Shakespeare Behind Bars #2
Hal says, "The people who need mercy the most are the ones who deserve it the least." Choose an inmate from the documentary and a character in The Tempest and explain the truth in this statement.
Sammie was perhaps the most heartbreaking inmate they followed. Throughout the course of the movie, I began to feel more and more compassion for him. He was sexually abused as a child and he took it out on his wife later on. If his wife were my daughter or sister and he strangled her to death, I probably would not have feel the same way. I can see through the way he talks about the crime and the way he tries so hard to better himself in the prison, that he is really sorry. Sammie committed a crime that could not be taken back. Some could say he did something, disregarding his past, absolutely unforgivable but it is the fact that he killed his wife, that makes him need mercy the most. Sammie seems not only to regret getting caught but also committing the crime itself. Sammie shows he needs forgiveness and mercy although it is hard to see that he deserves it.
Sammie could probably be the most perfect example for this quote spoken by Hal. Sammie has gone through the hardest struggles in his lifetime and pleas for redemption and forgiveness. He is the inmate many people have the most compassion for and want to forgive him for what he has done. But it is not so easy because you realize what he has done to end up in prison. Another character that a lot of people begin to feel compassion for is Leonard. Leonard seems to be a good-hearted character with good intentions to ask for redemption. You start to feel close to him until he tells you why he's in the slammer. Leonard was serving a 50-year sentence for sexually abusing minors. Before the inmates would tell the camera what their crime was, the audience would start to feel compassion for the character. But once the crime is out, the compassion seems to have disappeared. I, as the watcher, want to forgive each character, but realize they might not deserve it or be worthy of it.
In the Tempest, Antonio usurps his brother from the throne and tries to convince Sebastian to kill Alfonzo. While he does not deserve mercy, Prospero decides to forgive him. Antonio needs redemption in order to find a better self. Oftentimes others' kindness helps us find the kindness in ourselves. In Shakespeare Behind Bars, Sammie is a perfect example. He has a difficult history of being sexual abused starting when he was very young. Although in many senses what he did is unforgivable- strangling his wife- it is hard not to feel a little bit sorry for him. More than someone who is strong enough to make the correct decisions, he needs others to show him mercy and help him find the right way. Those who do bad things often come from difficult situations and very few (if any) people who commit horrible crimes are happy with themselves. Perhaps we can find ways, if not to forgive their actions, to forgive them.
While watching the documentary, I also felt the most connected with Sammie. When he was explaining how he was sexually abused as a child, you heart begins to hurt. Even though he committed a heinous crime, the murder was not what stuck with me. He seemed funny, kind, and even choked up or cried whenever he talked about his crime, which to me made me feel like he was truly sorry for what he had done. I felt so bad at the end of the documentary when it said that he would not get reviewed for his parole for another 6 years. Of all the people showed on the documentary, I wanted him to get that chance. I felt like he deserved mercy, even if others might not agree. Sammie needed the chance to redeem himself in the world to make things right, but it just goes to show you what Hal said. Antonio, in The Tempest, usurps the dukedom from Prospero and sends him off hoping he will die. Even though Antonio is portrayed as a vindictive and manipulative character, Prospero still forgives him. Hopefully with Prospero’s forgiveness, Antonio can make a fresh start and the brothers can make amends. To me, I felt like Sammie deserved mercy more than Antonio because Sammie explains to us how sitting in prison helped him to understand that it was not guns or the people he associated with that were the problem, but that it was himself. It takes a lot of courage to be able to admit that and makes me believe that Sammie was ready to start over.
