HSC Stuff > Marking Thread Archives

English Advanced Essay Marking (Modules Only)

<< < (259/263) > >>

sidzeman:
Hey guys, I'd love some feedback on my Mod A essay - this is my weakest module by far - I never know how to balance textual evidence, context and also include what new conclusions we can gain from a comparative study. Basically, any help would be appreciated!
Edit: My elective is intertextual perspectives if that wasn't clear

Q. After comparing Metropolis and 1984 what conclusions have you drawn about their intertextual perspective regarding to technology and revolution?

A comparative study of Fritz Lang’s German Expressionist film “Metropolis” and George Orwell’s dystopian novel “Nineteen Eighty-Four” (1984) both reveals the extent to which context shapes the perspectives inherent in both texts, and also elucidates new insights regarding technological oppression and the viability of revolutions. Both texts explore the contextual fear of technology used as a mechanism by governments to exploit the masses, due to the contextual issues of class struggle in the Weimar Republic and the rise of totalitarian regimes such as the Soviet Union. However, the texts have clashing intertextual perspectives regarding the viability of revolutions in addressing societal inequalities, as the bleakness of the WW2 era leads Orwell to represent revolutions as being ultimately futile. Thus, the comparison of the texts context and thus values allows for an in-depth understanding of the similarities and differences in their intertextual perspectives regarding technology and rebellions.

Both Lang and Orwell explore in their respective texts the use of technology to exploit the lower classes, and so enhances the audiences understanding of the double-edged nature of technology. In “Metropolis”, Fredersen applies technology in his industry to dehumanise the proletariats, as demonstrated through the low angle shot of the Moloch Machine, highlighting its power over the exhausted workers.   However, the juxtaposition of these scenes to the above ground cities surreal scale reveals how Fredersen’s creation of an immense and futuristic city has stemmed from his use of technology as an enforcer of oppression of the workers. This dichotomous perspective of technology is a result of Lang’s context, where technology had both been used for destruction in WW1, and yet also was causative of the golden age of the Weimar Republic. The sharp contrast between Maria and her Robot counterpart also strengthens our understanding of technology as the pinnacle of human achievement, which yet can be a serious threat to societal rights if misused. While Maria is presented as pure and virginal, the religious allusion of the Whore of Babylon is used in reference to Robot Maria, an example of how technology can be used to corrupt. Thus, Lang demonstrates how technology can be utilised to oppress the masses to ensure the wealthy retain control.

However, Orwell presents a far deeper mistrust of technology and its ability to be manipulated by the state to maintain dictatorial rule, as demonstrated through his portrayal of the Party which removes individual liberty through constant surveillance. In his novel, the extensive use of the technology of the “telescreen” means citizens “can be seen as well as heard” at all times, leading them to be divorced from their own individuality as they must “live in the assumption that…every movement was scrutinised”. Furthermore, the telescreens are also constantly used for propaganda such as the “Two Minutes Hate”, similar to the anti-Semitic rallies by the Nazi Party, which are “impossible to avoid joining in”. The inability to resist such propaganda indicates the forced abandonment of independent thought in favour of the Party’s dogmas as a result of technological manipulation. Orwell’s much darker perspective on technology is a direct result of his witnessing of the nuclear bomb, the ultimate perversion of technology and its ability to be used to benefit society. Thus, Orwell expresses a much more serious concern for the advancement of technology, due to his recognition of its potential to subdue individual thought.

Lang portrays in his film the potential of an oppressed populous to resolve their exploitation through a rebellion. The mis-en-scene of Maria preaching to the workers reveals the ray of sunlight bathing Maria, contrasted to the otherwise darkened underground cavern, which symbolises her importance and thus grants her presentation of an egalitarian society greater credibility. Her message of class unity was reflective of the rising popularity of Marxist ideas in Germany at the time.  The final shot of Freder clasping the hands of Grot and Fredersen, after the revolution is finished, completes the extended metaphor of “the mediator between the head and the hands must be the heart”, and is a visual representation of the formation of the Golden Age of the democratic Weimar Republic. Thus, Lang’s attests to the ability of revolutions to resolve societal issues in his film.

