Rob roy essays

Rob roy essays The film Rob Roy tells the story of one the most notorious clans of the Scottish highlands the MacGregors. However the film also illustrates the great differences between the old style highlands and the new English style aristocracy. The film shows how the difference in values relates to the political and economic trends of the early 18th century. Foremost the film illustrates the difference in economic standing between the upper-class aristocrats and the highlanders, which in many ways defines a great deal of their differences. The MacGregors live on a small plot of land and make their living by raising and trading cattle. Though it was possible to earn some money in this manner, it was by no means a venture that would bring great wealth. This is evident in the very primitive accommodations in which they live. Their homes are made of stone and have straw roofs, while the aristocrats have much more modern buildings. The highlanders also dress in much more ragged clothing and are much more rugged in appearance. Aside from a few exceptions the highlanders are dirty and have shabby beards and yellow teeth. This compared to the clean-cut and refined look of the aristocrats demonstrates the very clear differences in both life style and wealth. The appearances of the nobles is distinctly English in their clothing and gener al appearance. All of the aristocrats in the film are dressed similar to their English counterparts and also wear wigs as a sign of superiority. Furthermore the film shows the nobilitys life style is much like that of the English in that they have a court and use similar etiquette in their social settings. Furthermore the several dueling matches hosted for entertainment, in which the nobles place wagers on, are very similar to that of English nobles. The very different portrayals in the film illustrate many differences beyond just appearances as these differences are most clearly seen in this respect...