Tempest, The ~ William Shakespeare - PREDISCUSSION

[JoanP]

The Book Club Online is  the oldest  book club on the Internet, begun in 1996, open to everyone.  We offer cordial discussions of one book a month,  24/7 and  enjoy the company of readers from all over the world.  Everyone is welcome.

Please post below if you can join us on October 1.  

 October Book Club Online

The Tempest, Shakespeare's last play, was written in 1611 in the final period of his career.   The play is not really a comedy, but  combines elements of tragedy with comedy, a tragicomedy.    Shakespeare set the play on an unnamed island in an unidentified age. In it, he  portrays an aging magician, Prospero,  who has been living in exile with his young daughter on a remote island for the past twelve years. Over the course of a single day, Prospero uses his magic to whip up a tempest to shipwreck the men responsible for his banishment. He then proceeds to dazzle and dismay the survivors (and the audience) with his art as he orchestrates his triumphant return home where he plans to retire in peace. For a lot of audiences and literary scholars, Prospero seems like a stand-in in for Shakespeare, who spent a lifetime dazzling audiences before retiring in 1611, shortly after The Tempest was completed. Its epilogue seems to be a final and fond farewell to the stage. When Prospero (after giving up the art of magic he's spent a lifetime perfecting) appears alone before the audience he confesses, "Now my charms are all o'erthrown, / And what strength I have's mine own," we can't help but wonder of Shakespeare is speaking through this character here. From multiple sources, including Shakespearean Criticism, Gale Cengage

Discussion Schedule

Act I	October 1~7
Act II	October 8~14
Act III	October  15~21
Act IV	October 22~28
Act V	October 29~Nov.4

Relevant links:   BookTV: Hobson Woodward: A Brave Vessel

 

DLs: Barb,   JoanK , JoanP,  Marcie,  

 An interesting question, Jude - look at this!

All’s Well that Ends Well
Setting: Rousillon, Paris, Florence, and Marseilles

Antony and Cleopatra
Setting: Parts of the Roman Empire

As You Like It
Setting: Forest of Arden

The Comedy of Errors
Setting: Ephesus

Coriolanus
Setting: Rome, Corioli, and Antium

Cymbeline
Setting: Britain, Italy

Hamlet
Setting: Elsinore

Julius Caesar
Setting: Rome; afterwards, Sardis and near Philippi

King Lear
Setting: Britain

Love’s Labour’s Lost
Setting: Navarre

Macbeth
Setting: Scotland and England

Measure for Measure
Setting: Vienna

The Merchant of Venice
Setting: Partly in Venice, and partly at Belmont, the seat of Portia on the Continent

The Merry Wives of Windsor
Setting: Windsor

A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Setting: Athens, and a wood nearby

Much Ado about Nothing
Setting: Messina

Othello
Setting: Venice (for first act) and a sea-port in Cyprus

Pericles, Prince of Tyre
Setting: various countries

Romeo and Juliet
Setting: Verona and Mantua

The Taming of the Shrew
Setting: Sometimes in Padua, and sometimes in Petruchio's home in the country

The Tempest
Setting: The Sea; afterwards an Island

Timon of Athens
Setting: Athens

Titus Andronicus
Setting: Rome

Troilus and Cressida
Setting: Troy

The Two Gentlemen of Verona
Setting: Verona, Milan, and the frontiers of Mantua

Twelfth Night
Setting: A city in Illyria, and the sea-coast nearby

The Winter’s Tale
Setting: Sometimes in Sicilia, sometimes in Bohemia

_________

[Babi]

  "Job" would have been plagiarism, JONATHAN.  And the fig leaf costumes might have been
a problem. He might have done wonders, tho', with David and Goliath, or Solomon and
Bathsheba.  I suspect, tho', that Biblical stories would have been considered inappropriate for
 worldly, even bawdy,  theatre.
 
  On your question, JUDE, I have two suggestions. One is that it gave him a wider range of themes
and characters.  The other is that audiences then, as now, are intrigued by new places and customs.
Do you have some other ideas?

