Richard III Act II Study Guide

Character Study: (Personalities, Actions, and Relationship to Richard)

King Edward IV

• Personalities: he is calming and a level headed king
• Actions: he tries to get Queen Elizabeth and Richard, and their men, to talk it out and resolve their feud before he dies; he feels immense guilt for Clarence’s death

• Relationship to Richard: brother to Richard

Richard III

• Personalities: deceitful (he lies to everyone and makes them feel bad for him), conniving, evil, bored (with no more war he occupies his time with his evil plans), enjoys chaos, self-critical (he sees himself as a deformed mistake)

• Actions: all of his actions and decisions are in the interest of how to get himself into power so that he can rule as king

• Relationship to Richard: name of Richard once he becomes king, former Duke of Gloucester  

Buckingham (Duke)

• Personalities: loyal to Richard, smart and creative with deceitful and political plans

• Actions: he works with Richard to help him ship away the princes and help him get in a position to take the throne as king for himself

• Relationship to Richard: he is Richard’s right hand man, he helps him become king

Queen Elizabeth (formerly the Lady Grey)

• Personalities: blunt and unyielding (in Act 1 Scene 3 she doesn’t shy away from giving Richard a piece of her mind)
• Actions: she tries to make peace with Richard until Edward dies; when she finds out Richard trapped her son’s and brother in the tower she starts plotting how to kick Richard out of power

• Relationship to Richard: Edward's (IV, brother of Richard) wife, mother of Prince Edward (V) and Richard (Duke of York)

Duchess of York

• Personalities:she is sweet and hopeful that Richard, her son, is good and can be trusted
• Actions: she talks to Queen Elizabeth, and is there when she hears the news about her son’s imprisonment.

• Relationship to Richard: mother of Richard, Edward, and Clarence

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.

Examples of Figurative Language

1. Alliteration: “And, princely peers, a happy time a day.” (2.1.49
2. Irony: “Who knows not he is dead! Who knows he is?” (2.1.84)
3. Personification: “To reconcile me to his friendly peace.” (2.1.61)
4. Metaphor: “The tiger now hath seized the gentle hind.” (2.4.55)
5. Metaphor: “themselves the conquerors / Make war upon themselves, brother to brother, / Blood to blood, self against self.” (2.4.66-68)

1. Act II scene I lines 54 – 97, 138 – 144

• In this scene Richard initially convinces others of his good intentions by working with Hastings and Buckingham to vow to make and keep peace with Queen Elizabeth and her kindred while they are in the dying King Edward IV’s royal court. Later on in the scene Richard convinces others of his good intentions by pushing the blame of Clarence’s murder from his brother King Edward to the Queen’s kingsmen.  

2. Act II, scene iv, lines 54-70

• In this scene Richard convinces others of his good intentions by claiming that he imprisoned Queen Elizabeth’s brother Rivers, her son Grey, and Sir Thomas Vaughan in the tower in order to keep them safe.

Study Questions:

1. What does Richard blame Elizabeth for in Act II and how might this be strategically important?

• In Act II Richard blames Elizabeth for Clarence's death, this might be strategically important because it pits those supporting him and his brother further against Elizabeth and casts the doubt away from him, both giving him a greater opportunity to gain power in the future.

2. What is ironic about everyone’s behavior in front of King Edward when he is trying to reconcile the members of his family?

• Everyone’s behavior in front of King Edward when he is trying to reconcile the members of his family is ironic because Queen Elizabeth and her kindred and Hastings, Buckingham, and Richard were striking a vow to make and keep a peace among themselves, up until they find out that Clarence has been killed and they turn the blame for his death on each other.

3. What does Elizabeth find out at the end of Act II which has her anticipating “destruction” and the end of all?

• At the end of Act II Elizabeth finds out that Richard has imprisoned Queen Elizabeth’s brother Rivers, her son Grey, and Sir Thomas Vaughan, forcing her to flee to sanctuary with her son the Duke of York, this has her anticipating “destruction” and the end of all.