Contrastingly, Orwell presents an entirely different perspective on revolutions, portraying them as an unsuccessful answer in addressing the injustices of governments. He utilises the didactic device of Goldstein’s book, which states revolutionary’s simply “thrust the Low back into their old position of servitude” after their revolution is complete, as they only “pretend…that they are fighting for liberty and justice”. Through this, Orwell condemns revolutions as being hypocritical and impractical, as no meaningful change is created in society. This perspective of Orwell is drawn from the atrocities of the Soviet Union after coming to power, such as Stalin’s Great Purge. The verbatim repetition of “I betrayed you” and “All you care about is yourself” between Winston and Julia further consolidates the inevitable failure of revolutionaries, as does the final line of “He (Winston) loved Big Brother”, ending the novel on a bleak and hopeless tone. The stark differences in the texts resolutions is a result of their differing contexts and purpose. While Lang intended “Metropolis” to be a symbol of hope for society untainted by the greed of capitalists, Orwell’s purpose was to create a didactic dystopian novel which would serve as a warning of the insidious nature of socialism and the dangers of accepting such ideologies, after seeing a rise in cooperation with Stalin with the Tehran Conference. Thus, Orwell’s contrary portrayal of revolutions as being futile serves his intention of warning against the absolute control and corruption of totalitarian states.

A comparative analysis of Lang’s “Metropolis” and Orwell’s “1984” assists us on understanding the effect of their contexts on shaping the values of a text, and also illuminates both the unique qualities and similarities of the two texts. Both composers share similar perspectives on technology being utilised as a means by authoritarian regimes to enable their dictatorship, due to the parallels of technology modernisation allowing exploitation within their contexts. The disparities in the outcome of key revolutions in “Metropolis” and “1984”, with the rise of the Golden Age of the Weimar Republic and the hypocritical actions of the Soviet Union, thus leads the texts to portray differing perspectives on the viability of revolutions in addressing inequalities present in society. 

armtistic:
Hey, I have a bunch of questions about my Mod B essay so here goes nothing.
How do I use an integrated structure without being too shallow in analysis or linking whilst also fitting two texts into a single paragraph, given that I want to keep them under 300 words. Should I cut down on the number of textual evidences I use for each poem?
At the moment I'm struggling to fit just the topic sentence, link and analysis of quotes let alone critic input or my personal response to critics or the poem. Should I try and weave my personal response into linking sections or should I just leave it to the conclusion?
And would you recommend I replace a quote from the poem or something with a quote from a critic just to add a sense of broader reading?


Could someone define and give specific examples of the difference between structure and form and how I would insert them in my essay for Mod B Eliot, because I don't see how to provide textual evidence for a specific type of structure or form.

Also, is it weird to have this many poems in the essay? Does it detract from the depth of analysis?


Here's my generic essay, it isn't in response to any question.


T.S Eliot, a luminary of the Modernist era, captures, through his poetry, the zeitgeist of Western society plagued by existential uncertainty and loss of spiritualism in wake of industrialisation and the Great War. Throughout his oeuvre, Eliot experiments with abstract surrealism, fragmentation of textual form, stream-of-consciousness and subversion of traditional mediums to encapsulate the unprecedented changes brought about by rapid industrialisation, secularism and technological warfare on society’s outlook on purpose, existentialism, and human connection. Through “Preludes”, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”, “The Hollow Men” and “The Journey of the Magi”, Eliot presents a cohesive and integrated portrait of the decay and alienation of humanity, the fear of nonconformity, and the quest for purpose in a world where the ‘modern man’ is merely a cesspool of lost agency and defunct spirituality/connection.


