2 Mar 2005
Bloom, Shakespeare and the Invention of the Human (selection)
(Handed out in class Feb 28)
Caliban, a poignant but cowardly (and murderous) half-human creature (his father a sea devil, whether fish or amphibian) has become an African-Carribean heroic Freedom Fighter. This is not even a weak misreading; anyone who arrives at that view is simply not interested in reading the play at all. Marxists, multiculturalists, feminists, nouveau historicists -- the usual suspects -- know their causes but not Shakespeare's plays. (662)
Excerpt: To Be Posted Shortly... Shakespeare and the Invention of the Human...
Weblog: Roamer's Zone
Tracked: March 1, 2005 11:25 AM
Excerpt: My excitiment was through the roof when I started reading this! With all the various reference to the different parts that Caliban has played I was in my glory. I mean the first article gave me a laugh then The...
Weblog: Hm...Ill have to get back to you on that
Tracked: March 1, 2005 07:19 PM
Excerpt:
Weblog: The Wanderings of Strange, Morbid Mind
Tracked: March 2, 2005 10:06 AM
Excerpt: Okay - did anyone else notice: Harold Bloom is such a diva! I'm not, of course, saying that there is anything at all wrong with this - I happen to be quite a fan of divas... I'm just saying... anyway......
Weblog: Literary Tease
Tracked: March 2, 2005 10:20 AM
Excerpt: Harold Bloom asks in his academic article, "The Tempest": Why does Shakespeare make Prospero so cold? Prospero, cold? Bloom must have missed or conveniently overlooked some important details in the play....
Weblog: Below Zero
Tracked: March 2, 2005 10:52 AM
I don't know, the trackback didn't work. But yes, I commented on this article and the previous one.
Posted by: Vanessa at March 1, 2005 11:21 PMI agree with the author when he talks of how there are ambiguous Christian references in Prospero's epilogue, but I disagree when he says Caliban might have been searching for a God in Prospero. I feel that when he says "And seek for grace" it simply means live a good life. I don't know if he necessarily means turning a Christian or praising Prospero as God.
Posted by: Philmore Mills at March 2, 2005 10:46 AMI'm posting this one in here also because it doesn't seem like the link for this topic is working. I dont agree with Lenninger on the feminist arguement. Prospero in my opinion acted the way any father of any time period would act. It's not like Miranda is a 25 year old woman. She is only 15. She needs someone to keep her in check. And I feel when Prospero said "My foot, my tutor"
he was saying it in jest and not to be malicious or in a way to put Miranda down. After all, it is a comedy.
