Shakespeare 12

Picture of Hayley's 'The Triumphs of Temper'

The Trustees of the British Museum

Illustration to "Canto VI. Verse 294 in Hayley's "The Triumphs of Temper" (London, 1803); a masquerade, in a vaulted interior; Sir Gilbert, Serena and Serena's aunt are in the foreground (l-r), dressed as characters from "The Tempest": Caliban, Ariel and Sycorax respectively; other figures in the background. 

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From the above link:

Hayley commissioned Blake to produce plates for two of his poems. The Triumphs of Temper was published in 1803, and contains six plates engraved by Blake while he was living at the sea, quite close to Hayley's house. 

Here's a bit of Hayley's text:

  to Ariel, Act 1 Scene 2:

This damn'd witch Sycorax,

For mischiefs manifold and sorceries terrible

To enter human hearing, from Argier,

Thou know'st, was banish'd.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Sycorax , an unseen character in William Shakespeare's play The Tempest (1611), is a vicious and powerful witch and the mother of Caliban, one of the few native inhabitants of the island on which Prospero, the hero of the play, is stranded.

According to the backstory provided by the play, Sycorax, while pregnant with Caliban, was banished from her home in Algiersto the island on which the play takes place. Memories of Sycorax, who dies several years before the main action of the play begins, define several of the relationships in the play. Relying on his filial connection to Sycorax, Caliban claims ownership of the island. Prospero constantly reminds Ariel of Sycorax's cruel treatment in order to maintain the sprite's service.

Scholars generally agree that Sycorax, a foil for Prospero, is closely related to the Medea of Ovid's Metamorphoses. Postcolonialist writers and critics see Sycorax as giving voice to peoples, particularly women, recovering from the effects of colonization. Later versions of The Tempest, beginning with William Davenant's eighteenth-century adaptation, have given Sycorax a vocal role in the play, but maintained her image as a malevolent antagonist to Prospero.

Shakespeare 11

The Tempest

Hogarth
From Wikimedia Commons
Shakespeares Tempest

Characters:

Prospero: the deposed duke of Milan (looking over Miranda's right shoulder)

Caliban: a native on the island (on the far right)

Miranda: Prospero's daughter (at the center with a lamb?)

Ariel: rescued by Prospero from enslavement by a witch (on the top left)

Antonio: Prospero's brother who tried to take his place as duke of Milan (maybe on the left)

On the right edge is the picture purported to be by William Blake

The Tempest of Shakespeare

Said to be a slice of another picture by Hogarth:

From 'The Bedside, Bathtub, and Armchair

Companion To Shakespeare'

Pages 19-21:

Shakespeare wrote The Tempest in 1610, near the end of his career. It was performed first for King James I.
The Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place using illusion and skilful manipulation. He conjures up a storm, the eponymous tempest, to lure his usurping brother Antonio and the complicit King Alonso of Naples to the island

From Wikipedia a summary of the story:

Magician Prospero, rightful Duke of Milan, and his daughter, Miranda, have been stranded for twelve years on an island after Prospero's jealous brother Antonio (aided by Alonso, the King of Naples) deposed him and set him adrift with the then-3-year-old Miranda. 

Gonzalo, the King's counsellor, had secretly supplied their boat with plenty of food, water, clothes and the most-prized books from Prospero's library. Possessing magic powers due to his great learning, Prospero is reluctantly served by a spirit, Ariel, whom Prospero had rescued from a tree in which he had been trapped by the cruel witch, Sycorax, after he had refused to obey her. Prospero maintains Ariel's loyalty by repeatedly promising to release the "airy spirit" from servitude. 

Caliban, a deformed monster and the only non-spiritual inhabitant before the arrival of Prospero, was initially adopted and raised by him. He taught Prospero how to survive on the island, while Prospero and Miranda taught Caliban religion and their own language. Following Caliban's attempted rape of Miranda, he had been compelled by Prospero to serve as the magician's slave. In slavery, Caliban has come to view Prospero as a usurper and has grown to resent him and his daughter. Prospero and Miranda in turn view Caliban with contempt and disgust.

