Due Thursday, September 26th - "No, I am Your Father!"

Overview: In Act II, Scene ii, Hamlet is given new life when an acting troupe comes through Elsinore. Hamlet tells Polonius to "let (the actors) be well used; for/they are the abstract and brief chronicles of the/time: after your death you were better have a bad/epitaph than their ill report while you live (II.ii.1597-1599).

Directions:  Choose a small selection of dialogue from a movie/play and pair it with a scene from Hamlet.  Compare and contrast the ideas in the passage.  Think about movies that present a father and son relationship.  You may need to post your responses in two, due the length.  Look at the example below as a guide in your exploration. You may use YouTube links in place or in addition to dialogue.

I look forward to your responses!!!!

Mr. Pellerin's Super Cool Example

From Star Wars:  Episode 5 - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Darth Vader

There is no escape! Don’t make me destroy you. Luke, you do not yet realize your importance. You’ve only begun to discover your power! Join me, and I will complete your training! With our combined strength, we can end this destructive conflict, and bring order to the galaxy.

Luke Skywalker

I’ll never join you!

Vader

If only you knew the power of the Dark Side. Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father.

Luke

He told me enough! He told me you killed him!

Vader

No, I am your father.

Luke

No. No! That’s not true! That’s impossible!

Vader

Search your feelings; you know it to be true!

Luke

No!

Parallel Scene from Hamlet, Act I, Scene v by William Shakespeare

Ghost
If thou hast nature in thee, bear it not;
Let not the royal bed of Denmark be
A couch for luxury and damned incest.
But, howsoever thou pursuest this act,
Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive
Against thy mother aught: leave her to heaven
And to those thorns that in her bosom lodge,
To prick and sting her. Fare thee well at once!
The glow-worm shows the matin to be near,
And 'gins to pale his uneffectual fire:
Adieu, adieu! Hamlet, remember me.

Exit

Hamlet
O all you host of heaven! O earth! what else?
And shall I couple hell? O, fie! Hold, hold, my heart;
And you, my sinews, grow not instant old,
But bear me stiffly up. Remember thee!
Ay, thou poor ghost, while memory holds a seat
In this distracted globe. Remember thee!
Yea, from the table of my memory
I'll wipe away all trivial fond records,
All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past,
That youth and observation copied there;
And thy commandment all alone shall live
Within the book and volume of my brain,
Unmix'd with baser matter: yes, by heaven!
O most pernicious woman!
O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain!
My tables,--meet it is I set it down,
That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain;
At least I'm sure it may be so in Denmark:
So, uncle, there you are. Now to my word;
It is 'Adieu, adieu! remember me.'
I have sworn 't.

My Analysis

In the case of Star Wars, Luke was under the impression that his father was a great Jedi. This is true, but he did know that his father is alive in the form of Darth Vader. In Return of the Jedi, Obi-wan Ken-obi will explain that they are two separate entities. When Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader, “The good man who was your father was gone.” It is Luke’s destiny to confront his father and kill him.

Similarly, Hamlet is confronted with the ghost of his father. While Vader is seen as evil, King Hamlet is seen as a hero. Both fathers are placing a great deal on the shoulders of their respective sons. Like Hamlet, Luke initially does not believe he should comply with his destiny. Hamlet is also unsure and will put on a play to "catch the conscious of the king" (II.ii.1680).

Ultimately, Luke confronts Vader and saves him by allowing his humanity to come through. Vader kills the Emperor to save Luke’s life. His spirit is seen alongside Yoda and Obi-wan at the end of Jedi.  Will Hamlet be able to confront his uncle? Will Hamlet’s father return to aid his son, or is Hamlet on his own from this point further? While Luke had Yoda, Leia, Han, C-3P0, R2 and a host of others, Hamlet only has Horatio.