With accelerating industrialisation came the rise of urbanism and the suffocation of city life. The subsequent proximity, paradoxically, led to emotional detachment and a degrading loss of substance and human connection. In “Preludes”, Eliot presents four vignettes of the emotional sterility that urban society imparts upon the individual, mirroring our own societal fragmentation in the segregated structure. He assaults the senses through the cumulative imagery of dirt and decay in “sawdust-trampled street … muddy feet … dingy shades” to reflect the degradation of our own humanity and subsequently reinforces this barrage through enjambment of the entire stanza from “faint stale smells of beer […] to early coffee stands” to replicate, through the feverish meter, the rush from intoxicant to stimulant that encapsulates the desire to seek release from our lonely modern existences. The “conscience of a blackened street” allegorises the modern soul, symbolically “trampled” and “blackened” by our “muddy feet” as we ignore it and each other. Similarly, “Prufrock” explores the hollow niceties of the bourgeoisie; most evident in the recurring motif of tea which becomes an objective correlative for bourgeois vacuity as he contrasts the pleasantries of “tea and cakes and ices” against the imperative connotations of “crisis” to reinforce the modern preoccupation with meaningless rituals. Through the diacope “That is not what I meant at all;/ That is not it, at all.” Eliot captures the breakdown of communication in a vacuous, detached modern society and uses reverse zoomorphism in the harshly sibilant “I should have been a ragged pair of claws/ Scuttling across the floors of silent seas.” to illustrate the psychological deterioration and emotional detachment that results from prolonged alienation, leaving the victim crabby, hard-shelled and evasive. Hence, through a synthesis of structure and language forms across both poems, Eliot constructs a single, poignant voice decrying the loss of humanity in an increasingly mechanised society, allowing his works to resonate even today.


Drawing on personal fears of being left behind, with the radical evolution of liberalism and secularism, Eliot constructs a universal human narrative of the fear of independent action and nonconformity, giving his works their lasting impact. Prufrock’s titular character serves to embody the flailing psychological decline of those too occupied by their shortcomings. Eliot opens by describing the evening sky through the simile “Like a patient etherized upon a table” which, through oxymoronic imagery, acts as an objective correlative, triggering feelings of unconsciousness, vulnerability and confusion which reflects the emasculation of Western society during WWI. Eliot addresses this in Prufrock’s expulsion of angst through the stream-of-consciousness narrative - “How his hair is growing thin!”- culminating in the bathetic “Do I dare/Disturb the universe?” in a mockery of the modern man’s overemphasis on social customs, inflating it, in their hubris, to universal proportions. He reinforces these ideas through irregular line length in “Though I have seen my head (grown slightly bald) brought in upon a platter,” which complements the tumultuous rhythm and comically pathetic tone of the stanza to emphasise the self-doubt and subsequent delirium that characterises those left metaphorically “pinned and wriggling” by indecision in light of social scrutiny. Likewise, Eliot’s “Hollow Men” represents a generation of young men that felt they had failed God and government and now “grope together/ And avoid speech”, unable to die as ‘heroes’ but too traumatised to reintegrate with society, “behaving as the wind behaves” as, unsupported, they submit to the whims of fate.  Eliot furthers this through biblical allusion in the apostrophe “those who have crossed […] to death’s other Kingdom” in which he indicates that the ‘hollow men’ are trapped in a societal purgatory, forced to wear “such deliberate disguises” of psychological wellbeing to fit into society. They are represented symbolically by “the Shadow” which falls “Between the idea/ And the reality” as, likewise trapped between two extremities, they exist in a grey state of moral and social paralysis. Hence, Eliot’s encapsulation of the disorientation and abandonment of compassion and empathy in light of urbanism and warfare acts as a template for mankind’s response to change in any era, lending to the textual integrity of his oeuvre.


