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by PrincessOfMischief 1/15/2013, 10:32 pmso dis my essay/speech for english. am v proud of it
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Rethinking the Classic Love Story
By: Amanda Hartman
We all know the stories of Rose and Jack, on the fast sinking Titanic, and the story of Romeo, who took his life to be with Juliet. But are they really true love stories? What about the untold, unofficial proclamations of love that don’t have to be romantically shown? What about the man who fakes his death to save his only friend? Or the king that died thanking his best friend for helping him build the best kingdom in the world? True love, real love stories don’t have to be strictly kisses and chance meetings on ships. They can be the stories of the friend that never leaves the others side, and die for them.
Now picture this. You’re standing on the rooftop of St. Bart’s Hospital in downtown London. The man you’d spent 3 months chasing down is behind you, with a bullet hole in his head. You’re freaking out, because with him still alive, you could save your only friend. The dead man took his own life before you even saw it coming. Now look across the street. You see that only friend getting out of his cab. You call him and tell him, this is goodbye. A few minutes later, you’re kissing the sidewalk. Supposedly you’re dead, at least as far as your friend knows. But you’re not. You faked your death, so he could live; while not allowing the dead man on the rooftop the pleasure of meeting you in the afterlife. Now rewind two years. You are now John Watson, who in a few years see’s Sherlock Holmes kiss the sidewalk. Your new flatmate, that you only met a couple of days ago, is talking with a serial killer. He’s holding a pill, probably poisonous. You don’t know much about him, but you know enough that he’ll take that pill, just to prove he’s clever. But you are as loyal as a hound, so when you have the shot on the serial killer, you take it. Saving your new flatmate’s life, and never really understanding how much it will mean to him.
John and Sherlock spent the two, or so, years they knew each other, protecting each other. Sherlock would do anything to prove how clever he was. John knew this. Sherlock wasn’t also the type of person that makes friends, calling himself “a highly functioning sociopath”. In fact, their friendship surprised all the people Sherlock knew. Many of them asking if John was his boyfriend, which was received by a very vocal no from John. But that’s just it. They didn’t have to be romantically involved to be considered a story of true love. They would lay their lives down for each other without a second thought.
Now we all know of the heart wrenching story of the Titanic. Rose comes from a family of wealth and power. Jack was poor before a lucky game of poker got him tickets onto the Titanic. They met on the deck of the ship. Rose wanted to escape from her life of money, she wanted to be normal. Jack wanted that kind of wealth and power. It was fate that they met (*say sarcastically*). As the journey continued, the two grew romantically closer. They barely knew each other, but acted as though they had all their lives. When the titanic was going down, Jack sacrificed himself to the bitter cold waters of the Atlantic to save his “beloved”. I ask you, what did Rose ever do for him? Also, would Jack really save Rose’s life had he not known her romantically?
The classic tale of Romeo and Juliet, is another one that everyone knows. Even if you haven’t read the Shakespearian play, you know of the legend. Boy meets girl, falls in love, kills himself to be with her in the afterlife. Keep in mind Romeo only knew Juliet for under a week. Their families were archenemies. If they even knew of the love the two shared, there would be hell to pay. Knowing this lead to Juliet taking the sleeping potion, fooling Romeo into thinking she was dead. Romeo was foolish enough to take his own life for a girl he just met. Juliet was even more foolish for taking her life, after Romeo took his, to be with him. They had their whole lives in front of them, they would’ve moved on and found someone else.
Let’s go back in time now. We’re in the kingdom of Camelot, that will one day be ruled by Arthur Pendragon. Currently, however, his father is still on the throne. A father that despised magic to its very core. A lowly warlock is walking into the city limits in search of a job. Within his first days in the city, he has a run in with the Royal Prince. Merlin, not knowing who Arthur was, stands up to him. They end up hating each other, but when there is a dinner for a famous singer, trouble strikes. Someone has body swapped with the singer, and is now enchanting the audience to fall asleep, so she can kill the royals. Merlin catches on fast and holds his ears. Using the magic he was born with, he cuts the rope on the chandeliers, killing the imposter, and waking the court up. With the witches final breath, she tosses a knife at Arthur’s head. Merlin, even though he hates Arthur, jumps up and pushes him out of the way, sparing his life. The king, greatly impressed, appoints Merlin the position of Arthur’s manservant, much to the dislike of the two boys.
After spending years and years taking care of Arthur and his every need, years later, Merlin joins him in what will later be known as The Final Battle. Arthur is wounded in this battle, and he knows this is the end. It is during this time that Merlin reveals his magic to Arthur, who has been raised since birth to hate and despise magic. Arthur shuns him at first, but Merlin won’t leave him. It’s his destiny to serve Arthur, and he will not walk away from that. During Arthur’s final moments, he asks Merlin to just hold him, and be there as he takes his final breaths. It is with these final breaths that he thanks Merlin for everything he has done. He thanks him for helping to build Camelot to its glory, for always being by his side,and for always willing to lay down his life for Arthur. With a final thank you, Arthur’s gone, leaving behind a broken Merlin.