I think Antonio, from the Tempest, and Sammie from Shakespeare Behind Bars are both good examples of characters that need forgiveness the most but have done horrible things and deserve it less than others. I think Hal's quote applies to both of them. When thinking about why they need forgiveness more than others, I remembered the idea that kept coming up for the characters in the movie, which was self-forgiveness. The reason people who have done things more heinous in nature require more forgiveness, I think, is because it is harder for people who’ve committed such horrible offenses to forgive themselves than for people who have done things lower on the scale of “badness.” While I still think they should be punished, I can imagine after watching Shakespeare behind bars, just how difficult it would be to confront yourself after committing a crime like that. I can’t imagine how they could continue on without feeling an omnipresent sense of guilt. This is why they need others to see them for the whole of their existences and to work towards forgiveness. I think this is where Antonio and Sammie differ though. Where I don’t think the reader got a very deep sense of Antonio’s guilt and want to better himself, I definitely got that idea with Sammie. He did so many things to better himself and to understand why he had acted the way he did which moved me.
Sammie is an example of a character who needs mercy. Even though he is a murderer, you can see Sammie is sorry for his actions as he tears up when talking about his crime. I think that Sammie should be given a second chance, especially given his history of sexual and emotional abuse. In The Tempest, Antonio is a character who deserves mercy. After usurping the dukedom and leaving Prospero and Miranda to die, he seems like he does not deserve forgiveness. Prospero finds it in his heart to forgive him, giving Antonio a second chance.
This quote is very interesting and has a deep rooted meaning. Through watching "Shakespeare behind bars" we have seen that these convicts have come to peace with themselves for what horrible things they did in their past. I do not remember the mans name, but the convict that murdered his two friends is a perfect example. He was given one of the worst punishments known to man, life sentence without a chance of parol. This man has gone over his actions and has realized his faults even though it seemed that his punishment should have been lesser. This quote says that the ones that you think deserve the least amount of mercy are the ones that need it the most. This film is a perfect example, of how these guys who you would only see as convicts, but this film allows you to see that they are good guys and deserve a second chance
Hal says, "The people who need mercy the most are the ones who deserve it the least." Choose an inmate from the documentary and a character in The Tempest and explain the truth in this statement.
Leonard (I'm hoping that I'm right guessing he's the child molester)is one who really, REALLY, needs mercy. everyone looks at him as the scum of the earth, because of all the crimes you can commit, you should never commit one which takes a person's most valuable gift of life, or of their purity. He took advantage of not one, but SEVEN young women before he was locked away. He is looked at as a Satan Spawn, and if he had any mercy on his soul, he would be the happiest person ever, but he never will, because he does not merit mercy. His crimes are irreversibly terrible, and so he should feel terrible, and not be given the privilege, similar to Antonio and his crimes on Prospero/a.
I, like the others, felt the most compassion for Sammie. However, I feel that he does deserve mercy and compassion, while, for some reason, I found it harder to forgive Lenard and feel compassion for him. There were moments when my heart really went out to him, but then once I learned that he had molested seven young girls, it was very hard to feel the same way. Maybe it is because Sammie's crime seemed like a crime of passion. What I mean is it was not planned, and many people who kill in a crime of passion are unlikely to kill again, it is those certain extenuating circumstances that lead them to that. Molesting seven girls, on the other hand, seems like something more likely to happen again and it was not just one but seven. Lenard did truly seems regretful, but it is still hard to forgive him, while Sammie seemed somehow more deserving of mercy. Along with Lenard, I found Hal very hard to forgive and connect with. He electrocuted his wife and unborn child to death and made it seem like an accident. His reason was that she acted just like his mother, and he had never been able to control his mother or his wife when they got like that.
In The Tempest, Prospero's own brother, Antonio, betrays Prospero by usurping him. His own brother. Family may be a lot of things, but family is not supposed to betray family. In my opinion, Antonio doesn't deserve mercy or forgiveness, however, Prosepero shows him mercy in the of the play. Similarly, I felt a pang of sadness for Sammie when we found out he didn't receive parole. Because throughout the movie we saw that he really seems to be a great guy. He went through a lot of hardship in his life, growing up. Sure, that doesn't justify what he did (strangling his girlfriend, I believe?), but it also happened to be only one bad decision he made in his life. He loves to laugh and be an outgoing, fun guy, but who knows if he'll ever get to see the other side and have the chance to become or be a better person. He committed a bad crime, yes. He should have been punished for it, yes. But this doesn't mean he doesn't deserve to be shown mercy by being given another chance.
