Practice Module C Essay
Analyse the ways conflicting perspectives generate diverse and provocative insights.
In your response, make detailed reference to your prescribed text and at least ONE other
related text of your own choosing.
Conflicting perspectives within texts challenge the audience’s perception of history by
offering interesting and alternative viewpoints of personalities, events and situations.
Through their careful choice of representation, composers explore the way such perspectives
generate diverse and provocative insights into past events and people which alter the way we
the audience understand these. William Shakespeare’s drama Julius Caesar and Spike Lee’s
film Malcolm X both strongly represent the conflicting perspectives surrounding historically
significant leaders and their infamous assassinations. In Julius Caesar, Shakespeare utilises
the dramatic form to represent the differing opinions of Caesar, generating diverse insights
into the public opinion of the time and how this impacted on the political situation. Spike
Lee strongly represents conflicting perspectives in Malcolm X, offering new and provocative
perceptions into this controversial religious leader and civil rights activist. Both texts
successfully influence their audience’s perspective of these historical leaders and events
through the opinions and viewpoints presented.
Both composers represent conflicting perspectives in their texts to reveal diverse insights of
two significant historical figures. Shakespeare manipulates the dramatic form to convey the
multitude of opinions and attitudes towards the leadership of Julius Caesar in Rome. Whilst
Caesar is the title character, he has significantly less dialogue and stage appearance than other
key personalities, such as Cassius, Brutus and Mark Antony. Shakespeare has cleverly
altered the perspective of the play from being merely a historical drama to an entertaining
interpretation of Caesar and his death. Through the dialogue and soliloquies of surrounding
characters and the imagery created by Shakespeare, various and conflicting perspectives of
Caesar are presented to the audience. In the opening scene, a sense of conflict is present
where Flavius and Murellus send the celebrating commoners home, immediately drawing the
audience into the tension of the play. “These growing feathers pluck’d from Caesar’s wing/
Will make him fly an ordinary pitch/ Who else would soar above the view of men”. Here
Flavius’ comment foreshadows the complication and reveals a tyrannical, ambitious image of
Caesar through the animal imagery created by this extended metaphor. Shakespeare has
immediately introduced one side of the public opinion, representing Caesar as an ambitious
leader in order to capture the audience into the conflict. Throughout the play, the
perspectives of Cassius, Brutus and Mark Antony are strongly represented to highlight the
differing opinions of these significant players in the events of the play. Cassius appears
angered by Caesar’s growing power as revealed in his comments to Brutus. “Why, man, he
doth bestride the narrow world/ like a Colossus, and we petty men/ Walk under his huge
legs”. Shakespeare once again creates provocative images of Caesar through the
metaphorical language, here revealing Cassius’ strong discontent with the power politics in
Rome. However his apparent noble opinions of equality and justice are tainted by envy and
deceitfulness in his soliloquy following these comments, which reveal cunning plans to
persuade Brutus to join in the conspiracy against Caesar. Shakespeare discredits Cassius’
perspective somewhat, commenting on how self interest may have obscured the vision of
those involved in the assassination. Brutus however is driven by honour and patriotism
instead of envy, perceiving Caesar to be a dear friend but dangerously ambitious leader.
Through the soliloquy form once again, Shakespeare portrays Brutus’ inner conflict in
deciding his actions. He weighs up his personal opinion, “I know no personal cause to spurn
at him”, with his concerns for his growing power, “Crown him that/ And then I grant we put
a sting in him.” The animal imagery here is continued when Brutus’ decision is made, “And
therefore think him as a serpent’s egg/ (Which, hatch’d, would as his kind grow
mischievous)/ And kill him in the shell”, symbolically depicting a devil-like image of Caesar
through the snake motif. Unlike Cassius, Brutus’s personal opinion does not form his
perspective of Caesar’s leadership. Shakespeare offers an alternative view of Caesar, not
driven by personal bias and the desire for power, adding an interesting angle to situation.
Quite the opposite of Brutus’ opinion is that of Mark Antony. Shakespeare’s use of rhetoric
in Antony’s funeral oration is highly effective in representing this contrasting perspective.
The use of iambic pentameter juxtaposes the plain prose of Brutus’ speech, adding a more
poetic and emotive atmosphere to his words. The sarcastic repetition of “Yet Brutus says he
was ambitious/ And Brutus is an honourable man” creates a sense of doubt in Brutus’
justification, conveying Antony’s opposition to the assassination. Through the highly
emotive, hyperbolic language, as in “Bear with me/ My heart is in the coffin there with
Caesar” Shakespeare has effectively established Antony’s relationship with Caesar,
portraying how Antony loved this man. These various perspectives offer different insights of
Caesar. Shakespeare has cleverly explored the conflicting perspective surrounding this man,
revealing different viewpoints and issues surrounding his death.
Like Shakespeare, Spike Lee has represented the conflicting perspectives of society to not
only entertain, but generate diverse insights into a historical personality, in this case Malcolm
X. The film tells of Malcolm X’s transformation from an adulterer, drug addict and criminal
to an Islamic preacher, civil rights activist and leader for the Afro-American community.
