the tempest and hagseed essay

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The Ultimate The Tempest Hag-Seed Cheatsheet | Module A: Textual Conversations Part 1

Need a quick overview of the plot, characters, genre and context of The Tempest and Hag-seed? Wondering how these texts fit into the Module A syllabus? Don't worry. This article will explain it all!

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• Tempest & Hag-Seed cheatsheet
• Tempest & Hag-Seed - Essay writing

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Year 12 english advanced, vce english units 3 & 4.

What’s the go with Tempest and Hag-Seed ? What is a Textual Conversation even meant to be? In this The Tempest and Hag-Seed cheat sheet, we give you all the important “deets” including a quick summary of the plot, characters, genres and, context of each text.

We also break down the Module A syllabus into individual statements and connect to the texts.

What’s in this The Tempest Hag-Seed Cheatsheet?

• What is Module A: Textual Conversations 
• Connecting The Tempest and Hag-seed to Module A: Textual Conversations 

What is Module A: Textual Conversations?

In simple terms, Module A is a study of a pair of texts that share a direct intertextual relationship…

In other words, the pair of texts are having a  conversation with one another. Wait…what?

What does this mean?

The newer text will usually retell, comment or engage with the older text to engage modern audiences and convey their message.

You need to focus on the commonalities and differences between texts. You need to figure out what the newer text is saying about different aspects of the older text.

Is the context important?

Yes! And also no.

The module’s focus on context is not as strong as the previous syllabus’ Module A rubric. However, you still need to be aware of the context and its influence on the creation of the text.

Some aspects include:

• The historical period when the text was produced
• Geographic place of production
• Cultural and religious context during the period of production
• The personal context of the composer

To learn more about Module A, read our Year 12 English Study Guide article: Module A: Textual Conversations .

What is The Tempest?

Shakespeare’s The Tempest tells the story of Prospero, the Duke of Milan, and his daughter Miranda who have been marooned on an island in the Mediterranean.

They were exiled there by Prospero’s brother, Antonio, who tried to murder them both. They escaped to the island with the help of Gonzalo and enslaved Caliban.

Prospero orchestrates the wrecking of the ship carrying his brother and the king of Naples, Alonso, back to Italy. He uses his magic to manipulate the King’s son, Ferdinand, into marrying his daughter.

The play concludes with the cast returning to Italy for the marriage of Miranda to Ferdinand, uniting the families in conflict.

The Tempest is what is called a “Late Romance”. This was a categorisation given to some of the later plays by Shakespeare that defied easy classification.

The Late Romances blended genres, in this case comedy and tragedy:

• Comedy: A series of personality clashes leads to turmoil in the royal court. The action moves to a pastoral setting where the characters work through their conflicts. Comedy does not imply there must be humour, although there often is. There will be a wedding, or maybe several, that are used to resolve the conflicts in the text when the action returns to the court.
• Tragedy: A character is led by their hamartia – a fatal flaw in their nature – to undertake actions that will be their undoing. This action might be seeking revenge, murdering their way to becoming a king, desiring a role in society above their station, or plotting to marry against their parents’ wishes. Tragedies always end badly with the deaths of at least one character, if not more.

The Tempest blends aspects of tragedy – Prospero seeks revenge against those who have wronged him – with elements of comedy – t he resolution of the play in marriage and sub-plot of the three clowns (Trinculo, Stephano, and Caliban) .

This combination of genres served to keep audiences guessing about the play’s resolution. We’re never quite sure whether Prospero will seek brutal, bloody, magical revenge… or if he will reconcile and forgive.

I t is important to be aware of the text’s genre, so that you can discuss how it challenges the traditions of form to represent discovery. It does this, for example, by subverting audience expectations.

Prospero is the former Duke of Milan. While Duke, he became obsessed with learning magic and handed the running of the kingdom to his brother, Antonio. He and Miranda escaped with the help of Gonzalo. He is an intelligent, powerful, and manipulative figure. He uses his magic to orchestrate all the events on the island.

Prospero’s brother. He is a treacherous individual driven by self-interest. While on the ship with Alonso and his retinue he encourages Sebastian to kill his brother, King Alonso.

The King of Naples, he is powerful man who is bereaved by the seeming loss of his son, Ferdinand. While Ferdinand is missing, he is protected from his brother by Prospero and Ariel, but also threatened and imprisoned by Prospero. Alonso is willing to be punished for his part in betraying Prospero, demonstrating his nobility.

Sebastian :

Alonso’s brother; he is disgruntled with Alonso. Antonio attempts to convert this to anger and regicide. He is thwarted by Ariel.

Prospero’s daughter. She is a quintessential renaissance girl. She has been raised on the island away from men. Ferdinand is the first man she meets aside from her father Prospero and his slave Caliban. She falls in love with Ferdinand at first sight, although it is unclear if this is a consequence of their connection or her father’s powers.

Ferdinand :

Alonso’s son. He falls in love with Miranda and is willingly enslaved by Prospero so he can spend time with Miranda. He agrees to marry Miranda after she proposes to him. He is not the most quick-witted of characters and Prospero often talks him in circles.

The indigenous inhabitant of the island. The son of Sycorax the witch, he is a deformed figure. He was enslaved by Prospero after attempting to rape Miranda. He plots to kill Prospero with Trinculo and Stephano, who he mistakes for gods. He is thwarted and repents.

A sprite enslaved by Prospero. Ariel manufactures the tempest of the text’s title to shipwreck Alonso and his retinue. He does Prospero’s bidding under threat of torture and the promise of release. He is freed at the end of the play.

Prospero’s advisor and friend from Milan. He saved Prospero by organising a boat. He is an idealist who is naïve and mocked for his views. He interrupts the plot to kill Alonso. He is spared Ariel’s horrid form in the banquet scene.

Shakespeare wrote his plays during the Elizabethan era in the 16th Century. The Tempest was Shakespeare’s final solely authored play, and was first staged in 1611

This society is vastly different from the one we know now.

So, it is important that you know different aspects of Shakespeare’s context to examine how it influenced The Tempest .

The Elizabethan people were highly religious. They believed in pre-determinism; every person’s life has already been planned by God before they were born.

So, people had no free will and control over their own lives.