I think that to decide the person who deserves forgiveness the least is too tough a decision, not my place to do so, and there is too much we don't know about the inmates in this documentary. For the sake of answering the question, I will go with Leonard(o?). I won't say that he deserves forgiveness the least, but he serves as a good example because his obvious desire for forgiveness contrasts with the atrocity of his crime. Antonio is the character in Tempest who needs the most forgiveness, because he betrayed his own brother, and plotted to kill the king, all for his own gain.
I think Sammie deserves forgiveness or at least another chance. He genuily feels awful about what he did. I felt really bad for him when he described his childhood abuse. He made an awful decision and was punished for it, but I still believe that Sammie at least deserves another chance. I didn't see a career criminal in Sammie. I saw I person who made an awful mistake decades ago and has now grown and recognized the error in his actions. I felt bad when I saw that his parole was denied. I can only take the quote as meaning that people who have committed heinous crimes are constantly living in torment either mentally or physically(jail) and that they need some kind of lenience. Personally, the quote fails to reach me.
Of all the inmates, I think Sammie fits Hal's quote the most. Sammie's childhood was anything but good. He grew up being sexually abused which led him to make wrong choices which eventually caused him to lose control and kill his girlfriend. We want to feel bad for him because his childhood was so hard, but also it's hard to when you know he committed murder. He definitely needs our mercy, especially that of the patrol board, because he has changed. But should he be forgiven for taking the life a someone? Antonio also is in need of Prospero's mercy. When he wrecks on the island the only person who can help him leave is Prospero, but twelve years prior Antonio practically tried to kill his brother, this being the very reason both of them find themselves on the island now. Antonio really needs Prospero to forgive him for his crimes just as Sammie needs society to forgive him and let him have a second shot at life. The big question, of course, do they deserve it? I personally think that Sammie does but Antonio doesn't. Sammie has done all he can to redeem himself while Antonio has sat on his thrown without a second thought to his brother. I believe that those most willing to changed deserve redemption if they succeed.
Antonio betrays his brother, which is wrong, but I think the only reason why he's forgiven is because Antonio and Prospero were brothers. I believe in second chances up until a certain point. If you murder someone, I do not believe you deserve a second chance. Everyone talks about how sad it is to see Sammie, but I don't agree. What he did was wrong and he shouldn't be given parole. He should be in prison his whole life. Sammie said that he did other wrong things too. First shooting a guy (I think) and then hanging around bad people. Sammie was the problem not the people around him. The two people who I thought deserved mercy was the guy who sold drugs and the tattoo guy. Honestly I don't classify people who sell drugs and people who murder the same way. He should be given a second chance. The guy who wanted tattoos should also be given a second chance in my opinion. Someone murdered his stepfather so he murdered them. Two life sentences is too much. I'm against killing, but I would've probably done the same thing if someone killed one of my family members
I thought that the most saddening story was Sammie's. He was abused as a child and couldn't talk about it with his family because his father made fun of him when he talked about it. So, he kept all of his budding anger and resentment and sadness inside. He got married, but then he had an affair with an old girlfriend who was very controlling and put him into a bad situation, threatening to expose him if he did not meet up with him. He subsequently strangled the girlfriend because she was so bad to him. When he did come up for parole, he did not get it, and I thought that was one of the saddest things. He had worked so hard, and was very genuine with all of the people. He was also very involved, as he did Shakespeare Behind Bars and was one of the heads of the computer programming program. I thought that he deserved at least a second chance because he seemed as if he genuinely felt bad about killing his victim and he tried so hard to do the right thing in jail.