4. How does the Duchess seem to feel about her son Richard?

• The Duchess seems to feel that her son Richard is not at fault for what Queen Elizabeth accuses him of; she doesn;t seem very fond of him but she isn’t on the attack like Elizabeth is.

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

1. “Tis death to me to be at enmity; I hate it, and desire all good men's love.”

• Said by: Richard (2.1.62-63)
• Significance: This shows Richards attempts to fool people of his goals, saying that it kills him to be enemies with Elizabeth and that all he wants is for everyone to love him, in order to get people on his side and get them to not suspect him for Clarence’s death.

2. “Dissemble not your hatred, swear your love.”

• Said by: King Edward (2.1.8)
• Significance: Edward wants Elizabeth and Richard, and their people, to do more than just not hate each other and not fight, he wants them to love each other.

3. “Ah, that deceit should steal such gentle shape, and with a virtuous visor hide deep vice.”

• Said by: Duchess (2.2.28-29)
• Significance: She is hinting that it is a shame that someone so evil can lie so well and put on a face of friendliness, like Richard does (she can see through his lies).

4. (aside) “And make me die a good old man! That is the butt end of a mother's blessing; I marvel that her Grace did leave it out.”

• Said by: Richard (2.2.112-114)
• Significance: He says he hopes he lives a long life, and dies old, and that that is something a mother should wish upon her son, and he comments how he is surprised she left it out.

5.  “Small herbs have grace; great weeds do grow / apace.' / And since, methinks I would not grow so fast / Because sweet flowers are slow and weeds make / haste.”

• Said by: York (2.4.14-18)
• Significance: It is a metaphor for the difference in Richard, an ugly but fast rising man, vs. the prince, a beautiful but slow rising boy.

6. “Ay me! I see the ruin of my house.../ Welcome destruction, blood and massacre/ I see, as in a map, the end of all.”

• Said by: Queen Elizabeth (2.4.54-59)
• Significance: This shows Queen Elizabeth;s realization of Richards plan to destroy her family, she prophesied the destruction and death he will cause (her son’s) and says the future is very clear to her now.”

7. “And being seated, and domestic broils / Clean overblown, themselves the conquerors / Make war upon themselves, brother to brother, / Blood to blood, self against self.”

• Said by: Duchess (2.4.65-68)

• Significance: The Duchess prophecies that once Richard succeeds in winning the throne he will have war with himself and those who helped him gain the throne.