This meant that people were often categorised into “good” and “evil”. And, those who are deemed evil cannot become “good”… like Caliban.

People in the Elizabethan era believed in magic.

They believed in superstitions, witches and magicians.

They even killed alleged “witches” by drowning or burning them.

So, Shakespeare’s use of magic in The Tempest was believable to the Elizabethan people. This made its meaning more powerful.

He used it to express positive emotions, as well as representing manipulation and selfishness. He explores both the positive and negative aspects of magic.

Magic is used to explain the misfortunes and luck in the world.

Women were seen as objects of their fathers or husbands during Shakespeare’s time. This meant that they were inferior to men and do not have any power.

In The Tempest , there are no women on stage aside from the goddesses in Prospero’s masque and Miranda.

This highlights how men ignore women’s needs, importance and complexity. They only value women who are “ innocent and pure “, as Gonzalo states.

Colonisation

From the 16th century to the mid-20th century, several European powers, including Britain, Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy and France established colonies in Asia, Africa, the Pacific, and the Americas.

These actions often involved the imposition of their own government and cultures upon the colonies, allowing for the exploitation of natural resources, the economy and the people.

Shakespeare took his chance to explore the complexity of colonisation.

He understands that colonisation is a way of achieving power. However, he questions its morale because of the numerous issues brought upon the native inhabitants of the land.

This is seen with Prospero controlling the natives for his own selfish reasons.

Need more help with Module A?

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What is Hag-seed?

Felix is the Artistic Director of the famous Makeshiweg theatre festival. Felix, loses his job because of Tony and Sal’s betrayal, who want his position and power. They took advantage of Felix’s grief for his dead wife and daughter and convince the artistic board to fire Felix.

Now, lost and grieving, Felix isolates himself in an off-grid cabin. He spends 9 years in seclusion imagining a life with his dead daughter, Miranda. In his mind, she grows from a child and into a teenager. He nurtures her as if she were real.

One day, he stumbles across an advertisement searching for a teaching position for the local prison’s literacy program. He applies under a false identity, Mr Duke. However, Estelle, the prison supervisor, recognises his true identity. Admiring his work, she hires Felix to teach literature through Shakespeare and agrees to keep his identity a secret.

Felix teaches Shakespeare’s plays, such as Julius Caesar and Macbeth , to the prisoners. They explore themes,  rewrite certain parts of the text to modernise it and even perform it for the prison TV.

In the 4th year of the program, Estelle informs Felix that 2 government officials will be watching the play, Tony and Sal. Knowing this, Felix set his mind on revenge.

He chooses The Tempest , his unfinished performance of Shakespeare’s final play from over a decade ago. He hires his original actor, Anne-Marie to act as Miranda in this production.

When Tony and Sal arrives at the prison, the prisoners, Felix and Anne-Marie begin their theatre production. Instead of a pre-recorded performance, Tony and Sal experience a live theatre performance. However, things turn sour when the prisoners stage prison riot, under Felix’s direction, whilst continuing to read lines from The Tempest .

The two men fear for their lives. Now drug-induced, they begin spilling their dark secrets. Felix records their rambles and blackmails Tony.

Felix now has his job back and Tony is forced to withdraw from politics. Finally, Felix  realises that it is time to let go of his daughter, Miranda.

Hag-seed is a psychological fiction novel. The novels strongly focuses on the spiritual and emotional characterisation of the characters.

The plot is driven by the character’s mental state, motives and explanations for their mental state, as opposed to external actions.

Common literary devices used in psychological fiction are streams of consciousness, flashbacks, and inner dialogue.

Felix / Mr Duke :

Felix is a renowned theatre director. However, he falls into grief, and sadness when Tony fired him. With a dead wife and daughter, and no job, he creates a new persona, Mr Duke. Mr Duke begins a theatre production of The Tempest at the prison. The play is driven by his resentment for Tony and desire for revenge.  Through the play, he also attempts to revive memories of his daughter, Miranda.

Tony is manipulative and cunning. He was Felix’ assistant in the theatre production. However, behind Felix’s back, he manages to convince the theatre board to fire Felix and make him the Artistic Director instead. Tony abuses this position to become a politician and gain power.

Sal O’Nally :

Sal works with Felix and is a provincial politician. He is selfish and abuses his power. However, unlike Tony, he is sympathetic because he is capable of love (his son) and apologises for his mistakes.

Miranda is Felix’s daughter who dies of meningitis when she was 3 years old. Felix often imagines her as a ghost visiting him and keeping him company. In his imagination, she grows from a child and into a teenager.

Anne-Marie Greenland :

Anne-Marie is a struggling actress with a passion for dance. When Tony fired Felix, he also shut down Felix’s production of The Tempest, causing Anne-Marie her career. However, she is given a second chance to play Miranda in Mr Duke’s (Felix’s) prison production of The Tempest. She is tough and confident.

Estelle is Mr Duke’s (Felix’s) supervisor at the prison. She figures out that Mr Duke is actually Felix and helps him take revenge on Tony and Sal. She is very passionate about the prison theatre program.

8Handz is a hacking genius prisoner who plays Ariel in the prison’s production of The Tempest. He also made the special effects for Felix’s grand identity reveal to Tony and Sal and recorded their induced hysteria.

Hag-seed is written by Canadian female writer, Margaret Atwood in 2016. This society is significantly different from Shakespeare’s context. So, it is important that you understand Atwood’s context to figure out why she transformed Shakespeare’s  The Tempest .

Let’s examine some key aspects of Atwood’s context.

Modern society is secular.

This means that they are not driven by religion. So, people don’t believe in “good” and “evil” and predeterminism anymore.

This also means that people don’t really believe in magic anymore.

So, instead of relying on magic, Atwood explains these phenomenons with technology (special effects) and imaginations.

Unlike Shakespeare’s time, women in modern Western society have more rights. They are viewed as individual beings instead of men’s products.

As such, Atwood’s women were more empowered, knowledgeable and strong.

We see this with Miranda. Shakespeare’s Miranda is innocent and sexualised by men. Whereas, Atwood’s Miranda is much more powerful and knowledgeable.

Atwood also introduces strong and intelligent female characters like Anne-Marie and Estelle.

