Shakespeare

King Lear, the play in which Arthur dies performing, is especially significant as Lear is a character who deals with intense amounts of regret. The King divides his kingdom among his daughters and is mistaken in falling for the superficial flattery of two of these and rejecting the honest love of the third. This is symbolic of Arthur’s pursuit of fame and fortune while missing genuine human connections with Clark, Miranda and his son Tyler. Like Lear, Arthur is left with regret. A Midsummer Night’s Dream starts with a planned wedding, an anticipated event which does not transpire, and parallels the plans made before the Georgia Flu outbreak showing how fate can intervene in man’s plans. The play deals with male dominance and sets up the king and queen of the fairies in an argument over a child. Reflecting the battle between Kirsten and the Prophet over a stowaway, the struggle is a battle of wills and a reflection of gender roles. Shakespeare is a sign of persevering culture.

Shakespeare Quotes

A few of the actors thought Shakespeare would be more relatable if they dressed in the same patched and faded clothing their audience wore, but Kirsten thought it meant something to see Titania in a gown, Hamlet in a shirt and tie. Chapter 24

But look, she’d told him, the difference was that they’d seen electricity, they’d seen everything, they’d watched a civilization collapse, and Shakespeare hadn’t. In Shakespeare’s time the wonders of technology were still ahead, not behind them, and far less had been lost. (The Clarinet) Chapter 50

Book

The written word in Mandel’s Station Eleven appears in many forms: a celebrity gossip column, Shakespearian plays, books and comics. Printed texts become treasured items for those in the new world. The Symphony scavenges for copies of plays, Kirsten hoards magazine articles, and the Dr Eleven graphic novels are integral to the plot. Books represent a connection with the past, a passage of knowledge that was interrupted by disaster. As some printed works start to emerge, Diallo’s newspaper, the Clarinet’s modern play (or first line thereof) begin a new world of knowledge. The Museum of Civilisation houses precious copies of print. Books can be an escape, a gift of joy and amusement to those in peril. Not surprisingly, they are positively framed and have an impact on readers and listeners. They are a legacy, a way of being remembered.

Book Quote

‘They’re all immortal to me. First we only want to be seen, but once we’re seen, that’s not enough anymore. After that, we want to be remembered.’ (Frank) Chapter 34

Planes

Airplanes emblematise civilisation for the characters of Station Eleven. A symbol of man’s conquering spirit, they once transported goods and people to all ends of the earth and turned a globe into a community. Their feature as the harbinger of the Georgia Flu challenges the notion that globalisation is ultimately all good. Their infrequent rise during the peak of the pandemic represent glimmers of hope such as the plane which leaves Severn City hoping to find something better. When planes are sighted they offer hope that somewhere a society is untouched or rebuilt. Ultimately, stranded on tarmacs the planes show the impact of fate and nature over man’s engineering.

Planes Quote

No more flight. No more towns glimpsed from the sky through airplane windows, points of glimmering light; no more looking down from thirty thousand feet and imagining the lives lit up by those lights at that moment. No more airplanes, no more requests to put your tray table in its upright and locked position—but no, this wasn’t true, there were still airplanes here and there. They stood dormant on runways and in hangars. They collected snow on their wings. In the cold months, they were ideal for food storage. In summer the ones near orchards were filled with trays of fruit that dehydrated in the heat. Teenagers snuck into them to have sex. Rust blossomed and streaked. Chapter 6

The Paperweight

This seemingly benign object moves from hand to hand symbolising human connectivity. It passes from Clark to Arthur then Miranda as a gift, is received by Miranda then returned to Arthur, then gifted to Tanya from whom it is received by Kirsten. A block of glass with a cloud inside it represents the fragility of humanity. At any time the glass could break and the storm could be unleashed, paralleling the (fake) snow when Arthur passes and the Georgia Flu arriving in Toronto. A seemingly practical item, it is carried by Kirsten as a thing of beauty during a period when only necessary items are kept. It is art for art’s sake.

Paperweight quote

The paperweight was a smooth lump of glass with storm clouds in it, about the size of a plum. It was of no practical use whatsoever, nothing but dead weight in the bag but she found it beautiful. (Kirsten) Chapter 12