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Shrek
(Cartoon) ( 2001)
2003 by Raymond Weschler
Major Characters
(Actors are listed for their voices)
ShrekMike Myers
A big scary looking ogre who wants to be left alone to live his life in an
isolated swamp. An ogre is a horrible looking green monster in fairy tales
that is said to eat human beings and everyone else, but Shrek is actually
quite loveable when you get to know him.
Donkey...Eddie Murphy
A funny and friendly talking Donkey who meets Shrek while trying to run
away from some soldiers who want to capture him. He has no name other
than Donkey (hes not even called The Donkey).
Plot Summary
Although this film is both a cartoon and a fairy tale, it was clearly made as much
for adults as for children. Fairy tales are usually stories for kids that involve
fantastic forces and beings such as fairies (tiny little people), wizards (strange
men with magical powers) and goblins (evil spirits). Like this movie, they also
often involve a beautiful princess. This particular fairy tale is about the
adventures of Shrek, an irritable ogre who is actually lonely and even kind-
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hearted, once you accept the fact that he is indeed an ogre, which is an ugly and
scary-looking green monster (Note ogre is pronounced o-ger).
One day Shrek meets Donkey, a fast-talking and funny animal, and soon after,
Shreks isolated life is turned into chaos when hundreds of fairy tale beings
invade his swamp. Donkey explains to Shrek that Lord Farquaad, of the distant
land of DuLoc, probably forced the creatures on to his land, and thus Shrek and
Donkey head off for Farquaads castle to try and get back his life of peace and
quiet.
After arriving at Farquaads castle, Shrek agrees to try and rescue the beautiful
Princess Fiona from the castle where she is living, trapped by a fire-eating dragon
(a giant snake-like monster with wings). Farquaad wants to marry Fiona so he
can legally become King of DuLoc, and thus he tells Shrek that if he brings him
the Princess, he will force the fairy tale characters out of his swamp. Soon after,
Shrek and Donkey head off to rescue Fiona.
They are able to free Fiona from the dragon, and all three are soon on their way
back to Farquaads castle. Fiona seems particularly eager to get back and marry
Farquaad, who she thinks must be her true love. But the princess seems to have
a dark secret, and Shrek and Donkey are not so sure that Farquaad is really the
man for her. Once back at the castle, the wedding is about to take place, but then
Fionas secret is revealed, and Shrek, the ugly green monster, learns that he really
doesnt want to live alone for the rest of his life, if he himself could find his own
true love.
A note on the language used in this film: Much of the language used here is very
colloquial and often incorrect, especially those words spoken by Donkey. Be
aware of double negatives, and most common in this film, the use of aint.
Avoid that word when speaking; Instead, you should correctly conjugate the verb
to be. Finally, there are several song lyrics described, marked by an [S].
A fire-breathing dragon.
A mythical creature that looks like a huge snake with wings.
You might have seen a houseflybut you aint never seen a donkey fly!
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You definitely need some tic-tacs or something because your breath stinks!
A well-known candy that makes peoples bad breath smell fresh.
this case, gas refers to the bad smelling farts that people produce when
they eat too much. To eke out is to leave quietly or sneak out.
Well gents, its a far cry from the farm, but what choice do we have?
Gents is a way of saying gentlemen. If something is a far cry from a
farm, its very different than a farm, though it could be compared to it.
Im gonna get you off my land and back where you came from!
Note that going to----> gonna in rapid speech. This is Shreks way of
telling all the fairy tell characters that hes going to force them to leave.
Shrek and donkey, the stalwart friends, off in a whirlwind big-city adventure.
Stalwart friends are those who are strong and stick together no matter
how bad the troubles they have. A whirlwind adventure involves seeing
lots of things in little time, with a sense of great rush or urgency.
Im not the monster here, you are. You and the rest
of that fairy tale trash, poisoning my perfect world.
To poison something is to give it a dangerous or deadly
substance, such as a horrible chemical, that can kill or destroy it.
Although she lives with seven other men, shes not easy.
A very clever way of referring to the fairy tale character Snow White, who
is famous for living with the seven dwarfs (little people). Note that
in certain contexts, if a girl is easy, she has sex with lots of men.
