Nick Moorcroft

Angus, a working-class narrator, addresses the audience directly to introduce the gritty and hypocritical world of 1828 Edinburgh. He establishes the contrast between the city's 'Enlightenment' reputation and the reality of its impoverished citizens and debauched medical students.

Dr. Knox delivers a rousing lecture on the rapid advancement of the 19th century while a montage reveals the grim reality of Burke and Hare's body-snatching business. As Knox praises the 'enlightened times,' the duo struggles to keep up with his demand for fresh corpses, unaware that the militia is beginning to investigate the rising number of missing persons. The scene juxtaposes high-minded scientific ambition with the gritty, criminal labor that fuels it.