Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow

Slings and Arrows explains Macbeth's tomorrow speech:

Anthony Sher's Macbeth:

I won't play Mackers!

Shakespeare in Ashland

Click here for information and intinerary for Shakespeare in Ashland.

Julius Caesar journal #1

One page: What does the play have to say so far about...
politics
character (as in moral character)
the common people
trust (or mistrust)
ambition
conspiracy
something else?

(include 1-3 of your favorite lines from acts 1 or 2)
Click here to search for good lines.

Hamlet final project

Here are some helpful links for the final project:

Film reviews
Branagh's Hamlet reviewed in Variety
Branagh's Hamlet reviewed in The New York Times
Gibson's Hamlet reviewed in The New York Times
Gibson's Hamlet reviewed by Roger Ebert
Tennant's Hamlet reviewed in The Guardian
Tennant's Hamlet reviewed in The Telegraph
Tennant's Hamlet reviewed by the BBC

Stage/ acting history
A stage history of Hamlet from the Royal Shakespeare Company
"Hamlet" from theatrehistory.com
"Acting Hamlet" from theatrehistory.com
"All Sorts of Hamlets"

Click this link if you want to read some excerpts from a review of the OSF 2010 Hamlet.

Click this link if you want a copy of the Hamlet film comparison graphic.

"Slings and Arrows" explains Ophelia

Mariah Gale as Ophelia

Mariah Gale as Ophelia (part 2)

“To be or not to be” journal

This speech has been called the “most famous and most misinterpreted speech in all of literature."

Pick one or more of these questions for your journal:

Why do you think this speech is so famous?

What is Hamlet’s state of mind at the moment he delivers the speech?

What is he thinking about?

What is this speech about?

What’s your favorite line from the speech besides “to be or not to be”? Why?

Freewrite topics for Lord of the Flies journal #6

1. What does Golding wish for us to believe about the role of shame in a society?

2. What does Golding wish for us to believe about the effect of anonymity on the individual?

3. What does Golding wish for us to believe is the primary component of a civilized society?

4. What does William Golding wish for us to believe is the primary cause of the descent into savagery?

Hamlet FYI

Click here for background pages on Hamlet that I mentioned in class.

An actor prepares to perform Shakespeare

Gregory Linington prepares for roles at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

Cick here for the video.

Click here for the article.

Click here to see what his script looks like.

Passages for act 3 reading log

3.3.19-28

3.3.155-161

3.3.342-354

3.3.407-423

3.4.56-76

Approaches to Shakespeare

Greetings Approaches to Shakespeare students. Click the link below to access all documents for our course.

Approaches to Shakespeare documents

And here are some useful links for you:

Shakespeare Insulter

Shakespeare Help

Open Source Shakespeare

Folger Shakespeare Library

Shakespeare Competition

Shakespeare in American Communities

Shakespeare's Globe

Heritage Institute (where you will find the Shakespeare course in Ashland)

Hamlet Act 5 (This American Life episode on Shakespeare in prison)

Third Quarter Extra Credit-- 10 pts

Does literature still matter?

To earn the 3rd quarter extra credit, read the article below and write a comment of no less than 50 words about it. You may either leave your comment here on the blog in the comments section (be sure to leave your name) or write one out and hand it to me on Monday morning before 7:45.

Does Literature Still Matter

The Piano Lesson key passages

Here is a link to the key passage list for The Piano Lesson: key passages

The Piano Lesson essay topics

1. How does Wilson use the motif of haunting to develop an important theme?
2. How does Wilson use the motif of ownership to develop an important theme?
3. How does Wilson use the symbol of the piano to develop an important theme?
4. What does Boy Willie symbolize and how does that symbol develop an important theme?
5. What does Maretha symbolize and how does that symbol develop an important theme?
6. What does Berniece’s relationship with Maretha symbolize?
7. How does the conflict between Berniece and Boy Willie over Maretha develop an important theme?
8. How does the conflict between Berniece and Boy Willie over the piano develop an important theme?
9. How does the contrast between Boy Willie’s and Avery’s attitudes about white people develop an important theme?
10. How does the contrast between Boy Willie’s and Avery’s attitudes about power develop an important theme?
11. How does Wilson express his theme on the American Dream through conflict, characterization, symbolism, motif or some other device?
12. How does Wilson express his theme on work/craft/labor through conflict, characterization, symbolism, motif or some other device?
13. What important theme is embodied in one of Boy Willie’s “soliloquies” in Act 2 scene 5?
14. How does Wilson use the motif of the epithet nigger to develop an important theme?