[JoanP]

Really enjoying your posts and thoughts -

You bring up such interesting questions...and for so many of them, there just aren't any records.  But researchers have come up a lot of answers, based on available evidence.  
One of the best resources of all things Shakespeare is the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington DC - because of the Folger Family's interest in accumulating the world's largest collection of the original First Folio of Shakespeare's Plays and then building on the collection from there....  The Library is a research Library - with hundreds of scholars from all over the world researching every aspect of his work, his life and the times.

Here's a link that describes more about the Folger - if you are interested: The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC

The question of the authorship is ongoing research at the Folger.  This is what they have to say about it:

"The Folger has been a major location for research into the authorship question, and welcomes scholars looking for new evidence that sheds light on the plays' origins. How this particular man—or anyone, for that matter—could have produced such an astounding body of work is one of the great mysteries. If the current consensus on the authorship of the plays and poems is ever overturned, it will be because new and extraordinary evidence is discovered. The Folger Shakespeare Library is the most likely place for such an unlikely discovery."

If you are interested in more on authorship - here's an interesting interview by the Folger's Education Director and James Shapiro, a Shakespearean Scholar at Columbia University: Authorship Q&A - What's in a Name?

"While there is not a scrap of documentary evidence linking anyone but William Shakespeare to the plays that bear his name, there are some people who want to believe that somebody else must have written them." James Shapiro

Thinking of Jude's question and your ideas, Babi...and why THE TEMPEST was chosen to take place in Milan, Naples, the Mediterranean...and not London...  I've an idea - but maybe it's too soon to bring it up.

[marcie]

There is another interesting article on the authorship issue of "Shakespeare's" work at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123998633934729551.html. It's fun for me to see that even the Supreme Court Justices have gotten into the debate.

[BarbStAubrey]

He may not have been to these far off locations but then neither had his audience - if he could take the smattering of a story read in a letter about a ship wreck in the Americas and write a story I am thinking he probably did not need too much knowledge of a place to weave his story that are usually less about explaining the place but rather as a setting that supports action where an English version of morality and values can be played out.

I am thinking Othello that I know from Verdi's Opera rather than reading the Shakespeare play but it does take place in Italy - my thought Shakespeare could not show the English view of themselves as mixing and acting on imagined remote skepticism versus, a nation of heroes that prides itself as dealing in evidence and fact - and so to show these traits that would be uncomfortable for the Brits - he had to place the hero/principle character in another location.  

The French, although a land noted for expressing love is too practical where as, in Italy, they have the reputation for romance, reactive behavior and women who are not as buttoned up - my guess, he used locations based on some common understanding of how the location affects those who live there and how he could use that attitude and moral values to aid his story.  

[JoanP]

You just reminded me of my days working in the Folger Library  bookstore, Marcie.  Sandra D. O'Connor and Ruth B. Ginsburg were great friends outside of Court - and loved Shakespeare.  They used to come over to the Library together - to browse in the bookstore, to attend plays and talks.  The Library is located directly across the street from the Supreme Court. I had forgotten all about that until you posted that interesting link!

[Jonathan]

From the Folger/Authorship link:

'How he produced works that dominate much of the world's cultures is one of life's mysteries, teasing our imaginations even as we delight in his writings.'

How interesting to read about the lively interest in the authorship question over at the Supreme Court. Is there a link somewhere to the mock trial on the problem?

Very interesting question, Jude. And several good replies. It's the sort of question that sticks in ones mind. Did Shakespeare ever travel to the places he uses as settings in his plays? If so, it might have authenticated his authorship of the plays. As for example, in a few letters to his wife. Are there any letters to his wife?

[Art Hippy]

Yes, extremely fascinating article regarding Justice Stevens!..especially the De Vere connection with the Hamlet plot...hmmm!
Is Anonymous a current film?  Might have to go see it.
Is there evidence of De Vere traveling to the "Shakespearean" plot locations?  How much is actually known of De Vere's life?

