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1 The Curse Context Stratford-Upon-Avon and William Shakespeare For three hundred years, while its fame spread across the world, the little town had stood here at the river's bend. Time and change had touched it lightly; it had heard from afar both the coming of the Armada and the fall of the Third Reich, and all Man's wars had passed it by. Stratford Stratford-Upon-Avon is located in Warwickshire, in the heart of England. The town of Stratford lies on the Avon river, about eight miles downstream from the county town of Warwick. Stratford was originally a market town, and this picture shows the clock tower in the market place at the town centre. Farmers' markets are still held here Early map of Stratford The name Stratford means street-ford. In Roman times this was a crossing point, a ford, over the Avon. There are many Stratfords and Stretfords in England. They are all located at points where old Roman roads cross rivers. The Roman road that crossed the Avon at Stratford-uponAvon was the Salt Road to Alcester (the modern A422). This is the view looking downstream. In the distance can be seen the spire of Holy Trinity Church, where Shakespeare lies. The main part of the town lies on the right bank. On the right bank can be seen the redbrick building of the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Context 1 2 The river plays an important part in the story – it seems to be the only thing that is moving. This picture shows the river from the cemetery at Holy Trinity Church looking upstream; it is a scene of tranquillity and peace……but quite unlike the kind of awful peace of the story. The house in which Shakespeare was born is in Henley Street, in the centre of the town. The house had been owned by the Shakespeare family from the time of Will’s father, John Shakespeare. Later in his life Shakespeare bought a substantial property in the town called New Place. He lived there for the last six years of his life, and his daughter Susanna lived there after him. Shakespeare was baptized and buried in Holy Trinity Church, by the River Avon. This is the church (seen here through the cemetery) which is mentioned in the story ‘The Curse’. Shakespeare is buried inside the church, near the altar. Sir Walter Scott is an important 19th century British writer. On visiting Shakespeare’s grave he wrote: “ We visited the tomb of the mighty wizard. What a magic does the locality possess. There are stately monuments of forgotten families, but when you have seen Shakespeare's what care have we for the rest.” Context 2 3 Shakespeare's Life and Works Some Key Dates 23 April 1564 27 Nov 1582 Shakespeare's traditional birthdate Marries Anne Hathaway Departs to c1590 work in London Forms The Chamberlains Men acting company Shakespeare is London's leading playwright Globe Theatre built in London Period of his great tragic plays His company becomes The Kings Men performing frequently for James I Retires to Stratford Death of Shakespeare What's so wonderful about Shakespeare? There must be something for him to be so popular 450 years after his death. His plays are performed all over the world, translated into many languages; theatres are built in his memory and people travel from all over the world to Stratford to visit the places he was associated with, including ‘New Place’, the house he built when he was famous and wealthy. Shakespeare spent most of his life writing plays for the Globe theatre. He had a great interest in human nature and in many of his plays, he reflects this. He often combined more than one story or plot into his plays, especially the comedies. You have probably realised by now, if you hadn't before, that the English language is full of echoes of Shakespeare. One of the interesting things about reading, watching or studying Shakespeare is that you can put all these well-known phrases into their original context. What do you think might be the particular significance of the following words? 'Barefaced', 'critical', 'leapfrog', 'obscene', 'submerged', 'fretful', 'hurry' and 'lonely'. These were among words used by Shakespeare that had never been used before. In other words, he created them. Shakespeare had a massive vocabulary. It's been estimated that he used over 17000 words in his writing and that at least a tenth of these had never been used before. A lot of writers tend to seem old fashioned after a while. Their work is associated with the particular conditions they lived in. One of the reasons why Shakespeare has lasted is probably because that's not true of his work. There's very little in his plays that biographers can link to particular aspects of his life. Original Photographs © Fitch O’Connell 2004 1594 1596 1599 16001608 1603 1612 23 April 1616 Context 3 4 So what is it in Shakespeare's work that makes us still so fascinated by it? Perhaps it is because it deals with human nature in a way that we can still recognise. We find what Shakespeare shows us is psychologically convincing. • • He tells us so much about human nature. This is probably one of the major reasons why Shakespeare's plays are still watched and studied. If the things he wrote about were not the perennial aspects of human nature, we wouldn't be interested in watching the plays any more. He reveals to us so much about our own natures. Because we recognise so much about ourselves and understand ourselves better when we watch and read Shakespeare, we go on doing so generation after generation. • He is a brilliant dramatist. Shakespeare might have lots of profound things to say to us, but we wouldn't watch the plays unless they worked as drama. The experience of watching the plays is entertaining and spectacular as well as revealing many things about life to us. He is a great poet. The plays are full of memorable passages of poetry, which along with all Shakespeare's other achievements, contributes to the enduring success of his plays. Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate. Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer's lease hath all too short a date. Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion dimmed; And every fair from fair sometime declines, By chance, or nature's changing course untrimmed. But thy eternal summer shall not fade Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st; Nor shall death brag thou wand'rest in his shade, When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st, So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee. Shall I compare thee to a summers day • Sonnet 18 William Shakespeare Context 4 5 The Curse Context Defence NATO NATO is an alliance of North American and European countries who have joined together for mutual protection and defence. An attack on one member of NATO is considered to be an attack on all the members. This is a very powerful deterrent. According to NATO when asked ‘what does NATO do?’, there are four main categories. The first is Consultation: it provides a forum in which the member countries can consult together on security issues of common concern and take joint action in doing something about them. Secondly, it is a defence organisation, committed to defending its member states against aggression and the principle that an attack against one or several members would be considered as an attack against all. Thirdly, NATO is involved in Crisis Management. NATO forces have helped to end conflicts and are providing security and stability in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina. NATO has also helped to prevent conflict in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Finally, dialogue and cooperation with non-NATO countries are helping to overcome the divisions of the Cold War era and to extend security and stability well beyond NATO borders. Portugal joined NATO from the beginning Portugal, 1949. Portugal was not a democratic country at all when it was included in NATO from the start. It was not even required to commit itself to a schedule of democratization. It was enough that it was willing to sign on to the project of the defence of the Western democracies, including Article 2 of the NATO Treaty with its commitment to democratic values, and as a result to renounce any ideological cold war against democracy. It was judged on this basis to be safer for the strategic needs of Western democracy to include Portugal than to exclude it. This proved true not only strategically but politically: the "anchoring" of Portugal in NATO was one of the factors that led it, after the collapse of the dictatorship, to settle into a democratic path in the 1970s. Today, virtually all of the ex-Communist countries are better qualified than the Portugal of 1949 in terms of democratic practices. They are also better qualified in terms of commitments to further democratization. However, Portugal was just a single small state within an otherwise democratic alliance in 1949, with an important strategic location, and was brought in under urgent cold war conditions. These conditions do not apply to the Eastern countries today. Once there had been men who had known such things, who had watched from afar the flight of the great projectiles and had sent their own missiles to meet them. Context 5 6 The Curse Context Defence Both its destination and its origin were unknown: whether it had come across the lonely Arctic wastes or far above the waters of the Atlantic, no one could tell and there were few now who cared. Once there had been men who had known such things, who had watched from afar the flight of the great projectiles and had sent their own missiles to meet them. An Introduction to the Ballistic Missile Defense System* In years since the end of the Cold War, the increased proliferation of ballistic missile systems and weapons of mass destruction has raised the importance of developing and fielding a capable Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS), as a number of potentially hostile countries have acquired these dangerous capabilities. In response to this changing geopolitical environment, the Department of Defense has made building a Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) a priority. The fundamental goal of the planned BMDS is building a layered defense to defend the United States and its forces, territories, allies and friends. The Missile Defense Agency (MDA)’s mission is to develop, test and prepare for fielding a missile defense system. Using complementary interceptors, land-, sea-, air- and space-based sensors and battle management command and control systems, the planned missile defense system will be able to engage all classes and ranges of ballistic missile threats. Our programmatic strategy is to develop, test and continuously evaluate production, fielding and operational alternatives for BMDS to provide reliable, effective defenses. All ballistic missiles share a fundamental characteristic - they follow a trajectory, which includes three flight phases - boost, midcourse and terminal. By fielding a layered defense system and attacking the missile in all phases of flight, we exploit opportunities to increase the effectiveness of missile defenses and complicating an aggressor’s plans. US Department of Defense http://www.defenselink.mil/ * Commonly referred to as ‘Star Wars’ Context 6 7 The Curse Context Defence “Star Wars for