Connecting The Tempest and Hagseed to Module A: Textual Conversations:

To properly analyse The Tempest and Hagseed , you need to know NESA’s rubric for Module A :

In this module, students explore the ways in which the comparative study of texts can reveal resonances and dissonances between and within texts. Students consider the ways that a reimagining or reframing of an aspect of a text might mirror, align or collide with the details of another text. In their textual studies, they also explore common or disparate issues, values, assumptions or perspectives and how these are depicted. By comparing two texts students understand how composers (authors, poets, playwrights, directors, designers and so on) are influenced by other texts, contexts and values, and how this shapes meaning.

Students identify, interpret, analyse and evaluate the textual features, conventions, contexts, values and purpose of two prescribed texts. As students engage with the texts they consider how their understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of both texts has been enhanced through the comparative study and how the personal, social, cultural and historical contextual knowledge that they bring to the texts influences their perspectives and shapes their own compositions.

By responding imaginatively, interpretively and critically students explore and evaluate individual and common textual features, concepts and values. They further develop skills in analysing the ways that various language concepts, for example motif, allusion and intertextuality, connect and distinguish texts and how innovating with language concepts, form and style can shape new meaning. They develop appropriate analytical and evaluative language required to compose informed, cohesive responses using appropriate terminology, grammar, syntax and structure.

By composing critical and creative texts in a range of modes and media, students develop the confidence, skills and appreciation to express a considered personal perspective.

Source: Module A Rubric from NESA website

Was that too much to take in?

Don’t worry. We will break it down together and link the main concepts to The Tempest and Hag-seed .

Rubric Statement #1

“Students explore the ways in which the comparative study of texts can reveal resonances and dissonances between and within texts. Students consider the ways that a reimagining or reframing of an aspect of a text might mirror, align or collide with the details of another text.”

In simple terms, you must identify the similarities and differences between the two texts.

Let’s define some words in the rubric to clarify what you need to search for:

• Resonance : A reflection or reverberation of something. There is usually a harmonic agreement.
• Dissonance : An absence of agreement between 2 things.
• Mirror : The pair of texts share some similarities. However, these aspects are reshaped according to their respective contexts.
• Align : The pair of texts share the same details and values.
• Collide :  The pair of texts are clashing. They do not share similarities.

So, how do we do this?

You need to identify the details that Atwood kept the same or changed from Shakespeare’s text. Which parts of her text mirror, align or collide with Shakespeare’s text?

Then, ask yourself why? What does this reveal about the wider world?

Rubric Statement #2

“In their textual studies, they also explore common or disparate issues, values, assumptions or perspectives and how these are depicted.  By comparing two texts students understand how composers (authors, poets, playwrights, directors, designers and so on) are influenced by other texts, contexts, and values, and how this shapes meaning.”

This dot point further expands on the above findings.

So, to do this effectively, you need to first understand that texts are a reflection of their contexts.

Every creative decision is a result of the composer’s context. And, every creative decision serves a wider purpose in conveying a message.

This means that you have to analyse how Atwood’s and Shakespeare’s context influences their creative decision AND figure out why Atwood has chosen to mirror, align or collide her text to Shakespeare.

Remember, this dot point is all about context and purpose .

Before we move on to the next dot point, let’s define some keywords:

• Issues or themes : The main ideas (or message) that the texts explore
• Values : Moral or ethical beliefs that the text explores
• Assumptions : Presumed knowledge that composers think the audience possesses
• Perspectives : Different viewpoints used to explore the text’s subject matter

For example, Shakespeare creates a Miranda that is innocent and often sexualised by other male characters, whereas, Atwood’s Miranda is strong, and intelligent.

This is because Shakespeare’s society views women as a product of men, whereas, Atwood’s society recognises women as individual beings.

Rubric Statement #3

“They further develop skills in analysing the ways that various language concepts, for example, motif, allusion, and intertextuality, connect and distinguish texts and how innovating with language concepts, form and style can shape new meaning.”

Let’s break this statement down into 2 parts.

Firstly, this statement requires you to be confident in your English techniques, including  literary , visual and  film techniques .

You need to identify these techniques and analyse them. Examine how they convey meaning and link it back to your arguments.

Note : If you need to refresh your memory of these techniques, visit our Essential Guide to English Techniques.  We have a great list of literary , visual  and  film techniques.

Secondly, you also need to know the form and style of your texts and figure out their purpose.

• Form : Type of text eg. poem, docudrama, novel…
• Style : Distinctive features that are used throughout the text

You need to analyse the experimentation and the challenging of traditional concepts, form, and style in these texts.

You also need to analyse how the composer uses innovation to convey their message and purpose.

Rubric Statement #4

“As students engage with the texts they consider how their understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of both texts has been enhanced through the comparative study and how the personal, social, cultural and historical contextual knowledge that they bring to the texts influences their perspectives and shapes their own compositions.”

To simply put it, the way YOU interpret a text is ultimately shaped by your context…

Your political and social environments, personal lives, and your personal and wider history all influence your readings.

For example, when you read The Tempest, you may think that magic is simply fictional and that the treatment of Miranda is wrong.

However, if you were living in Shakespeare’s time you may think that magic is real and the men’s treatment of Miranda is ok.

This is because your values and perspectives are ultimately shaped by your context.

Now you know what you need to look for in The Tempest and Hag-Seed , you need to build your notes and write your practice essays.

Read Part 2 of this Guide to learn how to write a Tempest Hag-Seed Comparative essay

In part 2 , we explain how to build notes and write a comparative Mod A Essay.

Written by Matrix English Team

© Matrix Education and www.matrix.edu.au, 2023. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Matrix Education and www.matrix.edu.au with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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Hsc module a: 20/20 essay notes for the tempest and hagseed.

• Uncategorized
• margaret atwood
• textual conversations
• the tempest
• william shakespeare

What is a textual conversation?

To truly understand what we are supposed to be looking out for in our critical evaluation of Hag-Seed and The Tempest , we refer to the rubric for Module A: Textual Conversations.

