[方法探讨] 某著名高中的学生英语作文，想听听大家的意见

Merchant of Venice

       

        Shakespeare has written many great and classical plays throughout his lifetime.  Many of them were adapted into films, including his comedy play The Merchant of Venice.  Michael Radford produced the 2004 feature film The Merchant of Venice in Venice, Italy.  The film vividly describes the relationship between the Jews and Christians, endorses the dangers of ambition and shows the power of true friendship.  After viewing the film, my attitudes towards each character changed and I received a deeper understanding of the play.

        The film presented many dominate images.  One that most stood out to me was the image of Shylock being locked out from his Jewish community.  Shylock was portrayed as a villain in both the film and the play; he is seen as a man of vengeful and materialism.  However, at this moment of the film, all I could see was a powerless man who lost his daughter, money and religion.  All my hatred towards Shylock disappeared without a trace, and all that came to mind was sympathy towards this poor man. Another dominate image that stood out to me was the cutting of the pound of flesh.  Shylock is seen with a knife merely millimeters apart from Antonio’s heart, sweat is dripping down from Antonio’s chest and the crowd is as silent as a graveyard.  With the tense and fast paste music in the background, there is no reason to deny why this scene is the most nerve-racking scene in the film.  Personally, I was up my toes the whole time watching the scene.  However, after finishing the film, I had a deeper understanding of true friendship.  Antonio is willing to give up his life for Bassanio. But in doing so, Antonio has received nothing.  I often question why Antonio would go to that extent, but maybe that is why true friendship can conquer death, as seen in the film.

        As with all films, acting plays a huge part in how good the film is.  Overall, the acting of The Merchant of Venice was excellent.  I especially liked the acting of Al Pacino (Shylock) and Joseph Fiennes (Bassanio).  Pacino presented us a vengeful and cold blooded Shylock. In the trial scene, Pacino expressed his anger at the unfairness towards Jews very well. Pacino even made me sympathize this cold hearted demon because of his speech of equality.  Furthermore, after being cheated out of his bond, Pacino did a great job of showing his disbelief and despair, which made me sympathize Shylock even more.  Apart from Pacino’s acting, I also liked Joseph Fiennes’s acting.  From his despise to Antonio signing the bond to his anger at Shylock for hurting his friend, I saw the true meaning of friendship.  Furthermore, from his happy facial expressions at choosing the right casket, Fiennes showed how hard it was for Bassanio and Portia to be together, and that two lovers cannot be stopped, no matter what the circumstance is.  To conclude, the acting from The Merchant of Venice was helpful to see each character’s thoughts and helped me obtain a deeper understanding of the play.

        In the film The Merchant of Venice, one change that was made was the additional scene of Jessica touching her ring and looking at a far away fisherman.  Personally, I really enjoyed this scene, and I think it added a lot of suspense to the film.  After everyone exchanged rings, we are left with Jessica.  Although Jessica is finally with Lorenzo, the process of the elopement was not easy.  As the couples get to take their well deserved break, Jessica is clearly in deep thought and is troubled.  Even though she did not clarify the reasoning to her troublesome, the viewers can tell that she is worried about Shylock.  No matter how bad a father Shylock was, he is still Jessica’s blood related father, and Jessica still cares for him.  After hearing the news that Shylock lost his trial, Jessica will no doubt be worried about his father, and as seen in the film, she walks by a lake staring mindlessly at a far away fisherman.  Furthermore, this scene shows that Jessica did not trade her ring for a monkey as told by tubal.  Although this might seem as a minor detail, by clearing this misconception, it changed my opinion of Jessica. At the start of the film, Jessica abandoned Shylock and took his jewels with her to elope with Lorenzo, which made me think of her as a selfish and self centered person, after seeing scene, it made me happy to see that Jessica actually cares about her father.  Overall, this additional scene had a positive effect on me by adding suspense and providing a happy ending.

        In conclusion, I really enjoyed watching the film The Merchant of Venice.  Being able to see each actor’s facial expressions and reactions helped me understand certain parts of the play better, helping me achieve an overall deeper understanding.  By watching the film, I know the consequences of ambitious acts and that true friendship will obtain justice.  I also know that Shylock is not entirely evil as many would say, the reasoning behind his immoral acts were because of how the venetians mistreated and discriminated against him.  Therefore, his punishment is not fair, and he should get a second chance.  The film can also be related to our lives, as seen in the film, by being kind and giving to others, when you are in need, people will also be willing to help you.  However, if you are ambitious and cold hearted, nothing good will happen to you.

To Kill a Mockingbird – Metaphor Essay

                A tall and sturdy tree stands strong on an isolated hill, shrugging off the pounding rain and snow as if the rain were merely a pat on a shoulder.  This description relies on figurative language, and authors often compare strong willed and determined characters, using metaphors in order to reveal their important traits.  In her novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee vividly presents Atticus Finch, one of the novel’s protagonists, as a man of wisdom and integrity.  Readers can also employ metaphors to analyze a character more fully.  If Atticus Finch were an object in nature, he would be a tree because of his calmness, willingness to give, and strength of identity.