The gruesome realities of the Great War left the world disillusioned yet dulled. As Nietzsche’s “God is dead!” seemed to ring truer than ever, the world groped desperately for some sliver of meaning. Eliot begins with a paradox “We are the hollow men/ We are the stuffed men” employing the disembodied inclusive pronoun “we” as a collective condemnation of the “modern man” who has meekly succumbed to living a death-in-life role.  The metrical pattern of the passage is the rhythmic equivalent of “paralysed force, gesture without motion”; evidenced in the contrast of the spiritual languor developed by the despondent tone of “quiet and meaningless” against the terseness of the lines which imply some conservation of energy or spirit. This remnant spirit is insufficient to prevent the spiritual collapse of society - mirrored in the truncation of the Lord’s Prayer “For Thine is/ Life is/ For Thine is the” - as all meaning is then dashed in the metaphorical depiction of faith as “prayers to broken stone”. The anthropomorphic “eyes”, a metonym for God, “are not here […] In this valley of dying stars”, a terrifying confirmation of God’s desertion of man, a belief prevalent in modern (and post-modern) society. In Magi, however, Eliot argues that purpose can be found, but only with great commitment. Eliot employs the mask of a Magus on an arduous pilgrimage, through the pathetic fallacy of “cities hostile and the towns unfriendly”, and our peers symbolised as “voices singing in our ears, saying/ That this was all folly”, to compile the universal obstacles one must overcome to find meaning in faith. Through Biblical allusion “this Birth was/Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death,” Eliot presents a paradox in that the Birth of Christ represents religious salvation, yet precipitates the Magi’s ostracism from their people, a living death. The enjambment of the lines depicts this structurally, as the end-stop following “our death.” embodies the Magi’s lives cut short.   He encapsulates all this in the last stanza, a turbulent stream-of-consciousness of irregular line length and unorthodox syntax “but set down/This set down/ This:” to project the personal and spiritual chaos that religious transformation causes in a modern world where status is the new God. Thus, through a synergy of structure and tone, Eliot delivers a concentrated atmosphere of desperation as he captures the timeless clash of faith against nihilism.


Eliot, through deliberate choice of language, is able to convey to responders the population’s feelings of incompetence within a decaying Modernist setting, a society mired in decay, inaction and aimlessness. What he creates is an intimate and evocative journey for purpose when compassion and humanity are lost.

lizzygrech:
--> It is probably really shit because I struggle alot with Mod C, hoping for some feedback x!

2016 Section III Module C People and Politics
(20 marks)
Politics illustrates the ultimate powerlessness of ordinary people.
To what extent is this view represented in your prescribed text and ONE other related text of your own choosing?

Politics, to a great extent, illustrates an ultimate loss of power of ordinary people. This perspective however, is reflected in the Revisionist novel, Why Weren’t We Told by Henry Reynolds but as well in the film, In The Name of the Father directed by Jim Sheridan. Both texts represent how in the face of politics, ordinary people can become powerless if there is lack of education. Through both texts, the composers aim to inform individuals of the manipulation used by governance and how political situations can restrict the freedom of ordinary people.
Politics dictates how a nation conducts themselves and influences what ordinary people see as just and right. As a result of such power, political ignorance is developed by individuals, usually as a result of little education and lack of public knowledge. This perspective is criticised in Reynold’s memoir Why Weren’t We Told. Reynold’s makes clear his purpose of enlightening Australia in the history of their settlement, with the aim of growth and reconciliation as a nation. Such powerlessness and ignorance is correlated to the absence of education and documentation of Australia’s past resulting in the subjection of the Aboriginal community and the rest of the country. Reynold’s makes this view evidently clear when he states “While Aborigines and Islanders kept alive their bitter history of loss and oppression, white North Queenslanders wished it buried and forgotten”. He uses a juxtaposition to bring attention to the White Australian lack of recognition of Indigenous oppression, further represented through the metaphor of ‘buried’. He implies that there is an unresolved problem as well as the guilt on behalf of ordinary Australian people who didn’t know better. Reynold’s also represents this helplessness when he states “The influence of the new historical writing on the High Court remains a contentious issue. But there can be no doubt that the Mabo judgement has changed the way the story of Australian colonisation must in future be told.”. His use of primary evidence plays an important role in enlightening the public to the impact of Australian politics. Henry Reynold’s illustrates through his revisionist novel the control that politics holds over the capacity and ability of the ordinary people, restricting access to public knowledge and growth.

