The 32-second Macbeth

The 32-second Macbeth", a condensed version of the play Macbeth by the Folger Shakespeare Library, is twenty one quotes of some of the most important quotes in Macbeth. Although many of these quotes are necessary to understand parts within Macbeth and to convey important elements of the play, many of these quotes are unnecessary in my eyes, and some things that I feel are extremely important to the story have been left out altogether! To me, in order to get a better feel for the story of Macbeth, some of the twenty quotes many need to be kept, some need to be removed, and then replaced by another, more important quote.
A majority of the quotes stated in the "32-Second Macbeth" are extremely important to play, and should be kept a part of the twenty one quotes. Quote 1, I feel, is important because it is one of the major themes of the play. The witches state this quote in the very beginning of the play, which first of all gives and eerie, menacing tone for the play that is basically kept throughout the play. Also, Quote 1 is important because as I mentioned earlier, it tells a major theme of the play, that not everything is what they seem (exp: Lady Macbeth and Macbeth?s original characters.) The next quote I think is important I Quote 4, spoken by Macbeth, almost saying the same thing the witches said in Quote 1. Although the day weather wise is actually a pleasant day weather wise, it is "foul" because earlier he had fought in a battle and killed a traitor, and although he does not know it, he is about to meet the witches and hear their three prophecies, which lead to almost all of the evil in the play. Quote 5 is another significant quote because it states the most important of the three original prophecies given to Macbeth by the witches. The first prophecy, "Thane of Glamis", is not important because he is already Thane of Glamis, and then the second prophecy, "Thane of Cawdor", is more important but still not needed because one he becomes Thane of Cawdor, that title is not important to Macbeth. But the third of the witches? prophecies, Quote 5, is extremely vital because it can be argued that this is the reason for most of Macbeth?s horrible actions, that this prophecy led him to do things in order to fulfill it. The next important quote is Quote 6, spoken by Macbeth, saying fate will decide whether or not he will become king, which some people may argue (including myself) is the reason behind everything Macbeth does (fate). Quote 7 is another quote I feel should be kept in the "32-Second Macbeth" because it gives you an important first impression of Lady Macbeth. At this point, she has heard of the witches? prophecies, and has come up with the idea of killing Duncan to insure Macbeth?s gaining of the throne. It shows how incredibly evil Lady Macbeth initially was, calling upon spirits to "make her a man" to help her kill the king Duncan. This is important also because it once again refers to Quote 1, that not all things are what they seem. Even though Lady Macbeth is a woman, she is the exact opposite of what a woman in her time would be like and she is extremely masculine. The next quote, Quote 9, is also spoken by Lady Macbeth, and is once again showing her manliness, having to basically push Macbeth into killing Duncan. I feel Quote 12 is the next most significant quote. It is spoken by Banquo, when he is being killed by the three murderers hired by Macbeth to kill him and his son Fleance. I think it is essential that this quote is kept because it is the beginning of Macbeth?s insanity for power. Also, it tells you that Banquo dies, but not his son Fleance, which gives one of the witches? prophecies for Banquo (that his sons will become king) a chance to be fulfilled. Quote 13 is another needed quote because it shows the beginning of change for Macbeth, and a small theme in the play. Lady Macbeth is telling Macbeth to calm down, and to forget about everything and just enjoy the fact that he is king, showing she is becoming more feminine where as Macbeth is the opposite, becoming more masculine and saying he must do all this. And like I said, this is small theme in the play that all these horrible things just lead to more horrible things, that it is just a vicious cycle. Finally, I think the last four quotes in the original "32-Second Macbeth" are also important and should be kept. Quote 18, said by Macbeth, is comparing life to a candle, brief and almost unimportant, after Lady Macbeth has killed herself. Quote 19 is spoken by Macduff to Macbeth in their final fight, urging him to fight him even though Macbeth knows he will lose because of the witches? apparitions, and then Macbeth responds with Quote 20, showing the old Macbeth, someone brave and fighting squarely. And then the final quote, Quote 21, is important because it shows that the king is now Malcolm, and that all the evil Macbeth did is not over.
Although a majority of the quotes in the "32-Second Macbeth" are beneficial quotes to understand Macbeth and express elements of the play, many are also not needed. First of all, Quotes 2 and 3 are not needed because I don?t think the reader needs to know of the "bloody man" that Duncan speaks of in Quote 2 and I think that a better quote could be found then Quote 3 that talks about the witches and Macbeth?s first encounter. Quote 8 is also an unnecessary quote to me because I think that first of all, a better quote can be fund to talk about Macbeth?s thoughts before the murder of Duncan and also, I don?t think it conveys Macbeth?s true feelings about him and Lady Macbeth?s plan to kill Duncan. Another unneeded quote is Quote 10, because I think it does not give a clear picture of what is going on in Macbeth?s mind at the time, and I don?t think the reader would understand this quote without physically seeing it done by an actor. Quote 11 can also be removed in my opinion because it only