Block Day, March 30 ~ Hamlet 1.3-1.5 (Finish Act 1)

Good luck Thespians!!!! I know you will both impress them.


Today in class let's

• Discuss the Journal Q's on 1.2 (What do you think of his soliloquy considering he gives it before he knows about the ghost?)
• Read a summary to check our understanding. I like this one because it packs in a bit of analysis too. Let's check out the character descriptions while we're at it.
• Finish up Act 1

HW: Journal 7 (Hamlet 1.3-1.5)
1.3 -  Describe the relationship dynamics between Hamlet, Ophelia, Laertes and Polonius. Why does Ophelia answer L and P so differently?
1.4 -  What do you think are the motives of the ghost? Is there anything symbolic here?
1.5  -  Hamlet swears Horatio and Marcellus to secrecy (1.5. 189-202).  What might Hamlet be doing that they should say nothing about?  Is Hamlet predicting how he’ll react to all this later, or is he letting them in on a plan?  Explain, and explain why this matters.
After ACT 1 - After reading 1.4 and 1.5, does the atmosphere/mood of 1.2 and 1.3 seem different?  Explain.
 

Wednesday, March 29 ~ Hamlet begins!

Hamlet

• First a silly preview.
• And a language activity!

Journal 6
Act I, Scene I
1. How does Shakespeare begin the paly with an immediate sense of suspense?
2. What probably important exposition is revealed in this scene?
3. Why has Horatio been asked to join the soldiers in the night watch? What has he decided to do?
4. How does the reader/audience know this ghost is not a hallucination?

Act I, Scene II
1. What important exposition is revealed at the beginning of this scene.
2. What evidence of wrongdoing or corruption is evident in Claudius’ opening speech?
3. Compare Claudius’ treatment of Laertes with his treatment of Hamlet.
4. Why did Hamlet not become King when his father died?
5. How is Hamlet physically and emotionally conspicuous in the public portion of this scene?
6. What is the significance of Claudius’ denying Hamlet permission to return to Wittenberg?
7. What aspect of Hamlet’s concept of death/desire for death is revealed in Hamlet’s first soliloquy? 8. What aspect of Hamlet’s problem seems to bother him the most?
9. What important metaphor is introduced in Hamlet’s soliloquy that will be developed later in the play?
10. Contrast Horatio’s and Laertes’ reasons for being in Denmark.

Tuesday, March 28 ~ How did the taming work out?

Go over Act 4.

Journal 5: Act 5

1. What is Vincentio’s response  to Tranio’s clothing, and why?
2. Gremio thinks he recognizes Vincentio to be who he says he is, but he can’t help Vincentio. Why? What does this say about Gremio?
3. What is the history of Vincentio’s relationship with Tranio? What does it suggest about the status  of servants in some Elizabethan households?
4. How does Tranio and Biondello’s treatment  of Vincentio echo Petruchio’s treatment  of Kate and the lord’s treatment of Christopher Sly?
5. How might Petruchio’s kiss suggest something other than a game of obedience that he must win?
6. Bianca makes fun of Gremio, and then she makes several lewd jokes. How has she changed? What might explain the change in her behavior?
7. What metaphor  does Tranio use to describe himself, and why? What motif does this metaphor  il- lustrate? What idea does it convey?
8. Lucentio “bids” his mistress  come to him, Hortensio “entreats,” and Petruchio “commands.” What differences do these words reflect about the balance of power in the three relationships?
9. Describe Kate’s speech about a wife’s role. What arguments  does it offer for why a woman should obey her husband?
10. Early in the play, Petruchio predicts what will happen when he and Kate marry: “Where two rag- ing fires meet together / They do consume the thing that feeds their fury.” Explain how Petruchio’s prediction seems to have come true by the end of the play.

Monday, March 27 ~ Taming Tamed

Ladies!!!! I found a pile of Hamlet books! You won't need to buy a hard copy.

Go over J3: Act IV Questions

HW: Journal 4: Act V

1. How does Biondello greet Vincentio? Why?

2. What is Vincentio’s response  to Tranio’s clothing, and why?

3. What assumption does Vincentio make about why Tranio is pretending to be Lucentio? What does Tranio do in response?

4. Gremio thinks he recognizes Vincentio to be who he says he is, but he can’t help Vincentio. Why? What does this say about Gremio?

5. How is the elaborate web of lies finally revealed?

6. What is the history of Vincentio’s relationship with Tranio? What does it suggest about the status  of servants in some Elizabethan households?

7. How does Tranio and Biondello’s treatment  of Vincentio echo Petruchio’s treatment  of Kate and the lord’s treatment of Christopher Sly?

8. How does Petruchio convince Kate to kiss him in the street?

  9. How might Petruchio’s kiss suggest something other than a game of obedience that he 
  must win?

Wahoo! Taming of the Shew is almost finished. 

Taming of the Shrew Final Assessment:

Home Watching & Writing Prompt: Analyze the relationship between The Taming of the Shrew and one of its film adaptations (Consider 10 Things I Hate About You or a film adaptation of the original play or even Kiss Me Kate if you're feeling musical). 

• How does the transition from stage to screen affect the core story of Taming of the Shrew? 
• Consider how one or two formal elements in the film adaptation enhance—or detract from—the story's original theme(s), motifs, etc... 
• Due Block Day, March 30.

Block Day 3/23 ~ Taming of the Shrew Act 3 & 4

Discuss: Taming ACT III
1. Contrast Bianca’s behavior in this scene with that of previous scenes. How does she seem different?
2. Describe the role of disguise and pretense in this scene.
3. How does Biondello describe Petruchio’s appearance in approaching the wedding? Symbolism?
4. When Baptista entreats Petruchio to change his clothes, what reason does he give for refusing?
5. Describe the first confrontation between Kate and Petruchio as husband  and wife. Who prevails, and how? What do you think of the guests' reaction? 
6. What recounting does Gremio offer of the wedding ceremony? Why might Shakespeare have decided to relay the events through Gremio rather than stage the scene for the audience?
7. What do you make of Petrucio's strange performance during the wedding? What might Shakespeare be saying?


Journal 3: ACT IV
4.1- What purpose is served by the introductory horse scene description?

4.2- How has our understanding of Tranio changed? 
4.3
1.Describe the functions of both food and clothing in this scene.
2. Describe Kate’s spirit. Is she “tamed,” or is she the same as she was when the audience first meets her?

3. Why does Kate accuse Petruchio of making her a puppet? How does Petruchio respond to this accusation?

4. Describe the conversation about the time of day between Kate and Petruchio. What point is Petruchio making?

4.4- Describe the complications and the facade with the Pedant. 
4.5

1. What game with regard to the sun and the moon does Petruchio play with Kate? What is his purpose?

2. Kate is compared both to a “field” (“the field is won”) and to a participant in a game of bowling

(“Thus the bowl should run”). How does each of these comparisons objectify her?

3. How does Petruchio make Vincentio a prop in his taming of Kate? Later, Kate makes an embellished speech instead of merely acknowledging Vincentio is a maiden as Petruchio has said? What might the speech suggest about her?

  4. What effect has Petruchio had on Hortensio?