Month: November 2014

Both Mary Shelley and Shakespeare explore Power and Control in their respective fields Mary Shelly in her Gothic novel Frankenstein and Shakespeare in his play the Tempest. In Frankenstein, Frankenstein delves too far into his studies eventually creating the antithesis of what he intended using posthumous “donors” human body parts combined to make the creature. The novel follows the antics of the creature and Frankenstein then ends in the death of Frankenstein and the monster isolated for the rest of its life. In the Tempest it follows the endeavors of many individuals on an island and the political intrigue of the nobles and Prospero (who wishes to reclaim his lost dukedom). In both the use of power and control have similarities even though they were written during different time-periods and influenced by different things; power is defined as the ability to exercise authority whilst control is defined as the authority over something or someone, in both they use the same definitions as a motif and as an aspect of their character’s backgrounds.

The Gothic novel Frankenstein and the play the Tempest was created through various social and historical contexts. Mary Shelley was surrounded by practitioners of the romantic movement such as her husband Percy and subsequently created the creature as a romantic hero. Using nature as a nurturer was influenced by its popularity in novels at time of the romantic movement and her trip to Switzerland where she was effected by what she thought was sublime and used it as a setting for Frankenstein to recuperate from. She also had many discussions with her husband and friends about occult ideas and galvanism introduced by the Aldini experiment which made a posthumous man’s leg twitch using electricity. This consequently effected the way Frankenstein made the monster using lightning however Frankenstein creating the monster using limbs of dead bodies was influenced by the subject of transplanting teeth from one person to another which was popular conversation among her friends. The principles of human nature in Frankenstein were a combination of the Tempest and other plays/novels explaining the resemblance between the two’s theme of nature.

However the Tempest was influenced by a shipwreck in 1609 which led to survivors being isolated on an island in Bermuda this effected the plays introduction as the boat with nobles capsized and isolated the survivors on the island also during the time the survivors were on the island one faction attempted mutiny which consequently caused Shakespeare to use power and control as a recurring theme in his play. During his time-period Europe was colonizing unknown territories and this effected the characters background and personalities as Prospero captures slaves of the native island and begins to teach them his ways and Trinculo and Stephano think of capturing and selling a native of the island as their first thought.

In Act 1 Scene 1 of the Tempest, the motif of power and control is presented early, as Prospero capsized the ship with the nobles aboard using a Tempest, Shakespeare introduces the Tempest to show the power of destruction in nature commanded by Prospero “A tempestuous noise of thunder and lightning heard” and uses pathetic fallacy in the setting of Scene 1 “Blow till thou burst thy wind, if room enough” to explain the scene and also to give the thunder a human attribute consequently showing Prospero’s command over it and his control of the situation with his ability to capsize the ship without hindrances, analogous to Mary Shelley who uses nature as a tool for destruction however she also uses nature’s sublimity as a tool for recuperation, portraying nature’s power and control over human emotions different to Shakespeare.

The motif “power and control” is further emphasized in Act 2 Scene 1 when Prospero allows King Alonso to grieve the death of his son Ferdinand, whilst manipulating Ferdinand into falling for his daughter in a ploy to regain his power through marriage into the royal family. Prospero seeks revenge against his brother and the nobles however also seeks to reclaim his power and control which was taken from him this is seen in the quote “…Lets make further search for my poor son” subsequently Ariel saying “Prospero my lord shall know what I have done…”. Shakespeare uses this to show power and control’s prominence remaining a high priority in Prospero’s life after his exile and how it directly corresponds with his hatred for his betrayers as he brings it upon himself to sate his vendetta whilst plotting to bring back his power and control.In Act 1 Scene 2 Prospero begins to recount his past life as a duke of Milan which was usurped by his brother and how he was expelled out of Milan and onto the island through luck and in the quote ” This king of Naples, being an enemy….. Should presently extirpate me and mine out of dukedom.” we see that his vendetta stems from an imbalance of power and control as someone on a higher position of the hierarchy system easily exiles him and takes away the power and control that he had. Shakespeare created Prospero with a background of power and control to show the importance of power and control once you have it and the need to have it once its taken away from you.