Real” The current US missile defence plan is for a multilayered set of land, sea, air and space based systems that has been estimated to cost anywhere between $60 and $200 billion. Not only would US taxpayers' money be wasted, it would also cost the people of the world the hard-won progress already made on nuclear arms control and disarmament. "We're against having a cure that is worse than the disease." Russian President Vladimir Putin on NMD, June 4, 2000 What is Star Wars? Missile defence has been called 'Star Wars' or 'Son of Star Wars' because of its similarity to the failed proposal pushed by former US President Ronald Reagan. Four out of seven tests of the land-based element of Star Wars, conducted under ideal conditions, have been dismal failures. The enormous technical challenges of Star Wars have been likened to "attempting to hit a bullet with a bullet." Star Wars and the ABM Treaty Further tests are planned, but if the Star Wars programme is to proceed as currently planned, the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty must be either discarded or amended. Amendment of the ABM Treaty requires Russian agreement and heated negotiations are currently underway to try to reach such a deal. Undermining Arms Control Agreements Star Wars would expose all nations around the planet to new dangers. It would destabilize the current strategic' balance of terror' between the US and other nuclear states and undermine key arms control agreements such as the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty, described as a cornerstone of global stability. "If… the U.S. proceeds to destroy the 1972 ABM Treaty… we can and will withdraw not only from the START II Treaty, but from the whole system of treaty relations having to do with the limitation and control of strategic and conventional arms." Russian President Vladimir Putin Context 7 8 Is Star Wars Necessary? The US government justifies the expense and risks of Star Wars as a defence from missile attack by so-called 'rogue states', usually interpreted to be Iraq, Iran and North Korea. US defence officials argue these countries could, in five to ten years, develop missile technologies to attack the US with nuclear, chemical or biological weapons. Yet the present and future threat from these small nations is either non-existent or exaggerated. And even if it were technically possible, any nation launching such an attack on the US would be committing immediate mass suicide, given the US ability to retaliate with more than 12,000 nuclear warheads. The Real Threats The US has more to fear from a ' bomb in a suitcase' than from any ' state of concern'. Terrorists could easily smuggle nuclear, chemical or biological weapons into the US via hundreds of routes. "US territory is more likely to be attacked with weapons of mass destruction from non-missile delivery … than by missiles, primarily because non-missile delivery means are less costly and more reliable and accurate, " CIA Analyst Robert Walpole before the US Senate. The Star Wars proposal has already been condemned by a number of US allies including France, Germany and Canada. They fear Star Wars would damage existing and future arms control and reduction agreements and dangerously undermine the current global strategic balance. "The more improvements that are made to the shield, the more improvements are made to the sword. We think that with these [anti-missile] systems, we are just going to spur swordmakers to intensify their efforts." French President Jacques Chirac Though the US government portrays Star Wars as purely defensive, key nuclear weapons nations such as China and Russia actually see it as an offensive initiative. They fear Star Wars would render their current nuclear arsenals obsolete; they would be unable to retaliate to a US nuclear attack. If Star Wars goes ahead they will feel compelled to increase their own arsenals as a counter measure. The Real Solution The real solution is not Star Wars but a policy of persuasive diplomacy, negotiations and economic incentives. 'States of concern' should receive the message that developing missiles and nuclear, chemical and biological weapons will simply not meet their security concerns; rather they would make them worse. The US has already adopted this approach with North Korea. This approach must be coupled by determined negotiations by all nations to implement controls on ballistic missile technology and to outlaw the development, production and stockpiling of any nuclear, chemical or biological warheads. from ‘Greenpeace’ http://www.greenpeace.org/international_en/ Context 8 9 The Curse Context The Responsibility Long ago the men whose duty it was had calculated that three of the hydrogen bombs would be sufficient for that rather small target. In sending twenty, they had been perhaps a little overzealous. I am the man who gives the word, If it should come, to use the Bomb. I am the man who spreads the word. From him to them if it should come I am the man who gets the word From him who spreads the word from him. I am the man who drops the Bomb If ordered by the one who's heard From him who merely spreads the word The first one gives if it should come. I am the man who loads the Bomb That he must drop should orders come From him who gets the word passed on By one who waits to hear from him. I am the man who makes the Bomb That he must load for him to drop If told by one who gets the word From one who passes it from him. I am the man who fills the till, Who pays the tax, who foots the bill That guarantees the Bomb he makes For him to load for him to drop If orders come from one who gets The word passed on to him by one Who