So it is now that I ask you, which story has the truest form of love? The two lovers on the sinking ship in the icy Atlantic? The detective and his only friend, who would chase down criminals all over London; risking their lives to prove they are clever? The young boy and the young girl from families as different as night and day, only knowing each other less than a week? Or the king and his magician? As society progresses, and time moves on, our ideas and ways of thinking change. The term “Love Story” should no longer include the cliche stories of boy meets girl. It should include the stories of two people whose lives are intertwined daily, even if it is in the platonic sense. Love stories no longer have to be the gender specific fairy tales we were told as children. Just like stories on the shelf can include 50 shades of grey, classic love stories can include all the colors of the rainbow.
I used a lot of pathos in my essay. The two biggest examples of my pathos was the story of Sherlock kissing the sidewalk. The other one of Arthur dying in Merlin’s arms. I used these two examples, because as a huge fan of the two shows it was a sad moment. It hurt. I tested this on non-fans (my mom) by letting her watch the end of Sherlock She reacted as I did, and she’s not emotionally attached to the show. I put it in the essay, because it really does pull at your heartstrings.
My biggest use of ethos (or attack on ethos, depending on a person's viewpoint), is my whole idea of changing the classic love story and the argument behind it. It is ethical to give all types of love a chance at making it into the classics section. The world is fastly evolving into a better, more accepting world. Some may find it offensive that I would even compare the idea of Sherlock and John, or Merlin and Arthur to the likes of Romeo and Juliet, or Jack and Rose; but in the end, it’s all the same.
I used logos when I explained the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, and Jack. All of them only knew their lover for a short amount of time, and it was utterly foolish to throw their life away. In the case of the other two pairings, while yes, their lives had some risk, they were never in any real danger. They also grew to know the other as a friend before laying down their life. They spent years together, where as Romeo, Juliet, Jack, and Rose, only spent days.
This essay is mostly an appeal to rethink what we’ve always been told. To be more open to different forms of love stories, so that our world may indeed evolve into something more accepting.
My audience is, the fans of BBC Sherlock, BBC Merlin, Romeo & Juliet (all media types), and the Titanic. In addition to BBC network. The fans of these stories will think deeper about the meanings of their show/story, while maybe BBC will finally understand what makes the viewers so crazy.
enjoy
Rethinking the Classic Love Story
By: Amanda Hartman
We all know the stories of Rose and Jack, on the fast sinking Titanic, and the story of Romeo, who took his life to be with Juliet. But are they really true love stories? What about the untold, unofficial proclamations of love that don’t have to be romantically shown? What about the man who fakes his death to save his only friend? Or the king that died thanking his best friend for helping him build the best kingdom in the world? True love, real love stories don’t have to be strictly kisses and chance meetings on ships. They can be the stories of the friend that never leaves the others side, and die for them.
Now picture this. You’re standing on the rooftop of St. Bart’s Hospital in downtown London. The man you’d spent 3 months chasing down is behind you, with a bullet hole in his head. You’re freaking out, because with him still alive, you could save your only friend. The dead man took his own life before you even saw it coming. Now look across the street. You see that only friend getting out of his cab. You call him and tell him, this is goodbye. A few minutes later, you’re kissing the sidewalk. Supposedly you’re dead, at least as far as your friend knows. But you’re not. You faked your death, so he could live; while not allowing the dead man on the rooftop the pleasure of meeting you in the afterlife. Now rewind two years. You are now John Watson, who in a few years see’s Sherlock Holmes kiss the sidewalk. Your new flatmate, that you only met a couple of days ago, is talking with a serial killer. He’s holding a pill, probably poisonous. You don’t know much about him, but you know enough that he’ll take that pill, just to prove he’s clever. But you are as loyal as a hound, so when you have the shot on the serial killer, you take it. Saving your new flatmate’s life, and never really understanding how much it will mean to him.
John and Sherlock spent the two, or so, years they knew each other, protecting each other. Sherlock would do anything to prove how clever he was. John knew this. Sherlock wasn’t also the type of person that makes friends, calling himself “a highly functioning sociopath”. In fact, their friendship surprised all the people Sherlock knew. Many of them asking if John was his boyfriend, which was received by a very vocal no from John. But that’s just it. They didn’t have to be romantically involved to be considered a story of true love. They would lay their lives down for each other without a second thought.