In the conclusion, all the main characters are brought together before Prospero, who forgives Alonso. He also forgives Antonio and Sebastian, but warns them against further betrayal. Ariel is charged to prepare the proper sailing weather to guide Alonso and his entourage (including Prospero and Miranda) back to the Royal fleet and then to Naples, where Ferdinand and Miranda will be married. After discharging this task, Ariel will finally be free. Prospero pardons Caliban, who is sent to prepare Prospero's cell, to which Alonso and his party are invited for a final night before their departure. (It is however not made clear whether, after their departure, Caliban will remain on the island or whether he will be taken to Naples). Prospero indicates that he intends to entertain them with the story of his life on the island. Prospero has resolved to break and bury his magic staff, and "drown" his book of magic, and in his epilogue, shorn of his magic powers, he invites the audience to set him free from the island with their applause.

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shakespeare richard III

On the eve of the Battle of Bosworth Field, Richard dreams that he's visited by the ghosts of some of his murder victims – Prince Edward, King Henry VI, Clarence, Rivers, Gray, Vaughan, the young princes, Hastings, Lady Anne, and Buckingham. (Dang. The stage sure gets crowded during this scene.)

Each of the ghosts recalls what Richard has done to them and condemns him to death on the battlefield. Each one chants "Despair and die" (5.5). Yikes!

Oh, and did we mention how the ghosts also pay Richmond a visit (in his dream, of course) in order to give the guy a pre-battle pep-talk? It's a terrifying moment, and Richard's pretty shaken up when he awakens. Check out his reaction:

Methought the souls of all that I had murder'd
Came to my tent; and every one did threat
To-morrow's vengeance on the head of Richard. (5.5.5)

Shakespeare's point? It seems pretty clear that Richard's evildoings have come back to haunt him – literally.

Here's some of the text:

King Richard ii
British Museum

• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• Richmond (Henry VII). Good lords, conduct him to his regiment: 3575
  I'll strive, with troubled thoughts, to take a nap,
  Lest leaden slumber peise me down to-morrow,
  When I should mount with wings of victory:
  Once more, good night, kind lords and gentlemen.
  [Exeunt all but RICHMOND] 3580
  O Thou, whose captain I account myself,
  Look on my forces with a gracious eye;
  Put in their hands thy bruising irons of wrath,
  That they may crush down with a heavy fall
  The usurping helmets of our adversaries! 3585
  Make us thy ministers of chastisement,
  That we may praise thee in the victory!
  To thee I do commend my watchful soul,
  Ere I let fall the windows of mine eyes:
  Sleeping and waking, O, defend me still!
• 
  
• [Sleeps]
• 
  

[Enter the Ghost of Prince Edward, son to King Henry VI]

• Prince Edward. [To KING RICHARD III]
  Let me sit heavy on thy soul to-morrow!
  Think, how thou stab'dst me in my prime of youth 3595
  At Tewksbury: despair, therefore, and die!
  [To RICHMOND]
  Be cheerful, Richmond; for the wronged souls
  Of butcher'd princes fight in thy behalf
  King Henry's issue, Richmond, comforts thee.3600

[Enter the Ghost of King Henry VI]

• Henry VI. [To KING RICHARD III]
  When I was mortal, my anointed body
  By thee was punched full of deadly holes
  Think on the Tower and me: despair, and die! 3605
  Harry the Sixth bids thee despair, and die!
  [To RICHMOND]
  Virtuous and holy, be thou conqueror!
  Harry, that prophesied thou shouldst be king,
  Doth comfort thee in thy sleep: live, and flourish!3610

[Enter the Ghost of CLARENCE]

• George Plantagenet (Duke of Clarence). [To KING RICHARD III]
  Let me sit heavy on thy soul to-morrow!
  I, that was wash'd to death with fulsome wine,
  Poor Clarence, by thy guile betrayed to death! 3615
  To-morrow in the battle think on me,
  And fall thy edgeless sword: despair, and die!—
  [To RICHMOND]
  Thou offspring of the house of Lancaster
  The wronged heirs of York do pray for thee 3620
  Good angels guard thy battle! live, and flourish!

