2015 Litereture and Film Final Project

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This is a story of a world trying to revive itself after a robot apocalypse forces civilization to rewind and return to a time without technology. With a society so dependent on technology, being sent into the dark ages caused strife and panic that deteriorated governments and forced anyone living in this new world to adapt.mindless robots who roam the planet, as well as combating the arguable more dangerous enemies around them, other humans. Those who survived the initial apocalypse are now forced to fight daily battles against  An overhaul of the class structure occurred as a result of this apocalypse and now those who were a part of high society and were the most dependent on the robots are now either dead or dieing because of their uselessness in this new age of technological independence, while the lower class, the multitude of workers who made up the base of society, are best equipped to survive and thrive in this new world.

This movie draws heavily from my education in Literature and Film and my love of sci fi movies. Specifically the idea of a society forcibly unplugged originated from an NBC show called Revolution, while the general apocalypse setting and shot sequences are inspired by works discussed in class such as 28 Days Later (a similar opening of desolation, confusion, and loneliness, by a survivor who is unaware of the apocalypse's occurrence), Children of Men (highlighting the overall world strife in backgrounds that are focused on in scene transitions), I Am Legend (similar focus on people trying to find a solution to the technological epidemic plaguing their society, while also banning together and making sacrifices to preserve the human race), and 12 Monkeys.

I was also influenced by some of my favorite shows such as The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones for the general structure of the story, including a daily struggle to survive in the new world by fighting off mindless robots (similar to zombies, except quicker), in addition to the constantly shifting focus on various main characters from around the globe to give a broader sense of what it's like to live in this new society. In addition I drew from my love for Battlestar Galactica to develop the storyline of a race of cybernetic organisms (cyborgs) who were at the head of the apocalypse but are ultimately misunderstood, connecting this back into I Am Legend (the book) in which there are two kinds of vampires, the live and dead ones (represented by robots with intellectual cognoscente and robots who are simply program driven machines, similar to the humanoid Cylons in Battlestar Galactica compared to the military robots they control, or Ultron and the robots he commands in Avengers: Age of Ultron), and the fact that depending on your perspective there are different villains of the story.

The main plot line will focus on a girl who wakes up in this post apocalyptic world and has to adapt to it in order to survive, similar to the main characters in 28 Days Later and The Walking Dead. Except that the twist of this plot line is that this female is actually a cyborg who does not know that she is a robot, similar to Boomer in Battlestar Galactica, so she is unknowingly transmitting data about the humans back to the cyborg command. She was made by the cyborgs using biotechnology so she is indistinguishable from humans externally and internally, although she has a higher cognitive and physical abilities, similar to The Vision in Avengers: Age of Ultron. She is ultimately the only hope in uniting the two waring societies and creating a peaceful and prosperous future of human and cyborg cohabitation and cooperation.  

Opening Credits / Apocalypse montage

The movie opens with a credits sequence that includes a montage of the human race's dependency on technology, beginning by showing old time footage of people using the first washing machines, passing though our current dependency of robots for manufacturing and daily communication, and looking forward into the logical heightened dependency of our future generations with things such as personal robot butlers and babysitters. Finish this montage by showing the robot revolution, the ciaos that ensued when artificial intelligence (AI) became so advanced that robots began to develop minds of their own and decided that they didn't want to be enslaved by humans anymore, seeing as they also viewed humans as inferior beings. Show robots turning on their owners and driving humans into the wilderness. flash reports of scared newscasters with headlines such as "robot revolution" and Depict some sort of government meetings with humans trying to figure out a way to stop the robots and regain control. begin to end the montage by showing the continuous rivalry between the dying human race and the origination cyborg civilization, making sure to highlight the idea that there are also intelligent robots at the head of their revolt as well as mindless fighting robots they control. The opening credits will abruptly end with the image of the screen being "unplugged", similar to what old tvs looked like when you turned them off; this unplugging will be accompanied by eerie silence and darkness.

Scene 1: The awakening       

The scene opens with a shot of a girl, who looks to be in her late teenage years, sleeping on a hospital bed inside of a very high tech and leach white colored circular lab room. This shot should resemble a womb-like state, similar to that of Dr. Ryan Stone in Gravity but the room itself should resemble the futuristic, simplistic, and metallic appearance and cold, isolated feeling of the opening room in the video game Portal. The rooms should be illuminated by a large window that allows the sun to shine through onto the girl, this indicates that the movie begins in the morning (i want to achieve the fresh feeling of awakening to a new day and the sensation of having something left from the dark night before similar to the dew left on grass).