Ordinary individuals are often caught in the midst of political acts and situations, often resulting in either shared or competing political perspectives. Within this, people are held powerless as knowledge is restricted to the public or manipulated in ways to benefit the government. This is evidently conveyed through Jim Sheridan’s film, In The Name of the Father. Sheridan represents the political situation of Catholic and Irish discrimination and the impact of the Terrorism act as corrupted. In the commencement of the film, Sheridan shows a mid-shot of Gerry and his father Gessapi. Gessapi states “go and live son, that’s the best advice I can give you”. However, this later becomes ironic as both men are placed in jail as a result of living their lives, unsuspecting of how powerless they’d really become. The powerless of the Irish and British public is represented in the torture scene. Sheridan uses a camera angle through the peephole of the integration room to communicate that the political situation was closed minded and hidden from public knowledge. Sheridan suggests that politics confine the power and freedom of individuals, this is communicated in the scene where they receive the truth and confession of the IRA bomber McAndrew’s. However, even with the truth resonating within the political system is was denied access to public with fear there would be consequences. He represents Gerry and his father as ordinary individuals caught in the middle of this political act. However, throughout the protesting scene, Sheridan communicates how powerful and significant individuals in the fight for change. As the fight intensifies through echoing diegetic sound of yelling and screaming, so is the liberation of Gerry as an ordinary and innocent man. Jim Sheridan suggests that mundane society is denied the whole truth due to the agenda of the ruling government, and as a result regular people are impacted.

Politicians often override the controversial voices of individuals with the intention of appeasing to the majority of individuals, aligning their shared political perspective to theirs. Reynold’s memoir is used as a voice for the voiceless, a source of power which aimed to highlight the oppression against Indigenous Australians and ultimately expose the deliberate white washing and assimilation of Aboriginals. Reynold’s explains himself that he basked once basked in everyday ignorance unware of the dark Australian past and made it his aim to restore power and liberation to the silenced Australians. In the beginning of his novel, Reynold’s makes clear his personal liberation and purpose, “It is a book of opinions. Many also find it opinionated. In my own defence I can say that my views are based on things I have seen and heard, as much as they are on reading and research...”. He uses the medium of print to defend himself through his control and power over his writing. In this case, he justifies and openly states his methods of persuasion and subjectivity. Ultimately expressing that he is being truthful and is not spurred by ulterior political motives beyond exposing the hidden truths of Australian history. “‘Called protector of Aborigines and arrangements for purchasing the lands of the Natives.’...it was like discovering a nugget of gold.” Reynolds finds evidence that goes against terra nullius. The simile indicates the importance and significance of this. He is able to demonstrate that Australian politics that disregards Indigenous is based off flaws and ignorance and thus doomed to fail. This juxtaposition highlights how restricting politics can be, removing power and liberation of individuals if not challenged.

With political perspectives being able to condescends the different values and beliefs ordinary people, individuals find themselves loosing power or actively attempting to regain it. Jim Sheridan expresses this viewpoint through his representation of Gerry the assumed terrorist. In the opening scenes of the film, the audience establishes a true sense of Gerry as he is represented as young, immature but harmless man with the soundtrack of Bob Dylan, an artist who appealed to the younger generations, plays throughout the scene. Gerry’s innocence is also amplified when he and Paul Hill meet the homeless man. They give the very last of the money without a second thought when the bomb goes off, once again Sheridan is expressing the absence of terrorism in Gerry. Suggesting that individuals are sometimes unfortunately caught between political agendas, thus taking away all power and control. This is seen in the trial scene of the film. The scene begins with a high shot of the Chief Judge lazily laying his feet on the desk with coffee in his hand, a smug and superior mannerism establishes how corrupted and manipulated politics can be for ordinary people. The long shot of the many people other than Gerry walking into the court room, represents just how impacting a superior political agenda can be for ordinary people with little to no power. Sheridan represents in the God father movie scene, just how ordinary individuals who have become powerless may carry out violent acts for their political mean. This is expressed through the low suspenseful music and diegetic intense slamming of the jail gates. However, the fight individuals partake in for the restoration of power, can often not be enough. Sheridan uses the symbolism of the fire raining down each side of the dark jail to illustrate that sometimes the world is really just unfair. It is clear to see that often these political acts have severe consequences and sometimes irreversible for the ordinary people of society, evidently represented through the death of Gessapi an innocent man.