In Act 1 Scene 2 Shakespeare uses the conversation between Prospero and Ariel to present his motif. He introduces Ariel with “All hail,great master..” this was used to show Ariel’s humility towards Prospero who commands greater power over him emphasized with “great master” used to address someone of great stature. He continues with “I come to answer thy best pleasure..” this highlights his subservient nature towards Prospero and subsequently persists to list what he can do for Prospero in one syllable  “to swim..to dive..to ride”. The use of commas in the stanza rather than full stops was used by Shakespeare to show how erratic Ariel is trying to please his master, Shakespeare uses Ariel as a conduit to explore his society’s master/servant relationship and the power and control employed by the master over the servant. This is further demonstrated by Prospero’s mercurial nature whilst with Ariel in order to manipulate him shown in the quote “My brave spirit…”  to praise Ariel for the execution of his order and then “Before the time be out? No more.” said after Ariel demanded his liberty in an attempt to take back its power and control as a way to remain in control over Ariel.

In Frankenstein, the motif of power and control is explored using Victor’s curiosity over science, his thirst for knowledge over life became his obsession and as he began to explore galvanism defied human nature, Mary Shelley introduces Victor to control and power by: reading Agrippa, Paracelsus and Albertus Magnus afterwards studying philosophy, science, mathematics and languages. This gave birth to his knowledge and gave him the power and control needed to make his creation. His obsession with studies took priority over his health as he states ” My cheek had grown pale with study…” Mary Shelley uses this to portray power and control’s seductive nature on Victor. This is further emphasized by how Victor succumbs to illness after every traumatic experience to portray how he chooses to escape from the reality of the situation (which was always that he lost his power and control). Mary Shelley uses this to emphasize how Victor cannot cope without a sense of power and control and starts to break down, similar to the seductive nature of a cigarette and the compulsion to have it after a while.

Often stated as a Modern Prometheus as Victor is the modern incarnation of Prometheus. Victor’s hubris in his intelligence brought forth a creation that tormented him thereafter linked with Prometheus (the wisest Titan) who stole fire and gave it to the human’s believing they needed it. Consequently having his liver eaten by an eagle and restored in the night indefinitely as punishment from the other Titans for his act, in both tales the use of power and control left them in dire circumstances filled with pain, eternal and undying. Mary Shelley was influenced by this doctrine of power and control having negative aspects in her novel ; As Mary Shelley ends Frankenstein with a tragic ending as Victor dies obsessed and the monster lives alone with no purpose as both try to manipulate power and control. Frankenstein uses destruction for creation as Victor’s creation bore fruit from posthumous bodies, ironic as they are opposites in nature. Mary Shelley uses this as a way to explore power and control through irony and the consequences of straying past nature.

Shakespeare was influenced by the historical elements in his life such as colonization that was taking place during his time-period. He uses colonization in his play to portray power and control and the old world views against the new worlds during the process. In scene 2 Caliban is introduced cursing his master saying “…All wound with adders, who with cloven tongues do hiss me into madness” here Shakespeare shows the domination Prospero has over Caliban and how Prospero torments Caliban to control him. During colonization the new world would forcefully teach the old world their culture as they believed they were savage and uncivilized they used their power and control to mentally and physically dominate the old world’s views and population, the act of domination between Prospero and Caliban are allegory to those times Prospero represents the new world who believes what he is doing is right teaching the savage old world (Caliban). “This island’s mine… Which thou tak’st from me” is allegorical to the old world vs new world politics of Shakespeare’s time and shows the power and control used in that time-period by the new world to influence the old world.

