Exploring Connections 2013_Yager
Transcript of Exploring Connections 2013_Yager
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Exploring Connections
Richard III & Look ing for Richard
Karen Yager –
Knox Grammar
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‘In this elective, students will explore how
meanings of a pair of texts can be shaped
and reshaped by cons ider ing the nature ofthe connect ions between them. Explorat ion
of the connect ions between the texts will
enhance understanding of the values and
contexts of each text. Relat ionships between
these texts may be impl ic i t or exp l ic i t .
Connect ions may be establ ished through
direct o r ind irect references, contexts,values, ideas, and the use of language
form s and features ’ (BOS Prescriptions 2009
– 2012).
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HSC Examination Rubric
In your answer you will be assessed on howwell you:
demonstrate understanding of the
meanings of a pair of texts whenconsidered together
evaluate the relationships between texts
and contexts organise, develop and express ideas using
language appropriate to audience, purpose
and form
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Connections
Look through the
lens of the doco
when you explore
the play and makethe key
connections
considering howcontext shapes
and reshapes
meaning.
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Connections
Shakespeare introduces in the openingscene the mirror as a reflexive metaphor
to explore how what we see in the mirror
can be an illusion: ‘But I, that am notshaped for sportive tricks / Nor made to
court an amorous looking-glass’.
Pacino represents Richard how otherssee him, but he is drawn to the dark
villain who uses words and actions to
hide the ‘shadow’ in the mirror.
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‘ Man – a being in
search of meaning’
Plato.What do the texts tell
you about the humanexperience?
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ALL texts reflect the values and context of the
time of production.
Each composer is influenced (either implicitlyor explicitly) by their respective contexts
which affects WHY and HOW they explore
characters, themes and values. HOW does Shakespeare SHAPE certain
characters, ideas and values through his
play, and how and why does Pacino
RESHAPE these aspects?
In RESHAPING Shakespeare’s play which
scenes does Pacino focus on and why?
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Richard III
Political stability following aperiod of unrest and threats tothe throne: As well as beingpolitically correct in its support ofthe reigning Tudors, the playwritten in the Elizabethan periodwould have captured theimagination of an audience awareof the ongoing political tensionand intrigue
Theatre: The cultural and political
role of theatre to spreadProtestantism and royalistpropaganda through a dividedrealm further reflects the intent ofRichard III that supports thepolitical rights of the Tudors andmaligns Richard III and the Houseof York.
Context
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Richard III Machiavellian politics: Machiavelli’s
view of politics and power (The Prince (1513) represents a humanist movetowards a secular notion ofleadership. Richard III rejects
traditional Christian virtues andmorality to pursue at any costpersonal power and uses language asa persuasive weapon. ‘Politics haveno relation to morals.’
Morality Plays and The Vice:
Although the character of Richard IIIhas its origins in the Vice as hereminds the audience – ‘Thus like theformal Vice, Iniquity, / I moralize twomeanings in one word’ - he is moresubtle and human. His actions ratherthan his nature are evil.
Context
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Secularism and free willvs. providentialism: Movefrom traditional Christianideology of morality, the
belief in a spiritual orderand the power of ‘divineretribution’
Shakespeare’s timesreflect a shift from
humanity’s unquestionedrelationship with God to amore secular explorationand fascination of what it isto be an individual with free
will.
Context
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Looking for Richard releasedin 1996 for a modern
American audience who wereskeptical about the relevanceof his plays and confused bythe complexity of thelanguage.
Kevin Kline in thedocumentary states ‘ AnEnglish teacher brought us toa local production of ‘King
Lear’ and after ten minutes of people doing"Shakespearean acting", Ituned out and started makingout with my girlfriend in theback row. We left at
intermission.’
Context
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20th century: advent oftotalitarianism - Richardcarrying a riding crop issymbolic of his autocratic
power. We must find in it the
night of Nazi occupation,concentration camps,
mass murders’ J. Kott Pacino’s past gangster
films have influenced hisrepresentation of
Richard’s villainy.
