Parody

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Click the titles to navigate
Parody
Visit to Duloc 2
History of Fairytales
Fiona 1
Opening of the film
Fiona 2
The Storybook Characters
Farquaad
Donkey and Shrek Meet
Camera Angles
Visit to Duloc 1
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Parody

• parody is a work that imitates another work in
  order to ridicule, ironically comment on, or poke
  affectionate fun at the work itself
• a literary or musical work in which the style of
  an author or work is closely imitated for comic
  effect or in ridicule.

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Poetry Parodied

• The following is a well-known poem by G. W.
  Langford which not only preached at parents but
  threatened them with a reminder of the high
  mortality rate for young children
• Speak gently to the little child!
• Its love be sure to gain
• Teach it in accents soft and mild
• It may not long remain.

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LEWIS CARROLLS PARODY

• Carroll turned this into a song for the Duchess
  to sing to a piglet wrapped in baby clothes
• Speak roughly to your little boy,
• And beat him when he sneezes.
• He only does it to annoy
• Because he knows it teases.

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THE STORY OF SHREKJEFFREY KATZEMBERG AT DISNEY

• From 1975 to 1984 Jeffrey Katzenberg worked with
  Walt Disney in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The
  Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin,
  and The Lion King.
• But in 1984 when expected to become 2nd in
  command under Michael Eisner, he was passed over.

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THE STORY OF SHREKJEFFREY KATZEMBERG AT DISNEY
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SHREK REVENGE OF JEFFREY KATZEMBERG

• To get his revenge on Disney, in 1994 Katzenberg
  joined Steven Spielberg and David Geffen to form
  Dreamworks.
• And Dreamworks parodied all things Disney in
  their Shrek movies.
• Shrek is a Yiddish word and also a German word.
  In both languages, it means fear, or terror.

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PARODIES OF DISNEY CHARACTERS

• Dreamworks used words, actions, behaviors, and
  visual effects in Shrek to parody such Disney
  icons as Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Dumbo,
  the Little Mermaid, Peter Pan, Pinocchio, and
  Sleeping Beauty.
• Earlier, Shrek says that ogres are layered, like
  onions. At the end of the movie, Shrek and Fiona
  ride off in an onion-shaped carriage.

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PARODIES OF FOLK LITERATURE

• Since much of Disneys success was grounded in
  the recreation of folk literature, parodies can
  also be found of the Gingerbread Man, Goldilocks
  and the Three Bears, the Three Blind Mice and the
  Three Little Pigs.
• For example, in the parody of the Three Bears,
  Mama is wearing a pink hair bow, and later there
  is a bear rug in Farquaads bedroom which is also
  wearing a pink hair bow.

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PARODIES OF DISNEY STUDIOS

• Dreamworks also parodied Disney Studios in Shrek
  by reproducing its parking lot (called
  Lancelot), its long winding lines of people,
  its turnstyles, and its sets, and its buildings.
• For example, when people enter DuLac, the puppets
  are singing Welcome to DuLac in the same key
  and tempo as Its a Small World.

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PARODIES OF POPULAR CULTURE

• In Shrek there are parodies of Flatleys Lord of
  the Dance, and of The Matrix, and of Crouching
  Tiger, Hidden Dragon and of Men in Tights.
• Since four of the Shrek illustrators studied at
  Notre Dame, there is also a parody of that
  university, in the buildings, and in the name
  Farquaad, which is an allusion to a distant
  quad at Notre Dame University. The full name is
  University of Notre Dame DuLac.

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• What do you think the purpose and audience are
  for Shrek?

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History of fairytales

• Fairytales were originally meant for adults
• They were invented during a time when people
  believed in things such as witches, ogres, giants
  and trolls
• Eventually they were altered to remove violence
  so they could be told to children
• Now they often include a moral or a lesson for
  children to remember

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Fairytales

• When was the last time you heard a traditional
  fairytale?
• In pairs write down as many fairytales as you can
  think of you MUST be able to remember the
  story!
• Compile the list as a whole class
• Remember 5 key events from the fairytale you are
  given (tableaux)

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Were fairytale experts then!

• What makes a fairytale?
• What types of words are used?
• What characters are typical?
• What locations/places might appear?
• What usually happens?
• Any words or phrases you might expect?
• Create a fairytale mindmap

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Traditional fairy tales
Traditional representation Evidence from fairy tales
Prince The Hero Tall, dark handsome, brave, noble, charming, represents good.
Princess The damsel beautiful, weak, feminine, no common sense, marries Prince, represents good.
Ogres/giants/trolls/Dragons The baddie inhuman, animal like, eats humans, male, represents evil.
Castle Desired beautiful, luxurious, civilised, happy, home of good people.
Swamp/barren place Detested dirty, uncivilised, unwelcoming, home of evil.
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Writing task

• Write at least a paragraph about traditional
  fairy tales.
• You need to write about
• How Princes and ogres/giants are represented in
  traditional fairy stories
• Explain what the ogre does in the story of Jack
  and Beanstalk
• Talk about what the Prince does in Snow White and
  the seven dwarves
• Pay particular attention to how they are
  REPRESENTED

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The Opening

• While we watch the opening again, think about
• Why might viewers be surprised?
• What does the beginning of the film suggest?
• How will this fit in with traditional fairy
  stories?
• How does the film parody Disney?