Guiding questions for Lord of the Flies key passages

1. What makes this passage key?

2. Which lit. terms are important in this passage and why? Does the passage contain a motif, symbolism, important characterization, an important external conflict, an important internal conflict, etc?

3. Which specific topics (such as savagery vs. civilization, survival, instinct, loss of innocence, law and order, anonymity, etc) are illuminated in this passage? Are there new topics we see in the passage?

4. How is the passage relevant to previous passages? How do the boys or the actions of the boys in this passage remind you of something from previous passages?

5. Which character is the “star” of the passage? Why?

6. What are the key phrases in the passages?

7. What are the key words?

Extra Credit

To earn the 10 points extra credit for 2nd quarter, you must read one article posted below and write a 200-300 reaction to your reading. Your written reaction is informal and should just reflect your personal response to what you’ve read.

Due: Monday, February 7

Life in Shakespeare's London

A Short Shakespeare Biography

The Authorship Question

Is Shakespeare relevant to the Modern Age?

How popular is Shakespeare?

Juliet Lives

No Fear Shakespeare on your iPhone

Advanced Sophomore English calendar

Click here to view the calendar for the first quarter. Keep in mind I will modify this occasionally as things change over the quarter.

Siddhartha calendar

Click here.

The Joy Luck Club calendar

Click here.

Like Water for Chocolate calendar

Click here.

Things Fall Apart Calendar

Starting today, I will no longer put up the daily agenda on the blog. Instead, you can just view the whole calendar for the unit by clicking the link below. Keep in mind that information on future dates on the calendar are always subject to change.

Things Fall Apart Calendar

Othello Calendar

Starting today, I will no longer put up the daily agenda on the blog. Instead, you can just view the whole calendar for the unit by clicking the link below. Keep in mind that information on future dates on the calendar are always subject to change.

Othello Calendar

Mon 5/3

Sophomores
vocab warm up
Review journal 4
Act 4 aloud
HW: journal 5

Seniors
vocab quiz
TFA Ch 5-7: Ekwefi, Ezinma, Ogbuefi Ezeuda, Feast of the New Yam, Wrestling, the demise of Ikemefuna
NB questions for 5-7
HW: complete freshmen proverb
HW: read TFA ch 8-10

Fri 4/30

Sophomores
Vocab warm up
Finish act 3
Desdemona story circle
Magic in the web
HW: Journal 4


Seniors
Turn in speech drafts
vocab warm up
TFA ch 3-4: Agbala, Week of Peace, Yams, marriage and family, Okonkwo's character, Ikemefuna's role
Freshman proverb: due Monday for 10 points
HW: read ch 5-7, complete speech draft

Thur 4/29

Sophomores
Vocab warm up
Lit terms:foil, paradox, comic relief, symbolism
Review Journal #3
Act 3 round robin—finish tomorrow


Seniors
vocab warm up
TFA names to remember: Okonkwo, Amalinze the Cat, Unoka, Umuofia, Mbiano, Ikemefuna, Nwoye, Ibo
Okonkwo's character, Ibo culture
Advice to freshman brainstorm
proverbs
HW: read ch 3-4-- possible quiz tomorrow

Tue 4/27

Sophomores
Vocab warm up
Finish act 2
Picture this: Divinity of Hell plus
Lit term: comic relief
HW: read to page 88 line 89

Seniors
vocab warm up
Things Fall Apart anticipation questions
TFA background reading
read TFA ch 1-2
HW: work on speech

Mon 4/26

Sophomores
Vocab quiz, new list
Journal review
2.1.175-?
HW: get to page 76 line 252

Seniors
Vocab warm up
Speech workshop
Get new book: Things Fall Apart
HW: work on speech—10 pts for draft due Friday, no late work

