John Merrick, played by John Hurt, is a middle-aged man with severe physical deformities covering ninety percent of his body. His owner, Bytes played by Freddie Jones, keeps him in a dingy room, and then charges the public to view his grotesque figure in his ‘freak show’. Dr Treves, played by Anthony Hopkins, is sympathetic to this and takes him in to research the so-called “Elephant Man”. Merrick is then taught to speak properly and behave in the ‘normal’ fashion. Throughout the film Merrick is continually mocked for his disturbing features and his hermit nature. Sympathy versus empathy is depicted greatly in this movie. Although we don’t know what it would feel like to be as shunted from the world as Merrick is, we empathise for him as we have all been in the situation before where you don’t seem to fit in. We do, however, feel great sympathy for Merrick a

Tension; the techniques and dramatic events that are used to maintain audience interest. There are many points of tension in this scene, showed mainly between the relationship of Bytes and Merrick. When Merrick is bought into the scene it is obvious that he is treated poorly by the state of his room and the way that Bytes talks to him. Instead of asking politely to stand up, or turn around for Treves to see, Bytes screams at Merrick with harsh tonality whilst hitting his cane against the wall in an attempt to threaten Merrick into doing what he is told. Bytes also continually tries to take control of his status over Treves – Bytes demoralises Treves by talking down to him.

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Symbol; something generally regarded as typifying or representing something. Life is full of surprises. Consider the fate of this creature’s poor mother - struck down in the fourth month of her maternal condition by an elephant, by a wild elephant on an uncharted African Isle. The result is plain to see, Ladies and Gentlemen, I give to you…the terrible Elephant Man. The story that Bytes gives Treves before his private viewing is an outstanding example of symbolism. The wa

Some topics in this essay:
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