shows Lady Macbeth?s thoughts after the murder of Duncan, even thought it wasn?t even her who killed Duncan! To me, I think the author of this condensed version of the play should put in a quote spoken by Macbeth after the murder, since he is actually the one who goes through with the murder. Quote 14 is the next quote I think can be removed because even though it is an extremely well known quote in Macbeth, sued in many other stories, I don?t think it is an important excerpt from the witches in that scene. The next two quotes, Quote 15 and 16, in my opinion, can be removed because I think if someone was to read this 32-second Macbeth, they would not understand what was going on during those quotes or their importance in the play. And finally, the last quote I feel can be removed is Quote 17, which is spoken by Lady Macbeth. Even though she speaks while she was sleeping and it shows the change she has undergone from being the masculine character to the feminine one, unable to bear all the things her and Macbeth have done, I think another quote could replace it the more adequately shows her insanity and change.
Lastly, in order to keep the "32-Second Macbeth" lose to 32 seconds and more importantly, to show key parts in the play or to replace parts I took out, there are many quotes that should be added. After Quote 1, I think the quote spoken by Duncan, "What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won" should be put in because it tells the reader that Macbeth has gained the title of Thane of Cawdor, and that at one point Macbeth was a good guy. Next, after Quote 5, I think that this quote, "Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none", should be put in. I feel this quote is important because in the original "32-Second Macbeth", it mentions the prophecies given to Macbeth by the witches, but it does not talk about any of the prophecies that Banquo received. Also, I think this quote is important because it gives insight into the reason as to why Macbeth tries to kill Banquo and his son Fleance later in the play. The, after Quote 7, I think an important quote that should be added is, "This castle hath a pleasant seat", said by Duncan. I feel this is a vital quote to add because it refers back to Quote 1 and irony to the play, because as an audience we know that in going to the castle, Duncan is going to be killed. Even thought it may seem like a pleasant and a safe place, we know as an audience it is actually not. Next, I have picked a quote to replace Quote 8 of the original "32-Second Macbeth", that I think better shows Macbeth?s thoughts before the murder of Duncan, and how he does not want to kill him at all and is having second thoughts: "He?s here in double trust". I think this quote is also good to replace Quote 8 because it fits better with Quote 9, where Lady Macbeth is encouraging Macbeth to murder Duncan, than the original Quote 8 did I think. Another quote I would like to replace would be Quote 10, showing that Duncan has been killed. I chose to substitute that quote with this one, "?Macbeth does murder sleep!?", spoken by Macbeth after hearing it said by someone in the castle in their sleep. I think this quote is a better quote than the initial Quote 10 because is not only tells the reader that Duncan has indeed been murdered, but also the state Macbeth is in after the murder (Macbeth is almost hysterical, and heard "voices" saying that he is a murderer in other?s sleep). I also think Quote 11 should be replaced to better show Lady Macbeth?s reaction after the murder of Duncan. The quote I chose to replace it is spoken by Lady Macbeth after she must put the daggers back in the guard?s possession to frame them because Macbeth forgot to: "I shame to wear a heart so white". Finally, I think Quotes 14-17 should be replaced from the original "32-Second Macbeth" because I do not feel they sufficiently get across what is going on during those parts in the play. Instead of Quote 14, I think the actual three apparitions should be put there, "Beware Macduff!?Laugh to scorn the power of man!?Great Birnam Wood to High Dunsiane Hall shall come against him!", because not only does Macbeth become obsessed with these prophecies throughout the rest of the play, but also because they tell how Macduff was able to murder Macbeth, even thought Macbeth thought was basically invincible (they were equivocal statements). Quote 15 can then be replaced by a quote spoken by a messenger to Macduff?s family, basically telling them that they will be murdered soon if they do not leave (which I think is easier to understand than Quote 15): "Be not found here; hence, with your little ones". The next quote I want to replace, Quote 16, is referring to Macduff and Malcolm?s encounter, and talking about their land of Scotland and what Macbeth has done to it. In my opinion, the author of the "32-Second Macbeth" focused on the wrong part of this scene. To me, it is more important that Macduff and Malcolm have deiced to form an alliance and kill Macbeth, "Malcolm: Let?s make us medicines of our great revenge, to cure this deadly grief", than the fact that they are upset at Macbeth. Lastly, I think that Quote 17 also does not give an excellent picture of Lady Macbeth at the end of the play. To me, it does not show that Lady Macbeth is in fact going insane and that is the reason for killing herself. I chose to replace Quote 17 with a quote spoken by the doctor, describing Lady Macbeth in the end, "Unnatural deeds to breed unnatural troubles", because it states Lady Macbeth is in fact going insane, why she is going insane, and the reason for killing herself.
The "32-Second Macbeth" is all in all a superb resource for looking at the most important elements of the play Macbeth in about 32 seconds. Although some quotes do need to be removed, replaced, or added, it is a great piece and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