Now we all know of the heart wrenching story of the Titanic. Rose comes from a family of wealth and power. Jack was poor before a lucky game of poker got him tickets onto the Titanic. They met on the deck of the ship. Rose wanted to escape from her life of money, she wanted to be normal. Jack wanted that kind of wealth and power. It was fate that they met (*say sarcastically*). As the journey continued, the two grew romantically closer. They barely knew each other, but acted as though they had all their lives. When the titanic was going down, Jack sacrificed himself to the bitter cold waters of the Atlantic to save his “beloved”. I ask you, what did Rose ever do for him? Also, would Jack really save Rose’s life had he not known her romantically?
The classic tale of Romeo and Juliet, is another one that everyone knows. Even if you haven’t read the Shakespearian play, you know of the legend. Boy meets girl, falls in love, kills himself to be with her in the afterlife. Keep in mind Romeo only knew Juliet for under a week. Their families were archenemies. If they even knew of the love the two shared, there would be hell to pay. Knowing this lead to Juliet taking the sleeping potion, fooling Romeo into thinking she was dead. Romeo was foolish enough to take his own life for a girl he just met. Juliet was even more foolish for taking her life, after Romeo took his, to be with him. They had their whole lives in front of them, they would’ve moved on and found someone else.
Let’s go back in time now. We’re in the kingdom of Camelot, that will one day be ruled by Arthur Pendragon. Currently, however, his father is still on the throne. A father that despised magic to its very core. A lowly warlock is walking into the city limits in search of a job. Within his first days in the city, he has a run in with the Royal Prince. Merlin, not knowing who Arthur was, stands up to him. They end up hating each other, but when there is a dinner for a famous singer, trouble strikes. Someone has body swapped with the singer, and is now enchanting the audience to fall asleep, so she can kill the royals. Merlin catches on fast and holds his ears. Using the magic he was born with, he cuts the rope on the chandeliers, killing the imposter, and waking the court up. With the witches final breath, she tosses a knife at Arthur’s head. Merlin, even though he hates Arthur, jumps up and pushes him out of the way, sparing his life. The king, greatly impressed, appoints Merlin the position of Arthur’s manservant, much to the dislike of the two boys.
After spending years and years taking care of Arthur and his every need, years later, Merlin joins him in what will later be known as The Final Battle. Arthur is wounded in this battle, and he knows this is the end. It is during this time that Merlin reveals his magic to Arthur, who has been raised since birth to hate and despise magic. Arthur shuns him at first, but Merlin won’t leave him. It’s his destiny to serve Arthur, and he will not walk away from that. During Arthur’s final moments, he asks Merlin to just hold him, and be there as he takes his final breaths. It is with these final breaths that he thanks Merlin for everything he has done. He thanks him for helping to build Camelot to its glory, for always being by his side,and for always willing to lay down his life for Arthur. With a final thank you, Arthur’s gone, leaving behind a broken Merlin.
So it is now that I ask you, which story has the truest form of love? The two lovers on the sinking ship in the icy Atlantic? The detective and his only friend, who would chase down criminals all over London; risking their lives to prove they are clever? The young boy and the young girl from families as different as night and day, only knowing each other less than a week? Or the king and his magician? As society progresses, and time moves on, our ideas and ways of thinking change. The term “Love Story” should no longer include the cliche stories of boy meets girl. It should include the stories of two people whose lives are intertwined daily, even if it is in the platonic sense. Love stories no longer have to be the gender specific fairy tales we were told as children. Just like stories on the shelf can include 50 shades of grey, classic love stories can include all the colors of the rainbow.
I used a lot of pathos in my essay. The two biggest examples of my pathos was the story of Sherlock kissing the sidewalk. The other one of Arthur dying in Merlin’s arms. I used these two examples, because as a huge fan of the two shows it was a sad moment. It hurt. I tested this on non-fans (my mom) by letting her watch the end of Sherlock She reacted as I did, and she’s not emotionally attached to the show. I put it in the essay, because it really does pull at your heartstrings.
My biggest use of ethos (or attack on ethos, depending on a person's viewpoint), is my whole idea of changing the classic love story and the argument behind it. It is ethical to give all types of love a chance at making it into the classics section. The world is fastly evolving into a better, more accepting world. Some may find it offensive that I would even compare the idea of Sherlock and John, or Merlin and Arthur to the likes of Romeo and Juliet, or Jack and Rose; but in the end, it’s all the same.
I used logos when I explained the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, and Jack. All of them only knew their lover for a short amount of time, and it was utterly foolish to throw their life away. In the case of the other two pairings, while yes, their lives had some risk, they were never in any real danger. They also grew to know the other as a friend before laying down their life. They spent years together, where as Romeo, Juliet, Jack, and Rose, only spent days.
This essay is mostly an appeal to rethink what we’ve always been told. To be more open to different forms of love stories, so that our world may indeed evolve into something more accepting.
My audience is, the fans of BBC Sherlock, BBC Merlin, Romeo & Juliet (all media types), and the Titanic. In addition to BBC network. The fans of these stories will think deeper about the meanings of their show/story, while maybe BBC will finally understand what makes the viewers so crazy.
