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How has the context of each text influenced your understanding of the intentional connections between them? Textual conversations between two texts prompt a reframing of universal values, alluding to the importance of redemption fundamental to the human condition. William Shakespeare’s 17th century play, The Tempest, encapsulates the norms of the Jacobean era concerning the marginalisation of the enslaved and the Machiavellian performances as a result. Margaret Atwood reimagines these enduring values through her postmodern 2016 novel, Hag-seed, by empowering the subjugated and formulating a redemption of feminist values adding to the audience’s understanding of The Tempest. Ultimately, the exposure to the mirroring and colliding values of the texts’ respective contexts prompts contemporary responders to develop a nuanced perspective of the notion of redemption. Through textual conversations established by Hag-seed, Shakespeare's The Tempest evokes perceptions on the marginalisation of incarcerated individuals, in relation to the mass slavery present during the Age of Discovery. Notions of confinement arise from an initial act of disempowerment in which Prospero reveals that “the ministers for th’ purpose hurried thence,” alluding to his usurping of the Duke of Milan in clear reference to the Machiavellian attitudes present in dukedoms of the 17th century. As a result, to reverse the subjugation faced by Prospero, he marginalises others such as Caliban, who is part of a “vile race” who exclaims “you do keep from me the rest o’ th’ island”. Caliban’s accusatory tone references Montaigne’s essay “Of Cannibals” to idolise European civilisation as the superior society. Prospero threatens Caliban to “fill all thy bones with aches, make thee roar” hyperbolising the extent to which Caliban is subjugated. The marginalist confinement that Prospero faces is prevalent in his final dramatic monologue, asking the audience to “let your indulgence set me free” in an attempt to escape his own entrapment similar to Atwood’s portrayal of Felix who resides in his own metaphysical prison. Thus, European colonialist agendas present in the subjugation of others in The Tempest, arises through its textual conversation with Atwood’s Hag-Seed evoking responders to critique the form of slavery present in the 17th century. Contrary, to the portrayal of marginalisation of incarcerated individuals in The Tempest, Atwood’s reappropriation, Hag-seed, focuses on empowering those who are entrapped as the conversation generated concentrates on giving a voice to the vilified. Both Prospero and Felix suffer from a thirst for power, a key resonance between the rule of King James I and 2016 bureaucratic Canada as Felix is “Ejected! Tumbled out! Discarded!”. The exclamatory truncated congeries conveying his dissent towards no longer being a head artistic director. Unlike Prospero in The Tempest, Felix uses his marginalisation to emancipate others, empathising with the prisoners as he emotively states, “I know you hold those things against Prospero, especially his treatment of Caliban”. Atwood constructs Felix to reverse the political propaganda present during the 2015 Canadian federal elections towards prisoners through his empowering tone “for once in their lives, they loved themselves”. As a result of working with the disempowered, Felix is able to give the prisoners opportunities for vindication symbolised with that fact that “8Handz had been granted early parole”. Therefore, Atwood’s representation of the marginalisation of individuals provides commentary on the clear dissonance with how a 17th century context reacts to subjugation of individuals in society. Similar to the redemption from marginalisation, the movement of feminism is developed in conversation of Hag-seed with The Tempest. Shakespeare’s early 1600s milieu was encapsulated with highly patriarchal views, explored through the treatment of Miranda by Prospero and Ferdinand. Miranda does not recognise the male figure of Ferdinand, rhetorically asking “What is it? A spirit?” as she is fully co-dependent on Prospero alluding to the lack of feminist value during Shakespeare’s time. Similarly, when Prospero agrees to the relationship between Ferdinand and Miranda, he announces that his daughter has been “worthily purchased” objectifying her as property which he controls. The lack of freedom held by women during the Elizabethan era is further seen through Ferdinand’s psychological control over Miranda within “I am your wife… if not, I’ll die your maid”. Her desperate tone and use of first person pronouns indicates her attempt to cease being constantly treated as an object. She is further oppressed when Ferdinand claims ownership of her, using third person possessive pronouns to state, “she’s mine” followed by Prospero’s “she is thine own”. Hence, the patriarchal context of Shakespeare promotes the objectification of women which is developed into a textual conversation with Atwood’s portrayal of this gender-orientated issue. Conversely, Atwood creates a strong textual conversation with The Tempest in Hag-seed by focusing on the strength of female figures, enabling a redemption of feminist values. The prevalence of gender roles in Atwood’s Fourth-Wave feminist context is evident as she ironically satirises Felix’s incompetence with parental responsibilities, as he “hired help, he’d needed some women” giving value to females taking care of his daughter. The rise of feminism is reflected through the Canadian government’s promise to have a gender-balanced cabinet, encouraging Atwood to depict strong female figures in the form of Anne-Marie. Anne-Marie interacts with Wonderboy, a prisoner who is “puppy- eyed and doting offstage” towards her who is “affecting not to notice”. The metaphorical description of the prisoner conveys his intentions towards Anne- Marie mirroring attitudes in The Tempest, however Atwood empowers the female figure as she has control of the situation, encapsulating the rise of feminism. Further, Felix’s internal thought of “how can someone so slender and girlish appear so matronly” expressing how Anne-Marie is the perfect embodiment of a strong-willed woman breaking all 17th century stereotypes in relation to the subjugation of women in The Tempest. Thus, Atwood’s portrayal of female empowerment through her textual conversation, redeems the dissonant objectification of women in The Tempest. In summation, the human nature of striving for redemption is conveyed through Shakespeare’s and Atwood’s portrayal of the marginalisation of individuals and the development of feminist values through the conversations in their respective texts, The Tempest and Hag-seed. .

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