English - conflicting perspectives

‘At the heart of conflicting perspectives in texts is that the protagonists believe their viewpoint is correct.’

Evaluate this statement in light of how Shakespeare, in Julius Caesar and TWO other composers have represented different viewpoints through the actions of their key protagonists?

Perspective does not exist without this egocentric bias that occurs in the private sphere of characters. In Julius Caesar, Shakespeare explores inner turmoil’s and indeed exterior ones to depict how “at the heart of conflicting perspectives in texts is that the protagonists believe their viewpoint in correct.” Sidney Lumet through 12 Angry Men and Kazuo Ishiguro through The Remains of the day, also explore these ideals through the use of techniques such as emotive language, lighting and sound effects, they are able to explore differentiated viewpoints and elaborate on the notion of selfish perspectives.

The exposition of Julius Caesar, Shakespeare immediately presents the ideals that underpin the differing views of Caesar’s rising power through his two protagonists, Brutus and Cassius. Both characters posses different interpretations on Caesar’s reign on Rome, one being loyal to Rome and a love and respect for Caesar “I love him well” but the other being a spiteful and vitriolic towards a “feeble old tyrant.” This highlights the notion of Cassius’s selfish prejudice towards his own contentment, which is only shown behind closed doors. Brutus on the other hand is victim to Cassius’ vitriol and becomes the pawn as he is manipulated “poor Brutus, with himself at war,” Brutus is troubled emotionally, torn by his patriotism and his respect for Caesar, above all he has an undying love for Rome, “Brutus had rather be a villager than to repute himself a son of Rome.” It is this love for Rome that causes such internal turmoil for Brutus, through Shakespeare’s use of juxtaposition of characters, he is able to highlight to the audience, the lengths that man will go to in order to satisfy the egotistical belief that they are ‘right’. This in return creates a sorrowful attitude towards Brutus.

“The vote is 11 to 1 in favour of not guilty,” In addition to Shakespeare, Sidney Lumet’s 12 Angry Men, he portrays the concept of egoism and its influence on personal viewpoints through his protagonist the 3rd Juror. Lumet applied dramatic techniques through the use of sound effects illuminating a heavy storm in order to heighten the tension and create a thrilling tone. By alluding to these techniques, Lumet allows for the audience to create their own sense of dramatic irony. Lumet uses close ups more frequently to portray highly strung expressions later on in the film as the 3rd Juror realises he is on his own, “I don’t care if I’m alone! It’s my right!” It is the pursuing nature of Lumet’s other protagonist the 8th juror, “we want your arguments,” that causes the extreme emphasis on personal conflict that lures with his son, “Rotten kids, you work your life out!” Lumet’s protagonist relates to Shakespeare’s Cassius through his stubbornness to believe that no viewpoint other than their own is correct, no matter whom they encounter.

Coinciding with Lumet’s film, Shakespeare displays the self-centred nature of perspectives through an array of his main protagonists. Brutus is struck with inner turmoil, which is represented in “vexed I am of late” due to the actions of Cassius’s manipulation “Brutus once have brooked th’eternal devil to keep his state.” Shakespeare presents the ideal, through Cassius’s malice towards Caesar, as he believes he does not deserve his power, “this man became a god, and Cassius a wretched creature,” because Cassius saved his life “help me, Cassius, or I sink!” Similarly to the 3rd Jurors attitude towards the innocence of the young man, “this boy deserves to die!” Shakespeare again outlines the motif through his final protagonist, Marc Antony, who displays a lesser egocentric attitude, rather, his view portrayed as a mournful want for revenge, “O, pardon me…that I am…gentle with these butchers.” Shakespeare uses literary techniques such as repetition in the funeral orations to indicate a justification, “it is not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more,” and to depict sarcasm, “for Brutus is an honourable man…they all honourable men.” Antony, through Shakespeare’s use of literary techniques, highlights the opposing viewpoints to an alternative extent allowing his words to speak louder than his actions in order to depict his stance.

Collectively to Shakespeare and Lumet, Kazou Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day, portrays the views of a chief butler, Stevens. Ishiguro outlines the internal struggle between a man similar to Brutus, who is loyal to his duty but who finds himself struggling to reconcile his past, “What can we ever gain in looking back and blaming ourselves?” Ishiguro uses another protagonist in Miss Kenton to implicate a conflict in which Stevens believes his outlook is correct but is simply clouded. “It took a moment to digest these words of Miss Kenton, at that moment, my heart was breaking.” The pride that Ishiguro implies in Stevens’ attitude is very similar to those of the 3rd Juror in Lumet’s 12 Angry Men in his personal fluster with his son, alongside that of Brutus’ inner moral turmoil with the ideal of killing Caesar for the ‘good’ of Rome. Stevens’ conflict again is coincided with Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and Brutus, constantly trying to reconcile and forgive but much like Stevens, “I can't even say I made my own mistakes.” Through Ishiguro’s illustrations, Steven’s conflicting perspectives have forced his actions to cloud what he thought was a correct viewpoint but ultimately has exposed an entirely humbled outlook on the past.

Shakespeare, Lumet and Ishiguro, through their respective texts, have created their protagonists who’ve been represented by differentiated viewpoints. Ultimately establishing motives through an array of techniques and elaborate on the notion of egotistical perspectives.