Between Caliban and the monster of the Frankenstein both have been effected by power and control however Mary Shelley and Shakespeare employ different methods when choosing how the victims try to get their emancipation, however how the victims deal with their situation are similar. In Frankenstein the monster’s the romantic hero and its empathy towards humans slowly deteriorates once he becomes ostracized, as a result he demands a female creation he can live with in his last attempt at a peaceful solution. However Frankenstein declines enraging the monster Mary Shelley used this to link power and control with the doctrine of violence and the idea of power and control being violent in nature this is illustrated further by using the lightning bolt to destroy the oak tree in chapter 1 “The thunder burst at once with frightful loudness from various quarters of the heavens.. watching its progress with curiosity and delight.” consequently inspiring Frankenstein. Caliban does not seek a peaceful solution as the old world was seen as savages incapable of human emotions instead he tries to violate Prospero’s daughter in an attempt for his power and control and as a result becomes enslaved Shakespeare uses this to emphasize the savage nature of Caliban and the old world as his approach to power and control was uncivilized, In both the monster and Caliban seek their power and control through the only thing they’ve been taught violence.

In the end of the play Prospero relinquished his control and power over Caliban as he seeks a new life pardoned from the taint of the island this is seen when he breaks the fourth wall in the epilogue “As you from crimes would pardon’d be, let your indulgence set me free” Prospero repents on the island by freeing Caliban as he hopes his actions could be forgiven and Caliban prostrates himself saying “And seek for grace. What a thrice-double ass was I…”  as he begs for forgiveness for trying to usurp Prospero’s power and control Shakespeare uses this to show power and control’s alluring nature having an escape route through repentance. In chapter 9 Frankenstein seeks to restore his power and control through the use of natures sublimity another ironic element to the novel as his trouble came from toying with nature. In the end he dies grief-stricken in chapter 24 trying to take the monster’s power and control whilst the monster is left to live with no purpose; in the end Mary Shelley uses different narratives switching between the monster and Walton to show different perspectives of power and control as Walton sees Victor as a tragic hero affected by the monster whilst the monster see’s himself as the tragic hero abandoned and alone. Mary Shelley turns Victor into the inhumane thing he hated and spurned becoming isolated and enraged, Mary Shelley used all of this to show that power and control’s violent ending is inevitable opposite to Shakespeare.

In conclusion Shakespeare and Frankenstein explore both power and control similarly and differently using different methods such as changing narratives and similar methods such as the use of punctuation to show the erratic nature of their characters. Nature is used as an intermediary for Shelley and Shakespeare to communicate how they feel nature influences man. Mary influenced by the romantic movement chose to show nature as a nurturer whilst Shakespeare influenced by the 1609 shipwreck chose to portray nature as an envoy of destruction. In the end the motifs of power and control are regularly presented in both using a character to exercise authority and in both, the characters use it either for good intentions or bad it results in harsh/negative outcomes. This illustrates that it wasn’t an arbitrary coincidence, this was done by design to show that manipulating power and control can only produce the worse outcomes if not for the manipulator for the one being manipulated.

First and foremost, I would like to ask you have you ever felt you were worthless, that you were to blame for something that’s ultimately not your fault. Have you ever been depressed, downhearted or even despondent, so much that you lost all hope of seeing even a sliver of light in a dreary night sky filled with darkness? I talk about a incorrigible system known well to victims of bullying. Bullying is not a joke it is a plague like the black death that needs to be eradicated before every young person is infected. I hope to divert our world from our current path filled with a copious amount of injustice and despair and that starts by eliminating the bullying our current generation suffers from. I wish to create schools with more camera’s, more security and less anguish.

Admittedly, I too have suffered from bullying and as a result conclude that we must stop the epidemic from spreading and vaccinate as much people as possible! I am an unsuspecting victim of this pandemic; It has caused me to question whether I deserve to be picked and prodded on, I tell you we do not deserve this. We the younger generation deserve not to be ostracised based on what we look like or what we wear. This is truly the work of a dark, demonic fiend; which has secluded its very nature from the public for too long. Its time to beat the bully, for good!