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The Opening

• While we watch the opening again, think about
• Why might viewers be surprised?
• What does the beginning of the film suggest?
• How will this fit in with traditional fairy
  stories?
• How does the film parody Disney?

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Shreks character The Beginning
The film opens with a book containing a fairy
story, making us think that is what we are about
to experience.
The camera angle and the action is almost
identical to Sleeping Beauty.
The music in the background is old fashioned,
classical and traditional, we assume the film
will be the same.
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Shreks character The Beginning
The story contains typical fairy tale phrases
such as once upon a time and happily ever
after.
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Shreks character The Beginning
The characters in the story are Princes, ogres,
dragons and Princesses, just like traditional
fairy tales.
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But then
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Shreks character The Beginning
Suddenly the book is torn up by a dirty great big
GREEN hand!
The viewer starts to think this might NOT be such
a traditional story its almost like the makers
are ripping up the rule book.
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Shreks character The Beginning
The music changes abruptly to modern music
An ugly green ogre appears from an outhouse,
traditional fairy stories are banished to only
toilet reading!?
The message to the audience SOMETHING IS VERY
WRONG!
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Shreks character The Beginning
His habitat is not inhospitable or ugly it is
very domesticated and homely.
Activity How many things in this long shot can
you spot which you would not expect to see in a
traditional ogres swamp?
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Shreks character The Beginning
The ogre also seems pretty civilised, doing daily
cleansing rituals, this is making him appear like
a human being.
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Shreks character The Beginning
How is Shrek being presented as a human and not
as an animal in this shot?
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Shreks character The Beginning
He is now painting, not just a human thing, but a
cultured, refined, educated human trait.
Message to the audience this is NOT going to be
a traditional fairy story!
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Write a paragraph about the opening of the film

• Cover these points
• How is it different to a conventional fairy tale?
• How does the story parody Disney?
• Why are the viewers surprised?
• What does such an opening suggest?
• You could use some of these phrases
• The film Shrek opens with
• Viewers are surprised because
• The beginning of the film suggests that

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The Storybook Characters

• While we watch the part with Shrek and the
  storybook characters again, think about
• What Shrek threatens to do to them
• What he does to frighten them
• How the storybook characters react to him
• What this suggests about Shrek
• Why the viewers might be confused about Shrek

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The Storybook Characters

• While we watch the part with Shrek and the
  storybook characters again, think about
• What Shrek threatens to do to them
• What he does to frighten them
• How the storybook characters react to him
• What this suggests about Shrek
• Why the viewers might be confused about Shrek

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Shreks Character A Terrifying Ogre?
The storybook characters call Shrek an it and a
thing
They are clearly very scared whispering he will
grind your bones for its bread
The audience is now confused this seems totally
different to the character we have just been
introduced to
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Shreks Character A Terrifying Ogre?
Notice the high angle shot that makes the
characters look small and powerless
The reaction of the storybook characters to
Shreks arrival shows him as a terrifying beast
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Shreks Character A Terrifying Ogre?
Shrek tries to scare them by saying he will
shave your liver and make jelly from your eyes!

In this shot, Shrek fills the camera. This
emphasises his size.
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Shreks Character A Terrifying Ogre?
The storybook characters run away screaming
because Shrek is SO scary
Message to the audience maybe this ogre is evil
and nasty
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How is Shrek shown as a typical ogre with the
storybook characters?

• Cover these points
• What Shrek threatens to do to them
• What Shrek does to frighten them
• How the storybook chracters react
• How the camera shows Shrek as intimidating and
  the characters as small
• What this suggests about Shrek
• You could use these phrases
• When the storybook characters arrive
• Shrek seems like a traditional ogre because

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Shreks Characters
One of the main ways the makers of Shrek turn the
Disney genre on its head is the depiction of two
of the main characters Lord Farquaad and Shrek.
While the traditional fairytale prince is tall,
brave, handsome and kind, Farquaad is short, evil
and cowardly. Shrek, the ogre is, on the other
hand, brave, kind and funny the opposite to
traditional fairytales.
Write a short paragraph putting this in your own
words.
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Donkey and Shrek Meet

• Watch the part where Shrek and Donkey meet again.
  Pay attention to
• How donkey responds to Shrek
• Why donkey laughs at Shrek
• How does donkey irritate Shrek?
• What Donkeys behaviour suggests about Shreks
  apparent appearance as a terrifying ogre?

