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The Romans in Britain

The Romans in Britain. Conflicting Perspectives. Glossary of terms. Atavistic Bottomry Buggery Chastened Defilement Disdain Dowse Druid Emetic Fascist Hapless Nonedescript. Pantomime Partisan Patter Puritanical Repertoire Sardonic Sombre Sotto voce Tabloid Thespian

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The Romans in Britain

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  1. The Romans in Britain Conflicting Perspectives

  2. Glossary of terms • Atavistic • Bottomry • Buggery • Chastened • Defilement • Disdain • Dowse • Druid • Emetic • Fascist • Hapless • Nonedescript • Pantomime • Partisan • Patter • Puritanical • Repertoire • Sardonic • Sombre • Sotto voce • Tabloid • Thespian • Vexacious • xenophobia

  3. The Adversarial Legal System • By nature, the Western legal system is adversarial • Two-sided structure • Prosecution Vsdefense • Justice is done when the most effective adversary is able to convince the judge or jury that his or her perspective on the case is the correct one.

  4. Robertson’s Professional Memoirs • Deal with adversarial court cases • Prosecution VsDefense • For each chapter, think: • What is the argument of the Prosecution?What is the argument of the Defense? • What does Robertson think about the issue/s?

  5. Mary Whitehouse

  6. The Irony of Censorship • Robertson makes note of how complaints of obscenity actually work to increase popular interest in a play. • “His outburst…brought much publicity…for the play, which picked up at the box office.” • Subtly highlights how the actions of those who complain can be futile

  7. Mary Whitehouse • “Mrs Mary Whitehouse was informed the next day (so she recorded in her diary) that “Three Roman soldiers are apparently tearing off all their clothes and raping three young, male Britons in full view of the audience!”. She declared herself horrified: “It has been known for two thousand years how the Romans – some of them behaved in Britain. We haven’t needed to wait all those years for the National Theatre to come and show us” • QUESTIONS: What is the tone of MW’s diary entry? What is the effect of Robertson telling us she “declared herself horrified?

  8. Robertson’s view of the play • He tells us with some light-heartedness “…the play promised… - religion, buggery and Roman centurions” • “It was emetic and not erotic” • (Meant to make audiences sick, not aroused) • “It was intended terrify, not titilate” • The play “presented, bleakly and bitterly the atavistic behaviour of men at war and those who get in their way” (atavistic: reverting back to a primitive, ape-like style) • “ahead of its time” • “but... puritanical work, heavy-handed in moral out-rage”

  9. Robertson: Non-Believer • Robertson lampoons Mary Whitehouse’s religious beliefs by using religious language: • “Mary then divined that a private prosecution was “what the Lord would have me do”. TONE? • He tells us “Rapturously, she confided to the diary she immediately published, “For a woman of seventy-one, mother and grandmother, to challenge an act of simulated buggery at the National Theatre in the full publicity which would attend the trial – what a comment on the days in which we live!” (Is this bringing her joy and excitement? Or is she truly horrified?)

  10. Inclusion of Diary Extracts • How does the inclusion of MW’s diary help to further Robertson’s view that Mary Whitehouse is an irritating, overly-zealous figure? • He gives her voice. But, remember, it is selectively included!

  11. Different Ideologies • Robertson and Mary Whitehouse have very different ideologies (worldviews). • Mary Whitehouse is Christian • Robertson is not religious

  12. Reflection questions(complete after reading the essay) • Why do you think Robertson begins the chapter with a quote that contains an obscenity? • Think about your perspective on a play that shows buggery. Do you think that some individuals had the right to be offended by this? • Is the offending scene improved by an understanding of the context? • What reasons do you think Mrs Whitehouse has for prosecuting? • Robertson indicates that the star witness Mr Graham Ross-Cornes was telling the truth as he saw it. How then does the defence win the case then the prosecutions case is very strong under the law? This chapter allows for the examination of the various/conflicting perspectives of truth and censorship. Consider the links on the PowerPoint – Mod C-Related Materials. In particular, focus on the viewing from Media Watch and The Chaser’s War on Everything.

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