Session 4 - Early Modern New Worlds, New Horizons PDF

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Prof. Dr. Ehland, Prof. Dr. Miriam Strube...

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Survey of English and American Literature – Session 4 Early Modern Period New Worlds, New Horizons 1. A new world  “[…] I found very many islands filled with people innumerable, and of them all I have taken possession for their highnesses, by proclamation made and the royal standard unfurled, and no opposition offered to me.” (Columbus) o Wonder and possession o No opportunity for hm to take possession of land and people  Colonial Discourse  Sense of Entitlement  European sense of superiority  Categorisation and systematisation of new experiences  1570s/1580s Spain/Portugal/France -> new world  “Who can desire more content […] than to tread, and to plant the ground he hath purchased by the hazard of his life? […] If he have any gain of faith or zeal in religion, what can he do less hurtful to any; or more agreeable to God, than to seek to convert those poor savages to know Christ, and humanity […]? (John Smith)  For, I am not so simple, to think, that ever any other motive than wealth, will ever erect there a Commonwealth; or draw company from their ease and humours at home, to stay in New England to effect my purposes. (John Smith)  Sent people to colonies to get them out of the way and to make them better people  Virginia is the first successful company 2. The New Horizon  World picture changes significant  The Renaissance (period of rebirth of antiquity), also of the Rediscovery of ancient texts and learning  The arab connection  Book search o By the 14th century monastic libraries were systematically searched for ancient texts (book hunt) o Famous local find: Tacitus´ Annals in Corvey in 1508  Acosta (around 1590): challenge of book knowledge by knowledge based on experience  Pillow of Hercules: mountains in Gibraltar and the other side of the Atlantic  Faust as Renaissance man: o Challenging the orthodoxy of thought when he dismisses the learning of old. o He fails because he is unable/unwilling to leave the old system. 3. William Shakespeare – The Tempest  Religion does not feature in his place  Data: o First published 1623 o Set as first play in the First Folio o First recorded performance 1 Nov. 1611 at Whitehall  S. digests and uses contemporary sources: o William Strachey´s True Reportory of the Wracke, and Redemption of Sir Thomas Gates.….  Amusement

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Learning about the word abroad: about the new world and the new horizons The Tempest as Framework o Order – Disorder o Not a tragedy but a tragic comedy I, ii, 224ff. I, ii, 15ff. The Prospero on a boat o The daughter is the future (of his family) -> protection o Future and past Characters: Foto o Ferdinand: future husband of Miranda Caliban and the Island – Who or what is Caliban? o Many describtion of Caliban o Misshaped o Strange character o In return he got civilization o I, ii, 345ff.  Caliban just want to get children to have more people in it st 1 group o Alonso, Gonzalo -> royal, Antonia, Sebastian nd 2 group o Trinculo, Stephano, Caliban -> new masters o Love to drink wine like me and Johanna o Powerful rd 3 group o Prospero, Miranda, Ferdinand The Denouement At the end of the play -> happy ending o Prospero will regain his dukedom o Miranda and Ferdinand will establish a new dynasty o Ariel will be free o And Caliban wiser...