28 days later paper

Countdown for the Apocalypse:
Philosophy in 28 Days Later

“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he doesn't become one”.
- Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)
From George Orwell’s Animal Farm to Walt Disney’s adaptation of Alice in Wonderland (1951), social allegories in literature and film have been used as ways to interpret political, economic and social tribulations in the world. Defined by Webster’s New World Dictionary, an allegory is:
The representation of abstract ideas or principles by characters, figures, or events in narrative, dramatic, or pictorial form (Agnes 17).
Social allegories seem simplistic at a glance. They generally deal with topics and issues that have been discussed repeatedly (such as time, individualism and survival), and then branch off into multi-layered, ambiguous symbolism. They can range in tone from sarcastic and satirical to sinister and sorrowful. Many film genres today can be used as social allegories: the Western allegorically represents Vietnam War; but of all the filmic allegories represented in contemporary cinema, the zombie film as social allegory is perhaps the most pervasive and striking. 28 Days Later, directed by Danny Boyle (Trainspotting), and written by Alex Garland (The Beach), is an interesting cocktail of a social allegory and a rage-driven, zombie infested horror picture. Executive producer Greg Caplan aimed to market this film for the box office for horror-loving film junkies as well as the intellectual film enthusiast. From the combined efforts of Boyle, Garland, and Caplan, comes a film that pleases not only the eye, but the mind as well.
The zombie film has been around since the early introduction of the horror genre from the Hollywood studios. Films like White Zombie (1932) and I Walked with a Zombie (1943) paved the way for the zombie genre, but in 1968 George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead really transformed the look and ideology of the zombie film genre. With a low budget and a grainy film stock, Romero’s film depicted a zombie filled city that seemed more believable than the works of his predecessors. After Night of the Living Dead, many films emulated that style, but the zombie film slowly became less and less popular after the late 70s. It wasn’t until recently that Danny Boyle and Alex Garland decided to reinvent the zombie genre with their haunting, symbolic film. 28 Days Later is a contemporary social allegory (the end of the world) that incorporates the philosophies of Nihilism, Existentialism and Darwinism.
One critic writes:
A hybrid of a George A. Romero genre thriller via Kubrickian morality tale with a turgid taste of black humor mix into a highly intoxicating cocktail of lurid emotionally fused melodrama. A rare treat: horror movie and social fable intertwined (IMDb).
In the film, a group of animal rights activists break into a lab to liberate animals. Unfortunately they also release a blood-born virus that induces a zombie-like rage within 10 to 20 seconds of contact.
Within Twenty-eight days, all of Britain has succumbed to the rage-virus. “28 Days Later could best be described as the thinking man’s zombie movie” (IMDb). It is a postmodern, semi-nihilistic take on the genre. No longer are the zombies created from toxic waste that we settled for in the past, these zombies are the by-product of scientific experimentation on our society.
The establishing shot in the film begins with scenes of police brutality, global warfare, rioting, nuclear explosions, and supreme anarchy. The shot zooms out to show that these images are coming from a television in an animal experimentation lab. These heavy images are symbolic of how humans treat each other. It is, essentially, survival of the fittest. We are weeding each other out until there is no more existence.
From there the world is overtaken rapidly by the virus that transforms people into mindless zombies whose only intention is to kill. The depiction of the zombies is completely original. Some of the aesthetics of the zombie must be credited to George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead, but instead of the zombies walking slowly and grunting, these horrific creatures are running and spitting vile blood from their insides. One drop of the “infected” blood into a survivor’s bloodstream, and it is all over.
When the protagonist Jim (Cillian Murphy), a young courier, wakes up in an empty hospital, he walks around the hauntingly quiet streets of London. Here the director shows images of emptiness, desolation and sorrow that strike hard at the audience. He shockingly comes to the realization that humanity has been lost. Jim decides to visit his parents’ house, only to find them lying dead in their bed together. At this point, Jim begins to cry and complain about how his parents died in such an awful way. In response, one of his fellow survivors tells Jim how his family was eaten alive at a subway station. Jim then drops his mouth and apologizes. Money, love, and time especially; as Jim finds out are elements that all modern human beings adopt to use as a way to live our lives. In a post-apocalyptic world, none of these things are important. Dr. Alan Pratt, a professor at Embry-Riddle University, writes in the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy about the concept of time. He states:
Time is not present in general relativity, and that a temporal variable is probably not a fundamental part of the universe (Pratt).
The theory of time being irrelevant is essentially nihilistic in nature. 28 Days Later deals with nihilist theory in many scenes. In one scene in particular, an army soldier tries to explain to Jim about time and humanity. He says:
If you think about it, humans have only been around for a blink of an eye. So when we all die out, that is a turn back to normality (Garland 89).
If one were to take a step back and realize the ephemeral existence of humankind in terms of time, one can see how the post-apocalyptic world that is created in 28 Days Later is a filmic interpretation of a social allegory. For centuries, dating back to Socrates, humans have always questioned the significance of time and what the film’s writer, Alex Garland, is stating is purely another example of a social allegory.
Later in the film, the survivors or the “uninfected” find brief salvation when they encounter a military base. There, they eat dinner with a commanding officer who, in a stern tone, tries to make sense of all the madness that has occurred. He says:
You know what I see? I see people killing people; and I saw
that the day before yesterday and the day before that and all of my life. It’s just people killing people (Garland 95).
In this speech, the message of Darwinism appears. What the officer is saying is simply, we are all zombies who kill and destroy. Throughout history there has always been conflict, death and destruction, and even in a post-apocalyptic society, we are still killing. So what makes humans now any different from a zombie who eats flesh? Dr. Walter J. Veith, a Zoologist, writes:
Living organisms, such as humans ... survive the process because they are fitter, and they are fitter because they survive… (Veith 249).
What Dr. Veith is saying is essentially, the stronger or fitter one is, the more likely one is to survive. In 28 Days Later, the “uninfected” are fighting for survival, and the only way to ensure safety is to kill. One look at our world today and it is evident, we are fundamentally doing the same thing; killing by whatever means necessary. The term “survival of the fittest” was coined by Biologist Charles Darwin, but the concept of humans killing humans for survival has been represented in literature since before. Survival is a frequently discussed concept in social allegories, and in 28 Days Later, survival is one of many underlying themes.
28 Days Later at its very core questions human existence, which is primarily an Existentialist thought. The film asks its audience, “What is the point of living if all we do is kill and destroy one another?” Another film relevant to this same philosophy is Larry and Andy Wachowski’s The Matrix. In this film, Agent Smith (a machine that hunts humans) explains to the protagonist, Neo, how his robotic world views the human species. He says:
…as a species, human beings define their reality through suffering and misery…The perfect world was a dream that your primitive cerebrum kept trying to wake up from. Which is why the Matrix was redesigned to this: the peak of your civilization (Wachowski 156).
Agent Smith is saying that the only way humans know how to live is through “suffering and misery.” Even if we knew how to live in a perfect society, it wouldn’t happen because human beings are flawed animals that ultimately are alive for their own survival.
Right now, we are living at the peak of civilization. Never before in history have we been so pampered and reliant on materials and objects that will “improve,” but eventually complicate our life. Just as the stock market crashed in 1929, once we reach our peak in social, economic and political evolution, the only way to go is down. Matt Savinar, a graduate of the University of California at Davis, makes an interesting analogy to human existence. He writes:
Bacteria in a Petri dish will grow exponentially until they run out of resources, at which point their population will crash. Only one generation prior to the crash, the bacteria will have used up half the resources available to them. To the bacteria, there will be no hint of a problem until they starve to death. Before that happens, the bacteria will begin cannibalizing each other in last-ditch efforts to survive (Savinar 112).
But humans are smarter than bacteria, right? You would think so, but the facts seem to indicate otherwise. The first commercial oil well was drilled in 1859. At that time, the world's population was about 1 billion. Less than 150 years later, our population has exploded to 6.4 billion. In that time, it has been projected that we have used up half the world's recoverable oil. Of the half that's left, most will be very expensive to extract. If the experts are correct, we are less than one generation away from a crash. Yet to most of us, there appears to be no hint of a problem. If we are one generation away from our demise, then we are as clueless as bacteria in a Petri dish.
Questioning existence and the importance of humankind in relation to the universe are both topics discussed in social allegories. This idea is a theme in The Matrix , as well as 28 Days Later. On the first day of realizing that the world as he knew it was over, Jim asks a survivor about the status of the British government:
JIM
Where is the government?
STEVE
There is no government, everybody’s dead!
JIM
What do you mean there is no government? There is always a government! (Garland 32).