Politics illustrates the ultimate powerlessness of ordinary and unsuspecting individuals. Both composers communicate the importance of public knowledge and further education in combating this helplessness. Without reflection or revising the known, change cannot occur. However, both composers also suggest that when facing seemingly impossible challenges, self liberation and empowerment can arise.

katie,rinos:
Hey,
Would you please be able to give me some feedback on a module C essay that I wrote?
It's probably one of my worst modules so all feedback is really appreciated.
Thanks so much! :)

Spoiler2015 HSC-Module C               
Experiences of landscape may be diverse, but the influence on identity is always profound.’            
Evaluate this statement with detailed reference to your prescribed text and ONE other related text of your own choosing.
            
Although, individuals may have differing experiences with a landscape, this will always have an enduring impact on their beliefs and values. Alain de Botton’s multi-modal philosophical text The Art of Travel focusses on the impact of travel on individuals in real, anticipated and remembered landscapes. In his chapter On Travelling Places, de Botton questions what makes a landscape such a valuable travel destination. Similarly, the chapter On Eye-Opening Art, conveys the differing representations of landscapes by Van Gogh, and how artworks have been able to impact future generations in engaging their imagination and motivating them to see a landscape. The poem, 10 Mary Street by Peter Skrzynecki expresses the real landscape of a migrant families home and how it has lasting childhood memories for the persona. Therefore, throughout both texts while experiences of the landscape are widely different, they have long lasting effects on an individual's identity.

Landscapes that we may perceive as insignificant and mundane may profoundly influence our identity. In the chapter, On travelling Places, de Botton questions the different value of landscapes while travelling. The stereotypical description of the landscape conveyed by ‘lush palmed fringed island that Baudelaire had dreamed of’ conveys the idealised initial perspective towards the landscape. The use of the inclusive pronoun ‘we’ expressed through “If we find poetry in the service station and motel… implicitly feel that these isolated places offer us a material setting for an alternative to selfish ease”, further portray how landscapes that may ordinarily be viewed as unimportant can have a significant impact on an individual. This is similarly conveyed through the emphasis on seemingly insignificant everyday objects in ‘coffee machine and magazines, tokens of small human desires and vanities’. The aphorism of ‘not necessarily at home that we best encounter our true selves’, reiterates how landscapes can have an impact on our identity and values. Hence, landscapes both anticipated and real can have a large impact on an individual's identity, values and beliefs.

Landscapes can have a large impact on our identity through the memories that we can associate with them. The poem, 10 Mary Street conveys the landscape of a migrant family in their home and their close connection to the house. The persona reflects on his childhood memories of the house and garden, inviting the audience to share his thoughts and emphasise with their position as migrants. The simile ‘like a well oiled lock’, reinforces the daily routine of the family. The symbolism in ‘still too-narrow bridge’ expresses the difficulties faced by the family in transitioning into their community. The parent’s strong connection to the garden is conveyed through the cumulative listing of ‘watered plants-grew potatoes/And rows of sweet corn’. This is similarly conveyed through the use of sibilance and continuation of garden imagery in ‘became citizens of the soil’. The simile ‘like a hungry bird’ and further hyperbole ‘bursting at the seams’ is contrasted to it’s prior listing. This emphasises how the persona initially gave little thought to the garden and doesn’t reciprocate his parent’s care for the landscape. The strong family connection and self-identity throughout the poem is very different to the experiences portrayed in de Botton’s text however still has an enduring impact on the beliefs and values of the personas.

