I think that since so much of this class is based on mnemonic systems, it would be fitting to recount some of what I thought were really memorable insights from other students' presentations. Allow me to apologize beforehand for any miscalculations on my part..this is what I got out of it.
First, Roberto's presentation on the dark side of Caliban, and the psychological construction of and reliance on our perception of ourselves as the other. This was crucial for me when I was trying to formulate my thesis, it helped to think of Caliban as having a dark past, as embodying a dualism to be able to let him "translate" into his other mythic forms.
Second: The presentation on Caliban as Poseidon, (sorry that I have forgotten your name, especially because I reference your comments all the time!) which got me to thinking about Poseidon's influence on both land and sea, of earthquakes, tsunamis, and tempests. It also made me start taking stock of Caliban's amphibious appearance, which lead to ideas about evolution, and so on.
James' presentation was of course quite memorable. I have to admit, I'm not sure if it cleared up anything about the epilogue in The Tempest, but I think that it's fitting with my feelings about a lot of the class: it certainly didn't make "getting" Shakespeare any easier, it just made me have a much deeper appreciation for it. I had a friend who was trying to explain to me the difference between hunting with a compound bow and a recurve, and he said..."It's just the feel..you have to feel where you want it to go, you can't think about it." Anyway, I think about that when I hear stuff like Jame's paper, it embodies the cataract at the end of the Tempest, it doesn't shy away, it gives it right back.
Nathan is a really, really fantastic speaker, and it was definitely refreshing to hear some musings on critical theory instead of plot and character elements. I can tell he's really into the stuff he's been reading, and his (and Jan Kott's ) thoughts on the political commentary in The Tempest really rang true with me. Also, LOVE to see people easily, politely, and succinctly defend their stance; he obviously knows what the hell he's talking about.
Of course, everyone helped lead me down the garden paths and put this paper to work for me, I'm excited to read some of everyone else's work, though NOT excited to say "damn, I wish I said that" for the hundredth time in this class. Good work folks.
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