Module A: Justice/Retribution Flashcards
Shakespeare’s theocratic, Elizabethan audience would
expect justice in play and that R would pay the ultimate price for his sins by going to hell.
why did S have to get justice/Retribution for R?
to reaffirm Tudor myth, as R had usurped the Lancasters, killing King Henry VI and son Prince of Wales
Why else did S have to get justice for R (religious)?
to show that God will seek vengeance for anyone that goes against his will and disrupts moral order
“Hie thee to hell for shame… Thou cacodemon! there thy kingdom is.”
Margaret
declarative statement, emotive language
Margaret provides a
constant reminder of the current regime’s past deeds and appeals for divine retribution
The women in the play
call for justice, even though they too are guilty
“Cancel his bond of life, dear God, I plead
/That I may live to say ‘The dog is dead’”
Margaret
prayer
“Cancel his bond of life, dear God, I plead
/That I may live to say ‘The dog is dead’” effect
Margaret’s prayer appeals to God to deliver divine retribution for R’s sins, representing the voice of justice.
Effect :”Hie thee to hell for shame… Thou cacodemon! there thy kingdom is.”
Appeals to the expectations of his theocratic Elizabethan audience. Shakespeare demonstrates through Margaret’s curse that R will pay the ultimate price for his sins by going to hell, alluding to the vengeance that God will seek to restore the divine order that R has disrupted.
ANOTHER Effect of declarative statement with emotive language: “Hie thee to hell for shame… Thou cacodemon! there thy kingdom is.”
reiterates Tudor myth as well as R’s death and demise, providing the audience with the retribution they wanted.
Clarence also introduces
notion of paying for his sins, having betrayed the Lancasters for the Yorks.
Through the retribution Clarence and R receive what does S allude to?
philosophic fatalism, the inescapability of the consequences of our actions.
“I have done those things which now give evidence against my soul”
Clarence
personification of sins
Clarence
personification of sins
“I have done those things which now give evidence against my soul”
Effect: “I have done those things which now give evidence against my soul”
S introduces notion of paying for your sins through Clarence’s fear of death. Clarence’s betrayal of the Lancaster’s for the Yorks was understood by the audience and thus S delivered them with the justice they expected.
Having Richmond crowned would
please Elizabethan audience and provide them with a sense of justice, as R continues to pay for his sins in the afterlife.
Ghost scene in Act V a
physical reminder that R must pay for his sins.
“God and good angels fight on Richmond’s side
And Richard falls in height of all his pride”
rhyming couplet with juxtaposed imagery
rhyming couplet with juxtaposed imagery
“God and good angels fight on Richmond’s side
And Richard falls in height of all his pride”
“God and good angels fight on Richmond’s side
And Richard falls in height of all his pride”
evidences R’s fear of death ‘for hateful deeds committed’ by him as he believes he will face an eternity in hell.
S conveys notion of philosophic fatalism- even in afterlife you can’t escape consequences of your actions
evidences R’s fear of death ‘for hateful deeds committed’ by him as he believes he will face an eternity in hell.
S conveys notion of philosophic fatalism- even in afterlife you can’t escape consequences of your actions
“God and good angels fight on Richmond’s side
And Richard falls in height of all his pride”
P avoids many concepts of divine justice represented in the play, as well as the notion of retribution in the after life to
simplify the theme for his audience, maintaining accessibility.
Instead, Pacino only presents a straight forward depiction of
good versus evil, conveying a basic notion of retribution and justice.
This recognised his secular society and that
a modern US audience would not recognise the significance of divine retribution.
In ignoring many concepts of divine justice represented in the play, as well as the notion of retribution in the after life,
Pacino reduces the significance of certain parts of the play:
The Ghost’s warnings are less significant, as are the curses.
The omission of Clarence’s and Margaret’s sinful past (as well as her diminished role) means
they are not represented as figures of justice. This means the film loses some of the play’s meaning.
In looking at S and Pacino’s portrayals of justice and retribution we
realise the effects of their respective morally absolute and morally relative society’s on their artistry and their construction of their texts.
voice over of Pacino, with colloquial, informal language
“This guy, Richmond, his family were the losers in the war… (to get justice he will) get the throne back for the house of Lancaster.”
Effect “This guy, Richmond, his family were the losers in the war… (to get justice he will) get the throne back for the house of Lancaster.”
conveys Pacino’s basic portrayal of the theme.
chiaroscuro lighting, symbolism
Richmond’s face in light praying in the Church
chiaroscuro lighting, symbolism Richmond’s face in light praying in the Church EFFECT
reiterates Richmond as a good/hero, appealing to the religious values of his theocratic audience.
Low angle shot
Richmond’s violent execution of Richard
EFFECT: Low angle shot of Richmond’s violent execution of Richard
effectively conveys the retribution and justice for Richard who appears vulnerable. This also appeases a modern audience’s desire for graphic scenes in film in which they would likely advocate for such violence as a way of achieving justice.