[JoanP]

Don't know much about De Vere's life Linda - there's this factoid from the Interview with James Shapiro above...  De Vere was the Earl of Oxford -

"The premise of Anonymous is that Shakespeare didn’t write his plays, the Earl of Oxford did, even though he died In 1604...before ten of the plays were written."

[Art Hippy]

The dates, if I'm not mistaken, are based on 1^st performances and may not reflect actual dates in which they were written, thus allowing for De Vere's death in 1604...any thoughts?
I'm not an authority, this idea is all new to me.

[marcie]

Jonathan, there is a summary of the 1987 mock trial in which 3 of the Supreme Court Justices were judges at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shakespeare/debates/mtrial.html

At the top of that page there is a link to the full transcript of the later, 1993, mock trial that was presided over by a federal judge.

It looks like there may be a video of the 1993 event in the C-Span video library but the site is busy right now and I can't load the page. I'll try later and let you know what I find. Lots of people must be replaying Clinton's speech or other highlights of the Democratic or Republican conventions.

[JoanP]

Another good question, Jonathan.  Their relationship between the Shakespeares was a strange one...not sure if there are any records of correspondence between the two.  For one thing, Anne  probably couldn't write - most women of that time were illiterate.  Anne Hathaway signed an "X" for her signature on her wedding certificate when she married Shakespeare.


 It would be interesting to know if Shakespeare travelled to Italy where the Tempest was set...well, sort of.
Here's another thought about why he might have set so many of the plays outside of England...I suspected the reason  the turmoil and unrest in England , political and religious...he had to be very careful with how he addressed these issues.  I googled and found some interesting thought along these lines:

"Some of Shakespeare's dramas were political satire  and they were encoded in some obvious ways to get past censorship
Setting the drama in another country would allow him and his defenders to say, "How could this story be about the Queen, the Prime Minister, the Archbishop of Canterbury, etc. etc. didn't you notice the story occurs in Scotland, Denmark, Italy, Spain, etc., etc.?"
Yes, there were censors. The folks attending the play could always see through the encoding and the authorities had to deal with it."

So when reading THE TEMPEST, we might look out for such political - or religious satire on which Shakespeare may be commenting...

[Babi]

 Now that makes great sense, JOANP.  Of course Shakespeare would have to be careful if he were going
to satirize powerful people.  Anything royalty, especially, took offense at could have a writer at risk of
his/her neck for 'lese majeste'.   At the same time, they gleefully recognized and laughed at his jibes at other characters of the court...subtly concealed!

[marcie]

It looks like the archived video of the 1987 moot trial with Supreme Court Justices on the issue of Shakespeare authorship is at http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/618-1

My computer is too old to let me view it.

[BarbStAubrey]

Is anyone reading A Brave Vessel? My copy arrived yesterday evening and late, after the convention coverage I had to start because I couldn't go to sleep without a peek - it appears that Strachey met Shakespeare and a line from one of his Sonnet's was used by Shakespeare in another play which pleased Strachey to no end.

That tidbit I thought interesting suggesting that Shakespeare actually used lines he picked up from other writers as well as situations that he learned about almost like today writing a story from a newspaper article however, if you use a line from someone's work today we consider that plagiarism.  

I've only read the first chapter however, I am blown away, it is a wonderful story describing life and the preparation by those who embarked on this third venture to Jamestown - the visits to England by American Indian Chiefs and the huge number of people these Chiefs were leading in America - what those embarking on the ships are told to bring - the kind of people making the trip and how they were compensated - what kind of life they were leaving in England - how rampant was the Black plague (which I did not know was a factor to those early settlers - Except in isolated cases I thought the Black Plague had its day before the turn of the seventeenth century - there was great concern that the dreaded disease was latent among some of the passengers aboard ship) - the story explains who traveled in what ship and why - how Strachey had traveled to India as he spent his family fortune investing in the arts in London in order to attract support for his writing - I learned more from this account than all the history books I have ever read.

