chris@leadsv.UUCP (Chris Salander) (08/29/85)
Most of the juicy statements that Khan Noonian Singh utters in the movie, The Wrath of Khan, are taken from the Herman Melville book Moby Dick. They are uttered by Captain Ahab at the Great White Whale. Things like (paraphrasing, since I don't have the book with me): " ... with my last breath I spit at thee.." "... from the darkess depths of hell I stab at thee". etc. You can find all of these in the book or the Moby Dick movie. Watch Gregory Peck utter these words after he has pulled himself up onto the whale and is stabbing it with a harpoon. I suppose that Herman Melville's words are now in the public domain, so plagarism shouldn't be an issue. Still, I remember quite a few movie critics and reviewers lauding the wickedness of Khan and quoting his juicy remarks as examples. I wonder if any of them knew the source? (The Enterprise - The Great White Whale?) "Can you smell it? He smells like land. Land where there is no land!" - Christopher Salander Lockheed Space Systems Division "Watch the birds! He rising!!"
barmar@mit-eddie.UUCP (Barry Margolin) (09/04/85)
In article <596@leadsv.UUCP> chris@leadsv.UUCP (Chris Salander) writes: > > Most of the juicy statements that Khan Noonian Singh >utters in the movie, The Wrath of Khan, are taken from the >Herman Melville book Moby Dick. They are uttered by Captain >Ahab at the Great White Whale. And I suspect the rest of the quotes are from Milton's "Paradise Lost". These are foreshadowed early in the film, when Chechov is first exploring the wreck of the Botany Bay. Just before he notices the name of the ship, he looks at a bookshelf. I stopped the video tape at that point, and the only titles that were legible were "Moby Dick" and "Paradise Lost". -- Barry Margolin ARPA: barmar@MIT-Multics UUCP: ..!genrad!mit-eddie!barmar
jlp@faust.UUCP (09/05/85)
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The use of quotes from Paradise Lost is consistent with Space Seed, when,
during the trial, Khan asks then Captain Kirk if he is familiar with Milton.
Recall Kirk briefing Scotty in the corridor about something along the lines
of "better to rule in Hell than to serve in Heaven." The shifting of Ceti
Alpha V to such a disastrous orbit essentially created that hell.
Jerryl Payne
...!ihnp4!inmet!faust!jlpoku@ucbvax.ARPA (Darin Okuyama) (09/05/85)
You all probably know by now that the book Spock gave Kirk for his birthday is "A Tale Of Two Cities", by Charles Dickens. And Kirk gives us a couple choice quotes from the book.
edward@ukecc.UUCP (Edward C. Bennett) (09/06/85)
In article <5194@mit-eddie.UUCP>, barmar@mit-eddie.UUCP (Barry Margolin) writes: > In article <596@leadsv.UUCP> chris@leadsv.UUCP (Chris Salander) writes: > > > > Most of the juicy statements that Khan Noonian Singh > >utters in the movie, The Wrath of Khan, are taken from the > >Herman Melville book Moby Dick. They are uttered by Captain > >Ahab at the Great White Whale. > > And I suspect the rest of the quotes are from Milton's "Paradise Lost". > Barry Margolin Khan had already read Milton's works. At the end of Space Seed when the trial ends, Jim asks Khan what he thinks of the verdict. I paraphrase here.... Khan: "Have you ever read Milton, Captain?" Kirk: "Yes, I see your point." Scott: "It's a shame for a Scotsman to admit Captain, but I'm not up on my Milton. What did he mean?" Kirk: "In 'Paradise Lost', when Lucifer is thrown into the pit, he says 'It is better to rule in Hell than to serve in Heaven'." Resident Trekker, -- Edward C. Bennett UUCP: ihnp4!cbosgd!ukma!ukecc!edward /* A charter member of the Scooter bunch */
fred@varian.UUCP (Fred Klink) (09/13/85)
> And I suspect the rest of the quotes are from Milton's "Paradise Lost". > These are foreshadowed early in the film, when Chechov is first > exploring the wreck of the Botany Bay. Just before he notices the name > of the ship, he looks at a bookshelf. I stopped the video tape at that > point, and the only titles that were legible were "Moby Dick" and > "Paradise Lost". Interesting. In the last scene of "Space Seed" (the TV episode prequel to ST II), Khan makes reference to Milton when explaining his choice of being marooned with his followers on their own planet rather than return to human civilization. The quote being referenced is from "Paradise Lost" and is uttered by Lucifer in explaining his revolt against God and subsequent fall from heaven. Paraphrasing: "Better to rule in hell than to serve in heaven".