Scarface Guide Questions

1. Note the stylized use of black and white cinematography. What are some effective examples of this cinematography?  Note in particular a few examples of the use of the ‘X’ symbol to symbolize murder in the film.
1. The stylized use of black and white cinematography created a shady film noir vibe which allowed for a constant feeling like terror was hiding in the shadows ready to steal its next victim through mob violence. Very interestingly whenever a character was about to die a “X” symbol was displayed in the shot by using the black and white shadows of either darkness or light to emphasize the eminent fate of the character, acting as a recurring symbol for murder throughout the film.
2. How does the movie attempt to position itself as condemning gang violence and the government’s response to it?
1. The movie attempts to position itself as condemning gang violence and the government’s response to it by showing the intense violence between the mob and government, and showing how both sides suffer many meaningless deaths, specifically be making Tony die a coward rather than in a blaze of glory as they had originally wanted to).  
3. What specific actions must Comonte take to ascend the ranks of power in the mob?
1. To ascend the ranks of power in the mob Comonte has to betray his superiors, those he had pledged to protect, and take power by killing those who stand in his way and scare and bribe others to follow his new lead.
4. What moment indicates Tony’s passions getting the better of him while simultaneously taking his penchant for excessive violence too far?
1. The moment that indicates Tony’s passions are getting the better of him while simultaneously taking his penchant for excessive violence too far is when Tony is yelling at his sister for dressing in a revealing dress and letting other men look at her that way, when he rips her dress revealing her brassiere.
5. Note the repeated use of the phrase, “expensive, eh?”. Why is this important to Camonte’s character?
1. The repeated use of the phrase, “expensive, eh?” is important to Camonte’s character because it emphasizes the importance he puts on being able to afford and be the best, the idea that he doesn't want anything to be to expensive for him to acquire.
6. Identify TWO of Camonte’s trademarks as a mobster. How does he use this trademark to strike fear into his opponents?
1. Two trademarks of Camonte as a mobster are his thirst for power, money, and respect. Camonte begins his rise to power by using force to bully the bar owners to buy his booze, giving him more money and therefore more power to wield over his opponents and strike fear into their hearts. Camonte also strives to gain respect as he gains more power and the increase in respect for him correlates with the increase in fear of him.  
7. Many critics have noted the bizarre and somewhat perverse relationship between Camonte and his sister. What are some examples of this relationship?  Why was this included in the film?
1. Some examples of the bizarre and somewhat perverse relationship between Camonte and his sister are when he won’t let her date men, he won’t let her dress in any way that makes her attractive to other men because he doesn’t think she should be letting them look at her, basically he is a over controlling brother who wants to micromanage all of his sister’s life so that no other man can come between them. This is included in the film to further fight against glorifying the gangster, by making the viewer grossed out by Camonte and how he treats his sister then the viewer is less inclined to look up to Camonte as someone they want to be.
8. Were the censors correct in contending that the film glorifies violence or glorifies the mobster too much? Explain your opinion with specific examples.
1. No, the censors were incorrect in contending that the film glorifies violence or glorifies the mobster too much because it doesn’t idealize Camonte or make him a character you want to follow or become because they make him gross with his relationship with his sister and his ultimate destruction and death as a direct result of the mistakes he made, and the people he crossed, due to his thirst for power and wealth.
9. What message is on the sign outside Camonte’s window and what is ironic about its inclusion in the final scene?
1. The message on the sign outside Camonte’s window that says, “The World is Yours,” is ironic due to its conclusion in the final scene because once he finally amassed enough power to believe that the world is his, that is the turning point of his downfall because he becomes cocky and lazy and it results in him being vulnerable and weak and ultimately easily defeatable, showing that no one can truly gain or hold the control of the world.
10. Contrast the real ending to the alternate ending of the movie. Which ending is more satisfying and why? Which is more consistent with Camonte’s character?  Finally, consider the final moments of the DePalma version as well. Why does the filmmaker decide to make his version of the movie differently and how does it change the feelings of the viewer at the conclusion of the movie?
1. The alternative ending is more entertaining to watch because watching Camonte die in a blaze of glory is the iconic ending of Scarface, although I think regardless of the ending neither glorifies the gangster enough to make Camonte a character that viewers should want to embody or follow because regardless he dies.
2. The alternate ending is more consistent with Camonte’s character because he is in it for the glory so he would rather go out with a bang than as a coward, though either way he was cowardly in his approach to power, such as when he killed his sister's husband to keep control over her.
3. The final moments of the DePalma version follows the alternate ending of the original movie, keeping with the version in which Camonte dies in a blaze of glory while fighting off a ton of gangsters and police. The filmmaker decides to make this version of the movie differently by having him almost succeed and then when he gets too sure of his own success someone comes from behind and kills him point blank, thereby changing the feelings of the viewer at the conclusion of the movie because it shows that no matter how on top of the world he feels he can be taken down like any other man, therefore counteracting the glorification of the gangster.

Richard III Act 3 Scene 7 Group Questions

1. What did Richard and Buckingham fail to do in the beginning of the scene?
1. Richard and Buckingham failed to persuade London’s citizens and officials that Richard should be king.
2. What is Richard and Buckingham’s next strategy to get Richard to be king, is it successful?
1. Richard and Buckingham stage a scene of Richard's great piety, resulting in the Mayon pleading for Richard to accept the kingship, which Richard ultimately “yields” to.
3. What does Buckingham say to try and discredit the Prince’s claim to the throne, and strengthen Richard’s?
1. Buckingham alludes to the questionability of the Prince’s bloodline, claiming that because his father had slept around a lot he might be a bastard and therefore not of pure bloodline to rule, like Richard is.