Having been so dependent on the structure of Democracy, it is impossible for Jim to fathom a life of disorder. When society fails, the basic human instincts become more relevant. In order to survive, Jim must fight, eat, and find shelter. Essentially, he has become his own government- a rudimentary idea of anarchy.
In the social allegory Animal Farm, George Orwell questions the necessity of governmental institutions and corrupt regimes. In 28 Days Later, Garland’s pivotal characters question the legitimacy of government and the vague obligations of the military. The query of government and politics is again another form of a social allegory.
28 Days Later is simple and powerful. It was made on eight million dollars (fifteen times less than Pirates of the Caribbean's one hundred twenty five million dollar budget). What 28 Days Later lacks in effects, it makes up for with a mind- altering story and excellent acting. There are a few arm-chair gripping, jumpy moments but it is the intellect and intricacy of this movie that make it so powerful. The set design is unique and creative. In fact, for a whole day, the cast and crew had to block off many popular sections of London to create a desolate, disturbing vision of a post-apocalyptic England. The acting is top notch and the lighting, for their very limited budget, is used to perfectly accent a wonderfully dark story.
If you were to rent 28 Days Later at the movie store, you would find it under the horror section; but this movie is way more than a simple horror film. It is a social allegory reflecting aspects of our society combined with a unique zombie plot. From the writing, directing, acting to the cinematography, all the elements that help distinguish this film are made to open the eyes of the masses in order to realize if we, as a society, do not choose to change the way we live our lives, then supreme devastation may arise.
28 Days Later is a clear warning sign for the past, present and future. In Victorian Literature, H.G Wells, “the father of science fiction” (The Time Machine, The Island of Dr. Moreau), warned the world that scientific experimentation would eventually lead to a societal collapse. In that same mentality, director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland are trying to explain to the masses, through a zombie film, that if we do not change the way we all behave towards each other, then who knows? Maybe a zombie will be coming after us.

12 Angry Men

The movie Twelve Angry Men begins with an eighteen year old boy from the ghetto who is on trial for the murder of his abusive father. A jury of twelve men are locked in the deliberation room to decide the fate of the young boy. All evidence is against the boy and a guilty verdict would send him to die in the electric chair. The judge informs the jurors that they are faced with a grave decision and that the court would not entertain any acts of mercy for the boy if found guilty.



Even before the deliberation talks begin it is apparent most of the men are certain the boy is guilty. However, when the initial poll is taken Juror #8 (Henry Fonda) registers a shocking not guilty vote. Immediately the room is in uproar. The rest of the jury resents the inconvenient of his decision. After questioning his sanity they hastily decide to humor the juror #8 (Henry Fonda) by agreeing to discuss the trial for one hour. Eventually, as the talks proceed juror #8 slowly undermines their confidence by saying that the murder weapon is widely available to anyone, and that the testimony of the key witness is suspect. Gradually they are won over by his arguments and even the most narrow minded of his fellow jurors hesitantly agrees with him. Their verdict is now a solid not guilty.



Arriving at a unanimous not guilty verdict does not come easily. The jury encounters many difficulties in learning to communicate and deal with each other. What seems to be a decisive guilty verdict as deliberations begin slowly becomes a questionable not sure. Although the movie deals with issues relating to the process of effective communication this paper will focus of two reasons why they encounter difficulties and how they overcome them. First, we will apply the Johari grid theory and see how it applies to their situation. Then, we will see how each individual's frame of reference and prejudices effect their perception which cause difficulties in the communication process.



If we analyze the Johari grid of each juror we see a large hidden area in the case of all of the men. Take into consideration, referred to by juror numbers only they do not even have the benefit of knowing their names. These men have never talked before. Each of them come from different situations with individual and unique experiences. The public area consists solely of the shared information provided during the trial. Their hidden area is immense resulting in an equally large blind area. The public, hidden and blind areas are relatively the same for each juror before beginning the deliberation. It is the size of the unconscious area that will differ more among the men. We will see how the contents of the unconscious area will largely effect the decision making process of some of the jurors. Because the information contained in the unconscious area is unrecognized it is often the most difficult to overcome.




Henry Fonda's (Juror #8) interpersonal style would be classified as open-receptive. He levels with the others by openly admitting that he does not know if the boy killed his father and solicits feedback in order to make an accurate decision. He says "I just don't think we should send a boy off to die without at least talking about it first." The example he set encourages the others to level and be open to receive feedback. The movie illustrates the process of leveling and soliciting feedback which can make all the difference.



The character with the largest hidden window is the boy on trial. Realizing this, Henry Fonda (Juror #8) tries to put himself in the boys shoes to gain a better understanding of his situation. "The poor boy has been beaten on the head once a day every day since he was five years old!" and "I think if I were the boy I'd get myself a better lawyer... He didn't stand a chance in there." In this case one can only speculate as to the contents of the boys hidden area. The important factor is his desire to comprehend the boys feelings.



One man in particular, Juror #3 (Lee J. Cobb) has a sizable unconscious area. He has a troubled relationship with his own son that preoccupies his thoughts. This is eluded to in a conversation between juror #7 (Jack Warden)and himself. Looking at a picture of him and his son he says "haven't' seen him in two years, kids, you work your heart out..." then he abruptly stops. The broken relationship with his son preoccupies his thoughts as several times throughout the movie he is found staring at the picture. His interpersonal style would be classified as a blabbermouth. He is neither open or receptive. He has his opinion and loves to share it. The net result is a large blind area. He is unwilling or unable to level with the others and is also unreceptive to any feedback. Most likely the extent of these feelings and the effect it has on his perceptions is unconscious to him. Eventually, he finds himself the only one maintaining a vote of guilty. He feels his sense of reality is in question and it threatens him. This puts him on the defensive. He bursts accusing the others of being crazy. This emotional eruption changes from bitter anger to sad understanding. His defenses start to crumble as his unconscious emotions become visible to him. By recognizing his unconscious emotions essentially what he has done is level with himself. Once he did this he realized the anger and frustration with regards to his son has been misdirected toward the accused. With a new understanding of himself he is able to change his vote to not guilty.



