This post is a great read for anybody, but it will be especially intriguing for:
Teachers of Unit Four VCE English, Area of Study One
Students studying these texts as a part of VCE Reading and Comparing Texts
Those who enjoy either of the texts and would like to read something new.
What is it that can bring those most unwilling to change to shift their values?
To what extent are leaders bound by those they are charged to lead?
How much initiative can they show in forging their own legacy?
Whilst taking place in vastly different contexts, Stephen Frears’ film The Queen and David Malouf’s novel Ransom find common ground in their examination of the burden of leadership and the process by which those with the most staunch conservative views can be led to a new level of understanding.
Both Troy and Great Britain are comprised of citizens with long-held expectations of their leaders. Within these societies, both Priam and Queen Elizabeth find themselves in “exceptional circumstances” which test them both as leaders, but also as individuals who must learn to embrace “a new way”.
Ransom depicts the journey of Priam as he embarks upon a struggle against convention and a path to self-understanding. He breaks all tradition when stripping himself of his royal regalia and going to the murderer of his son merely “as a man”. However, merely beginning this journey is a struggle for Priam as he must first convince his wife, Hecuba and his many children and advisors that his plan is something that he must carry out. Hecuba, who is more “tied to convention” than she realises, represents the Trojan society who are comfortable within the status quo of a daily existence that blindly accepts war and bloodshed, but recoils against the breaking of any royal tradition. One of Priam’s many struggles is in his desire to act of his own volition in a world which expects certain behaviours of him. Once he ventures into an unknown territory, he is brought to a new understanding of himself and his role as king by an unlikely accomplice in the driver Somax.
Similarly, Queen Elizabeth is presented to the audience as a royal figure with a storied past, who must learn how to react to a tragic event in the death of Lady Diana. This can be seen in a similar manner to how the course of Priam’s life is changed so drastically by the death of his son, Hector. However, the Queen also has to assess her understanding of her role in a country that has recently elected a progressive leader in Tony Blair. Blair, who is modestly described as “a breath of fresh air”, and more dramatically seen as a “radical” influence upon Great Britain, aims to “modernise” his country. In order to do this, he must gently persuade Queen Elizabeth to break with royal tradition in the grieving of “the people’s princess”.
When comparing these worlds and the characters who inhabit them, it’s clear that both contain individuals who are finding their way in a society that is steeped in tradition and expectation. However, whilst there are similarities in characters guiding others to find “a new way”, both Priam and Queen Elizabeth hold different relationships with the conventional outlooks of their time. Priam, who feels he has done little, and has not experienced much outside of his “royal sphere”, aims to break this cycle and have a personal impact. However, Queen Elizabeth stays true to her “instinct”, which is “to do nothing” as her people grieve. This history of being removed from society in such a manner is fought against by Priam, who sheds all that makes him royal. However, it is clung to by Elizabeth who cannot understand the expectations of the public in the wake of Diana’s passing. She “cannot be expected to change”, whereas Priam actively seeks the disruption of his expected royal duty. Ironically, it is Queen Elizabeth whose monarchy survives whereas Priam’s Troy falls to the Greeks. The texts diverge in this manner in that the Royal Family is able to survive through their ability to adapt whereas Priam cannot involve others in his “new way” and keep Troy from falling.
It is also worth exploring the different relationships that are forged between unlikely pairs and how this leads to individual characters undergoing great change in their perception of the world.
Somax, with his tales of his sons and granddaughter, as well as the joy that he takes in the simple eating of a griddle cake or the dipping of a toe in a stream, is able to bring Priam to question his role as a father. Priam sees himself as close to Hector in only a ceremonial fashion, realising the emotional depth felt by his new companion, Somax and his unfamiliarity to it. Further to this, Achilles is also moved by the “fellow feeling” experienced in his meeting with Priam. Firstly mistaking Priam for his father, and muttering the word in a trance-like state, Achilles is able to transform himself out of the “smoky hut” and into the “clear sky” – a monumental shift from the burdened warrior portrayed in earlier chapters. Through these significant transitions in character, Malouf is able to convey an idea that people need others to help them reach new perspectives and that new understandings are only reached when one can appreciate the humanity and experience of another.
Frears also pairs characters in a manner which sees them reach new levels of understanding about their world and their place within it. Prince Charles’ attempts at building a relationship with the new Prime Minister lead to him pointing out that he and Blair are “of a similar mind”. Charles, confined by tradition, convention and family expectations, is unable to communicate his concern about the need for the family to “modernise”. However, through Blair, he sees somebody who can assist in bringing much needed change. Interestingly, Blair, who is initially shown to be somewhat disinterested and unaccustomed to the tradition of the royals, finds himself ultimately understanding the role of the Queen. His awkward initial meeting can be seen in great contrast to his understanding that “what she’s doing is extraordinary”. It is up to the reader to decide whether Blair too is perhaps more “tied to convention” than he realised, or perhaps he has been moved to see the role of the royal family through his experiences.
Both texts portray characters who ultimately come to understand their world in a new way. Malouf’s depiction of a literal journey over a stream, to the Greek camp and back for Priam can be seen in a similar manner to Frears’ portrayal of the Queen stranded in the stream at Balmoral. After ironically telling Charles that there was “nothing wrong with the old one”, she finds herself helpless in her car. However, differences can be seen in the attitude of the characters to the change which they undertake. Priam, exuding passion and glee living within the sphere that has always existed outside of his understanding, can be seen in stark contrast to Queen Elizabeth who reluctantly places herself amongst her people and admits to Blair that she didn’t have “a choice”. Thus, both texts promote the idea that people must be brought to understand through their relationship to others, yet differ in the manner in which the characters experience this, either through their reluctance or enthusiasm or the deliberate or accidental nature of how these personal discoveries are made.
These are but a few of the concepts that make these two such an intriguing pair to study or enjoy. Readers and viewers of these texts will be left to question the role of leaders in our society, as well as the balance between holding onto values and knowing when to shift into new ways of thinking. The impact of family and expectation is another common idea, one of many shared between the two which lead to an abundance of questions about the nature of change, tradition and leadership.
Ben Taylor - The English Lab
If you have any comments or queries about this pair or anything else related to VCE English, be sure to contact us at ben@englishlab.com.au
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