Presentation Devices in Shrek

Presentation Devices in Shrek

In traditional fairy tales, ogres are man-eating beasts. The Prince

usually rescues the Princess, they marry and live happily ever after.

How do the makers of "Shrek" use presentational devices to reverse

this tradition, to reveal the ogre as good, and the Prince as evil?

This essay is going to be about how the makers of Shrek use

presentational devices to manipulate the tradition of fairy tales, by

changing the roles of the characters. For instance, in Snow White and

the seven dwarfs, Snow White is freed from the spell by a handsome

Prince and lives happily ever after. But in Shrek certain events and

the use of some presentational devices alter this tradition by making

it seem as if an ogre is the hero and the prince is the villain.

I am going to analyse Shrek's character in some of the main scenes and

try to discover how the makers of Shrek use presentational devices to

alter the tradition of fairy tales.

During the opening scene of Shrek, it starts as if it were a

traditional fairy tale, with the story being told of how the Princess

will be rescued and how she will live happily ever after. But just as

we think the story is about to start Shrek slams the book, which the

story is read out of shut and says "as if that's ever going to happen"

which surprises the audience. Modern music then begins to play and the

camera zooms out and shows everyone Shrek, then people begin to

realise that this is not going to be an ordinary fairy tale.

Because of this sudden unpredictable change, viewers are surprised as

everyone thought it was going to be traditional.

In one of the main scenes, storybook characters arrive at Shreks'

swamp. Shrek sees them and immediately tries to scare them away, by

saying that he will, "Grind your bones for my bread" the storybook

characters are not scared by Shrek which surprises him and they then

reply to Shrek that Lord Farquaad has sent them here.