Context
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The establishingsequence juxtaposespanning shots of acathedralrepresentative of anEnglish tradition andhistory thatShakespeare hascome from, with a wideshot of the Americanhigh-rise city, urbanlandscape and thebasketball courtsymbolic of UScontemporary cultureand values.
Context
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Moderation Integrity Compassion
Honesty Loyalty Justice
Values
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Audience & Purpose
Rich ard III: Entertain through
an enigmatic villain and provoke
thought about what it is to be
human.
Affirming to a Elizabethan
audience of the emergent
middle class and the nobility the
Tudor’s legitimate right to the
throne. Richmond who defeats
Richard at the Battle of
Bosworth and becomes king of
a united England was Henry
Tudor, the great-grandfather of
Elizabeth 1, the ruling monarch
when this play was performed.
Connections
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Connections
Form Richard III: Historical tragedy
continuing the story from
Henry VI Part III and
concluding the historical
tetralogy that began with
Richard II .
The play’s rising action builds
to the moment when Richard is
crowned king and then rapidly
falls with Richard descending
into darker deeds and others
deserting him until the final
battle scene where he is killed
and Richmond triumphs.
‘As soon as he gets what he
wants…the emptiness.’
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Form
Loo king for Richard : Stream-of-
consciousness ‘drama’ documentary
The documentary’s structure
sequentially follows the narrative of
Richard III so that the viewer is guidedthrough the plot, reminded of the
importance of the play and follows
Richard’s escalating evil deeds.
The documentary is a deliberate
pastiche of cuts from interviews with
actors and scholars juxtaposed withimpromptu vox pops with people on
the streets of New York City to
demonstrate that Shakespeare can
reach everyone and belongs to the
actors.
Connections
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Reshaping
K ing Richard III
Meta-theatrical
historiography
Richards’ meta-theatricalrole as conducting a
“direful pageant” playing
a range of roles from
loving brother, desperatelover, benevolent
statesman and protector
of the crown.
Look ing for Richard
Meta-documentary
Pacino’s role as director
and actor merge He controls artistically the
representation and the
content
Pacino’s pageant is
‘insubstantial’ as his film isnever made - ‘We're never
going to finish making this
movie.’
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Artistry
The power of Shakespeare’s
language: the nuances,
lyricism, the delicious irony,
powerful rhetoric, clever word
play and dramatic techniques.
In Looking for Richard, when
the actors discuss the
ambiguity and complexity of
the lines in the play and howthey should interpret these
lines they convey the duality of
both the magnetism and
refutation of Shakespeare’s
artistry.
Connections
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Artistry Vanessa Redgrave
speaks lyrically of thepower and emotion ofShakespeare’s use oflanguage – ‘thebeauty, depth,passion, music of hiswords.’ The African
American speaks
eloquently about howwords today have losttheir meaning andfeeling, ‘If we felt whatwe said, and say lesswe’d mean more.’
Connections
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‘Already in this play heis thinking abouthuman beings asactors and about thestage.’
Shakespeare hasmoved away from thecreation of stereotypesthat the Elizabethan
audience were familiarwith in the ChristianMorality plays to createcharacters that aremore human.
Richard
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Like Pacino, we arefascinated by thecompelling, unscrupulousRichard III who seduces usthrough his soliloquies and
asides to be co-conspirators.
‘This guy Richard...make upyour mind...what is he? Firstyou say he’s a kind of devil,then you say he’s a kind of
mad court jester. Then, he’sa dead ringer for a kind ofmedieval Vice. Whateverthat is? And then he’sdescribed as some sort ofscourge of god or
Machiavelli…
Richard
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Richard
Vice who entertains theaudience with his villainyand sardonic humour.
Deformity wassynonymous with Godpunishing evil
Machiavel whosubscribes to thephilosophy that “the ends justifies the means” andin the pursuit and
retention of powersuspends morality.
“dissembling ” mask ofVice stripped fromRichard to reveal theprofanity of his actions.
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Richard
Pacino moreinterested in power
and politics,
manipulation anddeceit than moral
dilemma of
embracing power.
Mafioso malevolence
Reflects Hollywood’s
obsession with the
dark villain.
