PanisEtCircense
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Molly Grue
Posts: 58
(4/10/04 10:19 pm)
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The Theme of False Appearances/ Illusion
After typing, I realized this is a very long post. Feel free to just read a section or so, or maybe parts of it over the course of a few days. Thanks for looking!
The theme is very strong thoughout the entirety of both the book and the animation. In fact, it essentially is what the book is about.
Here are some interesting examples and quotes about it...
 Most humans cannot see unicorns. They mistake them for white horses or mares. The farmer mistakes the unicorn for a horse, as well as the citizens of the towns the trio travels through.
"But not to see them at all, to look at them and see something else- what do they look like to one another, then? What do trees look like to them, or houses, or real horses, or their own children?" -The Unicorn
Mommy Fortuna's zoo of homemade horrors. The Manticore is really a lion, the Satyr an ape, and so on. They are disguised in illusion to those willing to believe whatever comes easiest. A real unicorn is disguised as a unicorn so that the sightseers can see her.
"She can't turn cream into butter, but she can give a lion the semblance of a manticore there- eyes that would take a real manticore for a lion." -Schmendrick
"She should have never had medled with a real Harpy, or a real unicorn for that matter, because the truth melts her magic always" -Schmendrick
Captain Cully and his band of free men are frauds. Captain Cully loves to believe himself a hero. A real Robin Hood who steals from the rich to give to the poor. In reality, he does nothing of the sort, and he is no hero. His band of "merry" men are miserable. Therefore there is irony in Schmendrick's illusion of Robin Hood. Robin Hood is as much of a myth as Captain Cully's stories of his "bold" deeds.
"Nay, Cully, you have it backward. There's no such a person as you, or me, or any of us. Robin and Marian are real, and we are the legend!" -Molly Grue
The Town of Hagsgate is supposedly a wicked town of which no man ever returns. It is full of demons and witches and darkness. In reality, this rumor is created by the town to protect the truth. The town is really a haven of prosperity.
Schmendrick's act of being a true magician. In the beginning of the story, Schmendrick claims to be a true magician. He is able to fool the people who attend Mommy Fortuna's show, but he can't fool the unicorn. This disguise is unveiled at the story's end, when Schmendrick really becomes a true magician.
"If I could, I'd change her into some other creature, some beast too humble for the bull to be concerned with. But that would take a real magician, and I can't pretend anymore." -Schmendrick
The Red Bull. There is always a controversy over whether he is really a ghost or a tangible being. Perhaps he is both.
The Cat that must always speak in riddles and disguise what he is saying. He also can see through the Lady Amalthea's deception and knows her to be a real unicorn.
"Why won't you help me? Why must you always speak in riddles?" -Molly Grue
"No cat out of its first fur, was ever deceived by appearances, unlike human beings, who seem to enjoy it." -The Cat
The Unicorn disguised as Lady Amalthea. Even though she becomes more human every passing day, and the disguise becomes more permanent within her, King Haggard becomes more aware of her true form as time progresses.
"I know you! I almost knew you as soon as I saw you on the road coming to my door with your cook and your clown. Since then, there is no movement that has not betrayed you. A pace, a glance, a turn of the head, the flash of your throat as your breathe, even your way of standing perfectly still- they were all my spies!" -King Haggard
Schmendrick plays the fool. Despite his obvious intelligence and awareness of his surroundings, Schmendrick always plays the fool. He has Mommy Fortuna believing he is dumb a fake. He lies when they find the unicorn on the roadside and tells her he thinks it's a white horse. He also plays the fool for King Haggard. He becomes his "incompetant" magician. Prince Lir also falls for this clownish facade.
The clock. The clock that never strikes the right time. Sometimes it's fifteen o'clock, othertimes twenty-five o'clock. It looks tangible, but really you can walk right through it to the other side.
Thank you for taking the time to read all that. If you enjoyed it, I have other themes (though not as extensive) that I can ellaborate on as well.
If you have anything else you would like to add about THIS theme, go right ahead!
~*PANIS ET CIRCENSE*~
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