I personally don't agree with Hal's statement. I don't think they deserve it the least and I don't really agree with the word mercy either. I feel sympathy better describes it but for the sake of the question, I pick Rick. Rick was given two life sentences without parole for killing two of his friends, who had killed his stepfather. I don't agree with this sentence at all, and I feel he deserves sympathy because unlike some of the others, he'll never have a chance to leave, or redeem himself. While I do feel for inmates like Sammie, I don't feel as much sympathy for him, because he has a future. He still has a chance to make something of himself. He still has a chance to live life, while Rick spends the rest of his days in prison without any hope over ever being able to contribute to society.
Caliban fits this statement well. Towards the end of the play, Prospero reveals to Caliban that he had known about Caliban's evil schemes to murder him all along. Caliban then begs for mercy upon his master. Although Caliban's sincere words begging for mercy is moving, he doesn't deserve mercy. After all Caliban tried to violate Miranda, Prospero's young daughter, which makes him less qualified for Prospero's mercy. The statement "people who need mercy the most are the ones who deserve it least" really does apply towards Leonard in Shakespeare Behind Bars. Leonard, a well respected computer programmer and church member, is put in prison when he sexually abuses four minors. Through out the movie we see that Leonard craves deeply for redemption, forgiveness, and mercy. But to society, Leonard will still be remembered as the man who had violated innocent children. So no matter how much Leonard needs mercy, he will always be the one that deserves it least because of his crime.
Sammie is the best example of this as he built up years and years of pain until it finally came out resulting in his imprisonment. Yes he did it but we can connect to him on why and as the audience we show pity and mercy for him. Caliban is almost the same way. He is obviously a simple person who seems like a big, angry brute on the outside but he also has feelings and it seems the same way with Sammie. Caliban is trapped on that island just like Sammie is trapped in prison.
Leonard was an interesting example of this quote from Hal. Like all the people that we learn about we start to feel compassion as we begin to see into the heart wrenching aspect of their lives. When I first saw leonard he struck me as an intelligent compassionate, pretty much normal person. When we learned of his crime it was a huge shock because he never gave any outward appearance that his crime was as heinous as it was (molesting minors). His quote also struck me, about wanting forgiveness so he could redeem himself enough to where maybe people "wouldn't judge the entirety of his life by the worst thing he's ever done." I have a hard time forgiving him though. Not just because of his atrocious act that landed him in prison, but the fact that he was moved halfway into the play because he had "something" he shouldn't of on his computer. All in all, I think that some of the inmates weren't ready to be forgiven for their crimes because they weren't ready to function in society and keep out of trouble like leonard
This quote is heavily accurate and speaks volumes to me. This also explains the spiritual aspect of how Christians don't really deserve grace as well and how mercy is also given from God. It is obviously something that isn't deserved by the individual, but it is given because it is an act of compassion. I really feel for Leonard;however, it can be really hard for the victims and their families to forgive him. The victimizations will stay with the victims for their entire lifetimes. I would like to say that if put in that position that I will have mercy or forgiveness for that person, but it is hard to say from the outside looking in. Leonard in turn reminds me of Caliban as well. Caliban has no mother and is left on the island, but Prospero takes him in. Caliban then betrays Prospero and tries to defile his daughter. I would forgive Caliban, but there has to be some consequence for Caliban's actions and I believe making him a servant is appropriate.
In the documentary, Leonard is truly an example of a human who needs mercy, but has committed a horrible crime- the sexual abuse of 6 girls- thus not deserving it. It's very simple in his case, mercy would entitle him to be free and to live a good life, but by scarring 6 girls for their entire lives, it would seem that he doesn't deserve the right to live his own good life. In The Tempest, the character Antonio is just the same- he plotted against his own brother to take over his land, banishing him and his infant daughter, and later plotted to take the life a neighboring king. These actions are terrible and mercy is an element least deserving, however, he nonetheless recieves it.