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Pacino’s reshaping:
- Invited reading as aseductive villain BUTignores the complexities
- Deformedmetaphoricallysymbolising his evil
- Chiaroscuro lighting and
gaze: the enigma- Driven by ambition and
power
- Cleverly reads and
manipulates others
Richard
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The Ideas
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Pacino chooses tofeature at length thescenes from the playthat reveal humanity’sflaws such as the
seduction of Lady Anneand the murder ofClarence.
‘Let’s get this right, thisguy Gloucester, haskilled Anne’s husband
and father-in-law andthe father-in-law’s bodystarts to bleed when hecomes by and he stillmanages to win the girl?
Human frailty
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‘It is double pleasure todeceive the deceiver.’
The moral weakness of theother characters enableRichard to succeed.
Brackenbury’s inaction, ‘I will
not reason what is meanthereby, / Because I will beguiltless of the meaning’ (A1,siv).
The Archbishop is persuadedby Richard to hand the youngprinces over to him removing
the protection of the church. “He can use the fear, the
general turmoil to hisadvantage. He knows these people hate each other. He'lluse their hatred to manipulatethem” (Pacino).
Complicity
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Richard is only honest withthe audience informing themof his plans and celebratinghis success. He uses ironyskillfully to hide hisruthlessness and lack of
conscience. Even after all ofthe bloody deeds he is ableto convince the people,albeit for a brief time, tosupport him.
As one actor observes inLooking for Richard ‘So now
all that’s left is winning the people!’ Pacino singsgleefully ‘He’s got the whole
“They canvas like politicians,complete with lies andinnuendo. world in his
hands!” (Pacino)
Duplicity
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Pursuit of Power
“The truth is that those in power have total contempt
for everything they promise,
everything they pledge, and
this is really what
Shakespeare’s great play isreally about.”
In the 21st century the
pursuit of power is still a
concern; thus, providingone explanation for the
continuing resonance of
King Richard III and
Pacino’s fascination.
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Elizabethan times:Machiavelli, Catholicism,
political unrest
US: cynicism and loss of trust
in the government Pacino’s ambition: ‘’Our revels
now are ended. These our
actors,
As I foretold you, were all
spirits and Are melted into air, into thin
air:
And, like the baseless fabric of
this vision...This insubstantial
pageant’
Ambition
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‘What, do you tremble? Are youall afraid? /Alas, I blame you not,for you are mortal…’ (A1, s.ii)
The actors in Looking for Richard are fascinated by the battle for
power and the hatred that ispalpable – ‘They are clawing ateach other for the throne!’
‘The gathering of the Dons in thisroom.’ Looking for Richardmakes the connection between
Elizabethan times and todaystressing that there will alwaysbe individuals who will betrayothers for power.
The end justifies the means.
Ambition
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‘There is no creature lovesme, / And if I die no soul shall
pity me.’ (Av, siii) – Theterrible consequences ofsuppressing your humanityfor power. His villains die
alone and without respect orlove. Pacino observes thatRichard ‘has no friends.’
“But he has let the pursuit of power totally corrupt him. Heis alienated from his own
body and his own self” (Kimble).
Pacino ambitiously pursuescreating the film of the playwithout considering thechallenges.
Ambition
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Conscience
"Conscience is but a word thatcowards use, devised at first to keepthe strong in awe.“
Even at the end when Richard hasbeen confronted by the ghosts ofthose he killed and betrayed he
exclaims ‘O coward conscience, howdost thou afflict me?’ (Av, siii) Hedoes not seek salvation.
Shakespeare explores howindividuals can ignore theirconscience and commit evil such asthe murderers of Clarence who
hesitate only for a moment beforetaking his life or Buckingham whosupports Richard until he makes thatmistake of having to considerwhether he supports the murder ofthe two young princes – ‘He did allthe dirty work and propped up the
king.’
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Morality
RIII : Women are
crucial in
foreshadowing
events and asthe voice of
morality
proclaimingRichard’s evil
and his pre-
destined fate.
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Morality/Providence
Vice character that satirisedwomen as a means of
highlighting his genius and
draw in the audience.
