Category: Writing

Patheic Fallacy

Patheic Fallacy is a dramatic language device used in many plays, books and movies. It is when the weather or the environment tells us if something good or bad is about to happen in our storyline. An example of Pathetic Fallacy in Shakespeare’s Macbeth in Act 2 Scene 1, on the night Macbeth is planning to murder King Duncan, Banquo is talking to his son outside in the dead of the night. He tells his son that the moon and the stars have disappeared and the night is pitch black. ‘There’s husbandry in heaven, their candles are all out.’ – quotation from Banquo in the scene. That sets the setting and shows us that something truly criminal will happen all though the characters may not know it.

Metaphysics

Metaphysics is not a language device, but something that is all around us and we may not know it. Metaphysics are things that may exist but we don’t know for sure. Things that we cannot prove or just haven’t proved is real yet. An example of metaphysics in Shakespeare’s Macbeth are the three witches. We don’t know if things like wizards or witches of even magic truly does exist. We’ve all heard stories an legends about it but they all could be false.

Dramatic Irony

Dramatic Irony is a language device usually used in plays but can be used in movies as well. It is when we the audience know something that is planned or going to happen to do with the plot but most of the other character or even none of them don’t know. An example is in Macbeth Act 1 Scene 4 Macbeth talks aside to the audience to become king he must kill Dunans sons as they’re next in line. We now know what Macbeth is planning but th other character won’t. ‘The Prince of Cymberland that is a step on which I must fall down, or else o’erleap, for in my way it lies.’- Quotaion by Macbeth in his speech aside.

Paradox

A paradox is used in many things like writing, films, speech. It is when two opposite words are used in a line together. For example in Macbeth when the witches are talking about Macbeths future they say ‘ Fair is foul and foul is fair’. Fair and foul are two opposites but are used together for description.

Everything in Italics is non-standard elements in English.

Kain: If I was there that wouldn’t happened.

Lueol: Na na na na.

Kain: I would’ve stopped that.

Lueol (over Kain): I would’ve turned you as well. I can’t… I can turn Kieran but I can’t turn you?

Kain (over Lueol): I could’ve played centre back yeah, you said I couldn’t defend. I can play centre back. I don’t care.

Lueol: I can turn you but I can’t turn you yeah?

Hasan: But you turned Kieran once!

Lueol: And we got a penalty.

(Hasan says something muffled)

Hasan: You admitted it wasn’t a penalty.

Lueol: huh?

Hasan: But you admitted it wasn’t a penalty

Lueol: Whatya mean it’s not a penalty he tripped me up!

Hasan: Yea not in the box it was outside the box.

Kain: Yeah Yeah. It was

Liam: No it was inside.

Hasan: No it was outside, he admitted it.

Liam (over Hasan): Inside!

Hasan: He admitted it! He did!

Lueol: No I never.

Hasan: No (something muffled)… Don’t lie! Your laughin again see!

Lueol: But I always laugh

Hasan: No no no no… You-

Liam: He never sayd it was a penalty. I mean it was a penalty.

Kain: It was (stuturring) It was not a penalty it was outside the box.

Liam: You weren’t even dere!

Hasan: But den again you missed the penalty so I don’t mata.

Liam: Yeah but if I took it.

Hasan: Nd you went emotional.

Lueol: Whhhatt!

Hasan: It went all the way up you know! He hit on the wall yeah, nd it came back. It came back nd he volleyed it.

Liam (Over hasan): Your allowed to hit it off the wall. Your allowed to hit off the wall.

Lueol: But we scored outside the box. He scored from far away doe.

Kain: Just sayin yeah just sayin… If I was there we would’ve won!

Lueol: No.

Kain: Cuz I would’ve defended Kieran would’ve defended nd you couldn’t attack nd they would’ve scored.

Lueol: No no if you were there we would’ve won! Aye aye aye listen to the facts yea, listen to the facts.

Hasan (over Lueol): But we needed a solid centre back.

*Music Playing*

*Phone Rings*

Person 1: Yeah?

Person 2: Ow fanks for answerin geezar know what I mean.

Person 3: Give me that! Where you been fool? Making us rinse out our credit leavin you messages nd dat.

Person 2: Oi Mr Dorses is well on the war path with you bruv yeah?