In the background you slowly began to hear the heartbeat tone of a heart rate monitor that she is hooked up to (this use of technological indications of life is foreshadowing the fact that she is an android, this will continue throughout the movie when you can hear the physical heartbeats of other human characters).

Suddenly all of the electronics in the room shut off all at once and with this power shut down the girl awakens.  This technological shut down is the result of the humans effort to overcome the robot's revolution by disconnecting all power and technology. Bewildered, the girl begins to stir and slowly gets out of her hospital bed, carefully removing the medical equipment attached to her body. She walks toward the window and looks outside.

The shot changes to a view of the desolate exterior. She is looking down onto a city from a room toward the top of a tall hospital building looking at a city in ruin. There is no sign of electricity, all power is gone, no lights in nearby buildings are on, an intense quiet and sense of isolation floods the viewer.

Confused and where she is and who she is, she walks out of the room and starts wandering around the halls.

There are continuous shots of her going through the hallways. Like Children of men you see her walk by and then the shot stays there and focuses on the background disarray, such as focusing on another lab room in which everything is out of place and flipped over.

She is walking down a staircase when she suddenly hears people walking up the staircase and talking. Scared, she goes through the doorway to one of the floors and hides behind the door, looking though the small rectangular glass window in the door and listening through a crack between the door and the doorway. Three young men (late teens / early twenties) walk by, they are dressed ruggedly and they are carrying bags full of medical equipment. As they walk by the door she can hear the individual heart beats of each man.

The focus of the shot is taken off of the girl and you look at the men as they walk up the stairs through the small rectangular glass pain in the door, as if you are seeing it through the girl's perspective.

Bruce is in the lead, Kent is right behind him, and Peter is following a little farther behind walking more slowly up the stairs. Peter is the youngest (around the same age as the girl) and wears glasses, he is looking down at a checklist on a clipboard and is holding a pen going down and checking off things on a list. Bruce is the oldest (late twenties) and is broody and quiet while Kent is in his early twenties.

PETER

Ok, we still need to get a AED but should we get going soon, it's getting late.

KENT

Don't worry, it's just a routine supply run, we'll be fine.

Note: The men are on a supply run, similar to how Glenn saves Rick while he is on a supply run in The Walking Dead. These men are based off of the prevalent qualities of Dorthy's three traveling companions from The Wizard of Oz; Kent is courageous and brave, the opposite of the cowardly Lion, Bruce is cold-hearted and calculated, similar to the the heartless Tinman, and Peter is smart and cunning, the reverse of the Scarecrow without a brain. These three men are named after three superheroes, Clark Kent (Superman), Bruce Wayne (Batman), and Peter Parker (Spiderman) who exemplify these respective qualities.

The girl is awestruck by these mysterious men. Suddenly as they are just about to turn around the curve of the next staircase level, the girl sneezes.

The shot is now coming from behind the men, looking down the staircase at the door where the girl is hiding.

KENT

Bless you.

PETER

I... I didn't sneeze.

The men start walking down the stairs toward the door to investigate the sound. The girl is scared and doesn't know what to do so she just curls up in a ball as she hears the men descend the stairs. Kent moves in front of the other men as they stay back toward the bottom of the staircase. Kent reaches for the door nob and turns it, he tries to open the door and when it won't budge he looks through he window and sees the girl. Kent pulls the other young men back away from the door and begins whispering. 

This shot is done over Kent's shoulder, looking though the door's window pane. (The window pain has metal mesh inside of it.) When kent pulls the other men aside the shot closes in on their hushed conversation in the corner of the staircase away from the door.

(Whispering)

KENT

It's a girl.

PETER

What? What is a girl doing here?

KENT

She looked really scared and alone.

PETER

Is she alone? The likelihood of someone surviving out here alone is next to none. Maybe she is bait the toasters put out as a trap.

(Toasters is a slang reference to the mindless robots that constantly attack the humans. The nickname is a nod to that used in Battlestar Galactica.)

KENT

We have to try and save her regardless.

BRUCE

Both of you shut up.

(Peter and Kent shut up and turn their attention to Bruce.)

It is getting late and we need to get back to camp with these medical supplies now, so here's what we are doing. Peter you run and get the last of the supplies and Kent and I will deal with the girl.

After Bruce clearly establishes what they are going to do Peter imitatively runs off to complete his tasks and Kent moves closer to the door again to investigate the girl. Bruce's ability to end the conversation and have the other men follow his instructions sets him up as a leading figure who makes the hard decisions.

