The Characters of Shrek and Lord Farquaad
In this essay I am going to analyse the characters of Shrek and Lord
Farquaad. I will also explore the different presentational devices
used by the film creators of Shrek to craft an unusual fairytale.
This film cost $6 million to produce. It is based on a traditional
fairytale type story but subverted.
The film was produced by Dreamworks - Steven Spielberg's production
company. Dreamworks make animated films. It has a rival animation
company in the form of Disney. It was Disney who first brought out a
long animated film which was Snow White in the 1950's.
The first computer generated animation was also brought out by Disney
called Toy Story in the 1990's.
In traditional fairy tales princes are tall, strapping, handsome and
charming. They are the good natured characters in the story who would
ordinarily rescue the princess. Ogres or giants or any general evil
being would be big, ugly, horrible, nasty creatures and would be the
wicked characters in the story. For example the story of Jack and the
beanstalk' where the nasty giant is chasing Jack shouting "Fe Fi Fo
Fum! I smell the blood of an Englishman!" and obviously trying to eat
Jack. He is evidently an evil character. The prince in 'Snow White and
the Seven Dwarfs' is a fine example of a typical classic fairytale
prince. He comes to rescue Snow White and kisses her when she was in a
deep, everlasting sleep to awaken her.
Language is an important device and I am going to write about how
language can create the impression of good and evil in both
characters, and in films. The film 'Shrek' begins as if we are reading
a book o...
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... unwelcoming as it should be as the storybook characters follow Shrek
into it quite willingly. Lord Farquaad's castle is also not as
traditional as it would be in an orthodox fairytale story. It has a
very modern image and is the setting for torture, violence and secrecy
instead of being a place of splendour and grace.
The use of lighting, music and sound affects helps to set the
atmosphere of the particular scene and helps the audience get to grips
with the idea of a subverted fairytale.
The reversal of a fairytale is a very bold move by Dreamworks who defy
the usual animation skills and traditional role of the characters and
storylines to create a totally unique and distinctive piece of
animation to be the start of hopefully more to come. A subverted
fairytale certainly provides original and interesting viewing!
Bless the Beasts and the Children is a book about six naïve, immature boys who are sent away from their parents to The Boys Canyon Boys Camp where they are known as the 'Bed Wetters' and are considered the outcasts. Glendon Swarthout uses symbolism to show weakness and vulnerability in the characters and to fulfill the purpose of the novel. The radios symbolize the fear that the boys experience, at the beginning of the novel each one of the bedwetters has their radio going full blast. They use the radios when they are scared, like at night before they go to sleep to comfort them. The boys are neglected by their parents and the radios make them feel that something is there for them when they are afraid because their parents never are.
Beowulf is a poem about strength and courage. This is illustrated in the eighth section of the story called “Beowulf and the Dragon.” A slave, a hero and a dragon play a big role in this section. The characters are well developed, as is the setup for the conclusion of the poem.
During the Middle Ages, both “Beowulf” and “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” were epic stories that were chanted aloud to the public. Each story told about epic heroes who went on a long journey to face or conqueror someone or something. “Beowulf” is a poem about a young man, Beowulf, who slays a monster and his mother with his bare hands to protect the people he loves. As the years go by Beowulf becomes king and a dragon begins to stir. In response to this, Beowulf fights the dragon with a sword and one loyal companion. Beowulf’s life comes to end, but so does the dragons. From this epic poem you can see that good does triumph over evil, but sometimes it comes at a cost. Along with “Beowulf”, “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” was another popular poem. This poem was about a squire, Sir Gawain, who chooses to take on a game proposed by the Green Knight instead of his uncle, King Arthur. He took on the game because he believed King Arthur’s life was more valuable than his own and that King Arthur should not risk his own life. As a result, Sir Gawain became a knight because of his loyalty and bravery. Both Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’s and Beowulf’s characters share the same quality of courage, the desire to protect people and the involvement of supernatural beings.
In the epic poem, Beowulf, “The Beowulf” is depicted as the big bad guy. Though he is not seen as a big bad guy who resembles a villain, but a big bad guy who is boastful and arrogant. Beowulf is shown as a superhuman where nothing or no one can defeat him. However, the author does not show Beowulf with the same characteristics as he transitions from a good warrior to a questionable good king. During Beowulf’s new beginning of a king, he still lingers in the mindset of a warrior.
Although Ahab’s insanity appears to be what shuts him off from humanity, in reality it is what makes him human. Ahab desperately wants to be freed from his obsession – to not have to rely upon it to feel. It is because Ahab is no longer in control of his obsession that the reader eventually discovers that besides what the book originally seems to insinuate, Ahab is only human.