waits to hear it from the man Who gives the word to use the Bomb. I am the man behind it all; I am the one responsible. © Peter Appleton Context 9 10 The Curse Context Poets’ View Now it was gone, as though it had never been. In a moment of time the toil and treasure of centuries had been swept away. The vanished streets could still be traced as faint marks in the vitrified ground, but of the houses, nothing remained. Steel and concrete, plaster and ancient oak - it had mattered little at the end. Ozymandius I met a traveller from an antique land, Who said--"Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert . . . . Near them, on the sand, Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown, And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command, Tell that its sculptor well those passions read Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things, The hand that mocked them, the heart that fed; And on the pedestal, these words appear: 'My name is Ozymandius, King of Kings, Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!' Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare The lone and level sands stretch far away." Percy Bysshe Shelley Context 10 11 Progress The toad’s jewel Has erupted into venom The flowering shrub Has drawn a pilgrimage of slugs The split atom Has blossomed into a bomb The glinting ore Has grown a constellation of swords And the cloned goat Ponders its bearded lookalike In a blazing mirage of knowledge © John Agard “From the Devil’s Pulpit” published by Bloodaxe Books Context 11 12 The Curse Context Seeing into the Past Then there had bloomed for a moment that indescribable flame, sending out into space a message that in centuries to come other eyes than Man's would see and understand. Did you know that you have the ability to look into the past? Way into the past... That's because whenever we look up, we are seeing the light that left stars several years ago. The stars that make up the "Plough", the constellation that looks like a soup ladle, are all different distances from Earth. Their distances are measured in light years, or how far light can travel in one year. Alkaid, the star that is all the way on the end of the handle of the soup ladle is about 101 light years away from Earth. That means that when light leaves Alkaid, it takes 101 years for that light to get to Earth. So, when the Wright Brothers took their very first flight in1903, the light that you see in today’s night sky was just starting its long journey to Earth. Equally, the light from our own star, the sun, would take 101 years to reach Alkaid. The next time you’re out in the dark, look up and tell your friends that you have the "sixth sense." You see light from the past. Alkaid Context 12 13 The Curse Context Grave Humour ……the waters touched the worn gravestone that for more than three hundred years had laid before the vanished altar These are some examples of the epitaphs found on the headstones of people’s graves in England. Why are they unusual? Can you find any similar epitaphs on gravestones in Portugal? M.S Donald Robertson Born 1st of January 1785 Died 4th of June 1848 Aged 63 Years He was a peaceable quiet man, and, to all Appearance a sincere Christian His death was very much regretted – Which was caused by the stupidity Of LAWRENCE TULLOCH of Coltherton Who sold him nitre instead of Epsom salts by Which he was killed in the space of Three hours after taking a dose of it Sacred To the memory of Nathaniel Godbold Esq Inventor & Proprietor~ Of that Excellent medicine THE VEGETABLE BALSAM For the cure of Consumption and Asthmas He departed this life The 17th day of Dec’ber 1799 Aged 69 Years Hic cineres ubique Fama Context 13 14 TO THE MEMORY OF DAVID WALL WHOSE SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE ON THE BASSOON ENDEARED HIM TO AN EXTENSIVE MUSICAL ACQUAINTANCE. HIS SOCIAL LIFE CLOSED ON THE 4. OF DECEMBER 1796 IN HIS 57. YEAR Here lies JANE SHORE I say no more Who was alive In Sixty-five Here lyeth Ye body of MARTHA DIAS ALWAYS NOISY NOT VERY PIOUS WHO LIVED TO YE AGE OF 3SC AND 10 AND GAVE TO WORMS WHAT SHE REFUS’D TO MEN Context 14 15 The Curse Context Biography The achievements of Arthur C. Clarke bridge the arts and sciences. His works have ranged from scientific discovery to science fiction, from technical application to entertainment, and have made a global impact on the lives of present and, no doubt, future generations. Arthur C. Clarke is the son of an English farming family, born in 1917. After attending local schools, Arthur Clarke moved to London in 1936 and pursued his early interest in space sciences by joining the British Interplanetary Society. He started to contribute to the BIS Bulletin and began to write science fiction. Like so many young men at the time, World War II interrupted in 1939 and he joined the RAF, eventually becoming an officer in charge of the first radar talk-down equipment during its experimental trials. Later, his only nonscience-fiction novel, Glide Path, was based on this work. After the war, he returned to London and to the BIS. In 1945, a UK periodical magazine “Wireless World” published his landmark technical paper "Extra-terrestrial Relays" in which he first set out the principles of satellite communication with satellites in geostationary orbits - a speculation which was to become reality 25 years later. He worked with scientists and engineers in the USA in the development of spacecraft and launch systems, and addressed the United Nations during their deliberations on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. Clarke’s work, which led to the global satellite systems in use today, brought him