sweetsunray
03-10-08, 12:49 AM
As has been noted literature plays a role on Lost. Some of the literature themes can allude to a characteristic of the island (such as time stuff), or referrals to other island-plot stories in literature in general etc. And sometimes the literature referral shows where TPTB are getting their inspiration when it comes to a particular story arch of a character.
Desmond's story is that of Odysseus, albeit a Slaughterhouse 5 Odysseus with his time jumping. But even that fits in with the prophecy infested Odyssey.
Certainly the Other Woman follows the theme of Shakespeare's play the Tempest. And Juliet's name reminds us of another play of Shakespeare.
The plat The Tempest is about a sorcerer (Prospero) trapped on an island with his daughter (Miranda). Prospero likes to manipulate people in order to find a good suitor for Miranda as well as extract his revenge on those who betrayed him. Miranda's role in the play is to be the dutiful daughter and stay chaste. One of the three subplots is that Prospero picks a suitor (Ferdinand) for his daughter and they fall in love rapidly, yet he requires Ferdinand to serve him for an amount of time to prove his love, because "too light winning may make the prize light".
Although Ben as Prospero in Lost is not Juliet's father, but a suitor, he is indeed a manipulator and wants Juliet to do his bidding. Like Prospero, he regards Juliet (aka Miranda) as his possession.
In a way, Grilled Cheese is the Tempest's subplot where Jack is supposed to be Ferdinand. Ben set them up together in S3 while Jack was his captive. He wanted Jack to fall for Juliet. Yet he kept Jack for himself to serve him by having him operate him, nurse him back to health, etc. And after Jack proved to have served his time, if Locke had not intervened, then Jack and Juliet would have left the island together on the sub.
Also, people have pointed out how quickly Juliet fell for Jack after losing Goodwin so shortly ago. And yes this would coincide with the Tempest where Miranda falls in love with Ferdinand in a couple of hours time.
Prospero has two creatures do his bidding in order to manipulate: an airy sprite Ariel and Caliban his slave.
Ariel is Prospero's eyes and ears and conjures illusions, gives people ideas, etc. Immediately you can think of Harper as a re-enactment of that sprite. Ariel can take many forms: a sprite, a harpy. Harper's name as well as her aggressive nature allude to a harpy. And 4.06 also indicates that Ben even as a captive can see and hear, know stuff and still control what happens on the island.
Caliban is a work force, a witch's son who attempts to rape Miranda and therefore becomes Prospero's slave charged with gathering wood and pig nuts. One can think as Goodwin as one who had to do Ben's dirty work, certainly after he had hurt Juliet's chastity.
Another parallel, is the story of Prospero himself. He's a prisoner on the island (it's his island and can go wherever he wants on the island, but can't leave it). His manipulations in the play serve to acquire the ok from the men who put him there in the first place to be free once more.
Ben starts in this episode as a captive, imprisoned in a box, and through his manipulation of Locke he ends as a man who can walk around in Otherville.
Another subplot in the play is that of two people trying to plot against Prospero (along with Caliban) but the revolt is thwarted. This subplot we also see with Juliet being sent by airy Harper to thwart Charlotte and Dan's plan. This time though, Prospero failed in doing so.
The third subplot has to do with off-island struggles. Prospero, duke of Milan, was banished to the island because his brother Antonio betrayed him. Antonio was backed by the king of Naples, Alonso. On the island of the Tempest, Antonio and Alonso's brother Sebastian conspire to get rid of the king Alonso. Prospero's eyes and ears uncover the plan and he puts a stop to it. Hanso is comparable to the off-island king, who regards Widmore as an ally/partner, yet Widmore attempts to become the sole controller. Ben gets wind of it through is off-island eyes and ears.
Not sure whether the Tempest theme will play a greater relevance than just in this episode. But surely this episode is an echo of Shakespeare's play.
I think though that Juliet's larger story arch will more likely be that of Shakespeare's Juliet. In Romeo and Juliet, Juliet is expected to marry the suitor her parents picked for her. But she doesn't want to marry him. Instead she fell in love with Romeo, someone who's regarded as an enemy to Juliet's family.
Since our introduction to Juliet it has been alluded to that Juliet and Ben might have had a romantic history and that it was Juliet who was aversive to it. The Tempest confirmed it: Ben (as Paris) wants Juliet to be his, while Juliet isn't interested.
Juliet's family are the Others, the Capulets. Jack's family are the Losties, the Montagues. And they regard each other as enemies. And like Juliet in Romeo & Juliet, our Juliet falls in love with Jack, her enemy. Even now, while Juliet regards Jack's family as hers, Jack's family still regards Juliet as a possible enemy to them, not to be trusted.