Richard III Act I Study Guide

Name: Character Notes (personalities, relationships, and Richard’s opinion of them)

Richard (Duke of Gloucester, later King Richard III)

• Personalities: deceitful (he lies to everyone and makes them feel bad for him), conniving, evil, bored (with no more war he occupies his time with his evil plans), enjoys chaos, self-critical (he sees himself as a deformed mistake)
• Relationships: younger brother of George (Duke of Clarence) and Edward IV
• Richard's Opinion: he believes he is intellectually superior to others, he looks down at others and enjoys wielding them to his desires to fulfil his villainous plans

Clarence (George)

• Personalities: over trusting/naive (in Act 1 Scene 4 he still believes his brother Richard is truthful and is trying to help him, even when confronted with Richard's hired murderers)
• Relationships: middle brother, older than Richard, but younger than Edward IV
• Richard's Opinion: believes he is a fool and is quick to try and murder him and get him out of the way, he doesn't value his life

Anne (Lady Anne)

• Personalities: she speaks her mind (in Act 1 Scene 2 she insults Richard to his face and does not shy away from letting him know what she thinks of him and the things he has done)
• Relationships: widow of Edward (son of  Queen Margaret and the late King Henry VI), later wife to Richard
• Richard's Opinion: believes she is easily fooled because he is able to woo her while standing over the corpse of the King Henry VI, Anne's father-in-law, who he murdered; he believes she will marry him

Queen Elizabeth (formerly the Lady Grey)

• Personalities: blunt and unyielding (in Act 1 Scene 3 she doesn’t shy away from giving Richard a piece of her mind)
• Relationships: Edward's (IV, brother of Richard) wife, mother of Prince Edward (V) and Richard (Duke of York)
• Richard's Opinion: he doesn't see her as being an obstacle in his plans and he brushes off her insults and tries to win her over with his deceiving kindness

Queen Margaret (Margaret of Anjou)

• Personalities: very frank (in Act 1 Scene 3 she curses both Richard and Queen Elizabeth for thinking they could take power that she believes is rightfully hers)
• Relationships: widow of King Henry VI, mother of Edward (Anne's husband)
• Richard's Opinion: he sees her as an old woman who doesn't threaten his plans and simply doesn't give a thought to her (aside) comments about him

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.

Persuasive Strategies to Win Anne Over (Do they work?)

• Lie: He begins by saying that he didn't kill Anne's husband or his father; this strategy fails because they both know it is a lies
• Truth: He admits that her did kill Edward and Henry VI; also doesn't do much to win her over, it makes her a little less mad because he isn't lying anymore
• Flattery / Moving the Blame: He claims it was her beauty that made him kill Edward, so that he could be her husband (a better husband who loves her more) and that because of this his death was her fault); doesn't really work
• Suicide: He gives her a knife, puts it in her hands and points the blade into his chest, giving her the opportunity to enact revenge and kill him herself; works the best because she refuses to be the one to kill him, showing she can't hate him that much
• He Put a Ring on it / Showed Remorse: He places a ring on her finger and vaguely said he felt bad about the deaths; this works well, she enjoys him showing remorse and bids him farewell

Figurative Language Examples

1. Alliteration - "And made her widow to a woeful bed?" (Act 1, Scene 2, 269)
2. Similie - "As all the world is cheered by the sun, / So I by that (Anne's beauty). It is my day, my life." (Act 1, Scene 2, 139 - 140)
3. Irony - "If you are hired for meed, go back again, / And I will send you to my brother Gloucester. / Who shall reward you better for my life, / Than Edward will for tidings of my death." (Act 1, Scene 4, 235 - 238)
4. Personification - "Or earth gape open wide and eat him quick, / As thou dost swallow up this good king's blood." (Act 1, Scene 2, 69 - 70)
5. Metaphore - "O, wonderful, when devils tell the truth!" (Act 1, Scene 2, 77)

1. Act I, scene ii, lines 35-240

• Richard tries to convince Anna of his good intentions through various tactics (listed above in the "Persuasive Strategies to Win Anne Over"), with the ultimate objective to get her to eventually marry him.