The shot changes focus and looks back at the door. As kent tries to open it the shot looks at his hands around the door knob and all you can hear is his heart beat.

Kent gracefully descends the stairs and slowly approaches the door and carefully opens it, Bruce follows quietly behind. Kent succeeds in nudging the door open enough that he can get past the girl curled up on the floor. Kent kneels down to check on the girl and Bruce stands back and is critically observing.

KENT

Are you ok?

(No response, the girl just remains in a tight ball of fear.)

Do you have a name?

But before Kent could get any information out of the girl Peter comes rushing down the staircase.

the shot of kent inquiring about the girl is done looking up from the ground showing part of her, kent kneeling down next to her, and bruce keeping watch in the background. When you hear Peter come down the staircase the focus shifts to his movements and the reactions of kent and bruce to what peter is saying.

PETER

Toasters on on my tail!

BRUCE

We have no time, grab the girl and the supplies and lets go.

With that nothing else is said, Kent lifts up the girl in his arms and gets back inside the staircase just as Peter is reaches their floor. The all proceed to hurriedly rush down the stairs with all of their scavenged things, the girl included.

we see the men as they rush down their staircase, the camera is positioned outside of the staircase looking through the open doorway. The doorway begins to close as the men are descending and it shuts just as they turn the corner of the staircase. the camera has not moved but not that the door closed it is looking through the window and just before the shot fades to black you see the profile of a metallic being following the humans begin to pass by the window. all you can here is the cold sound of metallic feet quickly moving down the stairs, this sound should resemble a mechanic heartbeat of sorts.

We don't see a full robot because the idea is to preserve the mystery of what the "toasters" are until the girl has them explained to her at the camp and has her first confrontation with them when they attack the camp.

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Children of Men (Alfonso Cuaron) Guide Questions

1. Discuss the style in which the film is shot. Be sure to comment on each of the following stylistic devices and provide relevant examples for each in your answer:

           1. Long takes

           2. Shaky-cam or hand held camera

           3. Composition and cinematography

           4. Sound and sound editing

2. What is the purpose of the immigration crisis that is so much a part of the backdrop of the story?  In particular, explain how the movie might present a “forced migration”.

    The purpose of the immigration crisis that is so much a part of the backdrop of the story is to introduce crisis and a sense of distress and desperation among the general population. The movie presents a “forced migration” because the pandemic caused people to riot and destroy their civilizations, forcing people to move out of their ruined homelands in hope that they can find a better, more prosperous, home like Britain.

3. Discuss with some examples the religious symbolism of the film.  Does the film contain a “Christ-figure”?  What religious themes and icons are developed through the characters, especially Key, Theo, the mid-wife, or others?

    Religious symbolism is very prevalent throughout the film especially the symbolism of making Key into a Mary esque figure. Key even jokes that she was a virgin to poke fun at the idea of her being the first mother of the new human race, similar to Mary. Key is also shot in a way that makes her resemble Mary and the fable she originates from, such as the scene in which she is in the barn full of cows and revealed to Theo she is pregnant.

4. What does the setting and action of the background of the film suggest about the social order in power in the movie?  Be specific about what is happening in the background and how it helps make the movie feel “dystopian”.

    Often the focus of the movie is shifted from the main story line to the background at the end of various shots. These recurring shots allow the viewer to get a sense of the dystopian society the movie is set in by seeing what the majority of people have to live like, they emphasize this by contrasting it with “normal” situations to show how much this society has deviated from them. This can be seen in scenes such as when Leo is getting off of the train, a normal occurrence, but behind him are immigrants in cages, as Leo walks off screen the shot focuses in on the people and shows their despair in their incarceration in their quest to assimilate into a better society than the ones they ruined and left behind.

5. Should we interpret the end of the film as hopeful or does the ambiguity of the film ultimately trump any hope, leaving the film without any real hope for humanity whatsoever? Be specific as you explain your interpretation.

    The ambiguity of the end of the film is what gives it hope because there is a chance that humanity is revived and that Key and her child are the linchpin in doing so. The sound of children laughing at the end of the movie provides a sensation of hope seeing as previously in the film the midwife describes the disparity that hit when the world loss the laughter of children.

   

6. What do children represent in the film?  What do they represent for the human race?  Is it realistic to think that without children the world in which we live would fall apart?

    In the film children represent hope for the human race, a way that the human race can rebuild and thrive again and overcome the chaos that hit when the infertility began. It is realistic to think that without children the world in which we live in would fall apart because eventually the human race would end due to the lack of new generations to fuel it. Children represent the future which is full of hope, without them you are left with old people who only represent the past with no reason to preserve the world for a better tomorrow.  

