[Burke's Dramatistic Pentad (Assign 4/12)
Since its inception, Hollywood has been fascinated by the interplay between humans and technology. Today is no different, as a variety films, from sci-fi to comedies, continue to explore the consequences of living in an increasingly technological world. Filmmakers, as we know, hold tremendous sway in shaping how we view many aspects of our society, including technology. If presented in a positive light, technology—particularly speculative—can be something to excitedly anticipate. Presented in a more menacing fashion, however, oncoming technology can illicit dread and fear.
Burke’s Dramatistic Pentad offers us a useful tool for deciphering the motivations behind such interactions. Below, you will find nine film clips depicting human-technological interactions. You will use the Dramatistic Pentad to identify specific rhetorical elements in three of the scenes. Additionally, you will analyze the ratio between two elements.
Directions:
Part 1
1. Choose three film clips from below to examine.
2. Using the Dramatistic Pentad, assign each of the five elements (act, agency, agent, scene, and purpose) for each scene (or “artifact”) and explain their functions in each scene.
Follow this model:
Artifact: “Yes, I Can Fly” from Iron Man (Jon Favreau, 2008)
Description:
Tony Stark (Robert Downy Jr.) is testing the capacity of his prototype Iron Man suit. Specifically, he is testing the rocket features of his suit. After the initial setting is deployed successfully, he decides to increase the rocket’s output. At first, he finds the increased output difficult to control. He flies the length of his lab barely in control. Quickly, however, he finds his bearings and comes to better control his flight.
The Dramatistic Pentad:
A. Act: Tony Stark tests the flight capacity of his Iron Man suit.
B. Agency: In order to tests the limits of his suit, Tony Stark incrementally increases the output of the rockets.
C. Agent: Tony Stark is the agent as he is the one testing the limits of his suit.
D. Scene: The scene is a lab belonging to Tony Stark.
E. Purpose: Tony Stark’s purpose is to master, though trial and error, the rocket capacity of his Iron Man suit.
Remember, do this three times—once for each of the three scenes you've chosen.
Part 2
1. Choose one ratio (Scene-Act, for instance) for which to examine three scenes—these may be the same as used above or different scenes.
2. In one page (≈ 250 words), examine how a specific ratio functions in each of three scenes. For example, what do we learn from examining the scenes through this specific ratio? Also, are there similarities between the scenes? Are the differences? What does this particular ratio illuminate that the others might not?
3. Choose three of the following scenes for your analysis:
"We Made You Cause We Could" from Prometheus (Ridley Scott, 2012)
"Mr. Eddie Vedder from Accounting" from Hackers (Iaine Softley, 1995)
"The Duel" from Electric Dreams (Steve Barron, 1984)
"Mission Abort. Repeat: Mission Abort" from Gravity (Alfonso Cuarón, 2013)
"You Shouldn't Trust Him" from Ex Machina (Alex Garland, 2014)
"Do You Know How to Get Out of Here?" from Her (Spike Jonze, 2013)—NSFW
"Die, Mutha F--kas, Die" from Office Space (Mike Judge, 1999)—NSFW
"Star Fleet Command Has Ordered Us to Rescue Them ... Captain" from Star Trek (JJ Abrams, 2009)
"Where are We Going? Someplace nice?" from A.I. Artificial Intelligence (Steven Spielberg, 2001)
- MLA Style (plus works cited)
- 350 words minumum
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