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ReplyDeleteSammie was perhaps the most heartbreaking inmate they followed. Throughout the course of the movie, I began to feel more and more compassion for him. He was sexually abused as a child and he took it out on his wife later on. If his wife were my daughter or sister and he strangled her to death, I probably would not have feel the same way. I can see through the way he talks about the crime and the way he tries so hard to better himself in the prison, that he is really sorry. Sammie committed a crime that could not be taken back. Some could say he did something, disregarding his past, absolutely unforgivable but it is the fact that he killed his wife, that makes him need mercy the most. Sammie seems not only to regret getting caught but also committing the crime itself. Sammie shows he needs forgiveness and mercy although it is hard to see that he deserves it.
ReplyDeleteSammie could probably be the most perfect example for this quote spoken by Hal. Sammie has gone through the hardest struggles in his lifetime and pleas for redemption and forgiveness. He is the inmate many people have the most compassion for and want to forgive him for what he has done. But it is not so easy because you realize what he has done to end up in prison. Another character that a lot of people begin to feel compassion for is Leonard. Leonard seems to be a good-hearted character with good intentions to ask for redemption. You start to feel close to him until he tells you why he's in the slammer. Leonard was serving a 50-year sentence for sexually abusing minors. Before the inmates would tell the camera what their crime was, the audience would start to feel compassion for the character. But once the crime is out, the compassion seems to have disappeared. I, as the watcher, want to forgive each character, but realize they might not deserve it or be worthy of it.
ReplyDeleteIn the Tempest, Antonio usurps his brother from the throne and tries to convince Sebastian to kill Alfonzo. While he does not deserve mercy, Prospero decides to forgive him. Antonio needs redemption in order to find a better self. Oftentimes others' kindness helps us find the kindness in ourselves. In Shakespeare Behind Bars, Sammie is a perfect example. He has a difficult history of being sexual abused starting when he was very young. Although in many senses what he did is unforgivable- strangling his wife- it is hard not to feel a little bit sorry for him. More than someone who is strong enough to make the correct decisions, he needs others to show him mercy and help him find the right way. Those who do bad things often come from difficult situations and very few (if any) people who commit horrible crimes are happy with themselves. Perhaps we can find ways, if not to forgive their actions, to forgive them.
ReplyDeleteWhile watching the documentary, I also felt the most connected with Sammie. When he was explaining how he was sexually abused as a child, you heart begins to hurt. Even though he committed a heinous crime, the murder was not what stuck with me. He seemed funny, kind, and even choked up or cried whenever he talked about his crime, which to me made me feel like he was truly sorry for what he had done. I felt so bad at the end of the documentary when it said that he would not get reviewed for his parole for another 6 years. Of all the people showed on the documentary, I wanted him to get that chance. I felt like he deserved mercy, even if others might not agree. Sammie needed the chance to redeem himself in the world to make things right, but it just goes to show you what Hal said. Antonio, in The Tempest, usurps the dukedom from Prospero and sends him off hoping he will die. Even though Antonio is portrayed as a vindictive and manipulative character, Prospero still forgives him. Hopefully with Prospero’s forgiveness, Antonio can make a fresh start and the brothers can make amends. To me, I felt like Sammie deserved mercy more than Antonio because Sammie explains to us how sitting in prison helped him to understand that it was not guns or the people he associated with that were the problem, but that it was himself. It takes a lot of courage to be able to admit that and makes me believe that Sammie was ready to start over.
ReplyDeleteI think Antonio, from the Tempest, and Sammie from Shakespeare Behind Bars are both good examples of characters that need forgiveness the most but have done horrible things and deserve it less than others. I think Hal's quote applies to both of them. When thinking about why they need forgiveness more than others, I remembered the idea that kept coming up for the characters in the movie, which was self-forgiveness. The reason people who have done things more heinous in nature require more forgiveness, I think, is because it is harder for people who’ve committed such horrible offenses to forgive themselves than for people who have done things lower on the scale of “badness.” While I still think they should be punished, I can imagine after watching Shakespeare behind bars, just how difficult it would be to confront yourself after committing a crime like that. I can’t imagine how they could continue on without feeling an omnipresent sense of guilt. This is why they need others to see them for the whole of their existences and to work towards forgiveness. I think this is where Antonio and Sammie differ though. Where I don’t think the reader got a very deep sense of Antonio’s guilt and want to better himself, I definitely got that idea with Sammie. He did so many things to better himself and to understand why he had acted the way he did which moved me.