Another issue dealt with in the movie is prejudice. Prejudice is defined as premature judgment or bias. In a trial situation Jurors are asked to only consider the evidence presented to them. Individual biases are not expected to effect the decision making process. Unfortunately, leaving our prejudices outside the court room door is near impossible. As the movie demonstrates prejudice can distort our views and greatly effects our ability to make accurate assessment's.

Strong prejudice is displayed by Juror #10 (Ed Begley) as he bursts into a rage while referring to people from the ghetto, "Look you know these people lie, it's born in them...they don't need any real reason to kill someone...they get drunk all the time, all of them, and bang! someone's lying in the gutter...nobody's blaming them, for that's their nature, violent" he even goes on by saying "their no good, not a one of thems anygood." It is doubtful Ed Begley could see past his prejudice in order to hear the evidence in the trial. His guilty vote is cast as soon as he learns about the boys disadvantaged life in the slums. While most of the men are aware of the stigma attached to people from the ghetto they are willing to try to put the stereotype aside. His outburst has caused quite a disturbance in the room. This disturbance serves two purposes. First, it provides the "not guilty" defenders with an understanding that his prejudice is the reason for his opposition. It is always easier to overcome an objection if you know what it is. Having this knowledge allows for a more productive communication there by convincing him that he should change his vote. Secondly, it allows him to vent his frustrations. In doing so, he realizes the power of his emotions which forces him to step back and take a look at what he really feels. The look on his face shows he has a realization. For the first time he understands his prejudices have effected his perceptions. This new understanding of himself enables him to think more clearly and objectively.

7 Stages of Grieving

Today, most White Australians are sensitive and distinctively aware of the social and cultural issues related to Aborigines. This must be credited to playwrights such as Jack Davis and Wesley Enoch&Deborah Mailman as they reveal the brutal discrimination, abuse to Australia's Indigenous people and their sacred culture through their pieces No Sugar and 7 Stages of Grieving. Both plays utilise the theatrical techniques of Western theatre in conjunction with their tradition way of story telling to convey themes of struggle, prejudice and the destruction of Aboriginal culture. First wave playwright, Jack Davis writes the lives of the Millimurra family in their struggle to survive the Depression early in the 20th century No Sugar, while 7 Stages of Grieving focuses on the lives of the modern generation of Australian Aboriginal. This time gap will reflect the changing cultural, social and political issues in Australia.



No Sugar was written in a period when the majority of Australians were completely unaware of their situation and became influential along with other texts such as My Place by Sally Moran, which also discloses the reality of Aboriginal people. No Sugar is the second play in a trilogy called " The First Born", which traces the history of the Aborigines in Western Australia from the first White settlement, or in their perspective, invasion, in 1928 to the lives of urban Aboriginals today. The first play Kulluck (Home) shows the destruction of the Nyoongah people as a community and the social and economic oppression they suffered with the arrival of Europeans. Davis wrote this play in 1979 as an angry response to the celebration of Western Australia's 150th anniversary of White 'settlement'. No Sugar was written just two years before the national celebration of the Bicentenary and depicts the lives of post-tribal or pre-urbanised Aborigines people who were caught between assimilation and segregation. In the last play The Dreamers illustrates Aboriginal people today, their nostalgic longing for what is lost as well as their acceptance that it will not return. Being the middle of a trilogy, the characters in No Sugar are also caught in the middle of the process of transformation. The resultant of this process is assimilating into the white society; however, it is merely a replacement term for a second-class citizenship. In the 1970's and 80's, Jack Davis' plays facilitated the raising Black consciousness among the White Australians.



No Sugar is a realist play based on real people. Jack Davis used the technique of the documentary theatre of Agitprop which uses real historic events to recount history. This is done dramatically in speeches and newspaper articles and the narrative of characters who remembers the past. To a White audience this may seem to be too political but for a Black audience, this element is vital in the essence that the truth is finally being told in their point of view. This play is also written in an episodic form, a technique adopted from western Brecht theatre and contains a continuous storyline with coherent connections between each episode. This allows Davis to present his ideas with a series of unresolved conflicts and problems, which when put together, gives us a whole picture of suffering in Aborigines life in this period.



The episodic structure is enhanced by the use of juxtaposition and contradiction on stage between scenes and within scenes. For example, the dual action in Perth and Northam in Act I scene ii where Neville the administrator dictates his letter to the minister regarding reducing rations is counterpoised by the effects this has on Gran and Milly when they arrive at the police station to pick up their ration but only to find that soap has been removed. The sergeant's ironic suggestion that "they could buy one [soap]" when he should clearly acknowledge the fact that Aboriginals were not allowed to be payed in money at the time portrays the Aborigine's struggle to survive under the social and economic restriction placed upon them. Further irony is also evident in the extract of a newspaper article from the opening scene. " The pageant presented a picture of Western Australia's present condition of hopeful optimistic prosperity, and gave some ideas if what men mean when they talk about the soul of the nation." This contrasts to the Millimurra's appalling living conditions established also in the first scene. Having not enough clothes for David to wear a clean shirt everyday and the allowed expenditure of two pence to buy an apple for lunch confirms the falseness in the government's pompous reports. In scene ii, the entrance of a white, unemployed Frank Brown shows another victim of the "optimistic prosperity" of the state.



The uses of physical forces and abuse against the Aborigines is dramatically symbolised by Neal's beating of Mary. Lights blacks out just as we are told by the stage directions that " Neal raises the cat-o'-nine-tails". " A scream" follows and confirms our predictions of a heavy beating. This use of lighting suggests that physical abuses had been hidden away from most people at the time.




The central symbol and also from which the title of this play derives from, is sugar. Sugar is sweet and usually brings joy. Thus the title NO Sugar suggests that Aborigines experiences no joy. Sugar can also be interpreted deathly in its seductiveness. This has Christian connotations where sugar, ironically named 'humbugs' is sent to seduce children into attending Sunday school.



