Through the analysis of Arthur Miller's play "The Crucible" and George Orwell's autobiographical recount "Shooting an Elephant", offer an insight to the concepts of belonging which are substainted through literary devices. Texts act as a memory of time capturing context in a creative manner. Belonging is at the heart of the human condition and thus composers explore this dynamic closely. Through Miller's own feelings of alienation during an American era engulfed in anti-communist hysteria, Miller noticed the same hysteria paralysing the town of Salem during the 1692 Salem Witch trails. The parallels between these two eras are striking and expose _________________________.
Practice Essay Question – Othello How do composers use archetypes to achieve their purpose? Use your related text as well. Archetypes allow composers to reveal characteristics inherent in all individuals and augment our understanding of the text. William Shakespeare’s Othello and Mary Harron’s American Psycho both utilise the villainous archetype to represent our universal potential for evil, as both archetypal characters live a life driven by self-interest and jealousy. They create opaque facades to deceive and manipulate others to claim self-superiority.
Cosi Essay How do composers present aspects of human experiences? The play Cosi (1971) by Louis Nowra examines the complexities of love, illusion and reality in order to challenge a contemporary audience’s understanding of madness by sympathetically portraying characters. Written during a period of the Vietnam War when Australians were evaluating their place in the world, through allegiances, beliefs and relationships with a global society, Nowra critiques society’s indifference to those suffering mental illness while emphasizing the importance of human connections when forced with life’s realities. Through effective integration of structure and dramatic devices, we learn that it is possible to take control of your own reality and make life more bearable.
Explore and evaluate how texts represent conflicting perspectives through the eye of the composer. In your answer refer to your core text and at least one other related text. Composers represent conflicting perspectives through their own unique experiences and values as their political and social contexts. Geoffrey Robertson's self styled memoir 'The Justice Game' written in the late 1900's heavily reflects these conflicting perspectives in the 'Trials of Oz' and 'The Romans in Britain' through the employment of emotive and persuasive language and ridicule in the form of satire to which convey Robertson's view through his eyes. Such conflicts also portrayed in Charles Waterstreet's article' It's a long fickle road to justice' which similar to Robertson's use of persuasive techniques utilizes satire to challenge and question the myopic procedures of the legal system.
In Act One of The Crucible, Arthur Miller uses an omniscient overture to reinforce the secrecy of something “no hint of [which] has yet appeared on the surface” – that John Proctor, “respected and even feared in Salem, has come to regard himself as a fraud.” The next scene reveals the source of this dramatic loss of self-respect – Proctor has committed adultery with Abigail Williams, his former servant girl. This infidelity has resulted in Proctor no longer identifying with the honest reputation of his former self, a man who had a “sharp and biting way with hypocrites”, having effectively become one himself by violating the moral code impressed and instilled in him by his upbringing and surrounding culture. With no judgment coming from the ignorant Salem, and grudging forgiveness from his wife Elizabeth, Proctor is left to judge himself, as described by Elizabeth in Act II – “The magistrate sits in your heart that judges you.” Thus the Proctor first introduced to the audience possesses an extremely limited, if not
Moreover, when being chosen by the mining company, the unsteady camerawork and constant switching of perspectives highlights the controversial nature of the conversation and presents Ernesto as an authoritative figure fighting the inhumane treatment of the impoverished in South America. By dismissing the notion of Justice within their environments, the composers argue that morality and justice are values necessary to our existence. By comparing two contextually dissimilar texts, John Steinbeck’s 1937 novella ‘Of Mice and Men’ and Walter Salles’ 2004 biopic ‘The Motorcycle Diaries’, we gain a clearer understanding on what is required of humanity. Through Steinbeck’s response to the socio-economic
From the beginning of Cosi Nick and Lucy seem to shape Lewis’ views politically as well as his moral beliefs surrounding “free love.” Working with the patients changes Lewis’ outlook on fidelity and pulls him away from his friend’s mentalities. As a result Nick and Lucy attempt to pressure Lewis to go to “moratorium meetings,” to do a “piece of theatre that is meaningful such as Brecht” and to choose between “the funny farm” or their “radicalisation of the nation.”This highlights how Roy is not the only manipulator in the play. When Lucy questions Lewis’ priorities and his choice to do an opera about love, “an emotional indulgence for the privileged few,” Lewis highlights how “love and fidelity are important things.” His rejection of Nick and Lucy’s beliefs, further strengthens how their manipulations of Lewis have been ultimately unsuccessful. Therefore Nowra shows the audience how even though a person may try to manipulate other characters in Cosi depending on the matter they are passionate about, it may not always
She states that Dunstan’s masculinity is shaped by his experiences in the war and is secured by his heterosexuality. She emphasizes hysteria, using it as a bond that connects Dunstan to Mrs. Dempster. Goldman diagnoses Dunstan with hysterical disassociation or the eruption of another self within the self or his quest to find his “true identity”. The author believes these themes play a vital role in the development of many of the characters found in Fifth Business. The thesis of the piece is that Fifth Business is obsessed with straying wits, wandering women, female and male tramps, and boys who run off to the war and to the circus.
Kate Kujawa Mrs. Kahle Great Books 17 December 2014 Blanche’s Facade The first scene of Tennessee William's play A Streetcar Named Desire contains specific details that introduce the theme of false appearances. Blanche hides behind a façade to conceal her true self from others because of self-hatred, guilt, and humiliation. The sound of the blue piano and polka music contribute to this theme by revealing Blanche’s self-hatred from feeling responsible for the losses in her past. Blanche also uses dim lighting to hide her biggest insecurity, her age. Similarly, Blanche focuses on her appearance and her possessions to cover- up her humiliation and strengthens the façade.
Conflicting Perspectives Upon deeper examination of a text, the audience becomes aware of conflicting perspectives throughout many aspects of any texts. By presenting a subjective perspective, the manner an audience perceives an event, situation or personality can be shaped to evoke a fervently impassioned response in the audience. Using a variety of techniques and emotive representation, the composer establishes an empathetic and compassionate response with the audience by conveying a sense of integrity and authenticity, greatly impacting their beliefs, fears and desires. These concepts are shown in the play Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare published in 1623, President George W. Bush’s speech concerning the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001 and the poems, Birthday Letters by Ted Hughes. Shakespeare keys into the senses of the audience by creating characters that have in-depth personalities.