ReplyDeleteSammie is an example of a character who needs mercy. Even though he is a murderer, you can see Sammie is sorry for his actions as he tears up when talking about his crime. I think that Sammie should be given a second chance, especially given his history of sexual and emotional abuse.
ReplyDeleteIn The Tempest, Antonio is a character who deserves mercy. After usurping the dukedom and leaving Prospero and Miranda to die, he seems like he does not deserve forgiveness. Prospero finds it in his heart to forgive him, giving Antonio a second chance.
This quote is very interesting and has a deep rooted meaning. Through watching "Shakespeare behind bars" we have seen that these convicts have come to peace with themselves for what horrible things they did in their past. I do not remember the mans name, but the convict that murdered his two friends is a perfect example. He was given one of the worst punishments known to man, life sentence without a chance of parol. This man has gone over his actions and has realized his faults even though it seemed that his punishment should have been lesser. This quote says that the ones that you think deserve the least amount of mercy are the ones that need it the most. This film is a perfect example, of how these guys who you would only see as convicts, but this film allows you to see that they are good guys and deserve a second chance
ReplyDeleteHal says, "The people who need mercy the most are the ones who deserve it the least." Choose an inmate from the documentary and a character in The Tempest and explain the truth in this statement.
ReplyDeleteLeonard (I'm hoping that I'm right guessing he's the child molester)is one who really, REALLY, needs mercy. everyone looks at him as the scum of the earth, because of all the crimes you can commit, you should never commit one which takes a person's most valuable gift of life, or of their purity. He took advantage of not one, but SEVEN young women before he was locked away. He is looked at as a Satan Spawn, and if he had any mercy on his soul, he would be the happiest person ever, but he never will, because he does not merit mercy. His crimes are irreversibly terrible, and so he should feel terrible, and not be given the privilege, similar to Antonio and his crimes on Prospero/a.
TL;DR: Leonard is bad and so he should feel bad.
I, like the others, felt the most compassion for Sammie. However, I feel that he does deserve mercy and compassion, while, for some reason, I found it harder to forgive Lenard and feel compassion for him. There were moments when my heart really went out to him, but then once I learned that he had molested seven young girls, it was very hard to feel the same way. Maybe it is because Sammie's crime seemed like a crime of passion. What I mean is it was not planned, and many people who kill in a crime of passion are unlikely to kill again, it is those certain extenuating circumstances that lead them to that. Molesting seven girls, on the other hand, seems like something more likely to happen again and it was not just one but seven. Lenard did truly seems regretful, but it is still hard to forgive him, while Sammie seemed somehow more deserving of mercy. Along with Lenard, I found Hal very hard to forgive and connect with. He electrocuted his wife and unborn child to death and made it seem like an accident. His reason was that she acted just like his mother, and he had never been able to control his mother or his wife when they got like that.
ReplyDeleteIn The Tempest, Prospero's own brother, Antonio, betrays Prospero by usurping him. His own brother. Family may be a lot of things, but family is not supposed to betray family. In my opinion, Antonio doesn't deserve mercy or forgiveness, however, Prosepero shows him mercy in the of the play.
ReplyDeleteSimilarly, I felt a pang of sadness for Sammie when we found out he didn't receive parole. Because throughout the movie we saw that he really seems to be a great guy. He went through a lot of hardship in his life, growing up. Sure, that doesn't justify what he did (strangling his girlfriend, I believe?), but it also happened to be only one bad decision he made in his life. He loves to laugh and be an outgoing, fun guy, but who knows if he'll ever get to see the other side and have the chance to become or be a better person. He committed a bad crime, yes. He should have been punished for it, yes. But this doesn't mean he doesn't deserve to be shown mercy by being given another chance.