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Shreks Character Meeting Donkey
Shrek roars at donkey and tries to intimidate
him, just like he did with the storybook
characters earlier
But Donkey isnt scared and just ridicules Shrek
about his bad breath!
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Shreks Character Meeting Donkey
Shrek then just walks away. Why is this?
Shouldnt he shave Donkeys liver and make
jelly from his eyes? We are starting to
question Shreks depiction as an evil character
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Shreks Character Meeting Donkey
Shrek assumes Donkey hasnt realised just how
terrified he must be so actually TELLS Donkey he
is an ogre and suggests it should bother him
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Shreks Character Meeting Donkey
Shrek fails to stop Donkey, even though he is
clearly irritated by him
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Shreks Character Meeting Donkey
Shreks inability to stop Donkey bouncing on his
chair or appearing at the window suggests he
isnt such a terrifying ogre after all
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Write a about what we learn of Shrek when he
meets Donkey

• Cover these points
• How does Donkey respond to Shrek?
• How Donkey repeatedly irritates Shrek
• What Donkeys behaviour suggests about this ogre
• How does Shreks reaction to being tormented show
  about his character?
• You could use these phrases
• When Donkey approaches, Shrek roars at him and
  tries to intimidate him. Donkey is not
  frightened and
• We become sure that the character of Shrek
• The behaviour of the Donkey tell viewers that
  Shrek

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Shreks Character Visit to Duloc

• Watch the part where Shrek and Donkey visit Duloc
  one more time.
• How does Donkey think Shrek should get his swamp
  back?
• What Shrek threatens to do to the villagers
• What this suggests about Shreks character

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Shreks Character Visit to Duloc
Donkey often argues with Shrek and suggests he
pulls some of that ogre stuff to sort out the
problem. He thinks Shrek is too soft!
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Shreks Character Visit to Duloc
Shrek asks Donkey if he should decapitate an
entire village cut open their spleens ,
all this while eating vegetables! Viewers dont
feel Shrek is capable of this even if he wanted
to.
Donkeys constant arguing with Shrek portrays him
as not even vaguely frightening.
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How does Shreks character develops after the
Duloc visit?

• Make sure you include
• How Donkey thinks Shrek should get his Swamp back
• What Shrek threatens to do to the villagers
• What the scene suggests about Shreks character
• You could use these phrases
• Shrek and Donkey visit Duloc to try and reclaim
  Shreks swamp from Lord Farquaad. Donkey thinks
  that Shrek is too kind and should not have to
  ask, as the swamp belongs to him anyway. Donkey
  tells Shrek
• As the film progresses we learn that Shrek

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Duloc

• While we watch the visit to Duloc, think about
• How Duloc resembles Disneyland
• How Shrek treats Duloc/Disneyland
• How the music and camera work add to the parody.

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Visit to Duloc
Lancelot is the name of the car park at Disney
Headquarters.
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Visit to Duloc
How does the castle appear? How is it shot?
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Visit to Duloc
The guard, wearing a mask, runs all the way
through the rope queue system.
Here the film parodies the twisting queues at
Disneyland.
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Visit to Duloc
Shrek just marches straight through. Does this
symbolise the films attitude to Disney?
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Visit to Duloc
The guard is knocked unconscious. Does this
represent what Shrek is doing to Disney?
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Visit to Duloc
Duloc has a turnstile system. The audience is
being forced to realise that the castle
represents something else.
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Visit to Duloc
Another attack on Disney Ye Olde Souvenir Shop.
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Visit to Duloc
The music here is reminiscent of Its a Small
World at Disneyland.
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Visit to Duloc
Another feature of Disney Photos of the rides.
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Visit to Duloc
Shrek warns Donkey he will get a smacked
bottom Could this be a allusion to all of the
parents driven mad by the Disney experience?
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• Write about
• How Shrek makes it apparent that Duloc represents
  Disney studios and Disneyland
• The way Duloc/Disney is depicted as a place
  designed to force people to be happy within
  limits and spend money
• How the film uses sound (the Small World theme)
  and camera angles (the imposing shot of the
  castle) to parody Disney
• What the overall impression of Duloc tells us
  about Disney (money hungry, soulless, organised
  poorely etc)
• How Shreks actions show the filmmakers attitude
  to Disney.
• You could use these phrases
• Having shown the viewer that the film is not a
  usual Disney style animated feature, the makers
  of Shrek use a visit to Duloc to parody
• The visit to Duloc uses humour to parody Disney
• Shreks attitude to Duloc mirrors the attitude
  of
• The mise en scene is interesting in this shot as
  the viewer can pick up numerous parodies and
  jokes such as