We often read of the early settlements from the American experience and view point but this is one of the first books I have ever read reading the viewpoint and describing what life was like in England and how they were enticed to make the journey. Fascinating to learn how James I making the enterprise into private capitalism rather than from the crown kept Jamestown from falling into the hands, in this case Spain if they trounce England in war.

I never put it together that James I was on the throne during the settling of Jamestown, while Shakespeare was in his glory and the first decent English translation of the Bible was published - I also see dates but did not put it together that while Shakespeare was writing and producing his plays John Donne, the poet is writing and is a friend to Strachey.

That tidbit puts so much in perspective - when we devoted a month to reading the work of John Donne back a few years ago in the Poetry Discussion we learned how young men would compete daily at Lincolns Inn Fields like a group of young kids on the streets today compete break dancing or rapping or some years ago singing harmony - that it was the thing you did to be an acceptable young man of the day. And so Shakespeare was one of the best but he rose from a cauldron of literary fever that produced other well known literary artists.

I find this fascinating to see a full picture emerging - I am so glad The Tempest was chosen and thanks to those who recommended A Brave Vessel

[JudeS]

I went crawling through the web and found various  answers to my question of "Why so many foreign settings to the plays?"
Here are a few of the ideas I came across.....
I will note first that there is actually a site I passed by where all and sundry are asked to give there opinions on this question since no definitive answer has ever been found.

1) Mr. S studied Latin in school and some of his plots derive from his favorite historian, Tacitus.

2) The Italian writers Boccacio and Ariosto, were very popular in England, in translation during Shakesreares time.
     Also the Italians were thought of as sophistacated and cunning, devious and a bit licentious. These traits worked well in comedies that relied on deception and sexual passion to drive the plot.

3) Venice was the most cosmopolitan of cities in those years and plays with race relarions were correctly set there. (Merchant of Venice, Othello).

4)The Spanish and Spain were avoided as they had recently tried to invade England and bad feelings against them abounded.

5)Another idea expounded for foreign settings was the fact that Italy wasn't well known by the masses. Therefore anything could happen there.

There were other theories but this is enough on the subject for the moment. I didn't realize what a can of worms (and theories0 I opened by my most innocent question of why so many foreign settings.
     

[BarbStAubrey]

Thanks Jude for your intro to another figure in literature - I knew and read Boccacio but did not know and have not read anything written by Ludovico Ariosto. Interesting that his poem Orlando Furioso includes a gigantic sea monster with a similar sea monster in one of the books about Bermuda that fascinated Strachey and he brings the book with him on his sea journey to Jamestown.

[JoanP]

Barbara, that is wonderful news that you actually have in hand Hobson Woodard's   "A Brave Venture" ...
For those of you just tuning in, from the link - this book is "an account of the castaways who rescued Jamestown and Inspired Shakespeare's The Tempest."
From the description of the book, I see that Woodard "draws heavily on Strachey's written narrative, often to marvelous effect. This is particularly true of the dramatic storm scenes, in which the entire crew of the Sea Venture nearly perished."  

It will be interesting to read of the parallel's between Strachey's account, and Shakespeare's use of Strachey's narrative in The Tempest.  This will be a valuable resource as we read the play, Barb.   I'm smiling at the whole idea of "plagiarism" with regard to Shakespeare.  To "draw heavily"  from other works was common practice back then.

To add here to the debate about who wrote The Tempest - It is obvious that Strachey wrote his account years after Edward De Vere, Earl of Oxford died in 1604...in my mind, this eliminates him from the list of contenders...

[Babi]

  Thanks for that description of "Brave Venture", BARB.  I'm definitely interested in reading it now.

 JUDE, I enjoyed that listing, and I'm glad you posed the question. I don't see why all of those answers could not have played a role in Shakespeare's choices of setting. They all make very good sense.

 I checked into my 2-vol. edition of Shakespeare the other night, and discovered to my dismay that the print is much smaller
than I remember.    I'll have to check a copy out of the library; mine simply won't do.

[Frybabe]

and discovered to my dismay that the print is much smaller than I remember.