Just kiss her dead frozen lips and find out what a
live wire she is. Come on, give it up for Snow White.
A live wire is a slangy way of referring to a person who has a lot of
unpredictable energy. In this context, to give it up for a person is to clap
or applaud for them when they take the stage or begin to speak.
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Shes a loaded pistol who likes pina coladas and getting caught in the rain.
A loaded pistol is a slangy way of referring to a person who is
passionate but perhaps emotionally unstable. A pina colada is a tropical
drink made with coconut, pineapple and liquor.
I will make this princess my queen and DuLoc will finally have the perfect king.
The fairy tale land where Lord Farquaad lives.
Dont make waves, stay in line, and well get along fine. [S]
To make waves is to do things that cause trouble or excitement.
To stay in line is to follow the law or rules and to avoid trouble.
Brave knights, you are the best and brightest in all the land.
Another word for smartest.
All right, youre going the right way for a smacked bottom.
To smack something is to hit or slap it. A persons bottom is
their ass, behind or butt (Or for that matter, their derriere or tush!).
The first runner-up will take his place, and so on and so forth.
In a contest, a runner-up is the person who finishes right after the
winner or person in front of them. And so on and so forth is a way of
ending a sentence when describing the continuation of a pattern.
Some of you may die, but its a sacrifice that Im willing to make.
A classic line that captures the courage of politicians throughout history!
The one who kills the ogre will be champion! Have at him!
To have at a person is to attack them with great force.
Exactly the way it was? :: Down to the last slime-covered toad stool.
Slime is the unpleasant sticky and dirty film or substance that is found
in bathtubs that are dirty, or in wet swamp lands. A toadstool is a type
of poisonous mushroom found in swamps or other wet places.
which you only dont have because he filled it full of freaks in the first place.
A person or animal who is considered monstrous, totally bizarre
or physically very strange, who could be in the circus
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Why dont you just pull some of that ogre stuff on him?
Donkeys slangy way of asking Why dont you act
like a scary ogre so that youll scare him away?
Maybe I could have decapitated an entire village and put their heads
on a pike, gotten a knife, cut open their spleen and drank their fluids.
To decapitate someone is a violent verb meaning to cut their head off.
A pike is a sharp point or spike. A persons spleen is an organ in their
stomach, and a word that is sometimes used just because it sounds funny!
In this case, a mess refers to tears and nose mucus, though it usually
refers to lots trash or clutter in a room, or more generally, a bad situation.
You gotta warn somebody before you just crack one off. My mouth was open.
This is Donkeys way of saying to pop or explode
(He is referring to the act of farting or passing gas).
Donkeys dont have layers. We wear our fear right out there on our sleeves.
To wear your fear on your sleeves is to be honest about your fear instead
of trying to hide it (The expression can be used with other emotions). A
sleeve is the part of a shirt that covers your arms.
You must bleach them, cause that is one dazzling smile you got there.
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Are you Princess Fiona? :: I am, awaiting a knight so bold as you to rescue me.
A knight is a type of solider in the middle ages who was known for
serving the king or rich landowners. If a person is bold, they are very
brave and likely to take quick and decisive actions.
You could recite an epic poem for me. A ballad, a limerick, a sonnet.
To recite a poem is to read it outloud. An epic poem is a very long
poem that usually tells a great story. A ballad is a slow romantic song, a
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Sir Shrek, I pray that you take this favor as a token of my gratitude.
In old English, to pray meant to sincerely ask or request. A token is a
small symbol, and gratitude is another word for appreciation.
You didnt slay the dragon? :: Its on my to do list, now come on.
To slay a person or animal is to kill them violently, often with a sword or
knife. A persons to-do list is a list of the things that they want to do.
Thats what the other knight did. :: Right before they burst into flames.
If something bursts into flames, it explodes and then goes up in fire.
We really should get to know each other first as friends or pen pals.
Pen pals are people who have become close friends through writing
letters to each other, but who have often not actually met in person.
Say theres a women who digs you, right, but you really dont like her that way?
Note that Say can be used at the beginning of a sentence to discuss a
possible situation. To dig a person is a very slangy way of saying to like
or be sexually attracted to them.
