Gabe's Essay

Gabriel Campbell

Mr. Salsich

English B

January 29th, 2008

Slave in your Boundaries

An Essay About Confinement and  Servitude

            We have all experienced confinement one way or another. We could be confined to our rooms after we got in trouble or restricted to certain guidelines for schoolwork. We also have experienced servitude whether it was “slaving” to an older sibling or serving a punishment given by our parents. Overall, while we have all experienced our own little bit of servitude and confinement, Ariel and Caliban have experienced their version in the play “The Tempst” by William Shakespeare.

            While Ariel has been free in the most recent part of the story, the fairy has also experienced confinement and servitude. The best example of servitude would be when Ariel was Sycorax’s slave. Ariel was forced to work under Sycorax. He had lost all his freedom, and when Ariel tried to defy Sycorax he was trapped in a pine tree for 24 long, harsh years. In addition, being trapped in the pine tree is an example of confinement in Ariel’s life. He was physically trapped inside the boundaries of the tree, and confined to his thoughts.  Ariel had no way of escaping from the pine tree and since Ariel was doomed to solitude, he was also doomed to wallow in his thoughts until he was freed. Overall, prior to being freed Ariel experienced servitude and confinement.

            While living on the island, Caliban has experienced confinement and servitude. Despite being a large island, it also acts as Caliban’s “prison”. He has been confined to the island since the day he was born. He has never known anything outside the boundaries of the island. In addition, similar to Ariel’s situation, Caliban has experienced servitude under prospero. Most recently, he has been called upon to do Prospero’s bidding. While reluctant, he still has to work or else the spirits will torment him. Overall, while Caliban is a native of the island, he has still experienced confinement and servitude.

            Confinement and servitude are recurring themes everywhere we look Everyday we have been confined to a classroom, and everyday people are forced against their will to serve in places like Congo. These themes can also be found in the books we read for English class. Overall, whether it was being confined to a pine tree or forced to serve under an invader of his island, Ariel and Caliban have experienced confinement and servitude in the play “the Tempst” by William Shakespeare.

            

Second Post

Wendell Frink 

Mr. Salsich

9English

30 January 2009

Being Stuck in a Cage

An Essay on Confinement and Servitude

About two hundred years ago, confined slaves we forced into servitude for their whole lives. Each slave was forced to live in enclosed rooms and to serve the master of the house until the slaves’ death. In Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Ariel and Caliban, two beings on Prospero’s island, are confined and forced to serve Prospero. They are at different positions on Prospero’s hierarchy, but they share similarities and differences for their position. 

(Participle phrase) Confining Ariel and forcing him to serve two people for a total of 24 years is cruel. This time period is split in half. The witch Sycorax imprisoned Ariel in a tree for days, weeks, months, and years. On top of being confined to a tree for twelve years, Ariel was Sycorax’s slave. After Prospero freed Ariel from her cage in the pine, Ariel was again enslaved, but this time to Prospero. Prospero, the rich and powerful magician, forced Ariel to do his dirty work. This “dirty work” involves Ariel doing nasty things to either Caliban or “dash[ing] [a ship] to pieces (participle phrase).” Whatever Ariel does and wherever he is, he is always confined and always has to serve.

Another magical being on this island is Caliban. Caliban was born into confinement. His mother was the evil witch Sycorax; that alone could be an example of confinement. When we are born we do not choose who we want our mother to be and our mother doesn’t chooses who she wants as her son or daughter and the same goes for Caliban. Unfortunately, after the death of Sycorax, and the arrival of Prospero, Caliban was again confined, but now he had to serve. As the son of Sycorax, Caliban was not strongly liked. Prospero commanded him in the most disagreeable way: “thou poisonous slave, got by the devil himself upon thy wicked dam, come forth.” Caliban tries counter attacks to words such as these, for example: “[may] the red plague rid you.” Even though these two foes are horrible to each other, they both contained a soft spot for each other. Prospero “pitied [him]” by “[taking] pains to make [him] speak.” Caliban “loved [him]” and showed Prospero “the [him] the fresh springs, brine pits, [and the] barren and fertile [places]. Even though Prospero and Caliban might have been friends, Caliban has a tougher time being confined and forced to serve.

It’s amazing to see that two people who were once great friends, are now great enemies. Even Ariel and Prospero can sometimes argue, with Prospero threatening “to rend an oak and peg thee in his notty entrails.” Prospero confining both of these beings is evil; His actions are just like those of the slave masters. 

Self Assessment

I believe that I used a lot of writing tools that helped the essay. I used chiasmus, alliteration and more.

One weak point in my essay is that I didn't use a lot of quotes in my essay.

I am continuing to work on my commas and periods in my sentences.

Grade: B

Ariel is Prospero's life long slave, she must do whatever he says whenever he says it. As you can imagine Ariel must not have a perfect life. She was once trapped in a pine tree and the only person who could get her out was Prospero. This is what sparked Ariel to serve Prospero, but beyond getting her out; he said that he would put her into an oak tree if she had ever betrayed him. According to the play, he gave Ariel one full year off of work and he had asked her back before the year was over. Ariel did not want to come back because she was on vacation, but when she said this to Prospero he immediately told her about her life and how he saved her from the evil witch Sicorax. This gives me an idea of how confined Ariel is. She can only move a certain distance before Prospero yanks her short leash.

