Duck Soup Literary Elements

Duck Soup Literary Elements

Director

Leo McCarey

Leading Actors/Actresses

Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx, Zeppo Marx

Supporting Actors/Actresses

Margaret Dumont, Louis Calhern

Genre

Comedy, War Movie

Language

English

Awards

Selected for preservation inthe United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress

Date of Release

November 11, 1933

Producer

Herman J. Mankiewicz

Setting and Context

The fictional country of Freedonia, as they are bankrupt, and under threat of annexation by the neighboring nation of Sylvania

Narrator and Point of View

The point of view is that of Firefly as he takes on the role of leader in Freedonia

Tone and Mood

The tone is satirical and comedic.

Protagonist and Antagonist

Firefly is the protagonist; Trentino, leader of Sylvania, is the antagonist.

Major Conflict

The countries are on the brink of war throughout the movie and by the end, war has been declared.

Climax

War is declared after Firefly slaps Trentino.

Foreshadowing

Firefly's inadvertent slap foreshadows the outbreak of war between the two nations.

Understatement

No specific examples.

Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques

No specific examples.

Allusions

The entire film alludes to the political situations in various countries around the world where dictators and despots declare war at the drop of a hat over nothing in particular.

Paradox

The men are both seeking money from Mrs Teasdale who in an effort to protect Freedonia actually makes their situation more precarious because one of the reasons for the outbreak of the war is that both leaders are wooing her hoping to get their hands on her millions.

Parallelism

There is a parallel between both leaders in that they have warmongering personalities and are both looking to take Mrs Teasdale's money.

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