Timmy's Essay 11

Timmy O’Brien
Mr. Salsich
English 9
29 January 2009

Different Similarities:

An Essay About the Similarities Between Ariel and Caliban in a Play

        Has there ever been a time in your life when you felt completely confined? A time where you could do nothing to escape? In the play “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare, two characters are trapped on an island, but in different ways. Ariel the spirit and Caliban the hag-born mutant are different, yet they share an island and a master.
        In this story, Ariel, a spirit of sorts [s-v split appositive], is confined to the island to carry out services for Prospero. For 12 years, he was trapped in a “cloven pine” because of the evil witch Sycorax. When Prospero finally released him with magic, he took him in as a servant. Ariel, although promised with a vacation period, is forced to be Prospero’s slave and carry out his will. He is also confined to the island and chooses not to or cannot leave that space unless specified to do exactly that. For example, Ariel left on Prospero’s whim to invoke [FAST] a storm, sink a ship, and not harm the passengers [3-action verb]. He completes this task, but comes back to Prospero for an unknown reason. Ariel is confined to Prospero’s desire and is a slave to his aspirations.
        Caliban is also trapped on the island to do work for Prospero. His trapping is more understandable because of his inability to fly. Unlike Ariel, he cannot float around; he must walk on his own two feet. He was “got by the devil himself upon thy wicked dam” on this island they all call home. At first, they were friends and Prospero taught Caliban the wonders of language, but Caliban proved inefficient. Being trapped on the island with him now [participle phrase], Caliban has no choice but to carry out slave work for Prospero because of his superiority. If he does not, Prospero can punish him through use of magic – an undesired fate. Caliban is completely and totally trapped in this life of servitude, and all he can do is hate Prospero and wait, wishing to be gone [participle phrase].
        Even though their confinement and servitude were created and exist differently, Ariel and Caliban share some problems. They are both confined to the same island and both serve the same master. Ariel is preferred by the master a bit more than Caliban, but they share a master just the same. It will be interesting to see if they share anything else in future pages of the play.





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Graphic Organizer

chunk 1: trapped in a tree, released; then confined by Prospero's will

chunk 2: confined in the island and cannot or does not escape

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Self-Assessment

What am I most proud of in this essay?

I am very proud of the concluding sentence in my first paragraph. I used purposeful repetition and I feel as though it makes the writing better.

What was the hardest part of this assignment for me?

The hardest part of this assignment was trying to find ways in which Ariel and Caliban were confined and serving. To find multiple ways that had a connection was difficult.

Lydia's Essay 11

Lydia Schulz
Mr. H. Salsich
9 English
January 29 2009

The Likeness is Uncanny:
An Essay Discussing Servitude and Confinement in "The Tempest" by William Shakespeare