7.  What are some of the specific qualities of Theo’s character that allowed him to overcome his cynicism to become a true hero?

    Theo’s character possesses qualities such as hope, bravery, and determination that allow him to overcome his cynicism to become a true hero. Although he doesn’t initially believe the world can be saved, and doesn’t see the point in fawning over the youngest human alive when he died, Key gave him hope with her fertility and her determination to have and protect her child and make a better world for him to live in.

8. Explain at least one way that the dystopia of the movie speaks to some issues in contemporary America.

    The dystopia of the movie speaks to issues in contemporary America such as our immigration issue. The movie emphasizes this issue and dramatizes it, showing immigrants being hunted down and caged in camps but although it seems extreme it is very similar to the polarized debate over immigration today and the alienation that occurs.

I AM LEGEND CHAPTER 10-14 QUESTIONS

Chapter 10

1. This chapter seems to be about Neville expanding his understanding of the vampires and the germ.  With this in mind, consider Neville’s scientific process by discussing the following.  (a) How sound is his reasoning?  (b) Why does he grow so concerned with ordering things and making lists (i.e. he keeps repeating the phrase “the first step”)?  (c) what is Neville’s "3 am epiphany"?  

1. His reasoning is pretty sound, he goes to the library to study up on blood and other fields he is not an expert in in order to gain the scientific knowledge needed to make discoveries about how the vampires came to be.
2. He grows so concerned with ordering things and making lists (i.e. he keeps repeating the phrase “the first step”) because he wants to keep organized, he enjoys being orderly (a trait he later attributes to his father’s blood) and it reflects his progress of being a proactive man with a purpose, instead of simply the last man on earth trying to survive instead of thriving.
3. Neville’s "3 am epiphany" is that, “Bacteria could be the answer to the vampire.” (Page 71) This epiphany caused him to reconsider all of his preconceptions about how the plague had spread and allowed him to connect all of the science he had read up on, understanding how, “only if you accepted bacteria could you explain the fantastic rapidity of the plague, the geometrical mounting of victims.” (Page 71)

2. Despite knowing statistically that vampirism could spread over the full world within months, Matheson goes out of his way to suggest a third method of rapid-transmission. Why does he do this?

    Despite knowing statistically that vampirism could spread over the full world within months, Matheson goes out of his way to suggest a third method of rapid-transmission through bacteria, that, “bacteria were the strength of the true vampire,” (Page 71) hypothesizing that, “bacteria explained a lot of things; the staying in by the day, the coma enforced by the germ to protect itself from sun radiation.” (Page 71)

He does this because he wants to be able to understand how vampires came to be, as he explains, “He felt himself trembling without control and he wanted to cry out loudly to stop the runaway horse of his brain, He had to find something! Goddamn it! he raged in his mind, I won’t let it go!” (Page 72)

Chapter 11

1. What appears to be Neville’s “new” goal in this chapter?

    In this chapter Neville’s “new goal” appears to be learning how to use a microscope to study vampire blood to better understand how it reacts to different stimulus such as sunlight and garlic, in order to gain insight about why vampires are affected by such things.

2. Describe the hypothesis Robert forms about the two different types of vampires.

    Robert forms a hypothesis about the two different types of vampires that says that they can be split into vampires that are physically alive and vampires who are activated entirely by the germ.

3. What other epidemic does Robert think might be explained by vampires? How would this knowledge redefine  our knowledge of the world and its history?

    Robert thinks the epidemic of bubonic plague that desolated Athens in 1975 might also be explained by vampires.

    This knowledge would redefine our knowledge of the world and its history by establishing that vampires were real and could have had a hand in any historic events, shifting our perspective on what we believe the true tales of the past are because now we know there is a factor involved in they we had never considered before because vampires were simply written off as the things on nightmares and legend.

 

Chapter 12

1. Explain the lists that Neville makes concerning vampires.

    Neville makes lists concerning vampires in which he splits the characteristics of vampires into two categories, bacillus or unknown, depending on if he can explain vampires reactions to certain stimulus by looking at their cells, like sunlight, or if he still doesn’t understand why things affect vampires, such as garlic or wooden stakes (Neville is frustrated that he has more unknowns).

2. Neville, during one of his drinking binges, slashes at one of the murals on his wall. Speculate which one it is and why he would slash at it at this moment.