Due Monday, September 23rd - Petrarch's Sonnets

Overview:  The sonnet, as a poetic genre, began in Italy in the thirteenth century, and, under the later influence of the Italian poet Petrarch, became internationally popular. Petrarch established the basic form of the so-called Petrarchan sonnet Also called Italian sonnet: 14 lines divided into two clear parts, an opening octet (8 lines) and a closing sestet (6 lines) with a fixed rhyme scheme (abbaabba cdecde). Often the octet will pose a problem or paradox which the sestet will resolve. Petrarch also established the convention of the sonnet sequence as a series of love poems written by an adoring lover to an unattainable and unapproachable lady of unsurpassed beauty. The Petrarchan sonnet convention, in other words, established, not merely the form of the poem, but also the subject matter.  I posted "Sonnet 292" below for today's lesson.  Enjoy.

Directions:  Please choose a sonnet by Petrarch (see link below).  Cut and paste it into your post, and analyze it using the terminology we learned in class (see "The Poetry Cheet Sheet" below).  Most importantly, include a detailed personal analysis of the poem in your post.

Petrarch's Sonnets

Today's Lesson:  "Sonnet 292" from the Canzoniere

translated by Anthony Mortimer 

The eyes I spoke of once in words that burn,
the arms and hands and feet and lovely face
that took me from myself for such a space
of time and marked me out from other men;
the waving hair of unmixed gold that shone,
the smile that flashed with the angelic rays
that used to make this earth a paradise,
are now a little dust, all feeling gone;
and yet I live, grief and disdain to me,
left where the light I cherished never shows,
in fragile bark on the tempestuous sea.
Here let my loving song come to a close;
the vein of my accustomed art is dry,
and this, my lyre, turned at last to tears.


The eyes I spoke of with such warmth,

The arms and hands and feet and face

Which took me away from myself

And marked me out from other people;

The waving hair of pure shining gold,

And the flash of her angelic smile,

Which used to make a paradise on earth,

Are a little dust, that feels nothing.

And yet I live, for which I grieve and despise myself,

Left without the light I loved so much,

In a great storm on an unprotected raft.

Here let there be an end to my loving song:

The vein of my accustomed invention has run dry,

And my lyre is turned to tears.

Gli occhi di ch'io parlai sì caldamente,

et le braccia et le mani e i piedi e 'l viso,

che m'avean sì­ da me stesso diviso,

et fatto singular da l'altra gente;

le crespe chiome d'òr puro lucente

'l lampeggiar de l'angelico riso,

che solean fare in terra un paradiso,

poca polvere son, che nulla sente.

Et io pur vivo, onde mi doglio e sdegno,

rimaso senza 'l lume ch'amai tanto,

in gran fortuna e 'n disarmato legno.

Or sia qui fine al mio amoroso canto:

secca è la vena de l'usato ingegno,

et la cetera mia rivolta in pianto.

The Poetry Cheat Sheet 

Tone: This is the attitude of the speaker of the poem. You always have to consider the tone of the speaker even if you’re not specifically asked to analyze it. Tone relates to many of elements below. It’s a “big-picture” or “umbrella” concept. (You should have a “bank” of words in mind: angry, happy, carefree, bitter, sympathetic, sad, nostalgic, ironic, satirical, etc.)

Repetition: Poets often rely on repetition. This can be words, phrases, sounds, images, ideas. If a poet repeats something, it takes on more meaning.

Diction: This refers to words. What words does the poet use? Does he repeat any specific words? What connotation do the words have (positive, negative)?

Syntax/Structure: Do the sentences within the poem or stanzas have a recognizable structure? Does the structure or pattern change at a specific moment?

Imagery (sensory details): This refers to the images of the poem, especially those that appeal to many senses (sight, sound, taste, touch, smell).

Sounds: Sound is often conveyed in poetry. Look for rhyme and repetition, and things such as alliteration, consonance, and assonance (which are repetitions of specific types of sound).

Metaphors/Similes: Comparisons are often used to support imagery, but they can also be used to anchor a poem, to convey a poem’s main message. Any time a poet compares something to something else, you should take note of it.

Irony: This is HUGE in poetry. If something is said or happens that is unexpected, it’s ironic. If it’s sarcastic or satirical, it’s ironic. If you can recognize irony, you’re golden.

Allusion: This is a literary or historical reference. It is not as common on the AP exam, but you should know what it is and how it works.

Rhythm/Rhyme: This is covered with other elements above. This just refers to the recognizable pattern of a poem that gives it a sense of rhythm and flow.