Fri 4/23

Sophomores
Vocab warm up
Journal discussion
“Ring the changes”
Iago story circle
2.1 to line 175
HW: journal 3


Seniors
Conventions quiz
Stranger twiz
Introduce speech assignment: typed draft due next Friday

Thur 4/22

Sophomores
Vocab warm up
Journal discussion
Choral: Othello love story
Review details of 1.3 to line 125
1.3.47 to end
HW: Othello journal 2

Seniors
Conventions: review
Quickwrite: Why do we fear death? Should we or shouldn’t we?
Complete all NB questions
Camus’ afterword
HW: study for conventions quiz and Stranger twiz

Wed 4/22

Sophomores
Vocab warm up
Review details of slightly cut script
Begin lit terms chart
1.1-1.2 in class
Othello journal 1
HW: read 1.3 to line 125


Seniors
Conventions: pro/ant agreement
Existentialism notes
Stranger p 2 ch 3 questions in class
Sysyphus and absurdism
HW: finish book

Tue 4/20

Sophomores
complete state writing test

Seniors
1. Stranger p 2 ch 1-2 questions in class
2. Ethics survey
3. The Card Game
3. Existentialism: What is it?
HW: p 2. ch 3-4 and NB quest

Mon 4/19

Sophomores
1. Othello vocab-- look up words for Wednesday
2. Grammar pre-test
3. begin state writing test

Seniors

1. 3^rd quarter grades, extra credit draft

2. Conventions: sub/verb agreement

3. Stranger ch 5-6 questions in class

4. HW: part 2 ch 3-4 and do NB questions

Thur 4/15

Sophomores
1. grammar retake
2. the Lover, girlfriend and buddy continued-- details
3. slightly cut script
4. Next week: Writing test on Monday and Tuesday

Wed 4/14

Sophomores
1. grammar review
2. The Lover, The Girlfriend, The Buddy improv
3. get books--- Othello

Seniors
1. conventions: apostrophes
2. ch 1 plus questions discussion
3. Charlie Brown and the meaning of life
4. more philosophy reading
5. HW: read to page 39 and do questions 4-14

Mon 4/13

Sophomores
1. grammar review
2. Bardology slideshow
3. extra credit
4. line tossing improvs--- perform

Seniors
1. turnitin.com class ID and password
2. conventions: capitalization
3. philosophy quickwrite 2: What is good and what is bad? How can you tell the difference between the two?
4. more philosophy reading
5. HW: read The Stranger ch 1 and do NB questions

Mon 4/12

Sophomores
1. counseling info session
2. grammar 12
3. begin grammar review: apostrophes
4. Bardology 101
5. Line tossing

Seniors
1. RD peer review
2. philosophy quickwrite
3. philosophy reading (part 1)
4. get The Stranger books

Wed 4/7

Sophomores
1. grammar
2. finish film
3. essay topics
4. HW: freewrite one page on one essay topic, grammar 11

Seniors
1. vocab warm up
2. Ch 11-12 questions passages
3. check NBs
4. essay structure, conventions, quotations
5. Workshop: do essay prep sheet 1 and 2

Tue 4/6

Sophomores
1. vocab quiz
2. grammar
3. last questions
4. continue film
5. HW: grammar 10

Seniors
1. vocab warm up
2. ch 10 passages and questions
3. sample essay: hospital battleground
4. HW: complete reading, complete ch questions

Mon 1/5

Sophomores
1. vocab/ grammar
2. discuss 30-32
3. begin film
4. HW: finish book, do NB questions 4-6, grammar 9, review vocab for quiz

Seniors
1. vocab warm up
2. ch 8-9 passages, and review, complete ch questions
3. HW: read ch 10

Fri 4/2

Sophomores
1. vocab
2. grammar
3. last discussion on Book II
4. HW: read ch 30-32

Seniors
1. vocab quiz
2. Reflections: "The Hurt Locker" and "Here Bullet"
3. ch 7 questions, passages
4. HW: read ch 8-9

Thur 4/1

Sophomores
1. vocab
2. grammar
3. share NB response
4. Journal 8
5. HW: finish Book II and questions
6. HW: grammar 7

Seniors
1. vocab
2. Reflections: "My Son" and "Clusters"
3. finish ch 7