[Enter the Ghosts of RIVERS, GRAY, and VAUGHAN]

• Lord (Earl) Rivers. [To KING RICHARD III]
  Let me sit heavy on thy soul to-morrow,
  Rivers. that died at Pomfret! despair, and die!3625

• Lord Grey. [To KING RICHARD III]
  Think upon Grey, and let thy soul despair!

• Sir Thomas Vaughan. [To KING RICHARD III]
  Think upon Vaughan, and, with guilty fear,
  Let fall thy lance: despair, and die!3630

• All. [To RICHMOND]
  Awake, and think our wrongs in Richard's bosom
  Will conquer him! awake, and win the day!

[Enter the Ghost of HASTINGS]

• Lord Hastings. [To KING RICHARD III] 3635
  Bloody and guilty, guiltily awake,
  And in a bloody battle end thy days!
  Think on Lord Hastings: despair, and die!
  [To RICHMOND]
  Quiet untroubled soul, awake, awake! 3640
  Arm, fight, and conquer, for fair England's sake!

[Enter the Ghosts of the two young Princes]

• Princes. [To KING RICHARD III]
  Dream on thy cousins smother'd in the Tower:
  Let us be led within thy bosom, Richard, 3645
  And weigh thee down to ruin, shame, and death!
  Thy nephews' souls bid thee despair and die!
  [To RICHMOND]
  Sleep, Richmond, sleep in peace, and wake in joy;
  Good angels guard thee from the boar's annoy! 3650
  Live, and beget a happy race of kings!
  Edward's unhappy sons do bid thee flourish.

[Enter the Ghost of LADY ANNE]

• Lady Anne. [To KING RICHARD III]
  Richard, thy wife, that wretched Anne thy wife, 3655
  That never slept a quiet hour with thee,
  Now fills thy sleep with perturbations
  To-morrow in the battle think on me,
  And fall thy edgeless sword: despair, and die!
  [To RICHMOND] 3660
  Thou quiet soul, sleep thou a quiet sleep
  Dream of success and happy victory!
  Thy adversary's wife doth pray for thee.

[Enter the Ghost of BUCKINGHAM]

• Duke of Buckingham. [To KING RICHARD III] 3665
  The last was I that helped thee to the crown;
  The last was I that felt thy tyranny:
  O, in the battle think on Buckingham,
  And die in terror of thy guiltiness!
  Dream on, dream on, of bloody deeds and death: 3670
  Fainting, despair; despairing, yield thy breath!
  [To RICHMOND]
  I died for hope ere I could lend thee aid:
  But cheer thy heart, and be thou not dismay'd:
  God and good angel fight on Richmond's side; 3675
  And Richard falls in height of all his pride.

[The Ghosts vanish]

[KING RICHARD III starts out of his dream]

• Richard III (Duke of Gloucester). Give me another horse: bind up my wounds.
  Have mercy, Jesu!—Soft! I did but dream. 3680
  O coward conscience, how dost thou afflict me!
  The lights burn blue. It is now dead midnight.
  Cold fearful drops stand on my trembling flesh.
  What do I fear? myself? there's none else by:
  Richard loves Richard; that is, I am I. 3685
  Is there a murderer here? No. Yes, I am:
  Then fly. What, from myself? Great reason why:
  Lest I revenge. What, myself upon myself?
  Alack. I love myself. Wherefore? for any good
  That I myself have done unto myself? 3690
  O, no! alas, I rather hate myself
  For hateful deeds committed by myself!
  I am a villain: yet I lie. I am not.
  Fool, of thyself speak well: fool, do not flatter.
  My conscience hath a thousand several tongues, 3695
  And every tongue brings in a several tale,
  And every tale condemns me for a villain.
  Perjury, perjury, in the high'st degree
  Murder, stem murder, in the direst degree;
  All several sins, all used in each degree, 3700
  Throng to the bar, crying all, Guilty! guilty!
  I shall despair. There is no creature loves me;
  And if I die, no soul shall pity me:
  Nay, wherefore should they, since that I myself
  Find in myself no pity to myself? 3705
  Methought the souls of all that I had murder'd
  Came to my tent; and every one did threat
  To-morrow's vengeance on the head of Richard.