With so many words in the English language, there are bound to be some that do not have encouraging and upbeat meanings. The word servitude does not often come with positive implications, and neither does confinement. Yet, too often, people in the world have to use these words to describe their own predicaments, whether they are serving time in a prison or serving a leader. Two very different characters in "The Tempest," one a water nymph, one a deformed monster, both have to deal with these issues (S-V split).
The character of Ariel is confined both literally and figuratively. The evil witch Sycorax imprisoned Ariel in a "cloven pine", quite literally confining her. Ariel stayed in the tree for 12 years until Prospero finally freed her. Exultant at her freedom from her 12-year confinement, Ariel agreed to serve Prospero, entering a new form of confinement as soon as she had left one (participle closer). Ariel didn't realize it at the time, but she was just as confined by her servitude to Prospero as she was by her pine tree. Prospero may make it seem as though he is helping Ariel, but it seems he is also taking advantage of her and cannot be trusted. Even if Ariel realized what Prospero was doing, there would be no way to escape Prospero because he could easily use his magic to prevent her from leaving, threatening to "rend an oak and peg [her] in his knotty entrails." Though at first Ariel seems to be a lighthearted character, when you take a closer look you can see that her life does not involve much freedom.
A very different, more sinister character is dealing with the same type of discrimination as Ariel: Caliban. As the child of Sycorax and the devil, Caliban is treated like scum, confining him to his solitude. Caliban attempted to "violate [Prospero's] child", Miranda, and Prospero now regards him as the most repulsive (FAST) creature to ever walk the earth. Having no one to care for him (participle opener), Caliban is confined to his seclusion, leading a dark and lonely life. However, perhaps Caliban isolates himself from the other people in his life. When Prospero first arrived on the island, he tried to help Caliban by teaching him to speak, "to name the bigger light," but Caliban threw that away when he betrayed Prospero's trust and tried to violate Miranda. His cold attitude toward Prospero could be the reason he is so exiled. Though Caliban's situation could be regarded as a sad one, Prospero is right for denying Caliban the trust he once had.
Caliban and Ariel are in very distinct situations, yet they both have the same problems to sort out. Both are confined in some way, either to themselves or their master, and despite what they might wish, both have to answer to Prospero. It is amazing that two characters that are so different could be so alike (purposeful repetition) in these ways. Though we may not realize it, there are many people in the world who are similar in ways one may not realize; the inmate and the servant, or you and me.

Sarahs 11 Essay

Sarah Shourds

English 09

Hamilton Salsich

January 27 2009

Siamese Twins:

An Essay on Confinement and Servitude in "The Tempest"

 

Siamese twins don't have the same fingerprint. The may look the same, but in reality they have completely different minds. In the story The Tempest, there are two very similar characters- Caliban, a "hag-born" thing, and Ariel, a spirit that works for Prospero. Both characters deal with their own twist on confinement and servitude, and Shakespeare portrays it very nicely.

 

TS In The Tempest, Ariel, a spirit that acts as a servant for Prospero, [SV Split] and is confined in many different ways. SD Living on such an enclosed island, Ariel has been embedded with thoughts of leaving, and also has served for numerous people. CM He has lived on the island for many years, acting as a slave to both Prospero and Sycorax, and obeying every command. CM The one time Ariel disobeyed Sycorax, he was sentenced to "painfully remain [in the pine tree for] [a] dozen years." SD Ariel is confined when it comes to his free will. CM Ariel must take part in every command Prospero demands; otherwise he will be thrown in an oak tree and will die painful death. CM Ariel has been working, and paying his due to his master, and either way, he doesn't get a break. CM If Ariel doesn't achieve his tasks, then he has greater consequences, and if he does, he's stuck in the middle of hard labor. CS Ariel has lived an atrocious [FAST] life, and has fought through the tough times with bravery, and will face more and more servitude and confinement throughout his pitiful [FAST] path in life.

 

The Tempest has another character in the play that relates a lot to Ariel- Caliban. Throughout his life he has experienced boundless (FAST) confinement and servitude. Being bred by Sycorax, Caliban is some sort of unknown creature, or as many call him the "freckled whelp". It's hard for Caliban to unleash his inner self, because he is always cooped up in some sort of serving towards Prospero. Prospero has confined Caliban, and it’s unfair. Living on the island first, Caliban got aggravated that Prospero was treating him with such a bad attitude [Participle Opener Phrase]. He had served for Prospero for many years in spite of his mother, and he doesn't think it's truly fair. Looking at things now, it looks like Caliban's servitude won't get him anywhere near his own freedom.

 

Both Caliban and Ariel have similar issues but are solved in different ways, like Siamese twins and their fingerprints. Both have the same problem, but different results. Ariel was confined in a pine tree for a dozen years, and has served as a spirit for both Prospero and Sycorax, and if he doesn't do what he is told, he will be confined in an oak tree for another twelve years. Whereas Caliban is confined now with Prospero, and has served for Prospero ever since his mother has died, and if he doesn't abide by Prospero's orders, he will be killed. It will be interesting how these two characters react to each other in the upcoming events.