I think that to decide the person who deserves forgiveness the least is too tough a decision, not my place to do so, and there is too much we don't know about the inmates in this documentary. For the sake of answering the question, I will go with Leonard(o?). I won't say that he deserves forgiveness the least, but he serves as a good example because his obvious desire for forgiveness contrasts with the atrocity of his crime. Antonio is the character in Tempest who needs the most forgiveness, because he betrayed his own brother, and plotted to kill the king, all for his own gain.
ReplyDeleteI think Sammie deserves forgiveness or at least another chance. He genuily feels awful about what he did. I felt really bad for him when he described his childhood abuse. He made an awful decision and was punished for it, but I still believe that Sammie at least deserves another chance. I didn't see a career criminal in Sammie. I saw I person who made an awful mistake decades ago and has now grown and recognized the error in his actions. I felt bad when I saw that his parole was denied. I can only take the quote as meaning that people who have committed heinous crimes are constantly living in torment either mentally or physically(jail) and that they need some kind of lenience. Personally, the quote fails to reach me.
ReplyDeleteOf all the inmates, I think Sammie fits Hal's quote the most. Sammie's childhood was anything but good. He grew up being sexually abused which led him to make wrong choices which eventually caused him to lose control and kill his girlfriend. We want to feel bad for him because his childhood was so hard, but also it's hard to when you know he committed murder. He definitely needs our mercy, especially that of the patrol board, because he has changed. But should he be forgiven for taking the life a someone? Antonio also is in need of Prospero's mercy. When he wrecks on the island the only person who can help him leave is Prospero, but twelve years prior Antonio practically tried to kill his brother, this being the very reason both of them find themselves on the island now. Antonio really needs Prospero to forgive him for his crimes just as Sammie needs society to forgive him and let him have a second shot at life. The big question, of course, do they deserve it? I personally think that Sammie does but Antonio doesn't. Sammie has done all he can to redeem himself while Antonio has sat on his thrown without a second thought to his brother. I believe that those most willing to changed deserve redemption if they succeed.
ReplyDeleteAntonio betrays his brother, which is wrong, but I think the only reason why he's forgiven is because Antonio and Prospero were brothers. I believe in second chances up until a certain point. If you murder someone, I do not believe you deserve a second chance. Everyone talks about how sad it is to see Sammie, but I don't agree. What he did was wrong and he shouldn't be given parole. He should be in prison his whole life. Sammie said that he did other wrong things too. First shooting a guy (I think) and then hanging around bad people. Sammie was the problem not the people around him. The two people who I thought deserved mercy was the guy who sold drugs and the tattoo guy. Honestly I don't classify people who sell drugs and people who murder the same way. He should be given a second chance. The guy who wanted tattoos should also be given a second chance in my opinion. Someone murdered his stepfather so he murdered them. Two life sentences is too much. I'm against killing, but I would've probably done the same thing if someone killed one of my family members
ReplyDeleteI thought that the most saddening story was Sammie's. He was abused as a child and couldn't talk about it with his family because his father made fun of him when he talked about it. So, he kept all of his budding anger and resentment and sadness inside. He got married, but then he had an affair with an old girlfriend who was very controlling and put him into a bad situation, threatening to expose him if he did not meet up with him. He subsequently strangled the girlfriend because she was so bad to him. When he did come up for parole, he did not get it, and I thought that was one of the saddest things. He had worked so hard, and was very genuine with all of the people. He was also very involved, as he did Shakespeare Behind Bars and was one of the heads of the computer programming program. I thought that he deserved at least a second chance because he seemed as if he genuinely felt bad about killing his victim and he tried so hard to do the right thing in jail.