Blake and Shakespeare

The word 'Shakespeare' appears 16 times in Blake's Concordance and many more times in our blog:

Letters, (E 707)
"To My Dearest Friend John Flaxman  these lines:
I bless thee O Father of Heaven & Earth that ever I saw Flaxmans face
Angels stand round my Spirit in Heaven. the blessed of Heaven are my friends upon Earth
When Flaxman was taken to Italy. Fuseli was giv'n to me for a season
And now Flaxman hath given me Hayley his friend to be mine such my lot upon Earth
Now my lot in the Heavens is this; Milton lovd me in childhood & shewd me his face
Ezra came with Isaiah the Prophet, but Shakespeare in riper years gave me his hand
Paracelsus & Behmen appeard to me. terrors appeard in the Heavens above"
(Quotations of this passage appear ofthen through the blog.)

In Europe Plates 5, 7 and 15;

in  Death and Rebirth:
Henry Crabb Robinson wrote in February 1826:
wikisource we find EXTRACTS FROM THE DIARY, LETTERS, AND REMINISCENCES OF HENRY CRABB ROBINSON.
 "I spoke again of the form of the persons who appear to him. Asked why he did not draw them, 'It is not worth while. There are so many, the labour would be too great. Besides there would be no use. As to Shakespeare, he is exactly like the old engraving—which is called a bad one. I think it very good."

In Forms Sublime:
"This is a continuation of the post SPECTRES OF THE DEAD

This copy of Europe Plate 5 bears several inscription which are thought to have added by Blake's friend Cunningham. At the top are the words 'A Comet'. At the side and bottom are quotes about comets by Rowe, Milton, Homer and Shakespeare." 

The post on Sunday, February 09, 2014 entitled Shakespeare contains several lovely pictures of Shakespeare's plays:

Oberon, Titania and Puck with Fairies Dancing. William Blake. 

Lear and Cordelia in Prison c1779 N 05189 B 53 Pen and watercolour 123×175 by William Blake.jpg

Brutus and Caesar's Ghost, illustration to 'Julius Caesar' IV, iii by William Blake.jpg

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On Sunday, August 04, 2013 MHH 22
"Have now another plain fact: Any man of mechanical talents may from the writings of Paracelsus or Jacob Behmen, produce ten thousand volumes of equal value with Swedenborg's.and from those of Dante or Shakespear, an infinite number."

Monday, May 13, 2013 INSPIRATION
"On page 331 of A Blake Dictionary, Damon points out the quotation of a phrase from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream in Blake's Milton. Both men speak of the work of the poet as giving form to the 'airy nothing' which enters the imagination. Blake extends the image beyond the creation of poetry to providing bodies to the Spectres who stand on the threshold of death.

Blake pays homage to Shakespeare in this passage by manipulating the words and ideas from Shakespeare and weaving them into his own passage to demonstrate the process of giving shape and habitation to thought, or bodies to Spectres. Blake includes the word 'inspiration'.

In 'Inventor'
Public Address, Page 60, (E 576)
 "No Man Can
Improve An Original Invention. [Since Hogarths time we have
had very few Efforts of Originality] but
Drawn with a firm hand at once [with all its Spots &
Blemishes which are beauties & not faults] like Fuseli &
Michael Angelo Shakespeare & Milton"