Person 1: Cuz of the bag nd dat?

Person 2: What bag?! Cuz you messed the lesson you cheat.

Person 3: Gimme dat! The bag weren’t the problem. Tiggsy never mentioned it he bottled it. Oi are you comin on to mine later to play computer?

Person 1: Na man, I’m at home now I got buisness I gotta run.

Person 3: What buisness?!

Person 1: Buisness that minds its own

*Kisses teeth*

Im out.

Directed by Terry George, Hotel Rwanda is a movie that depicts the true story of the civil war that occurred in Rwanda. It shows how the ruthless Hutu’s, one of the two groups created by the Belgians to segregate the black citizens based on what they look like, hunt down the innocent Tutsi’s, the other of the two groups. This film reveals the horror of this war to the audience and sparks up the question of how innocent are people everywhere. Terry George uses many techniques within his movie, which all then contribute by adding even more sparks into his audience. In one particular way, George adds tension in his scenes. Building up tension effects the audience throughout every scene. It can intrigue the audiences, make them feel all kinds of emotions and can then make the audience ponder about certain shots and scenes. Grabbing the attention of the audience is very beneficial for George. It means that he can spread those sparks and make people realise the effect of war. George uses many cinematographic techniques in the movie to develop tension and give off an eerie atmosphere throughout the movie. In one scene in particular Terry George offloads many techniques and that is Paul’s ‘epiphany’ scene.

Paul and Gregoire are driving back from George’s warehouse, on a road that was suggested by George, as he said it was clear. As they are driving the car starts to shake violently and it appeared that they were driving over things. Frantically, they stop the car and Paul steps out only to trip and fall. To his horror, Paul falls onto a dead woman. In a panic, he jumps up and was terror stricken when his eyes glared upon the path before him. It was filled with dead bodies. It then came to the realisation that when George meant the road was clear, it was clear of Tutsi. Paul suddenly then realised the expanse of the situation they were in.

One way Terry George develops tension in the scene is by adding sound effects and background music. This can also build up the emotions in Paul’s epiphany scene and could even tell a story without changing the scene or camera shot. On the shot when the camera zoomed in on the dead woman, you could hear the sound of a machete slash. That communicates to the audience that all these dead people were all slaughtered by machetes. This makes us feel fear and remain in disbelief over this current shocking situation. Also within the background of the scene there is music that constantly builds up. The effect of that built up the suspense and created an eerie atmosphere. Just like in horror films music is used to create tension and prepares the audience for a jump scare. The use of music in Paul’s epiphany scene was not to prepare the audience for a jump but to prepare them for the horror of witnessing all those dead people.

The director also uses many types of camera shots to develop tension and play with the emotions of the audience. It can also develop the audiences view on the scene.  At one point the director used a point of view shot on Paul. This shot showed us the dead bodies lying around through Paul’s eyes. There is a lot of power from a point of view shot. By having a point of view it places us, the audience, in Paul’s position. It makes it seem as though we are there and are witnessing the aftermath of the massacre. This easily plays with the audiences emotions just by one trick from the director. It can petrify the audience, make them sick and really make them tearful. That shot makes the scene seem much more worse and gives the audience a better understanding on what was going on. The director also uses close ups on dead bodies, which definitely strikes shock into the audience. It demonstrates the reality of wars and can cause us all to feel sick in the stomach. The tension, without a doubt, was increased majorly.

Another feature Terry George uses, is special effects. The director uses fog during the beginning of the scene. When Paul and Gregoire are driving back there is fog and mist surrounding them. That disallows them and us to see through the window and what is in front of them. The fog can build the tension because alerts the audience that something is going to happen. The fog can also be interpreted as pathetic fallacy. It announces something bad is a about to happen. This mist gets thicker and thicker and in the end makes the characters drive onto the dead bodies. Once Paul sees the dead woman the fog clears completely. The fog builds up the tension, as not just the characters, but the audience cannot see what is going to happen and can make the audience nervous, especially when the car starts to shake.