According to the website stopbullying.gov many children may not know how to appropriately handle a bullying scenario and may instead shy away and force themselves to remain ignorant.

On the contrary most people tend to avert their attention because as long as it doesn’t affect them directly they believe they are safe, however this mentality will be our undoing. This happens so frequently resulting in 19,000 children attempting suicide annually although there are simple methods to combat this; such as empowering children to fight bullying, teaching the children assertiveness and taking pro-active responses to bullying so that we are no longer on the defensive side but can go full offense against bullying.

Others might argue that we won’t be able to stop every bully and I naturally disagree. I believe every person deserves to be vaccinated from the plague because we have lost too much already.

Our children have lost a vital part of their lives! Fear has become an inevitable stage in our childrens lives which has caused our kids to lose their confidence necessary in their growth to adulthood. So it is absolutely paramount that we solidify; you and me to change this world and even the embodiment of oppression i wish to banish, I wish to destroy the bonds that tie our children to the depths of despair and bring about a life which diverts the road from unchangeable demise and instead creates a path where our younger generation live in harmony. “Nine out of ten cases of bullying take place at school” according to analysis of a decade of global data by Child Helpline International, the root of our childrens problem lies in the schools, schools that have a job to protect our children in our place however its been proven they are lacking in motivation otherwise bullying in schools wouldn’t occur as frequently and that is going to change.

If I have not already convinced you of the horrible consequences that arise from bullying. Then I implore you, please this fallacious being has brought only pain in abundance to so many people. It is irrefutable that bullying is humanities most resilient adversary. Nonetheless, people still think that bullying can be overlooked. However is it not true that our children are suffering from bullying unseen in past generations as we overlook bullying it grows like a tumor in the brain, the longer its undealt with the worse the situation becomes. Bullying is adaptive and changes over the years, now a new form called cyberbullying which has arisen has only come to fruition recently due to our dismissive nature and in the end the people who have dismissed bullying fail to see that suicides have a strong link to bullying as “Bully victims are between 2 to 9 times more likely to consider suicide than non-victims” according to studies by Yale University.

Truth be told, bullying grows stronger the more our ignorance over the subject increases. Ignorance is bliss? That quote epitomizes the state of mind our children and even us the people who are meant to guide them have. Ignorance over bullying is akin to being the bully. You shy away from the subject leading your ordinary, monotonous life and watch as the victims of bullying suffer yet again. As already stated there are people more responsible than others and they will be dealt with however it was you, the people, who have ignited the spark, lead our children down a path of oppression and this is our chance to purge this city, I suggest harsher punishments such as prison sentences, it is our job as protectors of our children to report any bullying we see and to the the teachers who are either lacking in motivation or shy away from the problem I suggest penalties such as being fired from their work or incentives such as paid vacations. All these deterrents reinforce the idea to bullies that they cannot do these crimes without a just punishment, a consequence. Perhaps it is better to start at the root of our problems and give our children a proper loving environment, give our children a sense of importance so that they do not try to reach out in a violent way.

In the end it is up to you to decide however as long as this idea remains it will forever be living on because you cannot kill ideas you can only fuel it. In conclusion, bullying has become a part of our living, breathing society slowly corrupting the incorruptible, if we let this continue we are no better than the savages that brutalise our children. If you see what I see. Feel what I feel, then join me in our vendetta. There is a difference between us and machines, we are not cold, calculating apathetic creatures. We are empathetic, loving, compassionate creatures who look after our people including our children.

It was a small town, which looked more like a wasteland than the leaflet brochures in various shops and markets assured them it would be. It was just down the highway yet a numinous feeling resonated off the walls of every house, building and market within a fifty meter radius, however it wasn’t always like this. It was nuanced by all the corrupt injustices that took place within every crevice of the town. Whether it was the shady deals between the rich and haughty men. Or the corrupt police or government officials, that would come and go, then disappear like dust blown away by the wind. On the surface it was brimming with unparalleled radiance yet in reality it would swallow them leaving nothing but an empty wasteland.

