36:38 The Tempest

Day 36 of 38:38
The Tempest

After working my way through Coriolanus, Cymbeline, and Winter's Tale, I have to admit, it's a bit of a relief to see how short The Tempest is. Not that I object to longer plays, but since I was in Chicago for four days for SAA, I'm working hard to get caught up on this project. Getting caught up is easier when the play is 90 pages instead of 130.

Sometimes we notice certain word repetitions more than others. While reading The Tempest, I couldn't help but notice the repeated use of the word "brave". Whether brave appears more than other words, I cannot say, for I know that I am attuned to that catching that word, since I know the phrase "brave new world" comes from this play and was waiting for it to come up. And while I was waiting to read "brave new world" many other things were characterized as "brave".

Miranda O, I have suffered
With those that I saw suffer: a brave vessel,
Who had, no doubt, some noble creature in her,
Dash'd all to pieces

Prospero My brave spirit!

Miranda Believe me, sir,
It carries a brave form.

Ferdinand the Duke of Milan
And his brave son being twain.

Gonzalo You are gentlemen of brave metal

Caliban That's a brave god and bears celestial liquor.
I will kneel to him.

Stephano O brave monster!

Trinculo Where should they be set else? he were a brave
monster indeed, if they were set in his tail.

Caliban He has brave utensils

Stephano Is it so brave a lass?

Caliban Ay, lord; she will become thy bed, I warrant.
And bring thee forth brave brood.

Stephano This will prove a brave kingdom to me, where I shall
have my music for nothing.

Caliban these be brave spirits indeed!

And, of course,

Miranda O brave new world,
That has such people in't!

 My Shakespeare Lexicon gives the following meanings for brave:
valiant
becoming
fine, splendid, beautiful
to display bravery
to defy, to oppose, to bully
to make fine and splended
a display of valor, defiance, or threatening


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Favorite Female Character:
Miranda, by default
Favorite Male Character:
Prospero

Laugh out loud:

"That's what she said!":
Stephano Yet a tailor might scratch her wherere she did itch.

How insulting:
Sebastian A pox o' your throat, you bawling, blasphemous, incharitable dog!

Shakey loves his meta:
Antonio And by that destiny to perform an act
Whereof what's past is prologue

Oh, misogyny:

Boys are silly:
Ariel they were red hot with drinking
So full of valor that they smote the air
For breathing in their faces, beat the ground
For kissing of their feet

Favorite Moment/Line:
Miranda O wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world
That has such people in't.
Prospero 'Tis new to thee.

I love the juxtaposition of optimism and cynicism, youth and age, the flowery poetry of Miranda and the simple statement of Prospero that undercuts her sentiment so efficiently.