Jack Davis tends to use stereotyped characters to represent social or human traits. Each White Australian character represents one aspect of the white society that caused the destruction of Aboriginal tribal life. Augustus Neville symbolises the government "protector of Fisheries, Forestry, Wildlife and Aborigines." From his speech to the Historic Society, it can be seen that he is a man full of grand theories but who stands revealed as the sterile representative of the naked and blind power in the last Act as he threatens (unaware of the hideous irony) " no more privileges." Matron represents a 'softer' face of White power. The scientific superiority is one of the 'supposedly' benefits brought the native Australians. Being a medical professional, Matron does care about those she is in charge with but cannot accept that the uncivility of Aboriginal culture can look after themselves. Billy the black tracker is one of the characters in the novel who have assimilated into the White society. To a traditional Aborigine, he is a betrayer of his own cultural heritage. Joel dismissed his existence by describing him as "nothing". However as he recalls the destruction of his cultural tribe in Act II scene vi, the audience can see that he still understands the unforgivable things the White people has caused to him. " Big mob politjman, and big mob from stations, and shoot 'em everybody, mens, kooris (women), little yumbah (children)." This reinforces the spiritual connection Aboriginal people had with each other during times of adversity.



The names of significant black characters holds religious connotation and serves the purpose of catching the audience's attentions. Mary (the blessed virgin) is associated with a convicted black criminal Joseph and is an illegitimately pregnant unmarried mother. When the white audience see this on stage which does not fit in the conventional connotations, they are forced to question the political and social issues associated.



The use of songs as an Aboriginal traditional way of communication is incorporated into this play. The first song ' shout of praise' reveals Aborigines' appreciation for the natural beauty and sustenance provided by the land. The second song is a hymn turned into a song of protest. The third is sang by Gran and is a lament and cry for compassion. These songs move its audience from anger to understanding and finally, hope.



Setting and properties echoes the difference of power between White Australians and the natives. In Act IV scene v, the opening stage directions report that the dominating Whites are seated on a raised "dais" above the blacks. Furthermore, Billy and Bluey are dress in "absurdly ill-fitted uniforms".



At the end of the novel, though the Millimurra family celebrates the birth of Mary and Joseph's baby, it does not bring a resolution to all the conflicts. The unresolved ending invites the audience and readers to thin about the problems raised.



Lighting is important in this play in indicating to the audience a shift of shadow. This is particularly being carefully planned in sections such as Act I scene ii where the lighting needs to shift from Frank and the Sergeant to the entrance of Miss Dunn. Suitable lighting is also vital to ensure an appropriate mood. Because the play is episodically structured, flexible and simple staging is recommended to ensure fast transition between scenes.



7 Stages of Grieving is similar to No Sugar in the sense that it shares the purpose and the use of theatrical devices as a medium to propagate their ideas. It is written by second wave Aboriginal playwrights Wesley Enoch and Deborah Mailman who considerably experienced less unfortunate incidence and prejudice than Jack Davis. However, following the death of his grandmother in the early 1990's, Enoch experienced the whole sense of grief and the sense of spiritual connection the gathering of the community. This triggered Enoch's idea of creating a script investigating the theme of grief. In 1995, 7 Stages of Grieving became a national premiere and it wasn't long before embarking on an international journey.



This play is written in a non-realist style, exploring the grieving process in Aboriginal history as well as criticisms of recent social, economic and political issues. There are twenty-four short scenes, combined to form a collage. The solo actor who is recognised as " the women" performs a series of monologues disclosing the history of the Australian Indigenous people from " genocide to " reconciliation". The use of projections and alienation hints a strong Brechtian influence.



In scene two Sobbing¸ the words associative of grief and loss projected on the walls is reinforced by the crescending cries of the women. The crying reaches its peak when the word "desolate" is projected on, followed by " nothing... I feel Nothing." At this stage, the cry "subsides". This sort of simultaneous use of visual and aural devices appears throughout the play and is one of the key achievers in this masterpiece. The last projection not only demonstrated a change of attitudes since White invasion, dramatises the magnitude of the grieving that it reached to the extend of loss of emotions.



The burning of eucalyptus leaves and singing "a song for the spirits" in scene three Purification reminisces Aborigine's cultural heritage and their close connection with land and spirits. In Scene four Story of Father, references to people such as Pauline Hanson provide the evidence for the continuous updating process of this play.



Scene eight Family Gallery is inextricably linked to scene 5 Photograph by the running motif, the "suitcase". In the earlier scene, the women struggles to cope with the death of a family member and decides to heal by pushing their memories of them "into the shadow", or symbolically locking the photos away in the suitcase. In scene eight, the audience would recognise that the projection of the photos are those taken out of the suitcase. This suggests that the only way to heal the wound is to face the things that caused the wound and also serves as an advice for many those who "push [their past] into the shadow" and turn to alcohol, etc. In scene 13 Aunt Grace, the "suitcase" reappears again symbolic of the hidden Aboriginal history. Though Aunt Grace married a white European, she returns home carrying the suitcase and "throws the content all over" Nana's grave. This emphasis again the close spiritual bond between all Aboriginal people no matter where they went and settled in.





Black Skin Girl of scene 9 reminds the audience Aboriginal children's assimilation was not out of their own will. This is supported by her desperate "attempts to evade the [alphabet] letters" on her dress which represented white civilisation and forces and the Aboriginal song " Bului guli mie [black skin girl] Naia gigi Warunguldud [I will be strong always]."



Scene 12 Murri gets a dress is "delivered in the style of stand up comedy", which is another western theatrical technique. This monologue satirises the discrimination of Blacks even when entering a shop. They will receive a "special treatment" in the form of stares and whispers, " keep an eye on the black one."



In scene 15, the opening stage directions " the women stands strong" immediately establish her strength. The repetition of "grief" and "grieving" creates a link to the title of this play, suggesting that just because they are "grieving" does not mean "we're not fighting".



The following scene Bargaining is a single sentence criticises the White's abuse of their sacred land. " What is it worth?" the women asks after hammering a "for sale" post into the grave. For the native Australians, land was priceless but the white settlers abuse it for money and materialism.



