offer rehabilitation, where she uses a simile to state that “The decision is also dumb as a stump”, further establishing the strong views she has regarding this topic. 2. Miranda/Anne-Marie: Tempest/Hag-Seed: In The Tempest, Shakespeare portrays Miranda as a character which follows the path designed for her by Prospero, her father. Margret Atwood, through appropriating and intertextualizing Shakespeare’s The Tempest, reconstructs Miranda to be a motivator of action rather than a receiver of a patriarchal power. It is through recreating Shakespeare’s Miranda; Atwood gives her more spaces of critical analysis rather than being critically confined to the frame of femininity. This paper argues that Atwood’s Hag-Seed, by means of intertextuality and appropriation, recreates a new Miranda who is almost ignored by critical studies that focus mainly on reading The Tempest from post-colonial perspectives. As a feminist, though she claims not to be, Atwood consciously employs Shakespeare’s conceptual and thematic concerns like a play within a play, revenge, usurpation, and the father-daughter relationship. These concerns, which are mainly tackled in The Tempest, are employed by Atwood for the sake of creating a new Miranda who would determine and motivate the whole action of Hag-Seed. Atwood’s appropriation, this paper argues, is a feminist revision of a canonical text that limits woman’s role, and presents her either with the quality of passive innocence, or with that one of the devilish witch. Quotes: (FAMSP) 1. “My dearest father” (dialogue) - These patriarchal ideals are heavily noted in The Tempest, especially with the appearance of the single female character, Miranda. Prospero certainly loves his daughter Miranda, just as she does him, evident with her loving tone of “My dearest father”, but their relationship is an unequal one 2. “Obey and be attentive” (Commanding tone) - His use of language indicates that he holds the power, seen in his consistent use of commanding tone, where he orders her to “obey and be attentive”. 3. “I pray thee mark me” (Repetition) - Prospero reinforces the control he has over Miranda in “I pray thee mark me” where repetition is seen in the similar statements that are made at the end of every speech, through which he condescendingly questions her attention and obedience towards him 4. “Thou art inclined to sleep” (suggestive tone) - He further demonstrates the power he has over her by putting her to sleep “Thou art inclined to sleep”, although seemingly suggestive, his words have the power of taking away her agency and rendering her helpless within their unequal relationship. 5. “A prize” (Metaphor) - As demonstrated within Miranda and her father’s relationship, their family life is centered on the traditional patriarchal paradigm where women belonged to their fathers or husbands and were thought of as property or nuptial economy. Earlier in the play, Prospero describes Miranda as a ‘prize’, a metaphor which objectifies her as his property and assigns a certain value to her. In Quotes: (CRPFB) 1. “He was never ready when a slice of filth came out of her child-like mouth” (Juxtaposition, connotation, synaesthesia) - This revival of Miranda’s pre-feminist character is evident in the juxtaposition present in “he was never ready when a slice of filth came out of her child-like mouth” which is reminiscent of her brash and multidimensional personality, which ultimately rescued her character from the patriarchal paradigms which confined Shakespeare’s Miranda. 2. “Talk as if Miranda is just a rag-doll” (Metaphor) - Anne-Marie continues the metaphor of a placid 2-dimensional view of Miranda stating that the prisoners “talk as if Miranda is just a rag-doll”, emphasizing the point that through the introduction of a feminist context, a much more multifaceted character is created. 3. “Being a girl is the pits” (Colloquial language) - This depiction of a less subservient character is continued through Anne-Marie’s colloquial language within various statements including; “Being a girl is the pits, trust me”, 4. “Blame my fucking hormones” (Dialogue, harsh tone, dissonance) - and “Don’t blame me, blame my fucking hormones”, where each time she enables a hard edge to her voice, which is extremely uncharacteristic of Shakespeare’s classic Miranda, who is portrayed as soft and delicate with classical ‘feminine’ attributes.
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