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Discuss How Hag-Seed and the Tempest Can Be Considered a Complex Conversation About Power and Authority

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Discuss How Hag-Seed and the Tempest Can Be Considered a Complex Conversation About Power and Authority Discuss how Hag-Seed and The Tempest can be considered a complex conversation about power and authority. Shakespeare’s The Tempest is a play that explores power and authority, which are further expressed in post-colonial readings, feminist interpretations and the exploration of meta- theatrical devices in the play. Its Elizabethan context and notion of the ‘great chain of being’ enables a complex conversation to occur with Atwood’s Hag-Seed, an appropriation of Shakespeare’s play. Atwood offers different perspectives on the ideas presented and allows for speculation and engagement with the narrative, portraying the post-modern paradigm and the postmodern notion of what Barthes calls 'the death of the author' and considers a contemporary secular response to Prospero's didactic lesson on grace and forgiveness. These conflicting world views frame the play and narrative differently, questioning Felix’s behaviour, when it diverges from Prospero’s. Shakespeare establishes tension between Prospero and Caliban, with Prospero asserting authority through dialogue with phrases like “earth”, “thou poisonous slave” and “thou most lying slave”. These derogatory and pejorative labels invoke the language of oppression and servitude, denoting Caliban as his subordinate and possession. Caliban curses Prospero for his treatment which is justified through his claim, “This island’s mine by Sycorax my mother, which thou tak’st from me”. This conveys the notion of dispossession, with Caliban claiming his ownership over the island, which was stolen by Prospero. Through a post-colonial lens, this representation of Caliban characterises him as a dispossessed indigenous inhabitant, rather than a monster. The resolution of the play results in Prospero’s decision to forgive rather than pursuing vengeance, acknowledging Absolutism. This echoes Portia’s address to the court in The Merchant of Venice in which she ascribed mercy to an attribute of heaven, reinforcing the Shakespeare's worldview of the sovereignty of God. Furthermore, power and authority are expressed when Prospero breaks the fourth wall, directly asking the audience to “let your indulgence set me free”. The use of meta-theatre highlights the power the reader has and alludes to the hierarchal structure of authority, where in this case, the audience has a higher status than Prospero, thus allowing them to liberate him from the island. This hierarchy enforces the patriarchal worldview, which informs Shakespeare’s play. Following its patriarchal society context, The Tempest reflects the oppressive ideals of women and is evidently opposed to in Hag-Seed, through characterisation. In the play, Miranda’s façade is valued rather than her intelligence, with it being an important factor in her marriage to Ferdinand and Prospero’s plans. Ferdinand’s address to Miranda consist of Petrarchan sonnets describing Miranda as 'worth what's dearest to the world' and 'the very top of admiration'. This makes Miranda look weak and fragile, since a 21st Century audience views her as a commodity, something of 'worth' and 'value' is dependent on what's 'admired'. She is entrapped by stereotypes and might as well be 'bare-footed' as Felix muses in Hag-Seed. The oppression of females is further reinforced when Prospero metaphorically calls Miranda “my foot”, which is derogatory, highlighting her low social status, with Prospero having authority over her – he is the head and she is the foot; she is inferior. The notion of the dispossessed and Prospero’s treatment of Caliban is focused in Hag-Seed. Atwood initiates the complex conversation about slavery and highlights the post-modern paradigm that “all authority ultimately rests on force” (opposing the Shakespearean world view). Atwood's revision of Caliban into Red Coyote negates the representation of a monster and focuses attention on the plight of first nations people. Red Coyote is the voice of the dispossessed, demonstrated in his initial thoughts of Prospero - “a slave driver” and “a land stealer”. This language with connotations of colonial oppression conveys the post-modern paradigm and further shows Atwood actively engaging with the post-colonial discourse. Red Coyote is ultimately silenced by Felix through the process of attrition, where authority is answered to. This demonstrates the parallels between Felix and Prospero, adopting a Western view of colonialism. By mirroring these characters and projecting an opposing view of the original text, Atwood initiates the conversation between the texts, questioning the unrighteous behaviour of Prospero toward Caliban. Atwood’s Anne-Marie is the antithesis of Miranda. She is autonomous and crude, seen in her dialogue “Don’t blame me, blame my fucking hormones”. Her crass vernacular creates a tarnished, imperfect image; the opposite of Miranda. This reflects the post-modern view where women have more depth and worth is not reliant on superficial features. This inverted presentation of Shakespeare’s Miranda demonstrates how Atwood speculates the play could have been, had it not followed a patriarchal society. Atwood also portrays Felix’s Miranda as a maternal figure, seen in “…having their meals together, which was a good thing otherwise he might sometimes have forgotten about meals. She scolded him gently when he didn’t eat enough.”, reflecting Felix’s dependence on Miranda. This establishes that Miranda’s authority over Felix, changing the stereotypical gender roles in the original play. As per Aldoory, “Felix and Miranda share a symbiotic relationship which mainly based upon love as opposed to Prospero who expects obedience from Miranda according to the patriarchal structure.” To further reinforce Miranda’s authority, Atwood purposely constructs a plot that is dependent on Miranda. Hence, when Felix frees Miranda, the audience speculates what happens to the characters, as suggested in Part 5, with 5 different speculative narratives. These emphasise the fluidity and subjectivity of contemporary composition. Prospero’s lesson is drawn to a close with applause, whereas Atwood's closure invites further composition as Miranda is set free and the 5 possible endings invite our engagement through imaginative continuation of the story. *linking sentence* Shakespeare’s The Tempest presents ideas of power and authority that are shaped through his world view and its Elizabethan context. Atwood initiates discussion through Hag-Seed by presenting post-modern views and speculation of the play. Thus, The Tempest and Hag- Seed can be considered a complex conversation about power and authority, with opposing views framed by their contexts and paradigms. .
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