I haven't checked yet, but I may be there with you Babi. The new glasses I bought this spring were a pain to get used to and I eventually discovered that, unlike my old glasses, I can't focus on small print as well. Since I went passed the 30 day return/replacement guarantee (because they kept adjusting and telling me to give them a few weeks to get used to) I am stuck with them. I may have to resort to downloading the play to my Kindle or get a magnifying glass.

[marcie]

Just for reading, Frybabe, can you use those Dollar Store or Walmart reading/magnifying glasses?

I just found out that A BRAVE VESSEL is waiting for me at the library.

[Frybabe]

I haven't tried any of those yet. Thanks for reminding me. George uses them in conjunction with his lens when he reads. When he cleaned up the house after his mom died, he ended up with several grocery bags full. He still found one or two earlier this year. What his cousin didn't get last year to take to the Lions Club, he threw out.

[BarbStAubrey]

Frybabe I learned the hard way that the oculists will only make the reading section of a byfocal or tryfocal 15% stronger than the prescription distance lens - and so I too have the drug store reading classes all over this house - one near the computer a couple where I mostly read - one always where I put on my makeup - a pair near each telephone - on and on - and always a thin pair to wear over my glasses when I grocery shop - you cannot read the labels and so this is how I can get past that frustration - I even had the oculist make me a pair of reading glasses to take into consideration my astigmatism and they were great for awhile but now in addition I need the extra magnifying of a drug store reading glass over the prescription reading glass that was a greater strength since they were separate from my normal glasses.

[Jonathan]

So much to enjoy. So little time. This discussion gets more hilarious with every post. Thanks ever so much, Marcie for the links to the mock trial. The jury decided 10 to 4, in favor of William Shakespeare as the author of the plays.

I got my copy of the Woodward book two years ago. I thought it would look good on my 'sea stories' shelf. It's every bit as good as Barbara says it is. It's true, as JoanP's quote states, Woodward draws heavily on Strachey's letter, just as Shakespeare drew heavily on the letter for THE TEMPEST. But Strachey and Shakespeare were writing at the same time, 1610, or thereabouts, so there must have been some confusion among the Muses about whom to inspire about what.

Each of THE BRAVE VESSEL's 18 chapters is headed with a short quote from THE TEMPEST. I'm hardly into the book, but I get the impression that Strachey takes in a performance of the play and is very pleased at hearing many of his lines.

Can't anyone find the Tempest lines spoken by Branagh at the Olympics?

[Jonathan]

It's very interesting to hear that Shakespeare had to take care with his social and political comment  in his plays. That certaily would have been a good reason to have the action take place outside of England. Was it politics that kept him from staging something on the Tudors, HENRY VIII, until the last of them, Elizabeth I, was off the stage?

[marcie]

Jonathan, Here is a video of Branagh speaking lines from The Tempest at the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. The text is copied in a message a few posts below the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OiDtHqOe-E

[Dixie]

Count me in!

[JoanP]

Dixie...gladly we will count you in!  Some very good seats still available! Welcome!

Thank you for finding that video, Marcie!  Clearly the "Isle" of which he speaks is Britain!    
Looking forward to the new Wallender series tomorrow pm with Branagh too.  A man for all seasons!

If I remember correctly, there was yet another quote from The Tempest at the close of the Olympics too...

[bookad]

I too will be following along...have my copy of 'The Tempest' from the library ....

Frybabe: just wanted to let you know I empathize with you regarding the need to adjust to failing eyesight...last year had my cataract surgery and while it has improved my ability to see distances without corrective lens; due to an accident about 10 years ago I have very poor vision in my left eye and therefore correction could not help my reading ability and I must use corrective lens (from the dollar store) to read...this is especially annoying when I go shopping and try to see the unit price on food items for instance
...but wanted to mention that last year prior to the cataract surgery found by accident that when my bifocals started not to work for me it became better to just take my glasses off and read with the book very close and then there was no problem...don't know why this should be so....

anyway looking forward to reading along with the group and intend to look up the book 'A Brave Vessel ' as well...looks so interesting
amazing how reading bits here and there one can put it together and find history timelines coinciding like you mentioned in your post
Barb

Deb

[JoanK]

DIXIE: WELCOME, WELCOME!

