ENG220Y (Shakespeare): test key
Part A
Most of you did question 2: here’s an outline of some good points that were made.
As in part B, make sure that you link general conclusions to your interpretation of specific details in the passages.2.
-potions used by figures who are more likely to have control: males w/ supernatural connections
-though they’re applied by figures who are the "tricky servants" of their plots: Puck and Friar Laurence
-Friar’s failure reflects his humanity & its limits-what are potions used to control?
-life/death (tampering with time, the tragic pastime…); -the antitheses in passages 5&6 underline the instability of life/death-the reasons for using potions underlines
-social opposition to human desire -innate uncontrollability of human desire -irrationality of human desire -in MND, shows fickleness of (male!) desire-potions associated with sleep (applied during sleep, induce a state like sleep)
-in both cases, underlines lack of awareness, control of the humans they’re applied to -imagery of darkness underlines mysteriousness, irrationality -things going wrong also underlines -even Cupid misses: underlines lack of understanding and awareness (the potions always do what they’re intended to do, but there are things that the Friar and even Oberon don’t know) -Oberon’s power to amend: underlines lack of human control even more -the danger/pointlessness of interfering with higher processes -ultimate success in MND -result of fairy influence: it’s a comedy, it’s a fantasy -mirrored in the nature of the potion?-phallic, fertile "loveshaft" (of youthful, eternal Cupid) stressed in description of its creation
-doesn’t mimic death like the R&J potion
-character
-shows resolve of R&J -emphasizes lovers’ fickleness in MND -emphasizes Oberon’s desire for/ability to control -demonstrate limitations/aspirations of Friar, of human beingsPart B
If you’re asked to comment on a passage, make sure that you
-describe patterns in the (literal or figurative) language of the passage
-interpret those patterns
before linking your interpretation of particular patterns to more general issues.Here are some samples from comments about #3 and #10:
3.
-"once again … raises the issue of the ideal king": Warwick is "defending a good leader to a(nother) flawed leader"
-Hal’s behaviour explained as (a leader’s self-) education: "studies", "learnt"
-"Hal’s strategy further reinforces the theme that rules are actors, consciously constructing their personae"
-"in the perfectness of time" emphasizes the importance of good timing
-a few words with connotations of money or measurement suggest Hal’s calculation/control: "gain the language", "attained", "use", "measure", "mete"
-"it also raises the question, how emotionally detached must a monarch be"
-Hal’s association with the people will be useful both for his reputation and for motivating them in battle
-describing his association with the people as like learning a language emphasizes Hal’s connection with the people—vs. a usurper’s alienation
-the fact that Warwick has to defend Henry’s son to him emphasizes Henry’s detachment from his son (and from his people): he’s a usurper, and (as a usurper) lacks trust in others, even in his son
-Hal’s already made promises to his father about his behaviour: we’re as aware of Hal’s ability to keep promises as we are of his father’s lack of trust in Hal
-the fact that Warwick, an obviously influential counsellor, seems to understand Hal creates a sense of optimism about his succession
10.
-issues of security of kingship (does one inherit or merit rights?): Henry took the crown from an unfit king, worrying about similar disloyalty to an unfit prince now that succession isn’t necessarily from father to son
-the usurper’s preoccupation with succession raised by his unfavourable contrast of Hal and Hotspur
-his feelings of guilt evinced by the odd word "sin"
-issues of legitimacy subtly raised by fantasy about child-exchanging
-his discomfort by his switching away from the topic back to war ("But let him from my thoughts")
-"good fatherhood" raised by the identification of Northumberland as "father to so blest a son"
-act 1 presents Falstaff and Henry IV as flawed fathers for Hal
-Henry’s use of words like "dis/honour" make us think about what makes a king fit
-that it’s the usurper Henry talking about "honour" makes us skeptical about it
-context: Hal’s "riot and dishonour" revealed to be false by the very next scene, 1.2: sets up good kingship as being able to craft an image, keep promises, strive for balance
-the fact that Henry’s wrong about Hal foregrounds the distance between them, distance that’s useful for Hal if he’s trying to craft a reputation
-this passage also demonstrates his father’s preoccupation with reputation ("the theme of honour’s tongue")
Part C