The truth about the Stolen Generation is revealed in scene 17 Home Stay using piles of red earth sand as analogies for an Aboriginal tribe. " You always have to marry your own skin." Out of the eight piles of sand formed, they are either "your brother", "your cousin", "your grandparents" and so forth. Thus even when one child was forcibly taken away from this tribe, the social effects is detrimental as shown by the women's destruction of the sand piles.



Scene 21 and 22 brings elements of sarcasm and bitterness in though " Wreck-Con-Silly-Nation", which is further reinforced by projection usage. The packing of " the word Reconciliation" and "locks it inside the suitcase is a gesture of the worthlessness of this word to them because "what's the use in having a word if we don't think and talk about it?" This scene ends with "the women places the suitcase down at the feet of the audience", pleading the audience to take serious thought to this word and the actions involved with it.



The last scene Walking across Bridge depicts Aborigine's mixed emotions to this real event. The numerous "pauses" suggests their dazed responses to the huge " sorry across the sky." However, a hint of bitterness is detected by the last sentence " I guess we can't go back now," which suggests that the Aborigines would rather prefer to live their tradition way of life.

It can be seen this No Sugar and 7 Stages of Grieving explores the lives of Aborigine's during different times. Their portrayal of different themes through different theatrical styles reflects a changed and will be continuously changing artistic, cultural, social and political issues and interests in the 1980's, 90's and 2000. Ultimately, their shared purpose of telling real stories about Aboriginal life have succeeded in giving their group of people a significant voice history that will remain forever clear in the sympathetic hearts of most white Australians

6 months later

6 Months Later

Now that Lennie is out of the way, I guess that I can actually do something with my life. But, It's been 6 months since leaving the farm and I still don't have a job. Oh, here's a sign. A mentally handicapped hospital needs an attendant. I can do that, and it pays well too. $150 a month. "At that rate, I'll be able to get that land soon enough. Ain't that right," I asked Candy? "We sure are," he replied with enthusiasm. As we stepped into the complex, the first thing I saw was the reception desk with a young, pretty, receptionist sitting behind the desk, polishing her nails. Lennie would have enjoyed watching her I pondered.

She asked us what we wanted, and I told her that we were just here to find out 'bout the job. After getting a quick overview and job description, I was ready to work right away. Candy was also lucky enough to get hired as a nurse for $100 a month. I stepped into the bedroom and I saw about 25 kids sitting around a middle-aged man, listening to a story. As I stepped in, the story teller stepped over to me and told me what I had to do. Educate them and talk to them. That was it. I was getting paid $150 just to teach a group of handicapped kids. I sat down next to the story teller, Bob, and I looked around and carefully observed them. As I did this, I could see Lennie's face flashing in my mind. What was happening to me. Why couldn't he just leave me alone. I survived through my first day of work, reluctantly. The hospital also provided housing. That night, I had the most horrible dream of my life. I could see Lennie petting hundreds of rabbits, one at a time. But he was crying and screaming in rage. The rabbits were dying. "George, why do they die? Don't let them die George, please. Can I still tend the rabbits? I know I done a bad thing," exclaimed Lennie.



I got up, screaming. "Lennie, please leave me alone, please," I asked. It was silent. Nobody was awake. I looked like a complete nut with all those kids, including Candy, staring at me. Candy just went back to sleep. He was the only one that could understand the pain that I was going through. This happened to me several nights after the first nightmare. Each one would consist of rabbits, lots of them, and Lennie. After a while, they just told me to leave because they thought that the kids were already tortured with their own handicaps. Candy wanted to stay, so I told him that I would come back for him when I gathered enough money. After one day alone, I had done a lot of thinking. Mostly about Lennie and the others, but one thing I thought a lot about was the things Lennie said. "I could go off to the mountains and find a cave, you know. And I wouldn't eat any ketchup," he would say. Now that I think about it and know what it feels like to be alone, I am glad that Lennie stayed with me the whole time, till death had separated the two of us. I also realize that he always obeyed me and tried really hard to help me. He tried so hard to keep those pups alive, and yet they died. He was such a hard worker, worked harder than any of us. I also realize that we couldn't do some of the things that he could do. Such as understanding a person more deeply than any of us. He knew more about myself than I did. And he always kept up to a task, like trying to be able to remember. He could never do that. He would have taken good care of those rabbits. If only he had a chance. He could prove to me, to everybody else, and most importantly himself, that he was capable of doing something right. Sure he killed Curly's wife, but she sure as hell was a bitch. She probably didn't deserve to die, but Lennie didn't know any better? He probably thinks that she's still alive, stupid boy. Wait a minute. I'll ask for one more chance at the hospital, and then Candy and I could get ready to leave after just one month. I guess I'll start to walk back the ten miles it took to get here. I know, I'll get a wife, and invite people to stay at my new ranch. And Candy could invite people too. It would be great. But why am I so happy?? I just killed my best friend; he was so helpless. Maybe he's better off know, but I will never know. All that I can think about now is what Lennie said to me just before he died. "George, can I still tend the..... the rab-bits."

3 Movies Reviewed, (Trainspotting, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Jurassic Park)

Trainspotting

Trainspotting is a drop-dead look at a dead-end lifestyle. Set among the junkies and thugs of Edinburgh's slums and made by (director Danny Boyle, writer John Hodge, producer Andrew Macdonald) that created "Shallow Grave," "Trainspotting" caused a sensation in Britain, where it took in more money than any U.K. film except "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and ignited strong controversy over its attitude toward heroin. Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor), the film's narrator, unleashes an overpowering verbal torrent that gets things off to an aggressive start.

"Choose life," Renton insists in voice-over as store detectives chase after him for shoplifting. "Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a [beep] big television, choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol and dental insurance. Choose fixed-income mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. . . . "But why would I want to do a thing like that? I chose not to choose life: I chose something else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got heroin?" It is very difficult to resist the film's great energy.

