Recently my BF has made me watch every single Star Trek movie, usually in pairs and back to back. (ie, last week was 4 and 5)
Anyway, I’ve noticed something, there is usually at least one subtle reference to Moby Dick in all of the movies. I don’t know the exact quotes, but I suppose we could find them.
My question is, has anybody else noticed this? Or am I just crazy?
And if I am right, and there is a reference in every movie, what is the importance? I have a few of my own pet theories, but I’m unsure of them, so I’ll post them once a few people confirm that I’m right.
I know that the Wrath of Kahn has one. Right before the ship blows, Kahn quotes Moby Dick. I don’t know about the others.
Picard made a “Moby Dick” reference in “First Contact.” I don’t remember the quote off-hand. Something to do with shooting a cannonball out of his chest. And, totally off-topic, Picard played Capt Ahab in a recent adaptation of “Moby Dick.”
From the heart of Hell, I stab at thee. . . .
Now thats some serious anger.
Shakespeare’s a big reference too.
But the above two references citing “Moby Dick” are the only ones I can recall.
I know for a fact there is a reference in both IV and V. I just can’t remember the exact quote…
In First Contact, there are many allusions to Moby Dick. There is of course a parallel between Picard and Ahab. But also, in Moby Dick the crew were unable and unwilling to stop Ahab’s flirting with disaster, Starbuck was the only one to speak up. In First Contact, same thing, only Lily was the only one to speak up. Err. Maybe I’m stretching here…
It would probably have to do with how they see themselves as contemporary “sailors” who are in a ship, “sailing” the great expanse that is the galaxy with each planet being a proverbial “island”.
The exact quote from The Wrath of Khan (and I’m a geek for knowing this) is: “From hell’s heart, I stab at thee. For hate’s sake, I spit my last breath at thee.”
Quite true. Probably a dozen or so of the original series’ titles were Shakespearean references (I’m guessing–don’t sue me if I’m wrong).
Again, true. In the original series, Kirk expounds at length about how old sea captains would ask for “a tall ship, and a star to steer her by”. (Can’t remember the episode offhand.)
That would have been in ST V, in which Kirk quotes:
“And all I ask is a tall ship
And a star to steer her by.”
McCoy asserts that it is Melville–and this is probably why you thought there was a Moby Dick reference in ST V, pepper. But it’s not Melville. Spock corrects Bones, reminding the good doctor that the poet is John Masefield. This results in the following exchange:
Bones: “Are you sure about that, Spock?”
Spock: “I am well-versed in the classics, Doctor.”
Bones: “Then how come you don’t know 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat?”
The scenes between Bones, Spock, and Kirk on Earth are the only palatable parts of that movie. I’m surprised your BF forced you to watch it, pepper; this commentator asserts that no self-respecting Star Trek fan would force someone to, ask someone to, or even suggest that someone watch Final Frontier.
LL
Of course, the original series episode “The Doomsday Machine” (2nd season) was an adaptation of <i>Moby Dick</i>.
–Chris
I believe, though I don’t remember actually seeing it, that there are two more references to Moby Dick in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. First and most blatantly, when they first go down to the planet where they find Khan, and they’re exploring the inside of the pod or mobile home or whatever it is, there is one shot of a bookshelf containing, among other things, a copy of Moby Dick. Second, and I can’t corroborate it because I’ve never read the book, I’ve heard that Khan has a monologue about chasing Kirk around the Galaxy which is very similar in structure to a speech Ahab gives about chasing Moby around the Ocean.
Concerning Shakespeare, the subtitle for ST:VI is The Undiscovered Country, which, if I’m not mistaken, is a reference to Hamlet. This one isn’t subtle - they speak about it at length when they have the Klingons over for Dinner on the Enterprise.
Oh yeah, and in ST:IV, there was a whale.
Your boyfriend made you watch Star Trek V . . . and he’s still your boyfriend?
That’s abuse, dammit. 
–
“Am I Kirok now? Is that how this works?”