How do you let her down real easy so her feelings arent
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Let me put it this way, princess. Men of Farquaads stature are in short supply.
In this case, to put is a widely used way of saying to express or say.
The second sentence is a play on words since stature can mean both
reputation for excellence and physical size; Shrek is not saying there are
few people with Farquaads excellence, but rather that Farquaad is
physically short (or even that he has a small penis!). If something is in
short supply, there are few left.
Shrek, we can do better than that. I dont think this is fit for a princess.
If something is not fit for a princess, it is considered
inappropriate or not dignified enough for her.
hes famous for. :: Now I know that youre making this up.
Flatulent is a unpleasant adjective referring to the passing of gas, or
farting (Shrek is talking about the astrological star symbols in the sky).
To make up a story is to create it from your head, because its doesnt
exist in real life.
You cut me deep, Shrek. You cut me real deep, just now.
This is Donkeys way of telling Shrek that
his feelings have been very badly hurt.
They judge me before they even know me. Thats why Im better off alone.
In this case, to judge a person is to form an opinion about them.
Are there any donkeys up there? :: Gabby, the small and annoying.
A useful adjective meaning irritating or bothersome.
We got off to a kind of bad start yesterday, and I wanted to make it up to you.
To make it up to a person is to do something nice
for them after having done something bad to them earlier.
Now you hold still and Ill yank this thing out.
To hold still is to not move, and to yank something
is to try and pull it out with great energy or force.
She will be the only thing that comes between me and the awful sting. [S]
Awful means extremely bad. A sting is the sharp pain
of certain insect bites, such as those caused by a bee or spider.
You look awful. :: I dont want t say nothing, but I got this twinge in my neck.
A twinge is a sudden or sharp pain.
I got instincts and I know you two were digging on each other.
Your instincts are the feelings or intuition that you have about a
situation, based on experience and not any formal education. If two people
dig on each other, they are romantically attracted to each other,
although this is very slangy and rarely used.
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I told Shrek those rats were a bad idea. You are what you eat, I said.
A widely used expression which is said to try
and encourage people to eat healthy foods.
Whats the point of being able to talk if you gotta keep secrets?
Note that have got to--------> gotta in rapid speech.
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Very well, Ogre, the deed to your swamp, cleared out, as agreed.
A deed is a legal document giving a person official possession to a piece
of land or property. If a property has been cleared out, it has been
emptied of things or people, or in this case, fairy tale creatures.
This is so sweet; you dont have to waste good manners on the ogre.
Good manners refer to correct social behavior that shows respect,
such as waiting to start eating until the cook has sat down at the table.
Theres the caterer, the cake, the band, the guest list.
A caterer is a person who brings the food and drink
to social events such as a wedding (The verb is to cater).
All I ever learned from love is how to shoot someone who outdrew you. [S]
To outdraw a person in a gun fight is to shoot them
first by being quicker and perhaps also more accurate.
I helped rescue the princess. I did half the work, I get half the booty.
Treasure or valuable goods, often that are stolen during a war.
Youre so wrapped in layers, onion boy, youre afraid of your own feelings.
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To wrap something is to cover it, the way a gift box is covered with
paper. A layer is one thickness or fold lying over or under another one.
Never fear, for where theres a will, theres a way, and I have a way.
This is a very famous saying that basically says if you are determined to
do something or have enough motivation, you will find a way to do it.
We gather here today to bear witness to the union of our new king
To gather is to come together in a group. To bear witness
is a very official way of saying to see or observe.
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Fiona, my love, were but a kiss away from our happily ever after!
Many fairy tales end with the words and they lived happily ever after.
It makes you regret the day we met; Ill see you drawn and quartered.
A horrible fate!; If a person is drawn and quartered, they
are hung, but then before they die, they are cut into pieces.
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I will have you locked in that tower for the rest of your days.
A tower is a tall, narrow building, and the rest of your
days is a poetic way of saying the rest of your life
Shrek
1. How does this film compare to the kinds of cartoons you saw as a child?
2. Was it made for children or adults? Who is more likely to enjoy it?
3. Are fairy tales popular in your own culture? What are some of the more
famous ones that compare to Snow White and Cinderella?
5. What did you like and not like about this film?
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