Lee, as a renowned political and social commentator, extends beyond the historical image of
Malcolm X to represent the controversy of his actions and words through the conflicting
perspectives in the film. The opening credits introduce a multitude of issues surrounding
Malcolm X. Lines from one of his speeches, “I charge the white man with being the greatest
murderer on Earth. I charge the white man with being the greatest kidnapper on Earth”,
overlap an image of the American flag which is interrupted by a video of police brutally
attacking a Negro, then American flag begins to burn into the shape of an X. Two
contradictory perspectives are introduced. On one hand, the burning of the flag is symbolic
of his disrespect and disregard for the constitutional values and nationalism of America,
portraying the view that Malcolm X challenged the accepted values and promoted an
aggressive attack on America. On the other hand, his harsh words are justified by the
confronting video, representing him as a positive voice for the Black Civil Rights movement
and aiming to achieve peace, justice and equality. Lee has already drawn the audience into
the conflict and tension. After his time in jail, Malcolm X becomes affiliated with the Nation
of Islam movement for African Americans, led by so called prophet Elijah Muhammad. He
rises to become a spiritual leader, preacher and activist. In the scene where he preaches on
the street, low angle camera shots are used to give hum authority and power as he speaks
with conviction. The camera then pans around the circle of bystanders, who nod in
agreement, and the vector lines created by their glances converge in the direction of Malcolm
X. Lee depicts how the crowd’s focus is entirely on him, portraying Malcolm X to be a
persuasive and well respected leader who sought to end the struggles of Negroes. This
perspective offers a new angle to this man, not from our understanding of his actions but
from those who felt the struggles and wanted the liberty he fought for. But beyond this
perspective is a more sinister opinion of Malcolm X. Lee portrays the view of many,
especially the media, that Malcolm X was a vicious extremist and militant style leader. This
is represented in a particular scene, where rows of Negro men line the streets, moving in
unison like an army. This moves to a long shot of the street, with police lined up in the
background, a line of black men in the foreground and Malcolm leading men through the
middle. This battleground image is enhanced by the drumming music, which adds a war-like
atmosphere. This military imagery portrays the fears of Malcolm X’s strong opinions, which
were often interpreted as a violent attack on America promoting aggression and retaliation.
Lee has effectively manipulated these viewpoints to represent the conflict and controversy
surrounding Malcolm X, adding insight into the life and death of this infamous figure.
The way these conflicting perspectives are represented influences the audiences
understanding of the events, generating provocative insights into the assassinations of Caesar
and Malcolm X. Shakespeare uses the tragic structure to comment on the death of Caesar,
and in turn the political situation of his time. Brutus is depicted as the tragic hero, driven by
noble and honourable virtues that eventually lead to his death, as described by Mark Antony
as “the noblest Roman of them all”. Whilst Caesar’s death occurs at the climax of the play in
Act 3, Brutus dies at the end to align with the catastrophe moment in the traditional tragic
structure. His death is followed by a return to order with Caesar’s heir, Octavius, ending the
battle “So call the field to rest, and let’s away/ to part the glories of this happy day.”
Shakespeare concludes the play with this rhyming couplet, depicting this moment to be the
return to social order and calm. Through this representation, Shakespeare has suggested that
in the death of the conspirators, justice and order has been achieved. This is also conveyed
through the symbolic washing of the conspirators’ hands in the blood of Caesar, where
Shakespeare depicts this action to be a bloody murder and the conspirators as guilty. During
the time of this play’s production, the reign of Queen Elizabeth I was ending without an heir
to follow. Conspiracies against the monarchy and plans for regicide arose from this situation,
where many groups desired the power of the throne. Shakespeare appears to be commenting
on how public opinion of politics? and the struggle for power is obscured by self interest and
criticizing the unjustified assassination of ruling figures. The audience’s understanding of
Caesar’s assassination is influenced by this representation, provoking thought into the nature
of public opinion and the detrimental effect it has on social order.
Similarly, Lee’s representation of conflicting perspectives provides provocative insights into
historical events. Malcolm X is described as a biographical film, as seen through the use of
flashbacks to Malcolm’s childhood and the narration, however it is clear that Lee extends the
story beyond the facts to align with his own political and social stance. After the
assassination, a video of Martin Luther King Jnr saying “The assassination of Malcolm X
was an unfortunate tragedy” is shown. This footage highlights the sadness and loss due to the
assassination, emphasising the respect many had for him as a leader. A black and white
montage of pictures and videos of the real Malcolm X is shown. The narration over this
reveals the many perspectives of Malcolm X and his death, but ultimately suggests the
injustice in the assassination. “They will say that he was a hater, a fanatic, a racist who can
only bring evil to the cause for which he struggled. And we will answer and say unto them,
did you ever talk to Brother Malcolm?” This emotive line strongly suggests that despite the
differing opinions of this leader, Malcolm X is still to be recognised as a man who struggled
for freedom, liberty and justice. Lee has effectively generated provocative insights of history
through the conflicting perspectives, giving the audience a new understanding of Malcolm X
and his assassination.
Through the conflicting perspectives in these texts, the composers have powerfully
challenged the audience’s understanding of people, events and situations. Through the form
and features of the Julius Caesar and Malcolm X, their composers have effectively influenced
the audience’s understanding of the lives and assassinations of historical figures, adding
insight through the perspectives present. By generating diverse and provocative insights, the
representation of these conflicting perspectives provides different angles on historical events
and personalities and therefore altering the audience’s interpretation of these.