In Beowulf, the protagonist Beowulf is shown as a hero with extrodinary strength. This is not what makes him a hero. By definition, a hero is a man of exceptional quality. However this term does not do Beowulf justice. His self-imposed purpose in life is to help others, and eventually sacrifices his own life in doing so. Beowulf’s battle with the dragon serves as a critique of the notion that Beowulf is a hero. The Dragon section displays many of Beowulf’s heoric characteristics. Beowulf establishes himself as a hero by fighting the dragon, exemplifing strength and courage when fighting the dragon, and sacrificing himself so that others can live.
What does it mean to be a hero? Like anything else in this world, the definition of the word hero can be argued. Some may say that a hero can be passive, that is if he or she refrains from doing a certain action it makes them heroic. Others would argue that to be truly heroic the character must never turn tail and always face the obstacle head on even though he or she may die in the process. So is Beowulf a hero? Yes, Beowulf is a great epic hero, but his greatness comes only from his sword and not from his mind.
Although the movie The Lion King is often times viewed as nothing more than a child-based movie, in actuality, it contains a much deeper meaning. It is a movie that not only displays the hardships of maturation, and the perplexities associated with growing, but it is also a movie that deals with the search for one's identity and responsibility. As said by director Julie Taymor, "In addition to being a tale about a boy's personal growth, the `Lion King' dramatizes the ritual of the `Circle of Life'." Throughout The Lion King, Simba must endeavor through the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth to take his place in the circle of life, as king of the pridelands.
Through a magical doorway, past the golden thrones, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was created by C.S. Lewis, in 1950, in England. Over the course of the past 64 years, this book has become one of the most famous books in the world. Lewis was “one of the most commercially successful authors” (The Life & Faith of C.S. Lewis: The Magic Never Ends). The hidden archetypes and intricate themes in this book are what sets it apart from others.
- Haim, Juliane. “Disney Dads.” Marge Champion: The Real Life Snow White, 94, Danced in Her Dad’s Footsteps. 2 July 2013
It tells the story of Princess Aurora, King Florestan's daughter. The fairies have been invited to Aurora's christening, and each one in turn dances and gives a magic present. However, the wicked fairy, Carabosse, interrupts the ceremony and is furious that she wasn't invited. She announces that one day Aurora will prick her finger on a spindle and die. Everyone is horrified, but the Lilac fairy still has her present to give. She modifies the spell so Aurora will not die, but will fall asleep and be woken only by a prince's kiss. At her 16th birthday party, princess Aurora pricks her finger on a spindle brought by Carabosse in disguise and, with the whole court, falls asleep for 100 years. Prince Florimund, with the help of the Lilac fairy. Makes his way through the enchanted forest to awaken Aurora with a kiss. At Princess Aurora and Prince Florimund's wedding, the fairies dance and celebrate with Puss in Boots and Red Riding Hood.
written by William Steig in 1990 (“Shrek!”). The plot of the book and the film are similar in some ways, but the film adaptation creatively incorporates many different fairy tales into its plot to create a new fairy tale. Some of the fairy tales characters included in the plot are the Gingerbread Man from The Gingerbread Man, Magic Mirror from Snow White, and the Big Bad Wolf from Little Red Riding Hood. For the creators to pull multiple elements of different stories into their own, they used intertextuality, as opposed to allusion, to mold the story into a single universe, where each character feels as though they belong in said
The animated film Shrek is a Dreamworks fairy tale that teaches us to look beyond what we expect to see, by completely subverting the traditional fairy tale concepts of gender, appearance and beauty. The characters in Shrek are vastly different from what we would expect to see in their appearance and behaviour. With unexpected plot twists, the directors of Shrek create important messages and morals that would not usually be conveyed, using techniques such as humour. The techniques have been placed strategically to result in an entertaining and educational film.
about a snowman he once stole he says “I wanted him, a mate with a
After Anna is accidentally hit in the heart with ice by Elsa, her whole body begins to freeze and the only way to break the curse is by an act of “true love”. Immediately she assumes that she must kiss Prince Hans to break the spell, but when he revels his evil nature, Olaf explains to her that she is really in love with Kristoff and that she can kiss him to break the curse. In search for him, on one side of the ice she finds Elsa in danger with Prince Hans, and on the other she sees Kristoff. Instead of saving herself and having a “true loves kiss,” Anna decides to sacrifice herself to save Elsa from Hans’ sword. When she jumps in front of the weapon he whole body turns to ice but since she risked her life to save her sister because of the love she has for her, she unfroze. This scene showed young girls that they do not need to focus on just romantic true love, but to remember and cherish the love that can be expressed to