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Shreks Character Princess Fiona

• Watch the first few moments when Shrek and Fiona
  meet, look at these aspects
• How he greets the Princess
• How she responds
• Why Shrek doesnt slay the dragon
• His attitude to Donkey
• What this shows about his character

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Shreks Character Princess Fiona
Shrek shakes Princess Fiona awake saying abruptly
wake up now, lets go. Shrek isnt interested
in being her Prince Charming.
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Shreks Character Princess Fiona
Poor Fiona is disappointed there is no romantic
moment, expecting the fairy tale
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Shreks Character Princess Fiona
Even though he has been trying to get rid of
Donkey he goes back to rescue him from the
dragon, referring to Donkey as his ass.
This is a brave thing to do, very un-ogre like,
he is behaving like a hero.
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Write about what we learn of Shrek when he
rescues Princess Fiona

• Include
• How he greets the Princess
• About how she responds and what this suggests
• Talk about the reason Shrek gives for not slaying
  the dragon
• What him rescuing Donkey shows about Shrek and
  his relationship with this character
• Phrases you could use
• When Shrek breaks in to the castle he acts like
  an ogre when
• Although Shrek appears violent, we learn he has
  failed to slay the dragon because

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Princess Fiona

• As we watch a section involving Princess Fiona
  again, think about
• How she is different to a traditional fairytale
  character
• Why the creators of Shrek have chosen to portray
  princess Fiona in this fashion
• How this signals that Shrek is a more modern
  fairytale.

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Princess Fiona

• Write a paragraph about how Princess Fiona is not
  a typical Disney Princess. Think about
• How she fights Robin Hood
• Her appearance
• Her transformation at the end
• Her sense of humour/habits (burping etc)
• Her attitude (not weak willed, submissive Disney
  princess)
• Try to mention mise en scene, sound and camera
  angles if you can.

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Camera shots
There is a CLOSE UP shot of his mouth, giving the
impression he is going to eat them
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Camera shots
This is a LOW ANGLE shot to make Shrek appear
like he is intimidating the soldiers
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Camera shots
Close up shots show the characters emotions when
Shrek and Fiona are falling in love
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Angled and close up shots
The low angle shot makes Shrek and Donkey look
unimportant in comparison to Lord Farquaad
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Mid-angle shots
This mid-angle shot shows that both Shrek and
Donkey are on an equal footing.
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Mid-angle shots
This shot shows that these two characters are on
the same level. They are connecting.
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Camera shots
This shot shows Shreks isolation from the other
characters
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Camera shots
Earlier on when Shrek was trying to put up
barriers to his friendship with Donkey he also
turned his back
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Lord Farquaads Evil Side

• Watch again the scenes when Lord Farquaad
  tortures the gingerbread man Look in particular
  at
• How he is introduced to the audience
• His taunting of the gingerbread man
• What he does with the gingerbread mans buttons
• Where he throws him

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Lord Farquaads Evil Side
The marching music makes the atmosphere tense and
suggests a battle
The first shot of Lord Farquaad is of his hands,
showing he means business
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Lord Farquaads Evil Side
He throws the gingerbread man in the bin. HE is
behaving like a monster.
Lord Farquaad is really enjoying torturing the
gingerbread man and taunts him too before going
to pluck off his buttons
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Write about how Lord Farquaad is presented in the
torture scene

• Write about
• What a traditional fairytale prince is like
• Why Lord Farquaad is shown to be an evil
  character (reverse the traditional fairytale)
• How he is introduced to the audience
• What his treatment of the gingerbread man shows
  about his character
• Then write three sentences about your impressions
  of Lord Farquaad so far
• Some phrases you might use
• When we first meet Lord Farquaad there is
  marching music
• In contrast to Shrek, Lord Farquaad is cruel. He
  watches the torture of the Gingerbread
  Man and then

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Lord Farquaads Evil Side Continued
He uses very formal language Beautiful fair
flower Fiona will you be the perfect bride for
the perfect groom?
When he comes for Princess Fiona Lord Farquaad
changes abruptly from the man we saw torturing
the Gingerbread man.
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Lord Farquaads Evil Side Continued
At the end Lord Farquaad orders the guards to
get THAT out of my sight! and then still
proclaims himself as King
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Write about Lord Farquaads evil side

• Lord Farquaad is all set to marry Princess Fiona,
  until he sees that when the sun sets she
• Lord Farquaad speaks to her in a cruel way and
  orders his knights to get THAT out of my sight.
  Lord Farquaad calls off the wedding, but he
  still proclaims ...
• Lord Farquaad is deceptive because he should only
  become King
• It is clear that Lord Farquaad does not love the
  Princess, but agrees to marriage because he wants

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