SH 0rigins: A Shakespearean Template?

[The Adversary]

>No two people witness the exact same surroundings in Silent Hill.
False assumption.

[SapphireSerpent]

Oh? And I suppose you have a hermetic solution as to why the apparitions stand as barriers between James and Mary, yet not for Laura? Wait, there is no ghosts, its all just an illusion right? That would be the simplest explanation.

[The Adversary]

"Apparitions stand as barriers between James and Mary"? Do you know what an apparition is? because there are no ghosts in Silent Hill 2. . . .

What is w/ this forum being inundated by painfully inept commentary?

[SapphireSerpent]

Thats right, Mary was never a ghost either. In fact, they called it the place of the Silent Living.

[The Adversary]

You're right, she wasn't. "A ghost can't write a letter," remember?

[SapphireSerpent]

Yeah and just maybe The Baldwin family were just fucking around with Mary the whole time as one big practical joke. It all makes sense now...

[MisterGrey]

>I see no indication that Travis is channeling any of Lisa's fears.
That's according to your theory that Travis is responsible for channeling anything.

The official webpage states that at least Carrion and Twoback come from Travis' mind. Fact.

Travis is responsible for channeling at least:

Carrion
Momma
Twoback
Sad Daddy
The Butcher

There is no official source for Revenant but this would appear to be borne from Cedar Grove, and thus, Travis. Straight Jacket and the Nurses could be Travis', Alessa's, or both; I would guess that the Nurse is Travis', presuming that the creators intentionally did not bring back the Puppet Nurses. However, it would seem that the game leans in favor of these probably being Alessa's monster.

Therefore, the creatures in the game are either coming from Travis alone, or Travis and Alessa, but not Alessa alone, and certainly not Lisa at all.

[Sionnan]

The reason that "channeling" is probably drawing flak because channeling implies the person holding the views acting in a certain way. For a really simple analogy, think of a TV vs. a projector. Travis is the projector, not the TV.

I'd say that the monsters are heavily drawn from Travis, but they're thrown through Alessa's and Silent Hill's lens. They're relevant to all three, because they are touched by all three.

[amphreded]

A logical deduction points to Lisa as the one sneaking into the theater. Though I said logical, there are only one two supports, both could be considered vague: Lisa sitting in the audience and the "hooky" comment. Of course, a logical deduction could point out to a character we have not met in the game as well.
However, a girl watching a symbolic play, repulsed by Caliban, disliked Prospero intensely (comparing to Sycorax the "witch"), and possibly responsible for the "nosebleed" seems more fitting to Alessa.
We do not know when precisely these "flashbacks" are accounted for (but surely Tom has already lessened the parameter). I think it is important, for determining the most pragmatic deduction, to determine whether the events of the flashbacks occurred pre-fire or not. If Alessa was already burned, a plausible deduction would be Alessa piggybacking Lisa's mind--this would explain both the director's "hooky" comment and the strangeness of the girl.
The problem with this scenario is that it does not involve Travis. Of course, it does not matter much whether Travis has any connection with Artaud Theater apart from his similarity to Antonin Artaud, but there should be a connection because it enriches the game.

Hypothesis

1) Travis had never been to the theater but experienced the flashbacks because Alessa intended to show him her past. Or the flashbacks were automatically triggered because of Travis' and Alessa's mutual cathexis.
2) Travis was present at the theater during the time which the "hooky" was there, thus the flashbacks were part of his own memory.

One question, if anyone knows: the actor named Tony who played Prospero and had the nosebleed, was he murdered?

SKETCHES

Location: Artaud Theater, Costume Storage

Since what happened to Tony. I've
dreamt about HIM more and more!
THE BUTCHER!

He looks just like that monster, the
executioner!

Now I've seen him when I'm
awake. He's at my motel! It's HIM I
swear it!

Since what happened to Tony...
What exactly happened? Was he killed by the "butcher"? If butcher is Travis' split personality, 2) could lead to an interesting scenario: Alessa, whether physically or metaphysically in the Artaud Theater, spotted Travis and detected his other side, manipulated him to kill Tony who played character, Prospero, who was hated by Sycorax the witch, Alessa's signifier.
We know that Travis stayed in the Riverside Motel, thus the motel the director was staying at could be the same one. That explains why he witnessed the butcher at the motel. This also links into the "Cause of Death SHOTGUN" photo in the maintenance and the note on room 500 describing how Travis "just stood there" in the midst of his father's death. Though Richard's notes to Helen point lead to suicidal incentive, his death could be inflicted by Travis himself. If Travis did murder his own father, then the butcher did appear, supporting the director's claim.

Also,

TELEGRAM

Location: Riverside Motel, Rose Suite

Kauffman,

We are almost ready, but must
hurry! I sense our hold on her
power weakening. I worry that she
draws strength from the core I
hold. I will leave it behind, hidden
in this darkness. It will be safe.
Grady is unlikely to return here,
he is still running around town
chasing after ghosts. He is
ignorant of the bigger picture
anyway.

I will wait for you here. Finish your
business and join me soon!

The time approaches, the Flauros
is shattered, thrown to the wind,
and her will is still buried deep in
a sleeping mind. This time the
ritual WILL succeed!

