Complexity of Ariel

I chose to try and look a little deeper into The Tempest. I didnt really have a path that I knew I wanted to take, so I just searched randomly for articles. I came across an article by Katherine Steele Brokaw titled "Ariel's Liberty."


I found the article rather interesting of how it discusses the "preformed Ariel." It goes to describe the different portals and how the role really allows for each actor/actress to portray her completely different. It was also interesting to read that s/he is such a dynamic character that often directors will chose to cast several actors/actresses to preform Ariel so that they can full capture all of the aspects of her/him. 


The article then goes on to state how most of Shakespeare's characters are very specific on how to be played, yet Ariel has a million possibilities of how it could be pulled off. I find it interesting that Shakespeare chose to do this for Ariel and it seems to be because s/he is not "real." He seems to have wanted Ariel to be very ghost like and un real. The name Ariel may have been a play on "aerial" further emphasizing this idea of an unreal spirit. 


This article makes me want to watch a performance of the Tempest which I play to do this weekend. I will have to focus specifically on the portrayal of Ariel. It also makes me want to go back and pay more attention specifically just to Ariel and the vagueness and where there is the room for interpretation. I wish I had access to several adaptations so that I could compare them. Perhaps I will try to find some different You Tube clips.

This was pretty interesting and something I hadnt thought about.


Brokaw, Katherine Steele. "Ariel's Liberty." Shakespeare Bulletin 26.1 (2008): 23-42. International Bibliography of Theatre & Dance with Full Text. Web. 13 Jan. 2012. <https://www.lib.byu.edu/cgi-bin/remoteauth.pl?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ibh&AN=31603658&site=ehost-live&scope=site>.

Shakespeare and Prospero

This may be a completely off interpretation, but I was thinking about Prospero being a representation of himself. That made me wonder if the other characters are representative of people in his life as well. So are Caliban and Ariel his...lovers? Ariel could be Anne and Caliban could be the dark lady? This might be completely a completely arbitrary interpretation, but it got me thinking.

UPDATE: Read my comment below.

i cant stop myself

just a thought

My boss got quite a laugh as I was making this at work too btw...

Pops, if you caused this storm with your mad skills, knock it off!

I would like to thank the "Book Phantom" for the modern Miranda quote  that I used for my title from the line " If by your art, dearest Father, you have Put the waters in this roar, allay them." While doing some brief looking into quotes originating from Shakespeare, I ran into that site. Let me just say I laughed for some time. Husband didn't think it was near as funny as I did.


I started reading The Tempest today. During church. I will admit. I have only read the first act thus far... and need to read more... but I am enjoying it thus far. It is a little romantic-y, but that would make sense since we are reading this for our romantic breadth.


While trying to do my homework during church, I was searching for an e-reader for my phone. I wasnt having the greatest of luck, but some how i ran across this interesting app that had all of  these illustrations that you cans set as your background--i dont quite understand "background" apps but i suppose its convenience. But the illistrations are by Edmund Dulac from around 1908. I thought the pictures were pretty, so when i turn on my phone I first have the awesome reminder of my VIP experience and Chino on my lock screen and then the ever impending doom of reading The Tempest  and Miranda as my background. At least the doom is pretty right?

Blogger confession #1: Does anyone else feel weird randomly posting on all of these blogs of people we dont really know yet? I mean I know we have had 2 class periods together, but i go to blogs and look at the "author" and think 'are they really in my class... I dont even recognize them." So mainly I just feel like a weird stalker creeping on your blogs and like i am leaving creepy unwanted comments haha

Blogger confession #2: while creepily commenting.... I hate your captcha forms.  like really. it would make my life 100% easier if i could just click "comment" with out having to verify an ink smudge of a word.

/rant.