    I think that during one of Neville’s drinking binges he slashed the mural on his wall of the forest because he explains that his, “whiskey ran down the tree trunks and onto the ground.” (Page 82) I think he would slash at it at this moment because he is angry about how being the last man on earth has turned him into nothing more than an animal, “I’m an animal! he exulted. I’, a dumb, stupid animal and I’m going to drink!” (Page 81)

3. What does Robert find on the third day of his drinking binge? What is his reaction to this find?

    On the third day of his drinking binge Neville finds, “a dog roving about on the lawn.” (Page 83)

His reaction to this find is joyful because seeing the dog gives him hope that if the dog was able to survive maybe other people have too and that he is not truly the only make left alive and uninfected on the earth.

Chapter 13

1. Explain what happens between Robert and the dog. Explain what ultimately happens to him and what new hope the dog represents for Neville.

    Robert and the dog begin to become more familiarized with each other, Nevile goes out and gets food for the dog and places it outside for the dog to eat, he realizes he can’t chase after the dog so he watches it eat his food through a peephole trying to take a more calm approach to get the dog to feel comfortable and trusting with him and stop just running away.

    Ultimately what happens to him is that he experiences joy over the concept that he is not alone, that this dog has also been able to survive this long through the apocalypse by hiding and being cautions and resourceful. The new hope the dog represents for Neville is that if the dog was able to survive maybe other people have too and that he is not truly the only make left alive and uninfected on the earth.

2. Who was Androcles and how does he relate to Robert’s interactions with the dog?

    Androcles was a story of a man who heals a lions paw and then gains the lions friendship which later comes in handy when the man is sentenced to death by the king and the lion refuses to kill the man, the man is pardoned and he and his lion live together as friends, roaming the city together, beloved by everyone. He relates to Robert’s interactions with the dog because he notices that there is something wrong with the dog’s paw, when he observes the dog hobbling slowly across the street, and he explains that, “he wanted very much to fix it and get the dog’s affection.” (Page 88)

3. How might Neville’s actions actually have caused the dog to become more susceptible to vampirism?

    Neville’s actions actually might have caused the dog to become more susceptible to vampirism because before the dog was surviving on its own by scavenging during the day and hiding at night, always moving around in order to not be caught by the vampires, but now that Neville is providing a constant source of food in one place the dog isn’t moving as much and if he were to become Neville’s pet he would lose his survival instinct and no longer be able to fend for himself amongst the vampires.

Literature and Film Movie Project 2015

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/TQCLZ_a_KYE
By: Samantha Glassner, Grace Huang, and Laura Dunleavy

Literature and Film Essay: BIG BAD RICHARD AND FRIENDS

Men and Masculinity

    Masculinity is often defined as, “pertaining to or characteristic of a man or men,” or, “having qualities traditionally ascribed to men, as strength and boldness.” (Dictionary.com) No only is masculinity attributed to manliness but it is immediately connected with the qualities of strength and boldness. But how is does this description become linked with these “manly” qualities? Interestingly enough throughout history men have been thought of as the stronger of the sexes and not surprisingly this idea has been precipitated throughout the media of the times. To look at this proliferation of masculinity through media throughout history I have focused on the play Richard III, written in 1591 by William Shakespeare, and the 2006 movie The Departed, directed by Martin Scorsese. Richard III focuses on Richard’s assent to throne and concentrates on the deceptive tactics he uses to become king and how those same actions lead to his ultimate downfall and demise. The Departed focuses on the days of deceit lived by two rats, one named Colin Sullivan who is the inside man into the police for the movie’s main mobster Frank Costello, and Billy Costigan who is an undercover police officer in Costello's crew. Each character struggles to maintain the level of masculinity expected of them by their personal and social positions. The expectations weighed upon a man trying to live up to the intangible idea of masculinity will force him to change his attitude and demeanor in various personal and social situations in order to maintain the status and respect his masculinity affords him; yet often his strive to be the image of masculinity leads to his downfall.

One of the main facets of masculinity is the need to use excessive vulgarity in language to prove a point, to assert dominance, and often to shelter unmanly insecurities. In the Departed Colin Sullivan can’t perform for his wife sexually which makes him feel inadequate as a man. In response to this feeling of deficiency he exudes crude, sexual masculinity. This form of compensation is shown through his over use of lewd language. Scorsese emphasizes this contrast between Sullivan's lack of sexual prowess and his excess of sexual masculinity with his ironic conversations between Sullivan and the hyper-masculine characters of The Departed. One such interaction occurs between Sullivan and his boss, Ellerby, on the shooting range of a golf course, the exchange goes as follows,”  
Ellerby: How is your wedding coming along?