The rubric dictates that students are to explore how the “comparative study of texts can reveal resonances and dissonances between and within texts” and consider how the reimagining or reframing of certain facets of a text “ mirror[s], align[s] or collide[s] ” with the other text. Put simply, students are to consider the similarities and differences between the representation of “ values, assumptions or perspectives ” in the two texts to then impute a reasoning to why these aspects of the texts may mirror, align or collide with one another based on context, authorial perspective, audience and more.

The textual conversations between Shakespeare’s final play, The Tempest , and Margaret Atwood’s modern appropriation of the tragicomedy , Hag-Seed , is a complex one. To really comprehend this conversation  we must consider how each text is influenced by the other, but is also a product of the composer’s context, values and perspective, ultimately shaping overall meaning.

How does context influence this textual conversation?

Context informs composers’ perspectives and so, shapes their purpose and meaning. As such, it is important to keep these social influences in the back of your mind as you navigate the textual conversations.

Some of Shakespeare’s contextual influences include:

• Renaissance Humanism vs Christian Providentialism

The growing prevalence of Renaissance Humanist ideals during Shakespeare’s composition of The Tempest espoused the outlook that individuals were capable of acting autonomously and were not following a predetermined path dictated by religious providence. This further fostered a climate of individuals seeking power, knowledge and new adventures. Shakespeare’s presents the nuances within these humanist ideologies through his portrayal of Prospero whose quest for knowledge and agency in creating his own destiny leads to his ethical and moral turpitude as explored further below.

• The Age of Discovery

The Tempest was written during a period when many great expeditions were undertaken by Europeans to colonise new lands. In that same period, Montaigne’s Of the Caniballes gained wide recognition following John Florio’s translation of it into English in 1603. The essay introduced the idea of cultural relativism: the concept that human behaviour is a product of culture and as such cannot be judged by those without this cultural context.

These endeavours to colonise the non-European world included the institution of European governance systems in conquered territories and often resulted in the unjust subjugation of native peoples to allow for the exploitation of their land. This is manifested in Shakespeare’s portrayal of how Prospero deems himself of greater civility and intelligence than the island native Caliban. He then enslaves and exploits the spirit as a means to his own selfish ends, serving as an allegorical parable for the intricacies in the implications of European Colonisation at the time.

• The Great Chain of Being and the Divine Rights of Kings

The Great Chain of Beings was the Elizabethan belief that there was distinct hierarchy from everything within the universe as dictates by God, and that monarchs were in power by divine mandate itself, and thus had the divine right to only be answerable to God. In alignment with this ideology, Shakespeare’s entire work is a quest to restore this hierarchical structure that was displaced by Antonio’s greed for power and Prospero’s own neglect for his duties as a ruler due to his preoccupation with his studies. As Prospero questions the failure of the Great Chain, he realises that to truly restore order they must all engage in introspection, repentance and forgiveness, in a true display of compassion.

Some of Atwood’s contextual influences include:

• High Incarceration Rates

At the time Atwood was composing her work, incarceration in the United States was the highest it had ever been since the early twentieth century. Furthermore, there was a stark disparity in the demographics of these incarcerated peoples where ethnic people of colour were disproportionately represented. Influenced by both the overwhelming incarceration in America, and Canada’s adoption of the Nova Scotia Restorative Justice System that challenged traditional adversarial justice, Atwood explores intricacies the inmates’ experiences as an alienated and marginalised collective.

• Shifting Social Paradigms

Atwood reflects the growing empowerment of females in modern society through her distinctly different representation of women in Hag-Seed . While in The Tempest , Miranda was characterised to be of innocent purity and passivity, Felix’s daughter is more empowered in her role as the catalyst of his ethical transformation. 

Concepts and Themes in the Textual Conversation

Pursuit of Revenge

Both texts ultimately expose the futility of revenge to provide emotional fulfilment and its incapacity to serve as a solution to resolve suffering and loss. Felix and Prospero are both motivated by revenge and as a result, neglect their moral obligations. Prospero is blinded by his desire to restore his position as prescribed by God’s Great Chain of Beings, but in exacting his revenge he is deceitful and cunning, in neglect of the Christian ideals of compassion and mercy. Similarly, Felix too falls prey to the corruption caused by his desire for vengeance against Sal and Tony.

Sample Topic Sentence:   In The Tempest , Shakespeare exposes how the sophisticated nexus between hubris and the inherent human desire for power and revenge leads to ethical turpitude and ultimately impedes individuals from achieving personal fulfilment.

Imprisonment

As Felix famously sums up that The Tempest is “ a play about prisons ”, the recurring motif of prisons is evident throughout both texts to the extent that Hag-Seed is quite literally set in a penitentiary centre.

The most salient interpretation of these prisons is both protagonists’ confinement within their obsessive pursuit for revenge. It is only when he forgives his enemies that Prospero is truly set free. We also see that individuals such as Caliban in The Tempest and the prisoners in Hag-Seed are imprisoned within society’s perception of them.

Ultimately, both composers advocate for empathy, compassion and forgiveness for individuals to break free of these internal shackles as further discussed below.

Compassion and Forgiveness for Reconciliation

Shakespeare presents the perils of an obsessive thirst for vengeance only to provide a solution for it through compassion and forgiveness. The Jacobean-Christian principle of unconditional forgiveness and divine absolution of sin underpin Shakespeare’s portrayal of how Prospero’s forgiveness and  renunciation of magic and his past grievances in “ this rough magic, I here abjure ”, are the key to his reconciliation. Through returning to the Christian ideals of compassion and forgiveness, Prospero manages to restore order.

While Atwood’s appropriation still asserts the enduring relevance of self-reflection and compassion for personal development, her postmodern secular context challenges Shakespeare’s representation of unconditional Christian clemency through the relative lack of reconciliation between Felix and his adversaries. Despite this distinction, Atwood does, in agreeance with The Tempest , propose the futility of seeking revenge through Felix’s confession after he exact his revenge through the hypophora “ Why does it feel like a letdown? ”.

Both texts didactically warn against the pursuit of vengeance yet explore reconciliation in distinct ways, reflective of their contextual influences.

Good vs Evil and the Alienation of the ‘Other’

Shakespeare represents the conflict between Renaissance Humanism and the predeterminism of Christian Providence through his portrayal of Prospero’s moral ambiguity. Prospero’s kindness towards Miranda and his altruistic reconciliation at the end of the play starkly contrast his cruel subjugation of Caliban and Ariel, and his shipwrecking of his enemies.