Artworks and their representation of a landscape can influence individuals to travel which can further impact their identity. The representation of a landscape through the use of artworks is conveyed through de Botton's chapter On Eye-Opening Art. De Botton’s use of intertextuality contrasts the post-impressionist paintings of Van Gogh with their real landscapes to reinforce his ideas and convey how they were perceived differently. During de Botton’s travels, an Australian man exclaims ‘Well, it doesn’t look much like that’, when comparing the painting and landscapes of Gogh. This reinforces that there may be several different subjective interpretations of a landscape. This is similarly seen through the aphorism ‘world is complex enough for two realistic pictures of the same place to look very different’. The statement ‘tend to seek our corners of the world only once .. painted and written about by artists’, shows how artists can be influential in inspiring others to travel to a landscape. While interpretations of an environment may vary, they can have a significant impact on an individual’s values and beliefs. 

Therefore, landscapes will always have an enduring impact on an individual's beliefs and values despite their diverse experiences. The chapter, On Travelling Places questions the value of landscapes while also reflecting on those we may find insignificant. The poem, 10 Mary Street conveys a man’s reflection of the strong connection he had with his childhood home and garden. Further, the chapter On Eye-Opening Art expresses how the representation of landscapes through artworks can inspire others to travel. Thus while we may have differing experiences of a landscape, it can invoke profound longlasting responses in an individual.

winstondarmawan:
Hello! Would appreciate feedback on my generic Mod A Essay plan.
SpoilerAn examination of the intertextual connections between texts facilitates a deepened understanding of a composer’s values, which are represented different due to the dynamic nature of context.  In particular focus, the reshaping of values such as integrity and humility in Shakespeare’s KRIII and Al Pacino’s LFR reveals the influence of religion and the Tudor myth in the representation of themes such as duplicity and the pursuit of power. 
Topic Sentence 1 (Integrity):
General: Through a study of intertextual connections, a deepened understanding of the dehumanising effects of relinquishing one’s integrity in order to fulfil the insatiable lust for power is attained – despite the dynamic perspectives of the importance of integrity as context shifts.
Grounding (S): The value of integrity is intrinsic to the theocentric society of Shakespeare’s milieu as it enforces the Christian mindset of staying true to oneself in their thoughts and actions. Hence, Shakespeare’s characterises Richard as the perfect Machiavellian villain, abandoning any notion of traditional Christian morality to maximise personal gain.
Grounding (P):  Conversely, the 20th century notion secularism has allowed Pacino to portray Richard in LFR as the result of the desire of the self-made man, who in a world filled with corruption must concede their integrity to fulfil selfish motivations.
Evidence:
1.     Richard’s absence of integrity in his pursuit to achieve the crown of England is established through Shakespeare's use of soliloquy. The opening soliloquy, in particular, reveals to the audience Richard’s “determination to prove a villain”, thus revealing his “subtle, false and treacherous” nature. Note: Relate to Edward if ‘relationships’
·      Pacino re-enacts the opening soliloquy, utilising chiaroscuro lighting - a constrast of shadow and light - to emphasise the transgression of duplicitous nature through time, applicable to the 20th century “politicians, complete with their innuendos and lies”. The parallelism allows modern audiences to relate the motives of Richard to the self-made man.
2.     Shakespeare further elucidates Richard’s innate lack of integrity through the Lady Anne scene, with Richard admitting “[he] will not keep her long”. The dramatic irony enables the audience to first hand witness Richard’s ease of manipulation and abuse of the Christian sacrament of marriage; his soul is so damaged and lacking in integrity that he does not stop to question his morals.
·      The docudrama form allows for explanatory intermissions in Pacino’s reconstruction of Richard’s wooing of Anne. The sardonic intercut of “HA!” after Anne’s submission reflects the cunning nature of the tragic hero in his attempt to fulfil his political potential. Through this, modern audiences are alerted to the transcendence  of manipulative individuals through time.
3.     Shakespeare exaggerates Richard’s failure to maintain his shattered identity. In the climax, Richard’s deteriorated conscience is personified to “[have] a thousand separate tongues”. The “tongues”, a religious allusion to the Holy Spirit, perpetuate the degradation of Richard’s conscience under divine retribution – a core theocentric belief at the time.
·      Pacino adopts the dual role of both director and actor, emulating the potential for duplicity in the “everyday” man, and ultimately assumes the identity of Richard himself. The pastiche of alternating cuts and shots blends the identity of actor and character – evoking empathy from modern audiences regarding the absence of integrity in the self-made man, as Pacino is very much so.