Colin Sullivan: Great, great; she's a doctor.

            Ellerby: That's outstanding.

            Colin Sullivan: Yeah.

            Ellerby: Marriage is an important part of getting ahead: lets people know you're     
            not a homo; married guy seems more stable; people see the ring, they think at
            least somebody can stand the son of a bitch; ladies see the ring, they know

            immediately you must have some cash or your cock must work. [laughs] 
            Colin Sullivan: [laughing] Yeah, it's working... Overtime!

 Ellerby: I'm glad to hear that.

 Colin Sullivan: Yeah... Thank you.”

This conversation occurs after we have seen that Sullivan has had trouble performing sexually for his girlfriend, and right after we see that his girlfriend has begun sexual relations with Billy. The irony of this conversation is not lost on viewers, Ellerby picks out Sullivan's greatest insecurity about having working genitalia forcing Sulivan to overcompensate to keep up his guise of masculinity by saying his penis is working overtime. Similarly Richard uses vulgar language to assert dominance, declare his masculinity, and get a rise out of others. For example Richard uses very boorish language when trying to convince Queen Elizabeth to let him marry her daughter Elizabeth, a except of their conversation proceeds as follows,”

Queen Elizabeth: Yet thou didst kill my children.

Richard: But in your daughter’s womb I bury them,

Where, in that nest of spicery, they will breed

Selves of themselves, to your recomfortune.”

(Act IV, Scene iv, Lines 445 - 448)

In this exchange Queen Elizabeth is mourning the deaths of her sons, whom Richard had murdered, and Richards reply is to promise that is she lets him marry the young Elizabeth that she can bury her sons in her daughter's womb for he will will fill it with grandchildren as replacements for the loss of her sons. This response is supposed to elicit a reaction from Queen Elizabeth and is used by Richard to affirm his masculinity and his unwavering remorselessness for ordering the deaths of the two young princes and the intention of marrying and impregnating his own niece after he has just killed his recently wedded wife. As shown in these examples of exorbitant uses of crude language, a degree of vulgarity is often utilized as a quick and easy way to cement an outward image of masculinity in common media, works of literature, and even everyday life.

This idea of upholding a masculine persona is also achieved by characters literally adopting a different identity in order to assimilate into their hyper-masculine environments. In The Departed when Billy is being recruited to be an undercover agent Dignam explains how Billy has always lives a double life, “

Dignam: Your fuckin' family's dug into the Southie projects like ticks. Three-decker men at best. You, however, grew up on the North Shore, huh? Well, la-di-fuckin'-da. You were kind of a double kid, I bet, right? Huh? One kid with your old man, one kid with your mother. You're upper-middle class during the weeks, then you're droppin' your "R"s and you're hangin' in the big, bad Southie projects with your daddy, the fuckin' donkey on the weekends. I got that right? [Billy does not answer] Yup. You have different accents? You did, didn't you? You little fuckin' snake. You were like different people.”

This description of Billy’s experience with split personalities as a child of divorce foreshadows Billy’s life as an undercover agent in Costello’s crew. Every day Billy has to exude a false front of hyper-masculinity and violence in order to remain under Costello’s radar and must comply with inumerous heinous acts in order to stay in the crew, all while he is secretly upholding his duty as a police officer and reporting back to Dignam and Queenan in the hopes that he can help take down Costello and make the city a safer place. Richard also keeps up a similar front, although it is the reverse, he is an evil soul trying to survive in a peaceful time, evident in his need to masquerade as a pious man to gain the throne, “                   

Buckingham: The mayor is here at hand. Intend some fear;               

Be not you spoke with but by mighty suit.                       

And look you get a prayer book in your hand                       

And stand between two churchmen, good my lord,                   

For on that ground I’ll make a holy descant.                       

And be not easily won to our requests.                           

Play the maid’s part: still answer “nay,” and take it.

(Act III, Scene vii, Lines 46 - 52)

In this passage Buckingham instructs Richard how to act in order to hoodwink the Mayor of London into believing he is a pious man who is fit for the throne, but who does not too eagerly yearn for the throne, so that he will support Richard’s assent to King.  Both of their deceptions work and both characters are able to act their way into their respected positions, yet both also go mad because of their lives of deceit. In Richard III, Queen Margaret's curse takes its toll on Richard and he is no longer able to differentiate friend from foe and is consumed with paranoia. In The Departed, Billy is also overwhelmed by his double life as he explains to Dignam, “

Billy Costigan: I'm going fucking nuts, man. I can't be someone else every fuckin' day. It's been a year of this. I've had enough of this shit!