2. Act I, scene ii, lines 247-284 (monologue)

• In this monologue Richard reveals his true feelings about Anna, and laughs at how easily she was wooed and won by his false front.

3. Act I scene iii, lines 107-322

• To win over Queen Elizabeth and Queen Margaret, and convince them of his good intentions, Richard resorts to flattery and jesting.

4. Act I scene iv, lines 101-297

• Richard had convinced his brother Clarence of his good intentions so much that Clarence couldn't believe that it was him who had hired the murderers.

Study Questions:

1. Why has Richard decided to be the villain? List three possible reasons.

• He is bored because the war is over
• He was happy in the seriousness of war, but the peace is too silly for his taste
• Because of his deformity he believes he cannot be a lover, so he will be a villain

2. Cite two lines that exemplify Shakespeare’s exaggerated description of Richard's appearance?

• "Deformed, unfinished, sent before my time," (Act 1, Scene 1, 20)
• "And so lamely and unfashionable / That dogs bark at me as I halt by them" (Act 1, Scene 1, 22- 23)

3. How does Anne feel about Richard at the beginning of their courtship?  What particularly nasty things does Anne say to Richard in the scene?

• At the beginning of their courtship Anne has an intense hatred for Richard because he killed her husband, Edward, and his father, Henry VI.
• Particularly nasty things Anne says to Richard in the scene (Act 1, Scene 2):
• "O, wonderful, when devils tell the truth!" (77)
• "Vouchsafe, diffuse infection of <a> man," (82)
• "Fouler than heart can think thee, thou canst make / No excuse current but to hang thyself." (87 - 88)
• "Never hung poison on a fouler toad. / Out of my sight! Thou dost infect mine eyes." (161 - 162)

4. What is Clarence’s response when he is told that Richard is the one that ordered his death?

• "It cannot be, for he bewept my fortune, / And hugged me in his arms, and swore with sobs / That he would labor my delivery." (Act 1, Scene 4, 253 - 255)  
• Clarence doesn't believe that his brother Richard, who had just sworn to help him when he had seen him off, could be the one who hired these murderers.

5. What is the significance of Margaret’s curses in the play? What does she say will become of Richard and those that get in his way? Why do you think Shakespeare includes the scene?

• The significance of Margaret's curses in the play are that they prophesy what is to come. Margaret says that Richard and those that get in his way will die. I think Shakespeare includes this scene in order to give the audience / reader a hint of what is to come, to keep them engaged (similar to how he uses the Fates prophecies in Henry IV).

6. Richard III has been said to invite readers on a “moral holiday.” Describe one way the reader/ viewer is already complicit in Richard’s crimes.

• The reader is already complicit in Richard's crimes because in his side tangents to the audience / reader, in which he divulges his evil plans, he makes us his confidants, making us complicit when Richard carries out the plans he told us of and hurts those we could have warned if we were able to/

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

1. “But I that am not shaped for sportive tricks, / Nor made to court an amorous looking glass; / I, that am rudely stamped and want love’s majesty

• Said by: Richard (Act 1, Scene 1,  14 - 16)
• Significance: He is bringing to our attention his deformity and how it restricts him from love and enjoying a playful and carefree life.

2. “Simple, plain Clarence, I do love thee so / That I will shortly send thy soul to heaven”

• Said by: Richard (Act 1, Scene 1, 122 - 123)
• Significance: Richard comments about how he loves his simple brother Clarence and how soon his plan will easily trich Clarence and culminate in his death and him moving on to heaven,

3. “Look, how this ring encompasseth finger; / Even so thy breast encloseth my poor heart. / Wear both of them for both of them are thine.”

• Said by: Richard (Act 1, Scene 2, 222 - 224)
• Significance: This is Richard's final strategy to will over Anne, giving her a ring and his heart, to further his plan in which they marry.