1. Ariel, Prospero - slave

2. Ariel's life

3. Pine tree

4. Service to Prospero

5. 1 full year free

6. Ariel threatened by Prospero, reminds her of sicorax

7. Confinement

8. Short leash

essay

            While Ariel has been free in the most recent part of the story, the fairy has also experienced confinement and servitude. The best example of servitude would be when Ariel was Sycorax’s slave. Ariel was forced to work under Sycorax. He had lost all his freedom, and when Ariel tried to defy Sycorax he was trapped in a pine tree for 24 long, harsh years. In addition, being trapped in the pine tree is an example of confinement in Ariel’s life. He was physically trapped inside the boundaries of the tree, and confined to his thoughts.  Ariel had no way of escaping from the pine tree and since Ariel was doomed to solitude, he was also doomed to wallow in his thoughts until he was freed. Overall, prior to being freed Ariel experienced servitude and confinement.

 

 

TS- despite being free, ariel has experienced servitude and confinement

SD- servitude, sycorax

CM- ariel was forced to work for sycorax

CM- he had lost his freedom

SD- confinement, being trapped in the tree

CM- he had been trapped in the tree for 24 years

CM- he was physically and mentally confined

CS- before being freed ariel has experienced servitude and confinement

About two hundred years ago, slaves were confined to servitude for their whole lives. Each slave was forced to live in enclosed rooms and to serve the master of the house until the slaves’ death. In Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Ariel and Caliban, two beings on Prospero’s island, are confined and forced to serve Prospero. They are at different positions on Prospero’s hierarchy, but they share similarities and differences for their position.

Ariel was confined and has served Prospero for a total of 24 years. This time period can be split in half. The witch Sycorax imprisoned Ariel in a tree for days, weeks, months, and years. On top of being confined in a tree, Ariel was Sycorax’s slave. After Prospero freed Ariel, Ariel was again confined, but this time to Prospero. Prospero had Ariel do all of the dirty work. In the beginning of the play, she creates a storm to wreck a ship carrying Prospero’s illegitimate successor.

1: Slaves-confined and served

2: living conditions

3: Ariel and Caliban-serving and confined

4: similarities and differences

OS: Ariel was confined for 24 years

SD: time can be split in half

CM: Sycorax imprision Ariel

CM: Ariel was Sycorax's slave

SD: Ariel was agian confined

CM:Ariel did the dirty work

CM: she wrecked a ship

Rashad Young

9 English

Mr. Salsich

1.8.2009!

A Storm of Emotion;

An Analysis of a Passage in The Tempest

Shakespeare uses many unique fast words in this passage that are all extremely apt.. “That a brother should Be so perfidious!” Prospero says this because his brother Antonio backstabbed him and took over his position as Duke. Prospero’s brother was so disloyal to him he uses “perfidious” and excellent fast word that gives the sentence the right little touch. Prospero also says that he loved his brother, “He whom next thyself […] I loved,” therefore Prospero seems to be pessimistic about the choice that he had made, but to him self it was the right thing to do. Miranda seems to have the opposite feeling. She thinks that her father should never have sunk the ship in the first place. The last part of this passage that stood out to me was when Prospero said, “The government I cast upon my brother […] grew stranger, being transported and rapt in secret studies.” As Antonio gained more and more power from Prospero giving it to him, secret studies started to happen without the Duke himself knowing. Though Prospero could have gone through another route called forgiveness, he chose not to. All of these short quotes have at least one word that sticks out to me and helped create a excellent explanation.

Mistakes: The Bigger they Are, The Worse they Are

Wendell Frink

Mr. Salsich

9English

8 January 2009

Mistakes: The Bigger they Are, The Worse they Are

An Analysis of Themes in the play The Tempest by William Shakespeare

Mistakes are made by people everyday; some are not as considerable as others, but they’re still mistakes. In The Tempest by William Shakespeare, Prospero made a mistake that cost him his dukedom. The first mistake Prospero made was believing that his brother was a good person. “[He] loved […] him” and didn’t think that Antonio (Prospero’s brother) had any evil in him. Shakespeare flashbacked to an earlier part of the story to explain what occurred. Additionally, Prospero entrusted Antonio with his estate. Shakespeare uses alliteration in these lines: “and to him put the manage of my state; as at that time through all the signories it was the first.” He uses alliteration twice, the ‘a’ in ‘as’ and ‘at,’ and the ‘t’ in ‘that’ and ‘time.’ The consecutive sets of alliteration grabs at your attention saying “Look at me, look at me.” In the last analysis, Prospero admits his mistake in giving Antonio the keys to the government and let him control the dukedom. Again Shakespeare uses alliteration to get his point across and keep the reader interested: “my state grew stranger […] and rapt in secret studies.” Both of the articles of alliteration use the‘s’ sound: ‘state and stranger’ and “secret studies.’ When Shakespeare writes “my state grew stranger” it seems as though the alliteration enhances the meaning of “stranger.” Prospero’s mistakes were larger than others, but he will find a way to avenge these happenings.