I got my copy of the Fiolger's "tempest" --what a treasure! Worth many times the $5 I paid for it on Amazon. It has the play on the right-hand page, and any notes you need on the left-hand page, so you can ignore them or look at them as you wish. And little pictures! Leafing through, there's a picture of a harpy thats worth the book alone. if I knew how (and it wouldn't violate copyright laws) I'd make it my avatar.

And it feels good in the hand! I LOVE my kindle, but I admit, I do miss the feel of a book.

[BarbStAubrey]

Wow look at our roster - some new faces and some we have been reading with for years and others who have joined us along the way - how great - questions, tidbits, research, experiences lets fill the pages...The names are listed as the posts appeared in this discussion.

1.    JoanP
2.    Barb
3.    Art Hippy
4.    Frybabe
5.    Marcie
6.    Kidsal
7.    Babi
8.    Nlhome
9.    JudeS
10.   JoanK
11.   Dana
12.   PatH
13.   Lorac625
14.   Nfarm
15.   Palmtree
16.   Jonathan
17.   Dixie
18.   bookad

[BarbStAubrey]

Glad you are joining us Dixie - are you from Dixie or is that a childhood nickname or maybe you were named Dixie.

JoanK sounds like you will be a wonderful resource for us - and all that for only $5 wow you did it

Bookad will your library allow you to keep The Tempest for the month - I bet you have figured out how to extend your time with the book if you are on the usual two week plan...

mercie thanks for the link - there was so much going on in that arena that I totally missed it and frankly didn't recognize him in his costume.

[Babi]

 Why have I never thought of that?!  I have the same problem at the grocery story, BARB.
Thanks for the suggestion, MARCIE. I have a magnifying glass that I use when I need to read
small print footnotes, but that wouldn't be very convenient in the store. I simply never thought
of trying those drugstore reading glasses.

 Well, of course he did do Henry IV and Henry V, JONATHAN, but I thought that was during
Elizabeth's reign. A way of upping the public satisfaction with Tudor royalty, and earning the
queen's pleased support. I never was assiduous about dates of publication; I was generally
reading for pleasure rather than historical study.
 

Clearly the "Isle" of which he speaks is Britain!

Thanks for that comment, JOANP.  
I was wondering why he chose those particular lines for the Olympics, but since they were held in
London...oho!, the light dawns!

[bookad]

Barb: I am very lucky, the library I took the book out from allows almost a month's loan with one renewal if no one else wants the book & the other library I frequent up here allows a 3 weeks loan with up to 2 renewals & come November when we travel south can use my Blackberry Playbook to read along till I reach the Florida libraries
Deb

[Jonathan]

Thanks, Marcie. Such familiar lines. From that most sympathetic character. III.ii. 135-143. Caliban awakened from his lovely dreams.

Babi, my history of the sceptred isle is very shaky, but I believe the Tudor line began with Henry VII. And ended with Elizabeth I. James I - was he her cousin? - then started the Stuart line. I seem to remember that Elizabeth felt that she was meant to be seen as Richard II, the king who lost his crown on the battlefield. These monarchs never felt too secure on their thrones.

[Babi]

 Jonathan, you are correct.  The Tudor line was established with Henry VII.  Henry IV - VI were, of course, kings of
England, but of different houses, Plantagenet, Lancaster.  It does seem that monarchs had very good reason to feel
insecure on their thrones.