 

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Graphic Organizer:Ariel and Caliban’s confinement and servitude

SD: Ariel is mentally and physically confined on island

-He is trapped on this island with no way out

-Must obey to orders from mastersSD: Pays servitude to Prospero and Sycorax

-Consequences very large from Prospero

-"Painfully remain [in the pine tree for] [a] dozen years."

SD: Caliban is trapped on island, like Ariel

-Both physically and mentally

-Both slaves, and have been for an unwillingly long time

SD: Caught up in reputation

-Lives with peoples hurtful words everyday

-Made fun upon by looks, and by his uproots, "devil father" and "dam"

Ceilie's Post #11

Ceilie Moore
Mr. Salsich
English 9
February 1st, 2009

The Island Of Confinement:

An Essay On A Shakespeare Play

Imagine living on the same, small stretch of land since the day you were born, being incapable of leaving and forced into slavery to outsiders who have invaded your land. (Participle phrase) You aren’t even allowed to do as you please even though this is technically your land, and if you dare to rebel to your superior, you will be trapped in an tree for ten or so years. This tragic storyline is exactly what happens to two characters in Shakespeare’s play, “The Tempest.”

TS In “The Tempest”, Ariel is a magical slave for Prospero, a man who much like Ariel, has been confined on an island. SD Living on this secluded isle (FAST), Ariel has been trapped and surrounded by water with no way out. (Participle phrase) CM She has lived there for many years, acting as a slave too both Prospero and Sycorax. CM Not only is she imprisoned on this island, but at one point she was cooped up in an oak tree when she refused to comply (FAST) to Sycorax’s orders. SD Ariel is also confined when it comes to her capability to do what she pleases. CM When Prospero beckons for her services, she is obliged to complete the task she is ordered to do. CM For years Ariel has not only been locked up on this jail of an island doing hard labor, but also the punishment of even more confinement if she “refus[es] [any] grand hest” given by her master.

TS Caliban is a character quite opposite from Ariel in many ways, but when it comes to confinement and servitude, the two are very similar. SD Caliban thought of the land as “[his] island” and was therefore native to the area until Prospero arrived. CM He is the son of the evil Sycorax and has been trapped on this isolated island for many years now, much like Ariel.
CM Caliban was also captured and dubbed Prospero’s slave, as was Ariel, but Prospero and Caliban’s relationship is a little different than Ariel and Prospero’s. CM3 For example, Caliban says, “Which thou takest [my island] from me. When thou camest first, thou strokedest me and madest much of me”, meaning when Prospero first arrived on the island, he saw Caliban as a friend, teaching him the wonders of the land and how to use it to his advantage, but then Prospero turned against him, easing him into a life of slavery. SD On a more figurative level, Caliban is also confined in his horrid, ugly body and this image of being a terrible person. CM Caliban is automatically thought of as a wicked person because of his physical attributes and family tree. CM Even though it turns out he is an odious (FAST) being, maybe he wouldn’t be that way if he wasn’t instantly judged as one because he is the spawn of “the devil” and “a dam”. CM3 He is imprisoned in this image and judgment of a horrible creature and probably wouldn’t be as repulsive as he is if he wasn’t brought up by two vicious parents and looked as ghastly as he does. CS In the end, Caliban is restricted both physically and metaphorically and maybe he wouldn’t be the way he is if he wasn’t confined at all.

 
Confinement is something we all face at one point in our lives, whether we’re in school facing the tedious hours of learning while sitting at a desk or at home, locked in your room and convincing yourself you are dying of boredom. Although this confinement may seem so unbelievably painful at the time, imagine you’re in Ariel or Caliban’s shoes. Imagine you have to face the true definition of confinement, if not a more severe type. They are not only physically confined by the stretch of the ocean serving as a fence to civilization, but also emotionally as they are forced to be slaves to someone who isn’t even native to the land they live on.

