RG 17

English W170
Representations of Vikings

RG 17 Wilhoit Rhetorical Analysis of Visual Texts

1) How do you think that film may vary from comics as a visual text medium? What
tools does a director have at their disposal that a graphic artist might not?
A film may vary from a comic as a visual text medium because of the motion and
movement that is included in the presentation, as well as the factor of sound. A
graphic artist does not have these two qualities at his disposal which is the main
distinguishing factor between film and comics as a visual text medium.
2) In this unit our primary sources are the first four episodes of the show Vikings. Do a
little digging online to answer the following where does this show come from?
What channel makes it? Who produces or directs it? What other film work have they
done? What sources are there for this shows actual plotline?
Vikings is a show on the History Channel produced by Michael Hirst, who also
produced works such as Elizabeth and The Tudors. It is filmed in Ireland show the
landscape greatly resembles that of the Viking area, which benefits the shows actual
plotline. The plot of the show revolves around Norse mythology and idealistic Viking
characters.
3) Now that you know a little about where Vikings is coming from, lets think about
what its purpose might be. How does knowing that the show is a History Channel
production, for example, affect your perception of the shows purpose? Is this meant
for entertainment, to inform, to persuade? How do you know? In other words, what
do you think is the rhetorical purpose of the show?
Knowing that the show is a History Channel production adds credibility to the show,
symbolizing that the information in the show is most likely accurate due to the

History Channels previous reputation of being accurate. The rhetorical purpose of

this show seems to be to entertain, even though many programs on the History are
intended to inform. This seems to be the case due to the fact that this is a fictional
series where the plotline is left up to the producers, rather than history.

4) Think about the show in a wider cultural context. Who might be the shows target
audience(s) and what elements of the show do you think are meant to appeal to
this/these group(s)? What other shows might this one be competing with, and how
might that context affect the producers and directors of Vikings?
The shows target audience may be adult males who because there are many elements
of the show, such as violence and possible sexuality, that appeal to many men of this
age. Another show that Vikings may be competing is HBOs Game of Thrones, which
is also a series about a medieval era that includes a lot of violent and sexual elements.
This may affect the directors and producers of Vikings by giving them a an idea of
what they need to do differently than their competitors, so they still have success
with their product.