                One important characteristic that Atticus and trees both share is their calmness.  Trees are calm because they are motionless.  No matter what the circumstance is, whether it is a flock of birds resting on a branch or an incoming storm, trees can always maintain their straight and calm “posture”.  Similar to a tree, Atticus is also calm and he demonstrates it through the novel.  One example is the Tom Robinson case.  Atticus knew from the start of taking the case, it was not likely to succeed.  He even told uncle Jack: “’It couldn’t be much worse, Jack.  The only thing we’ve got is a black man’s word against the Ewells’.  The evidence boils down to you-did – I didn’t.  The jury couldn’t possibly be expected to take Tom Robinson’s word against the Ewells’’” (Lee 88).  Yet Atticus was able to keep his straight face in such an underwhelming situation, and tried his best to prove Tom Robinson’s innocence.  Furthermore, during the trial of Tom Robinson, while facing hundreds of critics and angry citizens, Atticus did not show a hint of nervousness or fear.  At a situation where many people would crumble down with nervousness, Atticus was able to keep his cool and continue the trial as if he had it all under control: “Slowly but surely, I began to see the pattern of Atticus’s questions: from questions that Mr. Gilmer did not dream sufficiently irrelevant or immaterial to object to, Atticus was quietly building up before the jury a picture of the Ewells home life” (Lee 182).  Atticus was able to stay calm throughout the trial and use his intelligence to bring out the Ewell’s false story.  Another example of Atticus’s calmness is how he dealt with Bob Ewell’s threats.  After the trial, Bob Ewell acted immaturely and spat on Atticus for defending Tom Robinson.  However, Atticus did not show any signs of anger and humorously remarked: “‘I wish Bob Ewell wouldn’t chew tobacco’” (Lee 217).  Atticus even explained to Jem and Scout the reasoning behind Bob Ewell’s actions.  In conclusion, Atticus and a tree both showed their calmness by being able to face difficulties and challenges.

                Another characteristic that Atticus and a tree both share is their willingness to give.  Trees are one of the main sources of oxygen.  Without trees, humans would not be able to inhabit this planet.  Yet, not only do we humans not appreciate what trees have provided for us, we cut down 3 billion – 6 billion trees every year (Ram).  Just like a tree, Atticus’s justice and well mannered acts are also not appreciated.   Atticus accepted the Tom Robinson case with intentions of justice and equality.   However the citizens of Maycomb only saw the part of Atticus defending a colored man and criticized him throughout the novel.   Even Walter Cunningham, a client of Atticus’s, who received Atticus’s help and generosity, decided to back stab him for defending Tom Robinson.   In fact, many citizens also called Atticus a “niger lover” for accomplishing something they are too afraid to do.   Francais Hanlock – Atticus’s nephew said to Scout: “‘If Uncle Atticus lets you run around with stray dogs, that’s his own business, like Grandma says, so it ain’t your fault.  I guess it aint your fault if Atticus is a nigger lover...’” (Lee 83).  However, Atticus never said a word of regret or anger because he believes what he is doing is right.  This is exactly what Miss. Maudie stated: “‘there are some men in this world who were born to do our unpleasant jobs for us.  Your father's one of them’“(Lee 215).  Atticus was the man who did the unpleasant job for Maycomb County, yet he was willing to make sacrifices for the benefits of the Maycomb citizens.  In brief, Atticus and a tree both are both willing to give, because they make self sacrifices for the good of people around them.

                Finally, apart from being calm and willing to give, Atticus and a tree also share a strong identity.  Trees have roots that go up to 10 meters (Urban) and they can stay rooted to the ground during violent windstorms and rain.  Trees can also survive harsh weather and climate changes.  Similar to a tree, Atticus is also strong.  First of all, Atticus showed his strong will by taking on the Tom Robinson case in a society where racism and discrimination is everywhere.  Furthermore, during the period where Atticus took the case, Atticus revieved many threats and criticism, Maycomb farmers surprisingly formed a mob against him. Yet Atticus ignored them and continued to do what he believes is right, even if it means standing up to society.  In addition to being strong minded, Atticus is also strong on the outside.  In the scene of the mad dog, Atticus surprised everyone by showing how great a shooter he is.  No one expected Atticus to be a man with such a hidden talent, they thought of him as just a book smart person.  Yet Atticus’s precision and skillfulness with a rifle: “With movements so swift they seemed simultaneous…” (Lee 96), Proved the Maycomb citizens wrong.  Overall Atticus’s strong mind and talents show that he is strong like a tree.

To conclude, Atticus is like a tree because of his calmness, willingness to give and his strong will.  By comparing Atticus to a tree, readers now have a deeper understanding of his character traits and roles in the story.  Harper Lee portrayed Atticus the man to do the unpleasant job in To Kill a Mockingbird, yet while “soaking up” all the “rain and snow” for the citizens of Maycomb, Atticus did not forget his role of a loving and caring father to Jem and Scout.  Through the character of Atticus, Harper Lee showed readers an example of an honourable man.  Lee also showed us that being courageous and standing up to your beliefs will earn the respect of other people in the end.  In this modern society where many man are too afraid to stand up to the rules of society, Lee presented Atticus Finch, a role model to this modern world.