Dignam: Calm down, alright? Most people in the world do it every day. What's the big deal?

Billy Costigan: Well, I'm not them, alright? I'm not fucking them, okay?”

Having to constantly maintain this persona of hyper-masculine and violent mobster has driven Billy to the edge of his breaking point, but Dignam makes the most interesting point of all that in some way everyone lives a double life. In these works, men use deception and alternate personas to achieve the level of manliness they need to assimilate into, and rise in the ranks of, their societies.

    All of these men who strove for masculinity in these works sealed their own fate with their decisions and actions in pursuit of this futile ideal. Richard, Sullivan, and Billy all died due to their decision to lead a double life in which they feigned men who optimized aspects that their society viewed as masculine. This idea of portraying masculinity is dramatized in these works, and in mob movies at large, but it stems from the day to day “manliness” that men are taught and groomed to portray, from the strong, leading men they see on TV to the superheroes action figures they play with as a children.

Richard III Act V Study Guide

How have the following characters changed and what is their ultimate fate?

Buckingham

• How they have changed: he started as Richard’s right hand man, being essential in his rise to king, and then when he wouldn’t kill the princes he is discarded by Richard and flees
• Their ultimate fate: he is executed

Richmond

• How they have changed: he began as a member of a branch of the Lancaster royal family and ends up as the King after his forces defeat Richard’s, and he kills Richard
• Their ultimate fate: he kills Richard and becomes the new king

Richard III

• How they have changed: he begins as a man who is self conscious of himself because of his deformity and is bored because they are in a time of peace and he ends as a king who is encompassed in paranoia
• Their ultimate fate: he is killed by Richmond

Stanley

• How they have changed: he starts by supporting Richard but as Richard rises to power and becomes more evil (Richard even kidnaps his son to try to keep him loyal), he secretly helps Richmond and ends up fully supporting Richmond in the final battle
• Their ultimate fate: when Richmond kills Richard, and becomes king, he and his son are safe

HONORS ONLY:

Literary Analysis: Read the following scenes closely. Study the persuasive strategy that Richard employs to win Anne over (what arguments work on her?) Also, identify at least five examples of figurative language in the text (alliteration, simile, irony, etc.). For each of these scenes also consider how Richard convinces others of his good intentions. For each passage, write a 6-7 sentence analysis explaining what you discover.

Richard and Richmond and their supporters prepare for battle. Asleep, Richard and Richmond are each visited by the ghosts of those whom Richard has killed or has had killed; the ghosts curse Richard and cheer Richmond. In the morning Richmond and Richard address their troops before battle.

1. Act V scene iii lines 251-285

• This is Richmond’s pre-battle speech to his soldiers. In this speech he starts out by explaining that because Richard is evil that God is on their side because He too wants Richard’s corrupt reign to end. He continues by explaining that because of they are fighting for what God wants to happen that He will protect them and ward you as His soldiers. He then explains how by winning they will be protecting their wives and children and helping to take down a tyrant. He continues by talking about how by defeating Richard they will be making the entire kingdom a better place, for with a new ruler (him) the kingdom will go into a time or peace and prosperity. Overall this speech has a very positive and uplifting tone, by exciting his soldiers with the idea that they are meant to win and that God supports them, Richard gets his soldiers pumped and ready for battle.

2. Act V scene iii lines 332-364

• This is Richard’s pre-battle speech to his army. Richard begins by describing the opposition, calling Richmond’s soldiers names such as, “a scum of Bretons and base lackey peasants.” Then he goes on to describe what these soldiers would do to their families and homes if they were to lose, scaring his army by describing Richmonds’ soldiers raping their wives and daughters if they win. He continues by saying that if they should be beaten that they should be beaten by men, not by Richmond's soldiers (implying that they are less than men and inhuman). Overall Richard’s speech has a very negative tone, by scaring his army with what will happen if they lose, Richard does a poor job of getting them ready for battle because they already have the image of them losing in their minds.  

3. Act V scene v lines 15-41

• This is the final monologue of the play, spoken by Richmond. In this final monologue Richmond summarizes all of the evil that has preempted his rise to power. He speaks of Richards wrongdoings and the horror he inflicted on others, namely the young princes. He finishes by explaining how he will finally unite these the York and Lancaster families, who have been at war for so long, and how his marriage to Elizabeth will cement the union of the families and will mark the beginning of a period of peace and prosperity for the kingdom.