Alternatively, Shakespeare also explores the Christian Providence through his relatively one-sided judgement of Caliban to be the ‘evil spirit’ and Ariel as the ‘good spirit’. He presents how Prospero deems that Caliban, as Sycorax’s offspring, must be evil without hope for redemption. Ultimately Caliban is the alienated ‘other’ and his anger at his mistreatment drives his behaviour which ultimately, fulfils Prospero’s judgement of Caliban’s evil tendencies.

In contemporary society, this overly reductionist judgement of good and evil characters leads to incarcerated individuals struggling to reintegrate into society and being marginalised both within the system and after they complete their sentences. Reflective of this, Atwood presents the ethical depravity of individuals in power, such as Sal, and presents a more human side of the prisoners to challenge audiences’ assumptions about the personal characters of incarcerated individuals.

So, both composers blur the distinction between wholly altruistic or wholly corrupt motivations to challenge audiences’ assumptions about the prevalent perceptions of good and evil in their respective contexts.

Want to know more? JP English provides students with targeted annotations of prescribed texts as well as exemplar responses from past students who have gotten State Ranks or 96+ marks for English Advanced. Our english tutors guide students to find their own unique flair in essay writing. Get in contact with us today to boost your confidence in English!

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HSC English Advanced: Textual Conversations - The Tempest and Hag-Seed

Katriel's guide to The Tempest and Hag-Seed in Module A, HSC English Advanced!

English Team

Katriel Tan and Marko Beocanin

Prospero is not the only one with magic!

If you are anything like me, dealing with Module A - Textual Conversations can seem extremely daunting at first due to the sheer fact that there is more than just ONE prescribed text, but I can promise you it gets so much easier once you properly understand the module! So, let’s get you sorted with this module, available resources and all the main things you need for Tempest x Hag-Seed, so that you can quickly work your magic on your essays!

What is a Textual Conversation?

The term ‘textual conversations’ is thrown around loosely in Module A - but what exactly does this even mean?

Well, this module is uniquely comparative, and as such involves a study between a pair of prescribed texts that directly interact with each other. This means that it’s our job to identify how the new text reshapes, amplifies, critiques, comments, resonates, reframes or challenges the values and ideas of the original. The purpose of the module is to portray how literature across time becomes a reflection of the universal values that become keystones of our humanity.

In the most simple way, you need to be noting how the two texts are different and how they resonate. Ask yourself, what ideas do they bring to the table separately, and what is it saying about the idea when the texts are studied in parallel?

As with every module in HSC English Advanced , the rubric/syllabus is your best friend . Understanding and integrating words from the rubric shows your marker that you are actually taking into consideration the purpose of the module AND NO SURPRISE HERE but a lot of essay questions come from simple manipulations of the rubric wording! In the HSC, I had printed and highlighted copies of all of the module rubrics, to help me remember how to frame each essay and just for general essay practice! It was an absolute lifesaver!

You can find all the module rubrics and other resources for HSC English here !

But, for this article, let me show you one of the main parts directly from the Module A - Textual Conversations rubric:

“They further develop skills in analysing the ways that various language concepts, for example motif, allusion and intertextuality, connect and distinguish texts and how innovating with language concepts, form and style can shape new meaning.”

Grasping how a joint study of the two texts develops a more complex and nuanced understanding of a certain concept or value is one of the key takeaways of this module!

William Shakespeare | The Tempest

Quick Plot Recap

The Tempest follows the journey of Prospero, former Duke of Milan as he is exiled to an island by his brother Antonio. Prospero uses magic to conjure a storm (a Tempest), shipwrecking Antonio and the King Alonso of Naples. He lives on the island with his daughter Miranda, a spirit named Ariel and a half-man / half-monster named Caliban. He also uses magic to manipulate Ferdinand into marrying his daughter, and results in a supernatural wedding. The resolution of the play centres on Prospero asking the audience for forgiveness and freedom.

The Tempest’s Context

The play was written in 1610 - the Renaissance Jacobean Era. The Tempest fits into the ‘Late Romance’ genre of Shakespeare’s plays as the main incidents are ‘romantic’ -  artistic interpretations of events that lie out of common experience, young lovers are reunited after various trials and the exotic setting. The play tackles the themes of forgiveness and reconciliation and as such the blend between light hearted and more serious themes make the play more emotionally complex than a history or comedy.

Religion is a major influence of the play, particularly the revival of Renaissance conceptions of philosophy and other epistemological concerns. Plato’s Theory of Forms, which asserted that the physical realm is a mere imitation of a perfect conception of reality, was also a prominent influence on the characterisation of Duke Prospero. As a result, Prospero struggles with the idea that he is an imposter, merely a creature of performativity. William Shakespeare challenges the normal understandings of religion, as Prospero’s magic is a threat to the very traditional ideas of Creationism, established by the Catholic Church. This all culminates in the final soliloquy where Prospero reflects that life itself is an illusion.

Shakespeare’s individual context is not as crucial, as his play is moreso said to be shaped by contextual influences of his world at large and the royal era at the time. But it could be good to note that this play was the last written before his death in 1616.

Themes, Concepts and Ideas in The Tempest

Now, it’s important to understand that there are so so so many different themes and interpretations of the text and this is merely just to give you a good starting point to build your own deeper understanding surrounding the play. These are the top 3 main thematic tensions that arise in The Tempest:

Revenge and Forgiveness:

This theme is popular to explore using this text due to the sheer amount of textual evidence you can collect under these concepts. The whole play revolves around Prospero’s need for inner and external forgiveness and as such, raises the complex question of whether justice is better achieved through revenge or forgiveness.

The essential context here is Christian Humanism - the embodiment of the values of forgiveness, moderation, compassion and virtue.

Some quotes that are explicit to this theme:

“Yet with my nobler reason against my fury do I take part: the rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance” - Prospero’s declaration (a reflection of Renaissance Humanist Thought)

“If you now beheld them / Your affections would become tender / Mine would sir, were I human” - Ariel’s plea that convinces Prospero

Human Connections:

Again, this theme is an important one to explore and can be a great gateway into making more complex observations on aspects of societal interactions. It includes both aspects of positive and negative interactions i.e. those that lend to healing or revenge plots that discourage one from forgiveness.