Contextual construct of the
Three Mary’s of theresurrection plays who
represent the central mystery
of Christianity and pre-
destination Anne, the Duchess and
Elizabeth as the forces of
predestination, fate and divine
retribution against Richard’s
sacrilegious actions.
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Providence
The women shift audiencesympathy from Richard by
showing the anguish his
evil causes on a personal
level. They are Richard’svictims and the voice of
pre-destiny.
Margaret has a Nemesis
choric function, her cursesforeshadowing the divine
retribution of pre-destiny
for Richard as “the troubler
of the poor world’s peace”
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Reshaping
Pacino addresses therole of women more
obliquely as the doco is
centred on affirming
Pacino’s views upon
the validity of method
acting and
Shakespeare’s place asthe actor’s heritage as
well as the importance
of the villain to modern
audiences.
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Reshaping Pacino’s Richard is and Vice
and a Machiavel, with sexual
power replacing humour and
wit, a context more accessible
for modern responders. “I’ll have
her, but I will not keep her long”. Kimball establishes Pacino’s
authority, interrupting Ryder in
the actors’ workshop to mock
her interpretation. Side lighting,
camera angles turning away,
and editing reinforces
Anne/Ryder as subservient to
Richard/Pacino
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Reach, educate andchallenge anaudience.
Consider theenablers.
The power oflanguage to:
- Evoke feelings- Persuade
- Manipulate
- Deceive
Communication
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‘How do you communicateShakespeare to an
American audience?’
Educate, inform and
connect
“We could communicate
both our passions for it,
out understanding that we
come to…’
‘Through the pentameter
of the soul’
‘He can use the fear…’
Communication
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Entertain through anenigmatic villain and
provoke thought about
what it is to be human.
Question the beliefs of thetimes: determinism or
providentialism vs. free will,
humanism and secularism.
Affirm to a Elizabethan
audience of the emergentmiddle class and the
nobility the Tudor’s
legitimate right to the
throne.
Communication
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Communication
How: dramatic, filmicand language
features
Cinema verite
Pastiche
Tension and conflict
Lyricism and nuances
- ‘the beauty, depth, passion, music of his
words.’
Irony and wit
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Notes from the Marking Centre
Candidates who clearly understood the purpose oftheir texts were able to demonstrate conceptual
understanding and respond personally.
High-range responses used key terms particular to
their focu s area to create their own thesis, anddisplayed an ability to evaluate and analyse.
Better responses developed a thesis whichdemonstrated a strong con ceptual understanding
of the module and the elective. Better responses introduced a thesis to answer the
question in their introduction and maintained andsupported it throughout the essay.
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A line of argument
that responds to the
question and presents
your point of view.
Two supporting ideas.
Facilitates integration
of texts
Developed andsupported by
judicious textual
support
Approach
Th
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Theses
Looking forRichard
connects the
audience toShakespeare
through the
exploration ofthe enigmatic
Richard III.
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Theses Both Richard III
and Looking forRichard areproducts ofdifferent timesyet they areconnected
through theirexploration ofwhat it is to behuman.
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Theses While the context,
language andform have
changed, RichardIII and Looking forRichard are
connectedthrough the corevalue of
moderation.
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Theses Looking for
Richard reconnects uswith
Shakespeare'scharacters, valuesand themesreminding us that
they are timeless.We can look forRichard, and findhim, in the worldaround us.
Sh k d P i d th il f Ri h d
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Shakespeare and Pacino ground the evil of Richard
differently in their respective texts. Shakespeare’s
Richard is not merely an ambitious villain, but the
personification of a metaphysical evil – a Machiavellian prince whose vice-like character is derived from the
medieval morality play. These attributes manifest
themselves in Richard’s deformity – part of a religious
paradigm whose didactic purpose would not havebeen lost on an Elizabethan audience. However, broad
contextual shifts have resulted in Pacino downplaying
the significance of Richard’s deformity in his adaption.
Instead, the director attempts to recreate a villain forour times, emphasising mainly the political
characteristics of a tyrant-king rendered recognisable
to a modern audience.