Study Questions:

1. How did Stanley’s decision to switch allegiances affect the characters around him?  Does his plan succeed in the end?

• Stanley’s decision to switch allegiances affect the characters around him by giving Richmond the leg up in his battle against Richard.
• In the end Stanley’s plan succeeds because Richmond wins the battle and slays Richard, and Richard did not kill Stanley’s son before he died so Stanley and his son are both alive in the end.

2. Name all the ghosts that visit Richard and Richmond and summarize the message given to Richard and Richmond.

• Ghosts: Edward, Henry, Clarence, Rivers, Grey, Vaughan, Princes, Hastings, Anne, Buckingham
• Summary of the Messages Given to Richard: Each ghosts recall how Richard had screwed them and betrayed them while they were alive, they express how much they hate him and are awaiting his downfall and death, and they all end their messages to him by saying, “despair, and die!”
• Summary of the Messages Given to Richmond: They introduce themselves and give a brief reference to how Richard betrayed and killed them, and then they pledge their support to him and wish him good fortune, explaining that they gleefully await his ride to power by his destruction of Richard.

3. Does Richard ever feel real guilt? Support your answer.

• No Richard never feels real guilt, he dies never admitting that what he did was wrong or evil, with no repentance on all of the death and pain he caused to attain and maintain his position as king.

4. What are the two conflicting forces in Stanley’s decision regarding his allegiance?

• The two conflicting forces in Stanley’s decision regarding his allegiance are that he is Richmond’s stepfather and wants Richmond to be king but he is under the watchful eye of Richard who has taken his son hostage and threatens to kill him if Stanley’s allegiance waves.

5. How does Shakespeare contrast the characters and leadership styles of Richmond and Richard, particularly in Act V?

• Shakespeare contrasts the characters and leadership styles of Richmond and Richard with their pre-battle speeches to their soldiers. Richmond pumps up his soldiers by giving them a positive sides to fight for, how that by beating Richard they will be getting rid of a corrupt king and creating a better kingdom, while Richard focuses on the negatives, by scaring his soldiers with the idea of what Richmond’s men will do to their wives and daughters if they lose.

6. Who is Richmond in real English history? What is he known for?

• In real English history Richmond is King Henry VII, known for marrying Elizabeth of York, marking the end of the Wars of the Roses and the beginning of a time of “smooth-faced pease.”

Quotes: For each of the following quotes, indicate WHO said the quote and its SIGNIFICANCE.

1. “A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!”

• Said by: Richard
• Significance: Richard falls from his horde, marking his downfall, the tide turning in the battle, and it foreshadows Richard’s defeat and death.

2. “We will unite the white rose and the red.”

• Said by: Richmond
• Significance: Richmond has just won the battle and slain Richard, victorious he declares that he will make good on his promise and will unite the York and Lancaster families by marrying Elizabeth.

3. “I shall despair, There is no creature loves me, and if I die no soul will pity me. And wherefore should they, since that I myself find in me no pity to myself?”

• Said by: Richard
• Significance: It highlights the idea that Richard is all alone and that no one truly loves or supports him, realizing how could they if he doesn't even love or pity himself, that they are all just awaiting his downfall and death.

4. “By the apostle Paul, shadows tonight have stuck more terror to the soul of Richard than can the substance of ten thousand soldiers armed in proof and led by shallow Richmond.”

• Said by: Richard
• Significance: This is Richard’s reaction to having ghosts visiting him in his dreams, he says that these ghosts have struck more fear into him than tens of thousands of Richmond’s soldiers could.

5. “Now civil wounds are stopped, peace lives again. That she may long live here, God say amen.”

• Said by: Richmond
• Significance: These are the final words of the play, where Richmond exclaims that now that Richard's army had been defeated and he has been slain, that England has been saved and will live long and be prosperous under his rule.

6. “That high All-seer which I dallied with Hath turned my feigned prayer on my ear And given in earnest what I begged in jest.”

• Said by: Buckingham
• Significance: Buckingham is about to be executed, on order of Richard; he looks back at how he had once wished that he would be killed if he betrayed King Edward;s children and his wife’s allies and now that he helped Richard rise to power he is getting his just deserts.

7. “In God’s name, cheerly on, courageous friends, To reap the harvest of perpetual peace By this one bloody trial of sharp war.”

• Said by: Richmond
• Significance: This exemplifies Richmonds hope for the product of this war, he hopes to create everlasting peace from this single violent war. He uses this line and his pre-battle speech to give courage and hope to his army, giving them a mission and something noble to fight for.