The connection between Prospero and Miranda is multifaceted - whilst being depicted as an object and pawn in the games and lives of other men, without her, the future is barren. Her character becomes a motif for connectedness and compassion, reminding us that life can be pure and innocent.

“O, a cherubin. Thou wast that did preserve me.” - Prospero shows that even though he feels desolate from being cast out from society, he finds strength and a guarantee for legacy in Miranda.

“I might call him a thing divine, for nothing natural I ever saw so noble” - Miranda yearns for romantic love with Ferdinand, and becomes infatuated by his aura.

This theme is based around the context of British colonisation in 1607. This sparked an ongoing colonial discussion around a Eurocentric, colonial viewpoint and ‘The Other’. This perspective dominates the Tempest as it was a concern of Shakespeare’s time. It is important to understand that ‘The Other’ is a societal concept and construction used to describe the segregation between groups of people.

This is a great theme to explore in your essays, especially due to its strong foundations in worldly context!

“The red plague rid you / For learning me your language” - Conflates colonial English with disease imagery to highlight how Caliban’s discovery by Prospero has led to his own corruption.

“What ho! Slave! Caliban!” - Prospero does not speak to him in developed sentences and as such emphasises his inferior status through these short utterances.

Looking for more HSC English Study guides? Check out Project Academy’s range of study guides , essays , study notes and more!

Margaret Atwood | Hag-Seed

Hag-seed follows the journey of Felix, the artistic director of a Theatre Festival who is betrayed and kicked out by his assistant. Following the death of his daughter twelve years ago, Felix is stricken by grief and loss, and thus isolates himself in a cabin. He spends 9 years in seclusion, imagining a life with his dead daughter Miranda. He treats her as if she is still alive and with him. He eventually then takes a job at Fletcher Correctional Institute where he directs reproductions of Shakespeare’s plays as a kind of transformational literacy program.

Margaret Atwood’s Context

Written in 2016, Hag-seed is categorised as a postmodern psychological fiction which focuses on the spiritual and emotional responses of the characters to their environments and interactions with others. Atwood’s work is a reflection of her social and moral conscience and opinions. As with many postmodern works her work is ficto-critical and experimental, balancing objective truth with subjective experience. She has also been described as proto-feminist. Comparative to Shakespeare, some of Atwood’s personal context is important to know and great to write about explicitly in your essays. For example, Atwood was involved in numerous protests in Canada against closing prison firms where inmates learned to interact and care for animals as part of their rehabilitation process. Atwood is an advocate for learning empathy and education as a means of character progression. HINT HINT! Can you think of where this piece of context would fit - as a marker, I personally love seeing this piece of context in the Tempest x Hag-seed essays as it really links to the overall purpose of her text and some of the actions of her characters :)

Atwood makes it clear that she supports a wide study of arts and a rehabilitative approach to incarceration.

Textual Conversations

You may be wondering: Kat, where are the themes, concepts and ideas for Hag-Seed as a stand-alone text?

Well…moving straight into the textual conversation actually shows you something really important about the module and the essays you write! In Module A, you are always working off of the ideas of the original text - the later text cannot possibly ever influence the original! This sounds simple, but it’s something that some students get really confused about! This is not to say that the later text can’t bring up new ideas that are completely unattached to the original, it’s just to show you that in Module A it’s much more efficient to bring up ideas that BOTH texts make reflections on.

So let’s explore Hag-seed through the lens of Shakespeare’s themes present in The Tempest !

In Hag-seed, Atwood also questions whether justice can better be achieved through seeking revenge or forgiveness, bringing to light ideas surrounding the need for reconciliation between society and the incarcerated. At a deeper level, Atwood re-asserts the Shakespearean notion of forgiveness as a mechanism to set ourselves free from the self-imposed prisons we too suffer under. In Hag-seed revenge is explicitly mentioned prominently throughout the text.

Some quotes from Felix that are from this theme:

“Suddenly revenge is so close he can actually taste it. It tastes like steak, rare” “His enemies had suffered which had been a pleasure” “Then Felix had strewn forgiveness around”

Atwood also incorporates epigraphs throughout the novel from Sir Francis Bacon, Charles Dickens and Percy Shelley that amplify the focus of the novel on the impacts of revenge.

As said before, human connections is a broad term that encapsulates all interactions between individuals and reflects the intricacies of human relationships. Yet, it is through the continuation of this theme in Hag-seed that we reveal the pure universality of such a theme and its importance across time and space. There is a paradox of dislocation and isolation - for Felix his time in the prison allows him to regain his creativity and spiritual freedom. Just like Miranda’s representation in the Tempest, she thus becomes a spiritual force in Hag-seed that encourages Felix to choose to forgive.

Some quotes from this theme:

“It’s as if they were made for each other like a pair of ice-dance champions” - Anne Marie and Freddie have a connection that mirrors Miranda and Ferdinand’s

“Getting back into the world, re-engaging with people - he hoped it would ground  him” - As he deals with feelings of loss, grief and betrayal, Felix re-connects with his previous love of theatre.

Comparatively, in Hag-seed , the Other is not only explored from a colonial perspective, but more generally in regards to how humanity creates arbitrary divides and sees groups of individuals as an ‘Other’. This is amplified by Atwood’s explicit use of prisoners and the unsettling context of a prison, showing the immense casting out of individuals deemed ‘inaccessible’ to us. The Prisoners thus become the Other and are comparable to Caliban.

“She clearly had a vision of Felix laying on the floor with a homemade shiv sticking out of his neck.” - Off-handed comments suggest that the inmates are less human and are merely dangerous individuals.

“Why should the other ones get a second chance at life, but not him?” - Rhetorical question which prompts introspection on how inmates are just as worthy in starting again and gaining redemption.

So there you have it! Notes and a great starting foundation for your Shakespeare and Atwood Tempest x Hag-seed essays! Hopefully this helps you out and clears up any confusion you have surrounding the module and HSC English Advanced! You got this! Keep writing and reviewing ! :)

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English Advanced Year 12 - The Tempest + Hag-Seed: Home

The tempest + hag-seed.