Graphic Organizer
Topic: Comparing Ariel Caliban’s confinement
SD: Ariel is physically confined
CM: She is trapped on this island and has been for years
CM: No way to get out, she’s held captive on this secluded island

SD: She is also confined when it comes to her time and work
CM: She was a slave for Caliban and is now a slave for Prospero
CM: “Refusing her grand hests, she did confine thee”

SD: Caliban is trapped much like Ariel
CM: Both on the island
CM: Both Prospero’s slaves
SD: Also trapped in this reputation of being a bad person
CM: Is the spawn on “the devil” and “a dam”
CM: Immediately thought of as a bad person because of is upbringing and horrid looks; maybe be better person if he was raised by different people

Self-Assessment

What Am I Most Proud Of In This Essay?
I am most proud of the use of my writing tools, especially the participle phrases. At first, I didn’t really understand participle phrases, but then I paid a nice visit to Mr. Busboom and learned what they were and how to use them and applied them very nicely to my writing. I also thought my FAST words were well used and will hopefully get me some extra credit.

What Was The Hardest Part Of This Assignment For Me?
I think the hardest part of the assignment was comprehending the story and then writing a four paragraph essay about it. Shakespeare’s writing is very hard to understand and having only two days to go over these pages of the play and then write an essay about them was all around difficult.

Timmy's Essay 10

Timmy O’Brien
English 9
Mr. Salsich
12 January 2009

An Unwelcome Truth:

An Interpretation of a Passage from The Tempest by William Shakespeare

        During this passage, Prospero seems to keep to the theme of truth. So far, he has kept Miranda in the dark regarding her previous life. She has just thought that her father was an ordinary man, albeit a sorcerer, but now she learns the truth. She learns of the conflict that as kept her on that island. He decides it is time because she watches a boat fall prey to the storm he has conjured. She is distraught because of the deaths, but is eventually calmed down. Prospero tells her that the men and women on that ship – namely the King of Naples and Antonio, are alive and well but no longer living of their own free will. Prospero tells her that her uncle “call’d Antonio” was a “perfidious” man. She is told how he took over the dukedom from Prospero, and how Prospero “cast [the government] upon [his] brother”. She is finally able to see her father in his true colors – studious, naïve, and somewhat bent on revenge. Through this passage, Miranda is both enlightened and burdened by the new truths from her father.

Ceilie's Essay #10

Cecilia Moore
English 9
Mr. Salsich
January 12th, 2009

Exploring My Independence:

An Essay On Overcoming A Challenge

Being on my own is something I used to dread. I would shudder at the idea of independence and cringe imagining myself without someone by my side. It wasn’t that I needed to depend on someone all the time, but just the idea of having to survive on my own in an unfamiliar environment without a friendly face next to me, scared me. Then, one summer I found myself in this exact situation, having the time of my life and overcoming a fear.
My mother told me last winter that she signed me up for a three-week long summer program at Wellesley College called Exploration Summer Programs, or for short, Explo. At first, I was beyond excited. It was a program in which we pick out a couple of courses, ones that you would rarely get to experience, and let ourselves thrive in this environment of creative learning. I had my courses picked out and the application was in the mail, when I asked my mom how long this program went on for.

“Three weeks,” she casually replied, with a simple, lighthearted smile on her face.

Once her words registered in mind, the contrast between our expressions was like comparing night and day. My heart sank into my stomach and my facial features told the world how I was feeling-terrified.

A couple months later, I found myself on the Wellesley College campus, standing where I had dreaded being ever since I found out how long I was going to be imprisoned there. It was the hottest day in June so far, and the sun was melting my skin. The car ride was awful. I couldn’t stop thinking about the “What ifs?” that could happen during my time there, but actually standing on Explo soil, brought on a whole new wave of those nagging questions. As I was waiting with my mom for my luggage to come to my dorm, I couldn’t help but look around and pick out who I would be a friend with out of the three-hundred-something kids that were there. I hated not knowing anyone, and I hated watching people who did know each other, have the clear intention of keeping the newcomers to bond with only themselves. I wanted so badly for the three weeks to fly by and to be back home with people I knew surrounding me.