Terry George also uses focus in this scene to enlarge the tension. In some shots the director blurs out the background and focuses on Paul’s face. That forces us to examine the emotions that are on Paul’s face. That can then make us feel the same emotions as Paul, or maybe feel worse. George also focuses on the background at some points and blurs the foreground, so he would blur Paul and focus on the dead people in the background. This could make the audience feel even more worse as it gives them nothing else to look at besides these dead people. It has this effect that tells the audience you have to focus on this and cannot turn away. This will build the tension. By using all these techniques Terry George can accomplish building tension and can then make his work more effective. He can capture the minds of his audience and will fulfill his purpose of the film.

The two poems ‘For the Fallen’ and ‘Suicide in the Trenches’ both commemorate the dead. Throughout each poems they talk about the dead soldiers, however they do it very different ways.

‘For the Fallen’ is written by Robert Laurence Binyon. In his poem he speaks very highly of those soldiers that thought for us during the war. He also talks for everyone not just himself. ‘Suicide in the Trenches’ is written by Siegfried Sassoon and in his poem he shows anger. He clearly has a hatred to those who are not in war or maybe it is war all together.

‘For the Fallen’ commemorates the dead through four stanzas. Binyon refers to the soldiers as ‘steady and aglow’. I believe that Binyon was implying that they had pride and were prepared to face war. That they were proud to fight in a war to protect their country. Binyon also says they were ‘staunch to the end against odd uncounted’. I can infer from that, that Binyon was trying to say that they would not step down and let the enemy through. That they were bold and no matter what they would defend their country. Binyon also says that England would mourn for the dead soldiers. That clearly shows that they are loved and respected. By saying ‘England’ he means the people of England and that means we will miss those soldiers. So clearly Binyon believes that these soldiers are spectacular people. That they are all Saints. They all died for us and without them we will not be here. Binyon is right. But it seems like that he’s saying these men volunteered. That these men were courageous, honorable and fearless. Fearless as in they went into war not frightened but determined to defeat the enemy. This is what Binyon believes and the poem seems like he’s telling a story rather than being reflective.

In ‘Suicide in the Trenches’, Siegfried Sassoon doesn’t speak highly of the soldiers. He doesn’t speak bad of them either. In his poem he shows slight hatred. Siegfried Sassoon starts of by talking about a ‘simple soldier boy’. Sassoon says the boy ‘grinned at life in empty joy’, ‘slept soundly through the lonesome dark’ and ‘whistled early with the lark’. This give you an image of a little boy who is happy at everything no matter what his surrounding is. So he is perky. To be grinning in empty joy is smiling when things are bad. When there is nothing jolly happening yet he’s smiling. If he could sleep peacefully in ‘lonesome dark’ must show nothing is troubling him. He has no fears. Also whistling with a lark shows he quite peaceful and cheery. So this boy is doing all this whilst he is fighting in a war is very strange. He had no fears no worries. Sassoon continues on to shock us by saying the perky boy shot himself. The carefree boy had committed suicide. In those lines maybe Sassoon was trying to imply something. I believe he was. I believe that Sassoon was trying to say that no matter what kind of person you are, war can change you. Whether you are strong, fearless, not troubled or even cowardly war will get to you. He was trying to show a massive negative about war. Maybe because of this Sassoon might hated war.

Siegfried Sassoon also talks about a crowd. A ‘smug-faced’ crowd that ‘cheer when soldier lads march by’. Sassoon calls the crowd smug-faced. He is calling them sly. Maybe Sassoon dislikes the crowd. Probably because they cheer the soldiers on as they march to war. Sassoon might feel anger over this cheer. He may think that this crowd are cheering these men to their deaths. Sassoon says ‘sneak home and pray you’ll never know the hell where youth and laughter go’. Siegfried Sassoon refers to the crowd there. By saying ‘hell’ he means war or even death. So if he’s telling them to pray that they don’t experience war or death, he is saying how cruel and terrible it is. Therefore he shows anger at the crowd because they got away with war, but these soldier lads haven’t. That they are walking to the hell where youth and laughter go. Just like the simple soldier boy from earlier. Sassoon says ‘you smug faced crowds’ We are the you and the crowd. We hear about these men dying in war, but we don’t realise the pain agony and fears they do. We will never know  the hell where youth and laughter go.

So these poets do commemorate the dead soldiers, who died for us. But they commemorate them in different ways. Binyon says they are fearless however Sassoon says they are just men walking to their deaths. They might have different viewpoints and so will others but we still commemorate them. ‘At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them’.