Shakespeare's The Tempest + Atwood's Hag-Seed

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When accessing content use the numbers below to guide you:

brief, basic information laid out in an easy-to-read format. May use informal language. (Includes most news articles)

provides additional background information and further reading. Introduces some subject-specific language.

lengthy, detailed information. Frequently uses technical/subject-specific language. (Includes most analytical articles)

Radio National Podcast - Margaret Atwood on Hag-Seed

BBC In Our Time Podcast - The Tempest

Reference Shelf

• Literary Reference Center
• APA 7th Edition Reference Guide
• Library Helpdesk
• Margaret Atwood novels - St Patrick's College Library

Art of Smart Guide

* The Extensive Guide to Analysing Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’: Summary, Context, Characters & Themes  

Shared Themes in The Tempest + Hag-Seed 

Connecting The Tempest and Hag-Seed to Module A: Textual Conversations

An excellent resource linking The Tempest and Hag-Seed:

Prospero vs. Felix in The Tempest and Hag-Seed

Shakespeare Unbound : The Tempest

Shakespeare Unbound ABC Education and Bell Shakespeare bring you a modern twist of some of Shakespeare's most famous scenes.   

The Tempest: Two sides of Caliban In this scene from Act 1.2 of 'The Tempest', with Miranda Tapsell, John Bell and Damien Strouthos of Bell Shakespeare, Caliban's impassioned speech reveals his ill-treatment at the hands of Prospero.  

The Tempest: The Island of Grief Caliban, the half-human antagonist of 'The Tempest', is often depicted as monstrous. Yet, modern readings of the play characterise him more sympathetically, particularly when viewed through a postcolonial lens. Join Bell Shakespeare's James Evans as he discusses with John Bell how Prospero's treatment of Caliban reflects the treatment colonists meted out to inhabitants of the many lands they conquered.

The Tempest: Shakespeare's Farewell?

'The Tempest' is believed by some to be Shakespeare's final play.  With this in mind, could Prospero in some ways represent Shakespeare himself?  If so, Prospero's epilogue at the end of the play takes on a new and poignant resonance.  John Bell discusses the themes of giving up and letting go with Bell Shakespeare's James Evans.  They also discuss whether this scene could mark Shakespeare's retirement from the theatre.  

The Tempest: Set Free at Last?

The epilogue in 'The Tempest' signals Prospero's acknowledgment that his time is over.  He has given up his powers and seeks to return to Naples to live out the rest of his days.  John Bell of Bell Shakespeare delivers Prospero's farewell directly to camera in a powerful and evocative plea for release. 

Journal articles

Academic journal articles referring to Hag-Seed:

Academic journal articles referring to The Tempest:

Books in the Library

• The Tempest bookmark Printable bookmark
• Hag-Seed bookmark Printable bookmark

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• Last Updated: Jul 4, 2023 2:48 PM
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The Tempest and Hag-Seed

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Useful Weblinks

• The Ultimate The Tempest Hag-seed Cheat Sheet - Module A: Textual Conversations Part 1 Matrix Education HSC resource.
• The Tempest Read Shakespeare's play online at Blooms Literature.
• The Tempest: Critical Introduction Internet Shakespeare Editions website.
• LitCharts: The Tempest LitCharts Study Guide
• Critical Essays on The Tempest Blooms Literature Centre.
• Hag-Seed Summary and Study Guide Resource produced by Book Rags.

Scholarly articles on The Tempest and Hag-Seed

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The Tempest

Compassion, empathy and forgiveness in the tempest and hag-seed anonymous 12th grade.

As humanity has evolved, individuals have become increasingly self-interested and insensitive toward others; morals and values within texts are subconsciously adapted to reflect these changes to suit the modern society in which we live. Exposure to texts which reflect these changes encourage the reflection on ourselves and our actions, and what is truly necessary to live a fulfilling life. In conversation with Shakespeare’s play The Tempest , Margaret Atwood’s novel Hag-Seed resonates with and carries through messages of compassion. However, unlike Shakespeare, Atwood writes on empathy and forgiveness through notably negative representations in order to comment on the modern emphasis on ego. Shakespeare’s messages remain incessant through time, yet through adapting themes to suit an increasingly materialistic society, responders are able to intimately understand and reflect on the modern world.

The ideal of compassion is revealed through both traditional and contemporary literature, remaining prevalent through society’s social and cultural changes. The marginalization of key female characters in both Hag-Seed and The Tempest and the feelings of sympathy that result from mistreatment signifies the misogyny that remains in society...

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The Tempest & Hagseed: Textual Conversations

It can be argued that Atwood’s postmodern text ’Hag-seed’ is a modern day extrapolation of Shakespeare’s seminal text, ‘The Tempest.’ Atwood's reinterpretation aids in illuminating Shakespeare's underlying themes by reinterpreting them for modern audiences. 

Context 'The Tempest' was written amid the Jacobean period where there was a shift from medievalist ideals to Renaissance humanism. With this shift, came a transformation in respective values. Prospero, the protagonist, embodies this contextual shift as he changes from a vengeful wizard, to a more compassionate individual. Comparatively, Atwood’s text is situated within a post-modern, technological zeitgeist. In doing so, she is able to liken the wizardry of Prospero, to the modern day illusion of technology. By re-contextualising Shakespeare’s concepts, Atwood makes the plot accessible and relevant to modern audiences. 

Examples, techniques and analysis

Upon the conclusion of both texts, the central theme of forgiveness becomes apparent and the protagonists, both Prospero and Felix, must forfeit their vengeful plans. 

Ariel, Prospero’s loyal spirit, prompts Prospero to forgive in “mine would sir, where I human”. Ariel's ironic phrase is an allusion to Renaissance humanism, which prompts Prospero to relinquish his magical powers, and forces him to embrace humanist values like forgiveness. As a result of this, Prospero declares he will “break [his] staff, and down [his] book”. Such declarations are reflective of him metaphorically severing ties with his medieval and tempestuous values. 