In the end, the three weeks did fly by and before I knew it, I was on the quad, crying when my mom pulled up to take me away from the most amazing twenty-one days ever. I made a lot of friends, two of which I grew unbelievably close to, and during my courses, I learned and experienced so many new things that I never would be able to do back home.

What I learned about myself from this experience is that I’m more capable of being independent than I think. The first few days at Explo, I was walking around, only knowing a few people, and even though I thought I wouldn’t be able to handle making it through the day without relying on someone I knew, I actually had no problem. I even had fun being on my own and doing what I wanted to do without a group of friends that I had already established pinning me down to one lunch table.lIt also taught me that to overcome a fear, I usually have to come face-to-face with it and defeat it. During my time at Explo, I was outside my comfort zone for the first half of it, but for the entire time I was there, I was making new friends and learning new things, even if I wasn’t at ease every second of the way.

Lydia's Essay 10

Lydia Schulz
Mr. H Salsich
9 English
8 January 2009

          This passage displays a couple different themes, both revolving around Antonio’s betrayal. To understand the significance of these motifs, we need to see the big picture of this passage. When telling his daughter about her uncle, Antonio, Prospero accuses his brother of taking advantage of Prospero’s immersion in his studies to take greater control of his state. Antonio eventually banished Prospero and his daughter after gaining almost total control of the land Prospero was in charge of. The first theme I see in this passage is to respect those of higher stature and power than you. Antonio wrongly ignored the fact that Prospero was the duke and overthrew him, making Prospero think of his brother as “perfidious.” Antonio obviously shouldn’t have done this, and the story is telling us that mutiny is never the way to go. However, perhaps another theme is that we cannot be totally engrossed in something, but must instead balance our interests and responsibilities. Prospero got so wrapped up in his studies that he didn’t even realize that his brother was slowly overpowering him. In a way, he brought this mutiny upon himself when he became “transported and rapt in secret studies.” Either way you look at it, this short passage contains numerous meanings and motifs.

Essay 10

Sarah Shourds

 

English 09

 

Hamilton Salsich

 

January 8 2009

 

Letting Go:

A Paragraph On the Theme Of A Passage in The Tempest

 

            There are many themes that can be discovered in just one passage of The Tempest, and

one obvious theme in this passage was that Prospero is holding a grudge against his brother. A

few sentences in the passage show the resentment Prospero feels towards his brother such as

calling him "perfidious". His brother did neglect him throughout a long period of time, and he did

kick him out of his own throne, but whether he likes it or not, he is Prospero's brother. I don't

necessarily think he needs to like his brother, but he is related to him and he needs to respect

him. Showing his daughter his true hate toward his brother is immature and she should remind

him to think of the good times they had together because holding a grudge, in a sense, is like

carrying a heavy chain around with you where ever you go. She should remind him that they are

brothers, and even if he hates him, he should learn to respect his brother’s

make him think deeply about what he did, and make him feel ashamed for the magical storm he

created because revenge isn't always the answer.One last horrid thing about holding a grudge, is

that it will always stay with you. Deep inside Prospero he was constantly thinking of his abandoned

home, and I think he waited for the right time to tell his daughter of these wretched thoughts.

Prospero, ["being so reputed in dignity,"] was being eaten alive everyday by these thoughts. 

Knowing that his brother is safe at home sitting in his throne must have torn him apart, so when

he heard that a boat was passing by with his evil brother on it, he had to take the chance to ruin

his life. Holding a grudge against someone is painful, and is nonsense. It isn't fair to you or the

other person to be constantly reminded of the horrible things they did to you. Just let it go next

time.