numerous honours. Today, the geostationary orbit at 42,000 kilometres above the equator is named The Clarke Orbit by the International Astronomical Union. At the same time, Clarke has been the author of many books, articles and papers. The first story he sold professionally was "Rescue Party", written in March 1945 and appearing in Astounding Science in May 1946. He went on to become a prolific writer of science fiction, renowned worldwide and with more than 70 titles to his name. In 1964, he started to work with the noted film producer Stanley Kubrick on a science fiction movie script. Four years later, he shared an Oscar nomination with Kubrick at the Hollywood Academy Awards for the film version of “2001: A Space Odyssey”. Then, in 1985, he published a sequel, “2010: Odyssey Two” and worked with Peter Hyams on the film version. Their work was done using a Kaypro computer and a modem, linking Arthur in Sri Lanka and Peter Hyams in Los Angeles, leading to a book “The Odyssey File - The Making of 2010.” In television, Clarke worked to help provide coverage of the Apollo 12 and 15 space missions for CBS. His thirteen-part TV series Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World in 1981 and Arthur C. Clarke's World of strange Powers in 1984 has been screened in many countries and he has contributed to other TV series about space. Clarke first visited Colombo, Sri Lanka (then called Ceylon) in December 1954 and has lived there since 1956 pursuing an enthusiasm for underwater exploration along that coast and on the Great Barrier Reef. In 1998 he was honoured with a knighthood by H.M. the Queen. Sir Arthur’s output of work continues undiminished. Context 15 16 The Curse Context Biography The achievements of Arthur C. Clarke 1.__________ the arts and sciences. His works have 2.__________ from scientific discovery to science fiction, from technical application to entertainment, and have made a global impact on the lives of present and, no 3.__________, future generations. Arthur C. Clarke is the son of an English farming family, born in 1917. After attending local schools, Arthur Clarke moved to London in 1936 and 4.__________ his early interest in space sciences by joining the British Interplanetary Society. He started to contribute to the BIS Bulletin and began to write science fiction. Like so many young men at the time, World War II 5.__________ in 1939 and he joined the RAF, eventually becoming an officer in charge of the first radar talk-down equipment during its experimental trials. Later, his only non-science- fiction novel, Glide Path, was based on this work. After the war, he returned to London and to the BIS. In 1945, a UK periodical magazine “Wireless World” published his landmark technical paper "Extra-terrestrial Relays" in 6.__________ he first set out the principles of satellite communication 7.__________ satellites in geostationary orbits - a speculation which was to become reality 25 years later. He worked with scientists and engineers in the USA in the development of spacecraft and launch systems, and addressed the United Nations 8.__________ their deliberations on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. Clarke’s work, which led to the global satellite systems in use today, brought him numerous honours. Today, the geostationary orbit at 42,000 kilometres above the equator is named The Clarke Orbit by the International Astronomical Union. At the same time, Clarke has 9.__________ the author of many books, articles and papers. The first story he sold professionally was "Rescue Party", written in March 1945 and appearing in Astounding Science in May 1946. He went 10.__________ to become a prolific writer of science fiction, renowned worldwide and with more than 70 titles to his name. In 1964, he started to work with the noted film producer Stanley Kubrick on a science fiction movie script. Four years later, he shared an Oscar nomination with Kubrick at the Hollywood Academy Awards for the film version of “2001: A Space Odyssey”. Then, in 1985, he published a sequel, “2010: Odyssey Two” and worked with Peter Hyams on the film version. Their work was done using a Kaypro computer and a modem, linking Arthur in Sri Lanka and Peter Hyams in Los Angeles, leading to a book “The Odyssey File The Making of 2010.” In television, Clarke worked to help provide coverage of the Apollo 12 and 15 space missions for CBS. His thirteen-part TV series Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World in 1981 and Arthur C. Clarke's World of strange Powers in 1984 has been screened in many countries and he has contributed to other TV series about space. Clarke first visited Colombo, Sri Lanka (then called Ceylon) in December 1954 and has lived there since 1956 pursuing an enthusiasm for underwater exploration along that coast and on the Great Barrier Reef. In 1998 he was honoured with a knighthood by H.M. the Queen. Sir Arthur’s output of work continues undiminished. Context 16 17 The Curse Context Biography For questions 1 – 5, choose the best alternative. For questions 6 – 10, write a suitable word in the blank 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. A bridge B join C merge C varied C way C satisfied D combine D invented D doubt D sated A journeyed B ranged A worry A pursued A began B matter B perused B molested C interrupted D intervened 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. What form of communication did Clarke invent? 12. What is named after him? What do you think might amuse Clarke about this? 13. Clarke won an Oscar for the film, “2001: A Space Odyssey”. True or False? 14. Which real space missions did Clarke comment on on TV? Context 17