William Shakespeare's Supernatural Catalysts

Two of William Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies, Macbeth and Hamlet, have been analyzed for centuries for their main characters' depth and actions. However, there are characters in both plays that—debatable—might not be “real” people, but they are the catalysts of their respective stories and set the entire plot in motion. The Witches in Macbeth and King Hamlet’s ghost in Hamlet both map out the events—or desired events—in their stories. The Witches do this through the prophecy they tell Macbeth and Banquo, and King Hamlet does this by laying out a revenge plan for his son to carry out. Shakespeare uses these otherworldly characters to set in motion the plots of both plays, but both—especially King Hamlet’s ghost—are debatably real beings. The Witches are also subjects for debate, as their only interactions are with Macbeth and Banquo. Both titular characters—Macbeth and Prince Hamlet—are the primary interactors with their stories’ supernatural entities. They are both characters who are subjects of psychological trauma, which might account for their perceptions of these supernatural beings. Macbeth is perpetually shellshocked by his culture’s constant violence, and Prince Hamlet has to deal with the familial trauma of his father’s death and his mother’s remarrying. I argue in this paper that both these plays titular characters have visions of these supernatural beings because of their trauma, and their visions of these possibly fictitious characters hold up the entire plot.

Charles B. Eppley (Kikker) is a junior at Lander University. He is currently earning his degree in English with a Media and Communications minor. Originally from Memphis, TN, he plans to call Aiken, SC, home after graduating from Lander, while also continuing his education at graduate school.

Science Fiction and Fantasy: Women Who Made Room for Themselves in a Male-Dominated Genre

The strong female lead is an alluring archetype that influences readers to start a book in the science fiction and fantasy genres, but this archetype was not always popular, nor did female writers have much of a voice in the early days of the genres. How is it that authors like Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros are dominating speculative fiction on the shelves? These contemporary women authors are able to market themselves in science fiction and fantasy because of the contributions of their predecessors. Women writers have integrated themes from the feminist movement into their entirely fictional and futuristic worlds, and some their writing still influences the modern feminist movement with its symbolism and iconography. From Mary Shelley to Octavia Butler, this presentation will discuss select women authors of science fiction and fantasy and how they utilized the feminist movement to make way for themselves and other women in the male-dominated genres.

Carly Rogers is a senior English - Professional Writing major from Simpsonville, SC. She has published works in both poetry and fiction and hopes to continue publishing in the future. When not writing, she loves playing instruments, drawing, and lounging around with her two dogs.

Writing Fiction - “Daughter of Fire”

It all begins when Anthedora wakes up after her death and decides to steal a baby. Inspired by the worlds of Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and Tolkien’s Middle Earth with references to current pop culture, this is a work of found family and finding your place in the vast universe. This story is a blend of humor, trauma, and healing. Follow along to see the beginnings of the shenanigans that Anthedora gets up to with the help of a bored deity of death, and sometimes those shenanigans begin with burning a giant man-eating spider into charcoal.

Zoe Starr graduated from Irmo High School in 2022 and is in her junior year of undergrad. She is a Psychology Major with a Creative Writing Minor. Over the summer she works at a summer camp with children ages four to thirteen. Zoe intends to begin writing and illustrating a children’s picture book. Her goal for the future is to become both a School Psychologist and an author.