In Conversation with Margaret Atwood on The Tempest

Summary

In this insightful conversation, Anthony Chameli, Artistic Director of the Stratford Festival, interviews acclaimed novelist Margaret Atwood about her novel 'Hag-Seed,' a modern retelling of Shakespeare's 'The Tempest.' Atwood discusses her fascination with 'The Tempest,' especially its themes of power, redemption, and the role of Prospero as a director. She reflects on her creative process, transforming Shakespeare's characters into contemporary figures, including a unique solution for Miranda. The discussion also touches on the power of theater in prisons and the layered complexities of both the play and Atwood's novel.

Takeaways

• 🎭 Margaret Atwood's novel *Hag-Seed* is based on Shakespeare's *The Tempest* and was one of the first parallel novels requested by a publisher.
• 👑 Atwood chose *The Tempest* because it's an end-of-career play that becomes more relatable with age, and she sees Prospero as a stand-in for Shakespeare himself.
• 🎬 In *Hag-Seed*, Atwood reimagines Prospero as Felix, a stage director who parallels the control and manipulation of the play's characters.
• 🧙‍♂️ The character of Ariel, a central figure in *The Tempest*, is recast as a special effects character, reflecting Prospero’s directorial control.
• 👩‍👧 Atwood had to creatively solve the challenge of Miranda's role in a modern context, making her a vision of Felix's deceased daughter rather than a living character.
• 📖 *Hag-Seed* has been adapted into a play about a director staging *The Tempest* in a prison, reflecting a similar prison-based program in real life.
• 🎭 Prisoners involved in the real-life prison production of *The Tempest* take their roles seriously, even playing female characters, which parallels *Hag-Seed*'s approach.
• 📜 Atwood explores the theme of forgiveness in *The Tempest*, especially in Prospero’s journey toward relenting and asking the audience for forgiveness.
• 🧙‍♀️ Both Prospero and Sycorax, Caliban’s mother, are depicted as sorcerers in the play, raising questions about their relationship and Caliban’s parentage.
• 😂 Margaret Atwood humorously shares that she won the Swedish Humor Award, though the actual award was stolen, adding a lighthearted anecdote to the conversation.

Q & A

What was the purpose of Margaret Atwood's conversation in this transcript?

The conversation was part of the Stratford Festival on film series, where Margaret Atwood discussed her novel *Hag-Seed*, a retelling of Shakespeare's *The Tempest*, and the themes and ideas explored in both works.

Why did Margaret Atwood choose *The Tempest* for her retelling in *Hag-Seed*?

Margaret Atwood chose *The Tempest* because it is often interpreted as an 'end of career' play, and she found it increasingly interesting as she reached a certain age. She also saw it as a play where Shakespeare reflects on his own role as a playwright through the character of Prospero, who acts as a producer and director within the play.

How does Atwood's *Hag-Seed* parallel *The Tempest*?

In *Hag-Seed*, Atwood makes Prospero into a modern-day stage director named Felix. Felix, like Prospero, is betrayed by his second-in-command and exiled, and he later stages a production of *The Tempest* within a prison setting, mirroring the play's themes of power, revenge, and redemption.

How did Margaret Atwood solve the 'Miranda problem' in *Hag-Seed*?

Atwood found it problematic to portray Miranda as a teenage girl who had never left home in a modern setting, so she reimagined her as a deceased child whom Felix, the protagonist, imagines growing up. This allowed Miranda to remain a presence in the story without being directly involved in the same way as the play.

How has *Hag-Seed* been received in real-life prison theater programs?

After *Hag-Seed* was published, Atwood was contacted by a real-life theater teacher in a prison who wanted to adapt the book into a play for inmates. They planned to stage a play about a play being performed in a prison, mimicking the structure of Atwood's novel and further layering the meta-theatrical concept.

Why does Prospero ask the audience for forgiveness at the end of *The Tempest*?

Atwood interprets this moment as Prospero recognizing that he has been imprisoned by his own actions and the play itself. In order to be free, he needs the audience's pardon, which creates a deeper connection between the character's journey and the theatrical experience.

What is the significance of Ariel in both *The Tempest* and *Hag-Seed*?

In both works, Ariel plays a crucial role as Prospero’s 'special effects' entity who carries out his commands. In *Hag-Seed*, Atwood reimagines Ariel as an alien figure, which resonates with the prison setting as inmates were more willing to accept this portrayal rather than playing a fairy.

What is Atwood's view on Caliban’s character in *The Tempest*?

Atwood suggests that Caliban could be interpreted as Prospero's own 'child' when Prospero says, 'This thing of darkness I acknowledge mine.' She also points out the similarity between Prospero and Sycorax, both of whom use magic and imprison Ariel, raising questions about Caliban’s origins.

What themes does Atwood explore in *Hag-Seed* that reflect modern political realities?

Atwood explores themes of governance and responsibility, reflecting on how Prospero's neglect of his duties led to his exile, a situation that mirrors modern politics, where power vacuums and betrayal can occur when leaders are inattentive or overly absorbed in their personal interests.

What award did Margaret Atwood humorously mention during the conversation, and what happened to it?

Margaret Atwood mentioned that she won the Swedish Humor Award, but she did not physically collect it. Her publishers picked it up on her behalf, but it was later stolen, making it a humorous anecdote about her unexpected accolade.