Act 3, Scene 2
The poems of William Shakespeare are filled with words that might be confusing for modern readers. For example, in one line of Act 3, scene 2, the author writes: “Thou liest most ignorant monster, / I am in case to justle a constable” (Shakespeare 82). Here, the phrase “in case to justle” means in the condition to fight with somebody or something. Another word, quoth, implies to say in the example: “Lord, quoth he?” (Shakespeare 82). Then, prithee has the connotation of pleading: “Lo, lo again. Bite him to death I prithee” (Shakespeare 82). The correct pronunciation of the word is as follows: [prɪð.i] (Oxford Dictionary of English 1413). Additionally, another complicated word is jesting, meaning joking: “Thou liest,thou jesting monkey, thou” (Shakespeare 83). The word jesting originates from an old Frech word geste, or from Latin, gesta, meaning actions or exploits (Oxford Dictionary of English 948). However, there are more words that look complicated.
For instance, later in the scene, a reader might see the word murrain, which means a plague. The following example might indicate the usage of the term: “A murrain on your monster, and the devil take your fingers” (Shakespeare 84). The word paunch has a meaning of stabbing: “Batter his skull,or paunch him with a stake, / Or cut his wezand with thy knife” (Shakespeare 85). Here, in the same line, the word wezand implies gullet. Furthermore, other terms include nonpareil, such as peerless, without counterparts: “He himself / Calls her a nonpareil” (Shakespeare 85). A similar complicated word is viceroys, such as vice-kings: “Trinculo and thyself shall be viceroys” (Shakespeare 85). Lastly, jocund implies merry: “Let us be jocund” (Shakespeare 86). The proper pronunciation of the word is as follows: [dʒɒk.ənd]. The word originates from the old French word jocond, which takes roots from the Latin word jocundus (Oxford Dictionary of English 943). Still, it is noteworthy that there are more terms that might be obsolete nowadays.
When it comes to colonialism and imperialism that William Shakespeare expressed in the given scene, it can be observed through the attitude of Trinculo toward a servant Caliban. This indicates the supremacy of the imperialist supporters. As Trinculo later comments that Caliban is “the folly of this island” (Shakespeare 81). It was additionally mentioned that out of every person on the island, only two of them were “brained” and others were likened to animals (Shakespeare 81). This clearly illustrates how the colonialists approach the inhabitants of the island, treating them unbefittingly. Moreover, this accentuates racism and discrimination against the locals on the island.
Act 3, Scene 3
The following Act 3, scene 3, provides deeper development of action with more difficult words. For instance, by’r larkin is an old derived form of “by our Lady”: “By’r Lakin, I can go no further, sir” (Shakespeare 88). Moreover, the word hark is a verb that means to listen: “My good friends, hark” (Shakespeare 89).In the following line, keepers refer to guardians: “Give us kind keepers, heavens!” (Shakespeare 89). Another word, drollery, implies comic play: “A living drollery” (Shakespeare 89). Moreover, there were contractions in words, such as the word certes, which is commonly used in the form of
“certainly”: “For certes, these are people of the island” (Shakespeare 90). An unknown word viands implies food: “They have left their viands behind, for we have stomachs” (Shakespeare 90). Additionally, dowl is the fiber of a feather: “One dowl that’s in my plume” (Shakespeare 92). The following word, bereft has the meaning of being deprived: “Thee of thy son, Alonso, / They have bereft” (Shakespeare 92). In turn, bate is the verb, which means to reduce: “Of my instruction hast thou nothing bated” (Shakespeare 93). Lastly, dewlapped can be observed in the following example: “Dewlapped, like bulls, whose throats had hanging at ’em” (Shakespeare 91). It is the loose skin hanging from the throat of a bovine animal.
As for the colonialism and imperialism illustrated in the given scene, Shakespeare deliberately shows how the visitors and colonists of the island separate themselves from the locals. Gonzalo accentuated that while others perceived them as “monstrous shape,” inhabitants are quite different and, in some aspects, better than the imperialist supporters (Shakespeare 90). Gonzalo claimed that “their manners are more gentle, kind than of / Our human generation you shall find” (Shakespeare 90). In this sense, the character emphasizes how such people are rare.
Hence, The Tempest, written by William Shakespeare, has numerous words that while making the poem sound sophisticated, are intricate to the readers. As for the colonialism and imperialism, as hinted by the author, in the third act, second scene, one of the characters, Trinculo, shows contempt for the inhabitants of the island and disrespects the servant. Similarly, in the following scene, Gonzalo accentuates how every colonialist finds the locals monstrous. However, this is the only character who emphasizes the manner of the islanders and their kindness, which shows how little mercy and compassion imperialists had toward the native inhabitants at this time.
Works Cited
Oxford Dictionary of English. (2010). Oxford University Press.
Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. Yale University Press, 2006.