Analysis 1: 3-4 on 1
Text: The Tempest
Pre-Writing -
Quotation:
“Knowing I lov’d my books, he furnish'd me
From mine own library with volumes that
I prize above my dukedom” (I.II).
Mini-summary of immediate context:
Prospero recalls how Gonzalo kindly helped him and Miranda get some food and fresh water after they arrived on the island. Gonzalo, who was chosen to send Prospero and Miranda off, actually gave them clothes and other necessities. In this quote, Prospero notes that Gonzalo understood his love of books and snuck Prospero some of his personal books that he values more than his title as duke.
Mini-summary of broader context:
At the beginning of this scene, Prospero reveals to Miranda how and why they got to the island. Prospero tells Miranda that 12 years ago, he was the Duke of Milan and was driven out by his evil brother Antonio with the help of the king of Naples. Prospero also talks about they were helped onto the island by Gonzalo.
One focal word or phrase:
“dukedom”
Strand of evidence to which focal word belongs:
“volumes that I prize above my dukedom”
2-3 binaries, divisions, concepts, or themes relevant to quotation:
Concept – books symbolize power
Division – power of knowledge/power of title
Theme – power and control of it
2 possible implications of quotation:
Prospero, besides explaining their way of survival, notes that Gonzalo did this out of the kindness of his heart, which implies that they would not have survived without Gonzalo’s charity.
Additionally, because Prospero’s livelihood depends on his books, the quote also implies that they would not be alive had they not had the books and Prospero’s knowledge.
2 possible implications of focal word:
Comparing his most treasured books to his “dukedom,” Prospero implies that knowledge and improving one’s studies is more valuable than being duke.
Another implication of Prospero’s use of the word “dukedom” is that even after losing most of what he used to own such as wealth and power, Prospero can throw this word out easily because it does not mean everything to him. Gaining his title back may be important, but it does not mean everything to him.
Reference to one other moment in the text that provides additional insight:
When Prospero explains to Miranda how Antonio came to power, he also refers to his “dukedom,” saying how his “library was dukedom large enough” (I.II).
Analytical Paragraph –
In Act I Scene II, Prospero explains to Miranda how Antonio drove them out of Milan and Gonzalo helped them survive on the island. Prospero remembers how Gonzalo saved him some books from his own library, which he claims are worth more than “dukedom” (I.II). In this comparison that Prospero makes, Prospero’s books appear to be more meaningful than being duke, which begins to create a division between the power Prospero has as a result of knowledge and the power from Prospero’s title as duke. Seeing how much more important books and knowledge are to Prospero, this division may contradict with the assumption that Prospero’s goal is to get his title back and perhaps he has motives and goals beyond that. This possibility is further evident when Prospero reveals to Miranda that his “library was dukedom large enough” when Antonio came to power (I.II). Prospero’s use of past tense implies that his most valued books may have been enough for him, but perhaps not any longer. Audiences can see how Prospero values his books over dukedom, but also how they, alone, might not be enough for him. If Prospero favors power of knowledge over power of dukedom, but those things are not enough for him, then there are probably other results from the tempest that he would like to see.
Reflection –
The process I chose was to first read for conversancy and then chose a stanza to look at more closely. When looking closer at the stanza, I was then able to narrow down on a sentence and key word, which allowed me to find something meaningful out of what was said and how it was said. Although it was easy to point out the division between power of knowledge and power of dukedom, it was also a struggle to explain specifically how the example works as evidence without being too general.