That’s not totally off-topic. I understood, from reading reviews of the TNT movie, that Patrick Stewart was intrigued by the quotation in “First Contact”, read the book, decided he just HAD to play Ahab, made a few calls, etc. He was just as riveting as Ahab as he is in any other role, except for possibly Ebenezer Scrooge.
I recall the quote used in “First Contact” as being a reference to Ahab’s obsession with personal revenge, to the exclusion of all of his other responsibilities. Alfre Woodard’s character was chiding Picard for being willing to destroy his planet just to get back at the Borg for what they had done to him, just as Ahab was willing to allow his ship and crew to be destroyed so he could get revenge on Moby Dick.
Sure, maybe that was recycled from Khan, but how many other literary classics deal with obsession and revenge in quite as appropriate a way?
I think, Pepper, as a special Straight Dope Assignment([sup]TM[/sup]), you should re-view all of the ST movies, and note carefully all of the Moby Dick references. And report back to us. 
Ha ha ha Anthracite. 
I’m not entirely sure why he made me sit through V, he also made me sit through III (Which, IMHO, was worse than V)
Actually, maybe I’ll take up Anthracite’s suggestion over the Thanksgiving weekend. It’ll give me something to do with my time…
(How sad is that?)
It should probably be noted that in addition to Moby Dick, there are several references to A Tale of Two Cities in ST II–these being slightly less subtle, as Spock gives Kirk this book on his birthday at the beginning of the movie. (Thankfully, Bones gives him a pair of glasses, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to read it).
ST VI has a lot of interesting quotes and misquotes. Chekov speaks of the old Russian tale of Cinderella; Spock tells Kirk that there is an old Vulcan saying: “Only Nixon can go to China;” and General Chang (I think) indicates that you have not truly appreciated Shakespeare until you have read it in the original Klingon.
LL
Woodrow,
Actually, Spock said, “Only Nixon could go to China.” And that wasn’t at dinner, it was right after the Federation Council meeting at which Spock volunteers Captain Kirk for the peacekeeping mission.
::pushing Kurt Rambis Glasses back up with a sniffle::
Star Trek II is largely inspired by Moby Dick, per comments by Nicholas Meyer (the director and co-writer).
Khan is Ahab and Kirk/Enterprise is the whale, but this is transposed several times.
References:
1 - Inclusion of the book Moby Dick in the Botany Bay’s library.
2 - Khan’s speeches adapted from Ahab’s:
“To the last, I grapple with thee. From Hell’s heart, I stab at thee. For Hate’s sake, I spit my last breath at thee.”
“He tasks me. He tasks me and I shall have him. I’ll chase him round the moons of Nivea(sp?) and through the Antares Maelstrom and to Perdition’s flames before I give him up.” (substituting spacy-sounding terms for actual terrestrial landmarks)
3 - The Enterprise rises up from beneath the Reliant in the climactic battle, like Moby Dick surfacing for the final confrontation with Ahab.
4 - The Reliant, like the Pequod, dies with its captain.
5 - Khan’s lieutenant, Joachim, like Starbuck, tries again and again to convince his captain to give up the hunt.
6 - Spock’s “burial at sea” reminiscent of Queequeg’s empty coffin.
Meyer tried to recapture the feel of Wrath of Khan (generally considered the best of the series) in Undiscovered Country, by tacking on a lot of Shakespeare quotes. It didn’t work nearly as well for him, mainly due to the lack of a compelling motivation for the villain.
Undiscovered Country Shakespeare:
“Cry Havoc! And Let Slip Dogs of War”
“…To Be or Not To Be?”
etc.
These are not misquotes. These are jokes.
Anther ST/ Moby Dick stories…
In TOS (the original series) an episode called Obesssion
Kirk must track down and destroy a creature that attacked the USS Farragut when he was a LT. Kirk blames himself for the loss of life on the Farragut and nearly destroys the Enterprise in his pursuit of the monster. (kind of a cloud like vampire)
Basically the series and movies frequently deal with the theme of obsession. So that leads to stories like Moby Dick or Lolita. I think there should be more Lolita refrences as Nabakov is a much better writer. (IMO)
Yes. They’re jokes created by misquotes.
LL