Although I do not think Jack will end the same way as Romeo, I'm sure that Juliet Burke will end as Juliet Capulet: she will sacrifice herself out of love and will refuse to be Ben's.
Desmond's story is that of Odysseus, albeit a Slaughterhouse 5 Odysseus with his time jumping. But even that fits in with the prophecy infested Odyssey.
Certainly the Other Woman follows the theme of Shakespeare's play the Tempest. And Juliet's name reminds us of another play of Shakespeare.
The plat The Tempest is about a sorcerer (Prospero) trapped on an island with his daughter (Miranda). Prospero likes to manipulate people in order to find a good suitor for Miranda as well as extract his revenge on those who betrayed him. Miranda's role in the play is to be the dutiful daughter and stay chaste. One of the three subplots is that Prospero picks a suitor (Ferdinand) for his daughter and they fall in love rapidly, yet he requires Ferdinand to serve him for an amount of time to prove his love, because "too light winning may make the prize light".
Although Ben as Prospero in Lost is not Juliet's father, but a suitor, he is indeed a manipulator and wants Juliet to do his bidding. Like Prospero, he regards Juliet (aka Miranda) as his possession.
In a way, Grilled Cheese is the Tempest's subplot where Jack is supposed to be Ferdinand. Ben set them up together in S3 while Jack was his captive. He wanted Jack to fall for Juliet. Yet he kept Jack for himself to serve him by having him operate him, nurse him back to health, etc. And after Jack proved to have served his time, if Locke had not intervened, then Jack and Juliet would have left the island together on the sub.
Also, people have pointed out how quickly Juliet fell for Jack after losing Goodwin so shortly ago. And yes this would coincide with the Tempest where Miranda falls in love with Ferdinand in a couple of hours time.
Prospero has two creatures do his bidding in order to manipulate: an airy sprite Ariel and Caliban his slave.
Ariel is Prospero's eyes and ears and conjures illusions, gives people ideas, etc. Immediately you can think of Harper as a re-enactment of that sprite. Ariel can take many forms: a sprite, a harpy. Harper's name as well as her aggressive nature allude to a harpy. And 4.06 also indicates that Ben even as a captive can see and hear, know stuff and still control what happens on the island.
Caliban is a work force, a witch's son who attempts to rape Miranda and therefore becomes Prospero's slave charged with gathering wood and pig nuts. One can think as Goodwin as one who had to do Ben's dirty work, certainly after he had hurt Juliet's chastity.
Another parallel, is the story of Prospero himself. He's a prisoner on the island (it's his island and can go wherever he wants on the island, but can't leave it). His manipulations in the play serve to acquire the ok from the men who put him there in the first place to be free once more.
Ben starts in this episode as a captive, imprisoned in a box, and through his manipulation of Locke he ends as a man who can walk around in Otherville.
Another subplot in the play is that of two people trying to plot against Prospero (along with Caliban) but the revolt is thwarted. This subplot we also see with Juliet being sent by airy Harper to thwart Charlotte and Dan's plan. This time though, Prospero failed in doing so.
The third subplot has to do with off-island struggles. Prospero, duke of Milan, was banished to the island because his brother Antonio betrayed him. Antonio was backed by the king of Naples, Alonso. On the island of the Tempest, Antonio and Alonso's brother Sebastian conspire to get rid of the king Alonso. Prospero's eyes and ears uncover the plan and he puts a stop to it. Hanso is comparable to the off-island king, who regards Widmore as an ally/partner, yet Widmore attempts to become the sole controller. Ben gets wind of it through is off-island eyes and ears.
Not sure whether the Tempest theme will play a greater relevance than just in this episode. But surely this episode is an echo of Shakespeare's play.
I think though that Juliet's larger story arch will more likely be that of Shakespeare's Juliet. In Romeo and Juliet, Juliet is expected to marry the suitor her parents picked for her. But she doesn't want to marry him. Instead she fell in love with Romeo, someone who's regarded as an enemy to Juliet's family.
Since our introduction to Juliet it has been alluded to that Juliet and Ben might have had a romantic history and that it was Juliet who was aversive to it. The Tempest confirmed it: Ben (as Paris) wants Juliet to be his, while Juliet isn't interested.
Juliet's family are the Others, the Capulets. Jack's family are the Losties, the Montagues. And they regard each other as enemies. And like Juliet in Romeo & Juliet, our Juliet falls in love with Jack, her enemy. Even now, while Juliet regards Jack's family as hers, Jack's family still regards Juliet as a possible enemy to them, not to be trusted.
Although I do not think Jack will end the same way as Romeo, I'm sure that Juliet Burke will end as Juliet Capulet: she will sacrifice herself out of love and will refuse to be Ben's.