V for Vendetta Interpretive Analysis

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Michael Beattie
1235367
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Dr. Matthew Tegelberg
March 26, 2014
V for Vendetta: Semiotics in Visual Text
Everywhere we look in visual and literary texts, artists align their characters based on
previously existing ones by incorporating some aspect of the original. The allusion may be
accomplished through a namesake, a physical appearance, a comparative life story – anything
that exists within a cultural discourse can be appropriated into new characters. In V for Vendetta,
the authors’ use of the Guy Fawkes mask as a central part of V’s costume, combined with
dialogue borrowed from Shakespeare’s Macbeth, demonstrates how historical signs and literary
interpretation contribute to the reader’s attitudes towards the protagonist. From a semiotics
perspective, the mask becomes a modern sign of rebellion, treason, and resistance to oppression
through its historical roots. The use of Shakespearean verse, in this case, adds the dynamic of
hero versus tyrant. Together these act as clues for the reader to understand V’s character traits.
V for Vendetta is a graphic novel written by Alan Moore and illustrated by David Lloyd.
It began as a serialized publication in 1981, published in Warrior magazine, and completed in
1988 after a long break in publishing (Moore and Lloyd 5). The series was sold to DC Comics
and reprinted in full for its 1988 re-release. Set in a dystopian future England, the main character
“V” actively fights an oppressive, fascist dictatorship. The artwork is modeled after film noir,
which uses sharp contrast between light and dark to illicit emotional response to visual stimuli.
As a graphic novel, it is not inherently a public spectacle in the manner of a billboard or
advertisement. Instead, the novel is geared towards comic book fans, artists, and even academics,
typically for individual viewing. For the purpose of this essay, the focus will be on V’s initial
self-introduction to Evey, the damsel turned freedom fighter. In his speech and ensuing brawl
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with police, V, dressed in his trademark Guy Fawkes costume, rescues Evey while quoting
Macbeth. The cells are reprinted here in the Appendix as figures 1 and 2.
The inspiration to appropriate the likeness of Guy Fawkes stems from his notorious role
in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Fawkes was part of an anti-Protestant terror plot to destroy the
English Parliament and assassinate King James I. As a devout Catholic, the Protestant
government was, to Fawkes, an oppressive force that needed to be stopped. The plan was foiled
and continues to be commemorated in England annually, with fireworks and the burning of
Fawkes’ effigy. The relevance to the story in V for Vendetta is through the parallel use of
violence to fight an oppressive government, which inspired the authors to incorporate Guy
Fawkes into V’s costume, specifically through his mask and hat. Thus the mask of Guy Fawkes
functions as a sign that works on multiple levels of understanding through semiotics theory.
On the connotative level, the character V is directly associated with Fawkes, almost to the
point of reincarnation. The connotative level, according to Roland Barthes, can be affected by
“the genre of photography (surveillance, fashion, news, art) and on stylistic manipulations of
colour, composition, etc.” (Hartley 210). Although Barthes’ theory was in relation to
photography, graphic novels such as V for Vendetta utilize similar methods of presentation that
allow his ideas to transcend into other media. The “stylistic manipulations of colour” as seen in
figure 1 and 2 show an adapted film noir technique, which acts to obscure most of V’s figure
from view by using heavy contrast. In addition, most of the visual emphasis in this scene is
focused on the other characters and their reactions to the masked vigilante. This leads to the
mythical level, which also affects the reader’s interpretation of V. The mythical level
incorporates “signification…dependent on shared cultural values and beliefs” (210). The
significance of the mask comes from its historical affiliation to anti-hegemonic resistance,
personified by V as Guy Fawkes. Together, the stylistic and historical aspects of this scene,
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functioning on both connotative and mythical levels, portray V as a mysterious and anti-fascist
icon.
Lloyd’s artistic skill is matched by Moore’s clever use of dialogue, whether his own or
borrowed from history. During the introductory brawl, V quotes several lines from
Shakespeare’s Macbeth. In its original form, this passage is voiced by a military officer to the
tyrant King Duncan, detailing Macbeth’s victory in battle against fierce enemies. The concurrent
action depicts V fulfilling the details of this passage, defeating the enemies in an almost literal
reiteration. To many, the reference to Macbeth carries imagery of tyrants, positioning V as a
hero, possibly doomed to tragedy like his counterpart Macbeth. Friedman suggests, however, that
Moore (and others in general) were unaware that Macbeth was written as a response condemning
the Gunpowder Plot (Friedman, par. 44). This confusion, according to Friedman, works to almost
rewrite history, making Shakespeare a Catholic sympathizer rather than staunch Protestant.
Literary critics have taken the incorporation of this passage as a reference to religious
marginalization, a reoccurring theme in V for Vendetta. The multiple and contrasting ideologies
incorporated by the Macbeth inclusion demonstrates the polysemic nature of signs.
In conclusion, the introductory brawl scene in V for Vendetta combines the power of V’s
Guy Fawkes costume and the passage from Macbeth to harness the influence of history and
culture. Together, these aspects create a vivid understanding of the character V. His ideological
alignment is realized, though, through polysemic and antithetical signifiers. This was noted in the
combination of the Gunpowder Plot and Macbeth, which may be interpreted by some as an
allusion to religious marginalization. Either way, V for Vendetta as a visual-text proves the
protagonist’s prime doctrine: that behind his cloak lays only an idea, and ideas are bulletproof.
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Appendix
Figure 1.
A. Moore & D. Lloyd, V for Vendetta, pg. 11. © DC Comics, 1988.
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Works Cited
Friedman, Michael D. "Shakespeare and the Catholic Revenger: V for Vendetta." Review.
Literature/Film Quarterly 38.2 (2010): n. pag. Literature Online. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.
Hartley, J. Communication, Cultural and Media Studies: Key Concepts. 3rd ed. N.p.: Routledge,
2002. Print.
Moore, Alan, and David Lloyd. V for Vendetta. New York: Vertigo/DC Comics, 2005. Print.