Discuss the ways in which the extract constructs the representation of class

The opening scene where Merlin goes into a rich, posh looking establishment, we already know lots of the time era and the way class is represented. As we can see from the mise en scene in the shot, as Merlin is wearing brown rags for clothes so is clearly at the bottom end of the spectrum. This contrasts against the building he is in, the decoration of the room is of a very high standard so we know that whoever this rooms belongs to is of a high class. We can tell the class is represented as being quite segregated in the time this program is set as there is a large, significant difference between the contrast of Merlin's clothes and the environment he is in. As you can see there is a fire in the background of the room, in some of the more close-up camera shots, the fire takes up a lot of the frame. This intense flame may be used to show that Merlin is in danger, or he should not be there, this is also supported by the mise en scene already mentioned. This represents class because he is clearly low class, so shouldn’t be around the higher class, richer people of that time; this shows that poorer people were perhaps treated as thieves or thought of as scum.

The fight scene brings in interesting parts of editing; we see many fast cuts being used when the pair begin to engage in the fight. These are used to connotate the clumsiness and poor ability that Merlin shows when he is fighting the royal man. As we see him tripping over or getting stuck in hay etc. This gives the audience the impression he is not a very experienced fighter and obviously hasn’t been trained. This represents class because he will not have these skills due to his lack of wealth and status. In contrast, when the man of royalty is fighting Merlin, slow motion is used to show the skill he possesses, and make that as dramatic as possible. This also represents gender as it shows that if you are born into royalty or wealth for example, you can easily acquire skills and equipment. The equipment of the royal men ties in with the representation of gender because it contrasts against the rags merlin is wearing, they have shiny metal armour and chainmail, and this is used to portray them as knights. And most commonly, only those who are born into a rich or royal family become knights.

The sound used in the clip from Merlin is important in its representation of class, especially in the fight scene.  We can hear non-diegetic sound in the background of the fight scene. This is (contrupuncual?) sound as it goes against what is happening on the screen. As the music is quite jolly and would most likely traditionally be played at a high class or royal banquet.  This music suits the time period that the TV series is set in and keeps in with the setting of the program. It will also remind the audience of the different classes because you cannot expect someone who is dressed in rags like Merlin to be listening to that kind of music, as he would not have the skill or the privilege to listen or play it. It shows that only the highest class can enjoy the finer things in life and the lower classes have to live with bare minimum.

Sound is also used when Merlin is in the room of the rich lady’s and he appears to not be allowed there, we can tell this from the comparisons of his rag clothes to the decorations that make the room he is in seem very high class and posh. We can also tell he isn’t supposed to be there through the close up of his face, showing how unnerved he is and scared of being caught out. So along with all this happening we hear some more non diegetic sounds that sound like stringed instruments that are slowly building up in volume and tempo, these are used to create intensity and keep the audience on edge and prepare them for the climax of the shot. But, in this case, these sounds that have built up appear to be a red herring as Merlin manages to get out of the building without any real problems.

In What Ways Does The Extract Represent Gender?

This extract, from the BBC's Doctor Who, Series 3, Volume 4 represents gender using many different ways. Firstly it uses camera angles to represent different genders and the power they have on the opposing character. WE see Character 1 kneeling down at the bottom of the steps, this then gives us a high angle shot from the point of view of the male Character 2, as if he is looking down on the female Character 1. The use of this angle aims to show the audience that the male is the most powerful as he is looking down at the female. The shot is then reversed leaving the female Character 1 looking up at the opposing man, this reiterates the point that the male is the more powerful of the two, connoting that the male gender is more dominant than the female gender. This also links onto the mise en scene used to represent these two characters in the same way.

As we can see the man (Character 2) is dressed smartly in a suit and tie, he looks professional. Whereas the female (Character 1) is dressed in a more casual manner and looks somewhat domestic. These two ideas that are used represent the stereotypes we have regarding male and female genders that the male gender is more professional and tends to earn the money within the relationship or family. Then the females are more domestic and sometimes seen as child bearing compared to a man. This is a stereotype that cannot be brought up without being subtle as it can offend people and will make the program as a whole controversial.

The sound used in this extract from Doctor Who also creates a representation of gender. When the more dominant male asks the apparently weaker female to 'KNEEL!' before him, his voice bellows out over all the other noises in the shot, this reinstates his authority and power of the female character. This high intensity and loudness of his voice is used to intimidate the audience and therefore make them feel the threat of this male character just like the female is, it puts the audience in perspective of the struggling female character. This is also accompanied by sad and atmospheric slow music, this non-deictic sound makes the females character seem even more vulnerable and it aims to pull the audience in to her position to make us feel sorry for her. This makes the situation more engaging as we feel emotionally attached to this character.

The position of the female character at the start of the clip as a whole also ties in to the representation the extract is trying to imply upon gender. Since she is being forced to kneel before the more dominant man, it backs up the stereotype that the male gender is more powerful and forceful than the female gender. We see character 2, the man, smiling in a way that makes him seem pleased of himself. The close up camera shot used helps the audience determine exactly how he feels with his actions. Whereas when the camera switches back to character 1, the female, we see her with a look of terror and sadness, this is used to convince the audience that she is the one in pain, she is the weak one in this situation. This technique is again used to make the audience feel sorry for this female character and get us on her side, for when she ends up coming out on top against the man, we are happy for her and will her on to succeed. It gets us more interested in the storyline and draws us in to the climax of the episode which will make the show as a whole feel better and more pleasing to watch to the audience.