Two men simultaneously reached the outside of a gate from an abandoned store. Both wore a three piece suit common amongst the populace. The two men seemed ordinary in the perspective of the populace which incorporated shady deals between the money-hungry and corruption polluting the city. However their peculiarity piqued the interest of those working in steel-mills or coal mines. In their perspective one man, exuded unprecedented vitality which would subsequently make them quiver in awe; his blazer was golden brown, his waistcoat was brown and he had a golden brown tie with mixtures of black that he wore on top of his standard white shirt comprised of 100% cotton. He wore only the finest suits with the finest leather; he had slick blonde hair running down the right side of his forehead, a puffy face which accentuated the countless meals he ate under luxury, his almost perfect look was what made commoners suspect him the most.

It had started to rain, the incessant pitter-patter of the rain hitting the floor left water marks. Each gathered the moonlights radiance onto the silhouette standing beside the enigmatic man with the golden suit. As each speck of light accumulated onto this silhouette, a man became visible, wearing a common rental suit found in all the tailor stores consisting of a dark brown blazer a black waist coat and a red tie. Both men wore pocket handkerchiefs however out of the two only one man wore an embroidered handkerchief with elaborate designs. The monotonous humming that ensued was quickly rendered mute, the men simultaneously made they first steps to the inside of the gate. They left the light and firm outer area into a dark and decrepit room and as the first man entered so did the other like a moth to a flame.

The humidity grew as they reached the entrance. Subsequently they begun climbing over broken pillars and as they both walked through countless rooms, over dirty glass bottles they both came to a halt. There they saw a door and as the man with the golden brown suit opened it a searing amount of light emerged almost engulfing the both of them completely.

This room was the complete antithesis of the other; it had golden pillars supporting the glistening ceiling, beautiful tables covered in the finest cloth the bar was in full swing containing the finest champagne considered taboo to those inside the law. It was a utopia for those who could afford it; in these backstreet clubs delved the twisted nature of politics and greed as all the supercilious men were brainwashed at the sight of money. The two men sat at a table in the front, opposite to it a stage that was neatly kept tidy. The waitress had the prescience to serve two drinks before they were seated. They were served with a pina colada with a lemon slice that sat precariously on the side of the glass. As both men introduced themselves to the rest, the crowd began to rustle amongst themselves ‘Gatsby and Toby’ murmured the crowd. Toby wasn’t well-known however Gatsby was notorious and as the band’s smooth jazz slowly faded out, the limelight shone onto the crowds new entertainment.

Most of the men that they talked to wore three piece suits in a mixture of colours and had a hat or beret. Toby was the man in the rental suit and although he did not speak much his gluttony spoke for him. It far exceeded many of the crowd’s expectations and with each taste of the succulent meat presented before him his mouth cried out in happiness and inadvertently attracted many eyes. The meat was fat and juicy and lavished with superficial decorations, cherries minted leaves, truly the perfect meal to forget all the harsh realities the world bestows upon you. Toby eagerly awaited the riveting performance Gatsby promised him although this was just a preamble of things to be expected in order to lure Toby into his domain. Jazz oozed from the combination of the: piano, drums and vibraphone whilst the bass was playing in the background. Sounds unheard of before, enthused only the night sky as the ambience of the room was as thick as butter, as the lights dimmed both men had already left. Toby left with an ethereal experience thinking it was his last, however Gatsby knew it was not the end as Toby’s quixotic nature was slipping away.

As the rose began to show its thorns. Toby believed this facade was a paradise, isolated from all the suffocation from the rules. However, is there such a idyllic place without rules that is immune to suffering?

And there they stay, amidst their own night skies; boats beating against the shore, searching, swaying towards each other, waiting for their odyssey to begin, sinking slowly, as their own anchors scrape against the seabed.