Hag-Seed - BookWyrm

English language

Published Oct. 11, 2016

ISBN:: 978-0-8041-4129-1

(1 review)

Hag-Seed is a novel by Canadian writer Margaret Atwood, published in October 2016. A modern retelling of William Shakespeare's The Tempest, the novel was commissioned by Random House as part of its Hogarth Shakespeare series.The novel centres on theatre director Felix who loses his job with Makeshiweg Theatre, and is exiled from his position in society, following his betrayal by a trusted colleague. Having suffered in isolation, Felix is granted the position of teaching in a prison literacy program in the Fletcher County Correctional Institute. Thus begins his plot of revenge against those who wronged him.The novel had varying reception among critics and audiences. A witty, dark and imaginative adaptation of Shakepeare's play, Hag-seed manages to convincingly create a vengeful Duke Prospero from the slightly ridiculous, and certainly more sympathetic, director Felix. Dealing with themes of loss, revenge, a life of imprisonment and the concept of closure, Atwood uses Felix's …

Hag-Seed is a novel by Canadian writer Margaret Atwood, published in October 2016. A modern retelling of William Shakespeare's The Tempest, the novel was commissioned by Random House as part of its Hogarth Shakespeare series.The novel centres on theatre director Felix who loses his job with Makeshiweg Theatre, and is exiled from his position in society, following his betrayal by a trusted colleague. Having suffered in isolation, Felix is granted the position of teaching in a prison literacy program in the Fletcher County Correctional Institute. Thus begins his plot of revenge against those who wronged him.The novel had varying reception among critics and audiences. A witty, dark and imaginative adaptation of Shakepeare's play, Hag-seed manages to convincingly create a vengeful Duke Prospero from the slightly ridiculous, and certainly more sympathetic, director Felix. Dealing with themes of loss, revenge, a life of imprisonment and the concept of closure, Atwood uses Felix's lessons on The Tempest to the actor-inmates to demonstrate the parallels between her text and the original play. The story culminates with a "fantastic climax of dark calamity" in a metaphorical and literal storm. Atwood's Hag-Seed can be considered an example of what Graham Wolfe calls "theatre-fiction": "referring to novels and stories that engage in concrete and sustained ways with theatre as artistic practice and industry".

3 editions

patchworkbunny reviewed Hag-Seed (Hogarth Shakespeare) by Margaret Atwood

Review of 'Hag-Seed (Hogarth Shakespeare)' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Felix loses his job as Artistic Director of the Makeshiweg Theatre, when his ambitious interpretation of The Tempest goes to far. Exiled from his old life, he takes a job in a prison, teaching inmates to perform theatre. When an opportunity to take revenge on those who have wronged him presents himself, he sets out to direct The Tempest once again.

ag-Seed is part of the Hogarth Shakespeare series, a project where contemporary writers reinterpret different Shakespearean plays. Obviously, Margaret Atwood has taken on The Tempest, using the theme of imprisonment as a spring board.

The message here is that Shakespeare can be for everyone, it's not elitist and the bard's stories were intended to entertain a wide audience. Those in charge don't believe resources should be spent letting prisoners have access to the arts, what good will it do them? But arts can be part of rehabilitation rather than …

Felix loses his job as Artistic Director of the Makeshiweg Theatre, when his ambitious interpretation of The Tempest goes to far. Exiled from his old life, he takes a job in a prison, teaching inmates to perform theatre. When an opportunity to take revenge on those who have wronged him presents himself, he sets out to direct The Tempest once again.

ag-Seed is part of the Hogarth Shakespeare series, a project where contemporary writers reinterpret different Shakespearean plays. Obviously, Margaret Atwood has taken on The Tempest, using the theme of imprisonment as a spring board.

The message here is that Shakespeare can be for everyone, it's not elitist and the bard's stories were intended to entertain a wide audience. Those in charge don't believe resources should be spent letting prisoners have access to the arts, what good will it do them? But arts can be part of rehabilitation rather than only providing punishment.

Near the end, the prisoners reflect on what they think happens next. I felt that they were influenced by their own lives, and I would have loved to have more about them woven through the story, so we know how the play impacted them.

At the end of the book there's a summary of the plot of the real Tempest, which might prove useful to those not so familiar with the play. Felix is the Prospero, but who is the Caliban? Maybe each prisoner plays that role, with preconceptions and little chance of redemption given to them.

There are two Mirandas, but Felix's daughter ends up playing the role of his Arial. She died when she was only three and he invents the girl she would have become in his head.