4. “Out devil! I do remember them too well: / Though killed'st my husband Henry in the Tower, / And Edward my poor son, at Tewkesbury.”

• Said by: Queen Margaret (Act 1, Scene 3, 122 - 124)
• Significance: Queen Margaret is showing her disdain for Richard because he killed both her husband Henry and her son Edward.

5. “A bloody deed, and desperately dispatched. / How fain like Pilate, would I wash my hand / Of this most grievous murder.”

• Said by: Second Murderer (Act 1, Scene 4, 283 - 285)
• Significance: After murdering Clarence, the Second Murderer ponders how he will get rid of the guild of the murder of innocent blood; this differentiated the murderers because while the Second one shows remorse the First one was the one who stabbed Clarence and showed no guilt for the murder.

6. “He that bereft thee, lady, of thy husband / Did it to help thee to a better husband.”

• Said by: Richard (Act 1, Scene 2, 148 - 149)
• Significance: Another one of Richard's strategies to win over Anne was to say he killed her husband so he could marry her and be a better, more loving, husband.

7. “”Never hung poison on a fouler toad. / Out of my sight! Thou dost infect mine eyes.”

• Said by: Anne (Act 1, Scene 2, 161 - 162)
• Significance: One of Anne's many insults to Richard, this one specifically comments on his deformity and unattractiveness, stating that his hideousness is harming her sight, in addition to his foul nature for killing her husband and his father.

8. “Why, I, in this weak piping time of peace, / Have no delight to pass away the time, / Unless to see my shadow in the sun / And descant on mine own deformity.

• Said by: Richard (act 1, Scene 1, 24 - 27)
• Significance: Richard comments how in this time of peace he is no longer preoccupied with war and is left bored with nothing to do but wallow in self-pity about his deformities and live in the shadow of his brother, King Edward IV.

Existentialism Movie Review: American Beauty

Once More with Feeling

          American Beauty is a 1999 movie directed by Sam Mendes about a man who discovers himself while going through an abnormal mid-life crisis. On the surface the Burnham family looks like a normal family, they live in the suburbs, they have traditional jobs, and they have a typical angry teenager, but under the surface each member is simply waiting to be alive. Kevin Spacey stars as Lester Burnham, a mild mannered man in his forties who wakes up one day and decides to change his life, and stop sleepwalking through his life’s endeavor. Lester was sick of working all day at his job at a cubicle farm and coming home to his dysfunctional family and overbearing wife. When he decides to take control of his life Lester quits his job, blackmails his boss, and stands up to his wife. Lester soon becomes obsessed with his high school daughter’s friend, Angela Hayes, and begins to improve his physical physique in order to attract her attention. Meanwhile his daughter, Jane, becomes curious about their new neighbor, Ricky Fitts, who seems captivated by her and has begun frequently videotaping her from afar. Lester and his daughter’s voyeur soon become friends when Ricky becomes his drug dealer, and we are introduced to Ricky’s father, Colonel Fitts, who is a homophobic and draconian father. Aggravated with her husband’s recent awakening, Carolyn Burnham finds her own form of rebellion by beginning an affair with her idol Buddy Kane, the “king” of real estate. After discovering his wife’s infidelity, Lester is pursued by the Colonel, who he turns down, and Lester pursues Angela further only to discover that she had in fact been living a lie of promiscuity and was a virgin in over her head. Conversely, Jane and Ricky have taken it to the next level and are planning to run away together when a shot in the night stops them in their tracks. The movie culminates in the picturesque Burnham suburban house turned murder scene, when Lester is shot, ending his new found life.

