The Sentient Cloud

The lab boys at the Pentaprism Research Facility were working with some highly reactive materials. For Alice Jones, owner of the facility, the lab boys were a group of, unintelligent, expendable sheep. It was her business, as C.E.O, to spend as little money on safety as possible. She was so keen on not being safe that there was a portion of the facility dedicated to making unsafe safety devices for the scientists.

Alice was having her portrait taken in her office. All the woodwork which surrounded her, the artist and an unnamed third person was made of pure mahogany. The name of the third person was Paul Sykes, an accountant of Alice. His eyes were particularly drawn to the design of the doors. He was talking to Alice about all the money they had.
“We have no money”, he claimed. Alice tried her hardest not to move out of anger. “Surely that can’t be, I cut so many corners last quarter”, replied Alice, her voice rough from years of smoking. She needed comfort so she pulled out a cigarette and a light. The artist rolled her eyes at Alice for moving.

Outside of the recreation room in the research facility was a line of scientists waiting for lunch. Serving them was a sentient cloud who performed all of the tasks which would otherwise be done by humans. Alice pushed herself to the front of the line with Paul. She stared at the cloud for a few seconds before looking at the menu. It was wearing a black tie to compliment its white cloudy colour. It also wore a fishing net over its head to stop loose cloud from falling off into the food. Being the only cook in the kitchen the cloud made being served a slow process. It ate all the other cooks after the cloud realized that they didn’t wash their hands.

Alice and Paul took their lunch to her office where they needed to make a decision. The wages of all employees at the facility was measured using their personal weight and surface area. Paul suggest putting in a diet program to decrease the weight of the scientists but Alice went ahead and fired all of the overweight people.

Down in the kitchen, the sentient cloud spotted a scientist with dirt all over him. The cloud was disgusted and in a fit of rage it consumed him. It than began consuming all the nearby people. It was tired of all the dirty hands it had been feeding.

Alice and Paul made their way down to the conference room where they were to announce the “Grand Firing of the Fat People”.  “Do you think they might attack us when we tell them this new weight requirement?”, inquired Paul. Alice didn’t reply, she knew that the only people who would get angry would have to roll their way to get her. She could just distract them with free food. As they entered the conference room the noticed a now very large sentient cloud. “We are definitely firing that thing!”, Alice said in a snarky manner. The cloud started to shake and rumble. Cracks appears on the surface of the cloud until eventually it split into new smaller clouds. It was a mess. Paul was astonished, not from what he just saw but what he just realized. The cloud weighs almost nothing. If all employees were a cloud than they would have very low wages. Alice also realized something, clouds don’t have rights and it would be very easy to make them slaves.

From then on, all the scientists were slaves made from the sentient cloud.

Comparing Shylock’s manner to Antonio between Act 1: Scene 3 and Act 3: Scene 3

The transition for Shylock from Act 1: Scene 3 to Act 3: Scene 3 is a great one. Much like many characters who you would consider the villain in a story, Shylock has experiences which changes his outlook on life. A good example of this happening to a character in a work of fiction is Dr Octopus from, Sam Raimi’s, Spider-Man 2. This development of character affects many of the things which he does but it is easiest to compare his interactions with Antonio. This is because it is with Antonio that Shylocks biggest hatred develops.

The famous bond from the Merchants of Venice is that of the pound of flesh for three thousand ducats. The bond which Antonio holds for Shylock is first seen by Shylock to be amusing and small to him. Shylock agrees to give Antonio the bond, from Act 1: Scene 3; “Give him direction for this merry bond, And I will go and purse the ducats straight, …”. Shylocks usage of the phrase “merry bond” is to express his pleasure in having a bond which is quite ridiculous. Without this sentence, and a few others like it, than Shylocks character in the two scenes would almost be the same. This is because, overall, it is quite and evil thing to set a bond which asks for a “pound of flesh”.

Shylocks losses from Act 1: Scene 3 to Act 3: Scene 3 is enough to change his tone of voice from being amused to quite annoyed. We can see this as one of the first things we hear Shylock say to Antonio in Act 3: Scene 3 is “I’ll have my bond. Speak not against my bond. I have sworn an oath that I will have my bond.”. What was at one point merely a fun game for him is now his life goal. His tone has also taken an unexpected turn for he is now very blunt with his intentions.

Classroom Super Edit:

Note: Mention how Shylock hates Antonio in both Act 1; Scene 3 and Act 3; Scene 3. For example, how Shylock expressed his feelings towards Antonio in Act 1; Scene 3 was much more open than in Act 3; Scene 3.

Paragraph of Flesh:

“I hate him for he is Christian…” Shylock openly states in Act 1; Scene 3. In private residence, Shylock fears not the possible consoquencea. Most probably this is due to him being in a ‘safe’ place. The time that Act 3; Scene 3 roles around Shylock is afraid to be open about his feelings for Antonio is very much the alpha male of the court house.

 

Note: I need to add to this still.

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