Dahlia

Is it possible that the one who brought out the butcher in Travis was not Alessa, but Dahlia? Was Travis being manipulated for the cult purpose? Linking this back to the Artaud Theater scenarios, it seems like Travis was there, probably leisurely, without knowing that he would be manipulated.

[JuriDawn]

>it is important. . . to determine whether the events of the flashbacks occurred pre-fire or not.
Since the fire occurs the night before, the events would have to be pre-fire. Otherwise they're pretty much happening right when Travis shows up.

Travis didn't kill his father, nor did he watch him die. He waited at the arcade like he was told, but Richard never came to get him. When Travis gave up and went back to the room, his father was already dead, and when the motel manager went in to investigate room 500 about nine or ten hours later, Travis was still staring at his father's corpse.

>Since what happened to Tony... What exactly happened?
I think the director is simply referring to his freak ailments that brought the rehearsal to an end. There's nothing to suggest anything else happened to Tony.

Regarding the Butcher, I don't think he necessarily has to belong solely to Travis. In fact, I think the director's statement about seeing him is meant to tell us exactly that. Maybe the director and Travis have similar personality issues. It's not at all unreasonable to assume the director has been to the butcher shop in Silent Hill, and his note leads me to believe that he's seen the "Misty Day - Remains of the Judgment" painting. In either case, I doubt that the Butcher was "brought out" by a person's will; it was likely the influence of the otherside alone.

I think that when Alessa used her power to harm Tony, she kind of stirred the otherside, and that's what initiated the director's visions.

[amphreded]

>it is important. . . to determine whether the events of the flashbacks occurred pre-fire or not.
Since the fire occurs the night before, the events would have to be pre-fire. Otherwise they're pretty much happening right when Travis shows up.

You're right. Duh for me.


Travis didn't kill his father, nor did he watch him die. He waited at the arcade like he was told, but Richard never came to get him. When Travis gave up and went back to the room, his father was already dead, and when the motel manager went in to investigate room 500 about nine or ten hours later, Travis was still staring at his father's corpse.

Excuse my memory, but did the game contain a flashback of Travis opening the door to Room 500 when Richard was already dead? I remember he had a flashback at the arcade, proving that he was physically there, but it could've been that his split was responsible for Richard's death; though I admit the scenario would over-complicate things and Richard's suicidal tone in his notes would a complete waste.


Regarding the Butcher, I don't think he necessarily has to belong solely to Travis.

I don't believe it's solely Travis' either. I was just trying to tie in Travis into the flashbacks by assuming that the butcher the director witnessed was all Travis.

In either case, I doubt that the Butcher was "brought out" by a person's will; it was likely the influence of the otherside alone.

I think that Alessa, for one, would be able to bring out the Butcher in individuals who have deep repressions. I also think that certain cult members can instigate the Butcher's occurrence via ritualistic methods. Assumption, of course.

[SilentMadness]

Excuse my memory, but did the game contain a flashback of Travis opening the door to Room 500 when Richard was already dead

yes, you do, you clearly see this flashback right after you exit from 503 and will suddenly faace the door 500 when it's finished. It is shown travis walking up to the door real slowly and asking for his dad.

[Mutius]

Your knowledge of Shakespeare is impressive.

Really?... no comment, although the OP is clearly an intellectual... of sorts. j/k

Anyway, I'm certainly no master of Shakespearean literature, but I did study the Bard in university and I find it interesting that one could relate Caliban to the Aboriginals while relating Prospero (and company) to the colonists. Caliban's land was unrightfully taken away from him, and the majority of the play focuses on his attempts at communication with the colonists, much like in reality at the time the play was written, where it is obvious that Caliban is intelligent but he is viewed as a beast. And in reality, during Shakespeare's time (and to a lesser extent, today) colonists treated Aboriginals as uneducated and inferior, both spiritually and mentally.

Now where did the evil of Silent Hill originate? With the Aboriginals who had their lands unrightfully taken away and their spirituality misunderstood...

[AuraTwilight]

Aboriginals aren't Native Americans, and Silent Hill isn't evil, but otherwise I agree.

[Mutius]

I never said Silent Hill was evil, I just spoke of the "evil OF Silent Hill." I could talk about the evil of the world without implying the world is evil...

Also, "Aboriginals aren't Native Americans," Well THIS seems to suggest "Aboriginal" is a perfectly fine term... imo, so then it's at least safe to say "Native Americans are Aboriginals" and maybe not the other way around... Would you have preferred "indigenous," perhaps? Anyway, you agree, we agree.... it's appropriate because they chose The Tempest for its analogies to Silent Hill... so yah. /obvious, but now we know why...?

[AuraTwilight]

I never said Silent Hill was evil, I just spoke of the "evil OF Silent Hill." I could talk about the evil of the world without implying the world is evil...

Well, I apologize, but in this fandom, you can't be sure. Enough people have used that same exact wording to call Silent Hill a literally evil, objective force.

[Mutius]

.... oh I probably have in another thread. lol I see your point.

[KiramidHead]

I know this is a huge necrobump, but bear with me. There is one fact that is seemingly overlooked by everyone in this thread. The actor playing Prospero is given a nosebleed. Prospero is a sorcerer of sorts, who else would have cause to dislike a sorcerer in this game but Alessa, raised and abused by a woman with some aptitude for magic?