In American Beauty, initially Lester is weighed down by a depression stemming from his lack of purpose and ability to find beauty in the world. In the opening narration Lester explains, “I am 42 years old; in less than a year I will be dead. Of course I don't know that yet, and in a way, I am dead already.”This casual way of looking at death is a very existential idea and is proliferated throughout the movie mainly by Lester and his deathly state. His life leading up to his mid-life crisis is not really a life at all, he is simply going through the motions and letting time slip slowly away. In Lester’s job description he states that, "My job consists of basically masking my contempt for the assholes in charge, and, at least once a day, retiring to the men's room so I can jerk off while I fantasize about a life that doesn't so closely resemble Hell." Lester feels as if he is already living in Hell so the idea of death is almost insignificant to him because It wouldn‘t be much of a change. His life experiences of life only containing anger, insecurity, and confusion lead him to have a very matter of fact way of looking at death; this casualness about his indifference toward life or death is exemplified by statements he frequently makes on the subject, such as when he said, “Remember those posters that said, "Today is the first day of the rest of your life"? Well, that's true of every day but one - the day you die.” Throughout American Beauty, Lester proliferates the existential concept that life and death are meaningless distinctions of the same thing, fate.          

             American Beauty is conversely sprinkled with overwhelming insights in the ability to find beauty in the world despite the overwhelming presence of existential beliefs. A character’s ability to find beauty in the world displays their capacity to assume control over their fate and combat the existential ideas that nothing they do matters. Death is essential in granting life meaning, without death life would be trivial because nothing that lasts forever is precious. Ricky is the character who most often is able to strip away the world’s rubber shielding and connect to the beautiful copper wire that lies within. Ricky’s unique ability is exemplified in his choices of film subjects and the stories he chooses to tell about them. When Angela asks Ricky why he is filming a dead bird he responds, “because it is beautiful,” showing the intertwined nature of death and an appreciation of life. Ricky’s seemingly excessive videotaping is a way for him to remember all of the good in the world, as he explains to Jane, “Sometimes there's so much beauty in the world, I feel like I can't take it, and my heart is just going to cave in.” Throughout the movie we follow Lester and the evolution of his ability to similarly identify what is truly beautiful about being alive. The movie culminates with Lester’s final realization,

“I guess I could be pretty pissed off about what happened to me... but it's hard to stay mad, when there's so much beauty in the world. Sometimes I feel like I'm seeing it all at once, and it's too much, my heart fills up like a balloon that's about to burst... And then I remember to relax, and stop trying to hold on to it, and then it flows through me like rain and I can't feel anything but gratitude for every single moment of my stupid little life... You have no idea what I'm talking about, I'm sure. But don't worry... you will someday.”

Through his existentialism lens he is still able to identify that while life will always ultimately end that does not render it meaningless and that every moment of life is precious even if in the grand scheme of the universe it is insignificant, it can still hold great meaning to you. The imminence of his death allows him to reflect on his life and appreciate it, an inevitable sensation he insists is a part of dying, further supporting that life and death are intertwined, and that life is substantiated by the presence of death.  

Overall I quite enjoyed American Beauty, it was a thoroughly engaging movie and it’s twisted plot fascinated me. I loved the perversion of the various characters and the surprise murdered at the end of the film. Although I was able to predict some of the “surprises” such as Angela’s status as a virgin and the Colonel's homosexuality, I was still pleased with how they played out. Kevin Spacey did a fabulous job portraying Lester and it was hilarious to watch a originally mild-mannered man do a complete one-eighty and take control of his life. My biggest problem with the film was the romantic relationship between Lester and Angela. The idea that Lester’s main motivation throughout the movie was to have sex with his teenage daughter’s best, and only, friend was creepy and the premise grossed me out. Though I was able to find comedy in the absurdity of the lengths Lester was willing to go, and such saving grace lines as, “I want to look good naked!” I enjoyed the relationship between Jane and Ricky,though I found Ricky the more interesting of the two. Ricky was my favorite character because his ability to find the beauty in the seemingly bland world surrounding him is a skill I aspire to perfect, not to mention I found him funny in the scenes in which he backhandedly makes fun of his father, and most of all I liked how he was able to be sweet and creepy with his voyeurism at the same time. Overall, I would award American Beauty five out of five stars and recommend it to anyone who is looking for a night of laughs and thought provoking cinema!