Topic sentence 2 (Humility): In disregarding a sense of humility, human nature prompts individuals to challenge authoritative figures and ideologies through foul tactics with intentions of asserting their own authority, this resulting in an immoral, condemnable identity.
Grounding (S): The zeitgeist of Shakespeare’s theocentric Elizabethan Era was greatly defined by the notion of providentialism, a belief that one’s fate is tied to the will of God. Thus, Shakespeare characterises Richard to oppose it, warning audiences of the dangers of dismissing one’s sense of humility and thus their preordained destinies.
Grounding (P): Conversely, Pacino re-contextualises Richard’s motives as the product of postmodern emphasis on the self-made man, urging audiences to empathise with Richard’s relinquishing of humility in his quest for domination.
Evidence:
1.     Due to the Great Chain of Being - a religious hierarchy imposed upon Shakespeare’s theocentric society – Richard is physically characterised as ‘deformed, unfinished and half-made’. Through natural cause one is ordained their place in society, and despite being of regal blood, Richard is despised by the Elizabethan audience and granted minimal natural authority.
·       Further affirming the importance of humility in a postmodern context, Pacino employs academic Emry Jones, who intertextually alludes to Pacino’s role in The Godfather, referring to Richard as a “gangster”. Rather than undermining divine authority, Pacino challenges the authority of the government, allowing modern audiences to understand that despite changing times, that the corruption elicited by an absence of humility is still existent.
2.     The theatrical medium of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre prompted the use of dramatics, particularly Richard’s double-crossing of Buckingham. The Elizabethan audience is well are of the totalitarianism Richard exhibits, refusing to provide Buckingham with ‘Th’earldom of Hereford’. Yet, due to his illegitimacy in achieving this rule, Shakespeare’s audience is positioned to recognise Richard’s utmost absence of humility – willing to absolve ties with his closest allies to ensure the dominance of his authority.
·      Rather, a 20th century focus on psychoanalysis introduced through the works of Sigmund Freud saw Pacino utilise the docudrama form, layering the voiceover “The emptiness of it…” to echo the dehumanising effects of the manipulation of authority and power on one’s conscience. However, contemporary audiences are positioned to find this ironic as Pacino himself frequently asserts his authority over other production and cast members, with Kimball remarking ‘You thinking you know more than any scholar in England is f*cking ridiculous!’.
3.     Shakespeare introduces the virtuous foil character of Richmond to exemplify that the dismissal of one’s humility will lead to defeat. Richmond is aligned with the goodness of God, praying “that we may praise thee (God) in thy victory”, representative of the theocentric ideology of the triumph of God against evil. Thus, Shakespeare exemplifies the importance of adhering to the Elizabethan ideologies of his time.
·      Conversely, Richmond’s role in the defeat of Richard is minimised in Looking For Richard, his screen presence diminished to a couple of seconds.  Rather, a postmodern cinematic focus on action-packed and battle is evident through the panning shots and the blood-stained filter. Through this, Pacino plays on the modern adage ‘All is fair in love and war’, reflecting of the postmodern understanding necessity to omit one’s humility in order to gain power. Yet, it is clear through Richard’s gruelling defeat that perhaps a sense of humility is necessary in facilitating a holistic human experience.
 

Thanks in advance!

EDIT: Just making sure I have enough posts to post another essay soon. Thank you!

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page