ReplyDeleteI personally don't agree with Hal's statement. I don't think they deserve it the least and I don't really agree with the word mercy either. I feel sympathy better describes it but for the sake of the question, I pick Rick. Rick was given two life sentences without parole for killing two of his friends, who had killed his stepfather. I don't agree with this sentence at all, and I feel he deserves sympathy because unlike some of the others, he'll never have a chance to leave, or redeem himself. While I do feel for inmates like Sammie, I don't feel as much sympathy for him, because he has a future. He still has a chance to make something of himself. He still has a chance to live life, while Rick spends the rest of his days in prison without any hope over ever being able to contribute to society.
ReplyDeleteCaliban fits this statement well. Towards the end of the play, Prospero reveals to Caliban that he had known about Caliban's evil schemes to murder him all along. Caliban then begs for mercy upon his master. Although Caliban's sincere words begging for mercy is moving, he doesn't deserve mercy. After all Caliban tried to violate Miranda, Prospero's young daughter, which makes him less qualified for Prospero's mercy. The statement "people who need mercy the most are the ones who deserve it least" really does apply towards Leonard in Shakespeare Behind Bars. Leonard, a well respected computer programmer and church member, is put in prison when he sexually abuses four minors. Through out the movie we see that Leonard craves deeply for redemption, forgiveness, and mercy. But to society, Leonard will still be remembered as the man who had violated innocent children. So no matter how much Leonard needs mercy, he will always be the one that deserves it least because of his crime.
ReplyDeleteSammie is the best example of this as he built up years and years of pain until it finally came out resulting in his imprisonment. Yes he did it but we can connect to him on why and as the audience we show pity and mercy for him. Caliban is almost the same way. He is obviously a simple person who seems like a big, angry brute on the outside but he also has feelings and it seems the same way with Sammie. Caliban is trapped on that island just like Sammie is trapped in prison.
ReplyDeleteLeonard was an interesting example of this quote from Hal. Like all the people that we learn about we start to feel compassion as we begin to see into the heart wrenching aspect of their lives. When I first saw leonard he struck me as an intelligent compassionate, pretty much normal person. When we learned of his crime it was a huge shock because he never gave any outward appearance that his crime was as heinous as it was (molesting minors). His quote also struck me, about wanting forgiveness so he could redeem himself enough to where maybe people "wouldn't judge the entirety of his life by the worst thing he's ever done." I have a hard time forgiving him though. Not just because of his atrocious act that landed him in prison, but the fact that he was moved halfway into the play because he had "something" he shouldn't of on his computer. All in all, I think that some of the inmates weren't ready to be forgiven for their crimes because they weren't ready to function in society and keep out of trouble like leonard
ReplyDeleteThis quote is heavily accurate and speaks volumes to me. This also explains the spiritual aspect of how Christians don't really deserve grace as well and how mercy is also given from God. It is obviously something that isn't deserved by the individual, but it is given because it is an act of compassion. I really feel for Leonard;however, it can be really hard for the victims and their families to forgive him. The victimizations will stay with the victims for their entire lifetimes. I would like to say that if put in that position that I will have mercy or forgiveness for that person, but it is hard to say from the outside looking in. Leonard in turn reminds me of Caliban as well. Caliban has no mother and is left on the island, but Prospero takes him in. Caliban then betrays Prospero and tries to defile his daughter. I would forgive Caliban, but there has to be some consequence for Caliban's actions and I believe making him a servant is appropriate.
ReplyDeleteIn the documentary, Leonard is truly an example of a human who needs mercy, but has committed a horrible crime- the sexual abuse of 6 girls- thus not deserving it. It's very simple in his case, mercy would entitle him to be free and to live a good life, but by scarring 6 girls for their entire lives, it would seem that he doesn't deserve the right to live his own good life.
ReplyDeleteIn The Tempest, the character Antonio is just the same- he plotted against his own brother to take over his land, banishing him and his infant daughter, and later plotted to take the life a neighboring king. These actions are terrible and mercy is an element least deserving, however, he nonetheless recieves it.