Atwood uses her text to create a textual conversation with Shakespeare’s piece, however draws upon her post-modern context in order to elucidate the idea of forgiveness for modern audiences. Atwood uses an intertextual reference to 'The Tempest' when “a  shadow, a wavering of the light”, whispers, “I would, sir, if I were human”. While this parallels Ariel’s statement in 'The Tempest’, Felix's shadowy figure, Miranda, metaphorically reflects his own subconscious, and in adding such detail, Atwood adopts a sense of psychological realism to allow modern audiences to comprehend his transformation from "vengeance" to "virtue". Similar to Prospero, this prompt causes Felix to “break out of [his] cell”, metaphorically representing how Felix was imprisoned by his own vengeful plan. In deliberately crafting the text in this way, Atwood enhances the idea that both protagonists were imprisoned by their need for revenge, however their eventual freedom is achieved through forgiveness. 

*Please note that while this information is a great starting point for these texts, relying solely on the information in this post will not be enough to get a result in the top bands.

• Shakespeare Textual Conversations Advanced English Module A

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Margaret Atwood

Ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Set in a idyllic Ontario town, Hag-Seed is Margaret Atwood’s retelling of Shakespeare’s play The Tempest . Just as the play’s protagonist, Prospero, seeks revenge on the man who steals his kingdom, Felix wants to get back at Tony , a former colleague who supplants him as director of a prestigious theater festival. For years after this act of betrayal, Felix is dominated by anger and bitterness. As his desire for revenge becomes more obsessive, it prevents him from building a fulfilling life and brings out the duplicitous and self-centered side of his character. Felix doesn’t get over these feelings until he’s finally able to avenge himself, but his vengeance takes the form of a clever scheme that actually benefits several other people. By presenting Felix’s final actions in this positive light, the novel shows the negative moral effects of a desire for revenge while also pointing out the ability of restorative action to provide fulfillment and closure after an instance of injustice.

At the beginning of the novel, Felix is dominated and crippled by his desire for revenge. He first appears brooding on his plot to get back at “that devious, twisted bastard, Tony,” whom he blames for ousting him from his directorial job and reducing him to living in an isolated cabin, teaching theater classes at a prison. Felix doesn’t have any friends, and he spends his leisure time obsessively observing Tony’s rise to political power on the Internet. While Tony certainly did Felix a disservice, it’s probable that he could find a better house or otherwise improve his life if he desired; in this sense, Felix uses his sense of betrayal to avoid challenging himself or confronting his insecurities.

Moreover, Felix’s desire for revenge leads him to make problematic moral choices. The theatrical revenge he eventually stages within the prison involves all the prisoners, exposing them to punishment or extended sentences; it also implicates Estelle , a prison advocate who stakes her reputation on his ability to do his job. In order to enact the scheme, he lies to almost everyone he knows, including people who have been kind to him for years. In this sense, his desire for revenge causes him to become as “twisted” and “devious” as the man he despises.

However, while Felix’s thirst for vengeance highlights the selfishness of his motivations, his revenge itself actually benefits all of the novel’s positive characters. Finding out that Tony and his political cronies, Sal and Sebert , are visiting the prison to see his play, Felix stages an “interactive” version of The Tempest during which he drugs and films his nemesis in order to destroy his political career. Tony is on the brink of announcing cuts to prison education programs like the one that Felix runs, but Felix uses the footage to blackmail him into increasing funding instead. He thus saves a social program that has proved immensely beneficial to the prison’s inmates.

He also takes the opportunity to throw together Frederick O’Nally , Sal’s son, and Anne-Marie, the tough but lonely actress playing Miranda. After the staging of The Tempest , the two young people embark on a relationship. While Felix uses his new power to reclaim his post as director of the theater festival, he grooms Frederick and Anne-Marie to take his place, improving their previously floundering careers.

Felix moves from seeing himself as a wronged and pitiable man to someone who can and does use his intelligence to help others. At the close of the novel, he’s less self-centered than he once was and more connected to the people around him, suggesting that he will be able to build a more fulfilling life in the future. Desiring revenge brings out the worst aspects of Felix’s character, but his method of achieving it demonstrates his good qualities and makes him a better person.

While the novel shows that an excessive hunger for vengeance can impair one’s ability to live a meaningful life, it steers clear of unrealistic platitudes about the importance of forgiveness. Rather, it shows how one’s worst impulses can be turned to personally and socially positive ends.

Vengeance ThemeTracker

Vengeance Quotes in Hag-Seed

His magic garment is hanging in there too, shoved to the back. The cloak of his defeat, dead husk of his drowned self.

No, not dead, but changed. In the gloom, in the gloaming, it’s been transforming itself, slowly coming alive.

This is the extent of it, Felix muses. My island domain. My place of exile. My penance.

My theater.

Fool, he tells himself. She’s not here. She was never here. It was imagination and wishful thinking, nothing but that. Resign yourself.

He can’t resign himself.

…the island is a theater. Prospero is a director. He’s putting on a play within which there’s another play. If his magic holds and his play is successful, he’ll get his heart’s desire. But if he fails…

Prospero says to the audience, in effect, Unless you help me sail away, I’ll have to stay on the island – that is, he’ll be under an enchantment. He’ll be forced to re-enact his feelings of revenge, over and over. It would be like hell.

Module A – Extended Response Between On Tempest & Hagseed Essay

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Resource Description

This is an extended response between The Tempest and Hag-Seed for English Advanced, Module A.

To what extent do you think that Margaret Atwood’s Hag-Seed stays true to the ‘spirit’ of William Shakespeare’s play The Tempest, while also reimagining or reframing aspects of it to offer something new for the modern audience?

Introduction

Shakespeare and Atwood have critiqued the notion of imprisonment and femininity through their commentary towards metaphorically imprisoned protagonists accompanied by the feminine representation of their social milieu. Created as the products of humanist Jacobean England and a feministic and secular postmodern society, the textual conversation between Shakespeare’s play “The Tempest” and Margaret Atwood’s adaptation “Hag-Seed” encapsulates this notion as timeless values are reshaped to suit their contexts. Margaret Atwood has meticulously reimagined imprisonment and feminism in order to better complement her secular and post-modern audience. Such refocusing is reflective of Atwood seeking to respond directly to her audience, while also reflecting the concerns of her and their social milieu

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