"Trainspotting's" subject matter is raw and raunchy, including AIDS, overdoses

and violence as well as obscene situations described in unprintable language. This is a film that makes you laugh of things that can in no way be described as funny. How is this possible? In the film's signature scene, where Renton, in search of some lost opium suppositories, dives head-first into "the filthiest toilet in Scotland" and emerges in a sublime and spacious undersea world. And despite Renton's celebrated saying on the pleasures of heroin, boasting, "Take the best orgasm you ever had, multiply it by a thousand and you're still nowhere near it," "Trainspotting" is only interested in drugs because its characters are. Most feeble of the characters is the glasses-wearing Spud (Ewen Bremner). Most devious is Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller), who knows all there is to know about Sean Connery. Most innocent is Tommy (Kevin McKidd), whose insistence on telling the truth no matter what is viewed as a fatal weakness. And most dangerous is the beer-drinking, heroin-hating psychopath Begbie (Robert Carlyle)..

Some of the funniest parts include Renton's sudden passion for the mysterious Diane (Kelly Macdonald) and Tommy's attempt to get the boys interested in the outdoors, which leads to Renton's "I hate being Scottish" tirade, which ends: "Some people hate the English, but I don't. They're just wankers. We, on the other hand, are colonized by wankers. We can't even  pick a decent culture to be colonized by."

Cast: Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremmer, Robert Carlyle, Jonny Lee Miller

Credits: Directed by Danny Boyle, written by John Hodge, from the novel by Irvine Welsh.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

One of the all-time greatest comedies, this movie tells the tale of a smart Chicago teenager (Matthew Broderick), who ditches school with his girlfriend (Mia Sara) and his neurotic best friend (Alan Ruck), so they can spend a day in the windy city. It also turns out that Broderick wants to build his buddy Ruck's self-esteem, a task that turns out to be a more difficult than he imagined. As if this wasn't enough, Broderick's sister (Jennifer Grey) and his principal (a hilariously funny Jeffery Jones), truly believe he's playing hookey and they both want to nail him in the act. Talk about a dilemma.

This is a fine teenage comedy, with well-rounded, intelligent characters, giving Broderick a great starring role. Some of the best scenes are formed around Bueller's ability to gleefully manipulate everybody and everything around him. Those side-splitting, thigh-slapping scenes have to be seen to be believed. Of course, he gets a little help from his friends (Sara and Ruck)..

The cinematography is good, with many pans and close ups in tight situation's making things even more intense and funny. If there was ever a film to put on your "What-to-rent" list, this is it.

Jurassic Park

An amazing film adaptation of the best-selling novel by Michael Crichton, that revolutionized special effects in movies the way Star Wars and 2001: A Space Odyssey did. The story concerns a tropical island, that is the home to living Dinosaurs, brought back by way of DNA. The billionaire (Richard Attenborugh), who owns the island, invites two paleontologists (Sam Neill and LauraDern), a mathematician (Jeff Goldblum) and his grandkids (Ariana Richards and Joseph Mazzello) to the island, unaware that anything can go wrong. Something does! In a major way! A power failure allows the dinosaurs to escape from their cages and roam the park, causing destruction and chaos.

Magnificent direction by the master of film fantasy Steven Spielberg, as well as amazing digital effects, make this a captivating, roller coaster ride, with plenty of suspense and astonishment to go along. True, the story isn't really close to the book version, but why quibble. The actors work well together within some well set up scenes. Still, someone else should have been chosen for the part of the mathematician other than Goldblum. He is completely unconvincing in his role, and doesn't really fit in that well. Other than that, the film is practically flawless with excellent music, cinematography , and some of the greatest special effects I have ever seen.

2pac Shakurs life

Tupac (Two-pahk) Amur Shakur, commonly known as 2pac, led a violent life. He died on September 13, 1996. He was a gangsta rapper/Aspiring actor. Tupac was a big figure in the rap community, always doing what he wanted and not caring what others thought of him. His life symbolized what a lot of people have gone through, through his music and movies he showed us how hard life can be.

Tupac was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1971. His family and he moved to Baltimore, Maryland early in his life. He took Performing Arts classes at his school; his teachers said he looked promising. He never finished school. He dropped out and moved to a small town outside Oakland, CA ("Associated"), however he did go to college and finish his high school credits.

All his life he was raised by his mom, with his sister. He always led a violent life; April 5, 1993, he assaulted a fellow rapper with a baseball bat. October 31, 1993, he was charged with shooting two off duty police officers. The charges were later dropped. November 19, 1993, he was convicted of sexual assault ("Death").

In November 1994, Tupac himself was shot during an attempted robbery outside a music studio in New York. Tupac did, however, mention this; "Thug life to me is dead. If it's real, let somebody else represent it because I'm tired of it." Shakur told Vibe Magazine. "I represented it too much. I was Thug Life"("Associated").

Tupac had a very promising career. His first album "2pacallyps Now" was very successful. Not too late after that his movie "Juice" was released in 1992. He released two more albums titled "Strictly for my Niggaz" and "Me against the world" and two more movies "Poetic Justice" (1993) and "Above the Rim"(1994). His last album, "All Eyes on Me" sold over 6 million copies and was the first double CD for rap music. ("Thuglife")("Associated")

4:03 p.m. PDT, Friday, September 13, Tupac died of respiratory failure and cardio-pulmonary arrest at University Medical Center, Las Vegas(Payne). He died of bullet wounds to the abdomen and chest at the young age of 25 ("Unofficial"). "Shakur was shot four times in the chest and abdomen. Police believe he was the target." He lingered in a coma before he died. So far police have no suspects. All they are saying is that the people were in a white cadillac, not from Las Vegas where he was shot ("Associated").

I believe that Tupac although he lived a violent life, mostly tried to keep others away from the life he had lived. He died after going farther than a lot of people would have gotten in their entire life. Some believe that Tupac's death was faked but I do not know which to believe. This man was great at what he did, rap, and movies and that is what I admire him for.

"Associated Press Life." http://www.stallion.jsums.edu/~awi10997/Tupac/life.htm  (19 September 1996).

"The Death of Tupac." http://www.stallion.jsums.edu/~awi10997/Tupac/death.htm  (19 September 1996).

Payne, Barbara.   "Tupac Shakurr Has Died." http://www.cpnet.com/shakur.htm  (17 September 1996).

"Thuglife Central: Unofficial 2pac Homepage." http://www.miu.com/Rap/Tupac.htm/  (17 September 1996).