The Shakespearean Structure of Minority Report

5 Acts of a Shakespearean Drama

ALL his plays have FIVE acts and a varying number of scenes. A parallel exists between the number of acts and the universal law of living things:

1. Act 1 (Introduction/Birth).
2. Act 2 (Rising Action/Growth).
3. Act 3 (Climax/Maturity).
4. Act 4 (Falling Action/Decline).
5. Act 5 (Conclusion/Death).

I wanted to see how Spielberg's 2002 blockbuster, Minority Report, would be viewed through the lens of a Shakespearean drama. SPOILERS AHEAD!

5 Acts of Minority Report

What elements of exposition are found in Act I:

1. We see how the Pre-cog operation works in a live occurrence.
2. Ambitious FBI Observer/Supervisor, Danny, is shown how the pre-cogs operate, allowing the viewer to also see details of its workings.
3. An upcoming national vote is advertised to turn the Pre-Crime experiment into a national organization.
4. Agatha reveals the vision of her Mother's murder to John Anderton when he's all alone.
5. We learn that John lost his Son and split up with his wife 6 years ago.  He has been addicted to drugs ever since.

In Act I, identify the exciting force:

• Captain John Anderton (aka "Chief") steals the incomplete file on the drowning of Anna Lively from the Halo-prison.  The security guard warns him, "You dig up the past, you'll get dirty." This triggers all the events that follow.
• In the next scene, Anderton picks up his own name on a perp Red Ball, which initiates the chase.

What events from Act II and Act III contribute to the Rising Action of the story:

• John Anderton visits the inventor of Pre-crime in her greenhouse.  She reveals the existance of Minority Reports.  She gives Anderton a quest—to find his minority report and vindicate him from his crime.
• In order to enter the Pre-crime Building undetected, Anderton needs to surgically swap out his eyes.
• As he sleeps through his recovery, Anderton dreams (revealing to the viewer) of his son's tragic disappearance at the public pool.
• Anderton gains ingress to the Pre-Crime base.  He is discovered before he can access his own minority report, so Anderton kidnaps Agatha.
• Anderton takes her to Tech-man, Rufus, who hacks Agatha and records her unique vision of John's future murder, as well as the murder of Anne Lively (which was thought to have been destroyed).  Anderton discovers he has no minority report.
• Fatalistically, Anderton is drawn to room 1006 where he desires to face fate head-on.  He insists on not killing anyone.
• Anderton finds his son's photo in a Crows room—evidence that Crow captured Sean from the pool that day, six years ago.  John questions his own resolve not to kill.  In fact, he nearly abandons it.

Which event(s) from Act III are considered to be the climax of the story? Provide a reason for your choice:

• In the last moment, Captain Anderton chooses not to kill Crow. (A decision seems to hinge on whether or not the perpetrator knows his or her own future.) Crow forces John Anderton to kill him by force, but it wasn't as the precogs envisioned it.
• This is the climax, because the question of the film hinges on the question: Does Pre-Crime work?  This scene proves that pre-cognition is flawed.

Which events from Act III-V make up the Falling Action?

• FBI guy, Danny, figures out and accuses Lamar of letting a neuron addict take the fall for Anne Lively's murder.  Then, since Lamar had access to those recordings, he committed the real murder in a way that made any future pre-cognitions seem like echoes from the past, which the techs are taught to disregard.  (This is the human flaw in their "perfect" system.)
• Anderton, still on the run, takes Agatha at the beach house and discovers why he was set up—because he found out about Anne Lively.  (But who would have motive?  THE REAL KILLER!)
• Almost gets the name of Anne's killer from Agatha before he is captured.
• Anderton's wife finds out that Lamar knows details about about Anne's murder when he claimed he didn't even know her.
• She releases Anderton from Halo–land using John's personal effects (i.e. gun and eyeball).
• Anderton gives Lamar a choice: kill John and go to prison or not and destroy his own life's work. But since Lamar knows his own future, he can change it.  He chooses door #3 suicide.

At what final point in Act V are all plots brought to an end? 

List and describe the event(s) that mark the conclusion for the characters in the plot and subplots.

The following loose ends are tied up in the final 60 seconds of the film:

• The Pre-cog experiment was immediately abandoned.
• Prisoners released unconditionally, but watched.
• The Anderton's reunite their broken family and start over.
• The Pre-cogs sent to an island where they could live out their lives in peace.

Make your own graph.
Shakespearean PDF worksheet outline.