[JoanP]

Were James I and Elizabeth cousins, Jonathan wants know?  Elizabeth was the grand daughter of Henry VII
HENRY VII - HENRY VIII - ELIZABETH

James was the great great grand son of Henry VII
HENRY VII - MARGARET TUDOR - JAMES (V SCOTLAND) - MARY QUEEN OF SCOTTS - JAMES I (VI SCOTLAND)

more clues: Elizabeth was James's grandfather's (James V Scotland) cousin
James was Elizabeth's cousin's (James V Scotland) grandson

Who's got the patience and the interest in Geneology to figure this out?
 "It does seem that monarchs had very good reason to feel
insecure on their thrones."   That is the truth, Babi!  Elizabeth had James mother, Mary Queen of Scotts, beheaded for plotting against her!

Imagine what it must have been like for Shakespeare, a favorite of both monarchs, who followed his plays very closely!  He had to be very careful when referring to either one of them. Was it any wonder he moved the setting from Britain?  James took the throne in 1603 - Shakespeare retired shortly after that - after writing The Tempest.  Maybe it proved just too difficult for him to mask his politics.  We'll have to keep an eye out for the turmoil he must have been freeling as he worked on this play!

[BarbStAubrey]

I don't know where to start - The Brave Vessel is so worth reading - I finished it over the weekend and was blown away - there are pages of notes and many pages to the Bibliography - he visited all the places in the story and reads just about every Shakespeare Bio - what he explains is how Shakespeare went about writing - how every play in order to be a paying success on stage had to be performed for the King - how there were three theaters each with their own dynamics and therefore, plays were written and adjusted for one theater versus another -

The Tempest was written for The Blackfriars Theatre (a dissolved 13th-century Dominican monastery that held an audience of a little over 500) although later, played at the Globe before the fire -

He had his ear to the ground to know what was the talk of the day in London and used to assure a play that would interest the paying population as well as, it had to please the king and why the Tempest has a marriage scene since King James' daughter was betrothed to marry the following year - on and on, If I had time I would type out here for us this exposé.

Shakespeare did have a patron which I did not know - there were a few other authors that influenced this work - like Michel de Montaigne especially his essay On The Cannibals that you can read excerpt in this Amazon copy of his work  
http://www.amazon.com/Michel-Montaigne-Complete-Penguin-Classics/dp/0140446044/ref=pd_sim_b_1#reader_0140446044

We learn what the New World represents to the people in light of the Reformation and how with the recent availability of printing the Virginia Company of London markets their investment keeping the bad news out of circulation when they can and countering the stories of returning sailors and colonists. These untruths help to fire Shakespeare's tale to show humanity does not leave its dark side when it seeks and inhabits a so called Paradise free from the shackles of Europe's past.

Some of the information was so new I had to look more closely at the author and read all the notes he includes to assure myself he was not just assuming yet another new slant to Shakespeare. I've just started to read Shakespeare's The Tempest Its Political Implications and the First Colonists of Virginia by Shahzad Z. Najmuddin Copywrite 2005 and so far he writes similar information. His Bibliography does not include Woodward therefore, his research was separate.  

Here is the Washington Post review of the book

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/17/AR2009071701098.html

Here is a write-up about the author, Hobson Woodward

http://www.simmons.edu/gradstudies/programs/dual/success/487.php

The book can be downloaded on your kindle - however, the book can be purchased at Amazon for a penny plus the 3.99 shipping and if you have Prime the shipping is free.

http://www.amazon.com/Brave-Vessel-Castaways-Jamestown-ShakespearesThe/dp/B002XULXTC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347307235&sr=8-1&keywords=a+brave+vessel

I knew nothing about this play and now I cannot wait to actually read the play knowing so much more about the story behind the play and how Shakespeare went about his work - This tie in to American history and the unfolding of Shakespeare at work has captured my curiosity.

[Babi]

 BARB, you are going to be 'loaded for bear' in the Tempest discussion. You'll have some
insights from people who actually lived at the time. This is going to be fascinating.  I
want to read the book, too, but I'll probably have to request an interlibrary loan to find
it.

[bookad]

yesterday went to the library and took out their copy of 'The Brave Vessel'-am glad you mentioned it for reading...a very interesting book...how nice when reading groups show peripheral reading material to add scope to a book ....wish school had been like this for me 50 years ago...how I might have made more effort and enjoyed my time there

Deb