Also:  Sestet (six line stanza), Octet (eight line stanza), Quatrain (four line stanza), couplet (two line stanza)

Due Monday, September 16th - "Hamlet" by William Shakespeare, Act I, scenes iv and v

Overview:  In class, we read, performed, and viewed William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Act I, scenes iv and v.  Now, I would like you to re-examine the text using study questions, below.

Directions:  Attend to one or more of the following questions using 2-3 direct quotations/passages from the text.  If the question is merely asking you about a plot point, please go further and think about the how and why attached to the question.  Further, make psychological and metaphorical connections to the ideas we expressed in class.  When you come into class, we will read each other's responses, respond on the blog and discuss as a class.  I look forward to your thoughts and insights.

Study Questions for Exploration

When Hamlet sees the ghost, how does he react?

Summarize the ghost's description of the murder.

What does Hamlet write in his journal ("my Tables") after his conversation with the ghost?

To what does Hamlet (and the the ghost) make the others swear?

What does Hamlet tell the others he may do if he thinks it meet?

How do Hamlet's last sentences serve to diminish the sense of resolve with which he seems to approach the obligations he has assumed in the rest of the act?

Due Friday, September 13th - "Hamlet" by William Shakespeare, Act I, scenes i and ii

Overview:  In class, we read, performed, and viewed William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Act I, scenes i and ii.  Now, I would like you to re-examine the text using study questions, below.

Directions:  Attend to one or more of the following questions using 2-3 direct quotations/passages from the text.  If the question is merely asking you about a plot point, please go further and think about the how and why attached to the question.  Further, make psychological and metaphorical connections to the ideas we expressed in class.  When you come into class, we will read each other's responses, respond on the blog and discuss as a class.  I look forward to your thoughts and insights.

Study Questions for Exploration

The first line of the play is "Who's there."  Could there be something metaphorical about this first line?

The first speaker in the play is Bernardo. What is he doing when the play begins, and why is his first speech at least somewhat inappropriate to the situation?

In brief, why is Denmark in a state of Military alert as the play opens? How does this help justify Claudius' actions at the beginning of the play?

What do we learn of Horatio's character from the guards' attitude towards him?

In Claudius' first speech, what impression is he trying to give to his listeners?

What do Hamlet's first two speeches reveal about his attitude towards his uncle, the new King?

Paraphrase briefly Hamlet's speech which begins, "Seems, Madam ..." and ends with "suits of woe." What metaphor dominates the speech and helps to define a theme of the play?

In Hamlet's first soliloquy, what specific details reveal his attitude towards his mother?

How does Hamlet react to the arrival of Horatio, Marcellus, and Bernardo? Is his behavior truly indicative of his state of mind?

What does Hamlet's reaction to the story of the ghost reveal about his courage and willingness to take action?

Due Friday, September 6th - Summer Reading Blog Discussion

Overview and Directions:  I would like to get a sense of your writing skills and give you the opportunity to write about your summer reading experience.  If you did not read a book from the list, please choose a work you read recently or love!  Use specific and direct evidence to give us a vivid picture of the work you selected.  Share personal insights.  Make comparisons to works you read in the past.  Make the writing come alive!

Below, I have included a collection of writing prompts to help give you a focus in the writing process.  Also, please consult the blog criteria to the left of the screen.

 I look forward to your responses!

Writing Prompts

Prompt 1. “You can leave home all you want, but home will never leave you.”

—Sonsyrea Tate

Sonsyrea Tate’s statement suggests that “home” may be conceived of as a dwelling, a place, or a state of mind. It may have positive or negative associations, but in either case, it may have a considerable influence on an individual. Choose a novel or play in which a central character leaves home yet finds that home remains significant. Write a well-developed essay in which you analyze the importance of “home” to this character and the reasons for its continuing influence. Explain how the character’s idea of home illuminates the larger meaning of the work.

Prompt 2. In a novel by William Styron, a father tells his son that life “is a search for justice.”

Choose a character from a novel or play who responds in some significant way to justice or injustice. Then write a well-developed essay in which you analyze the character’s understanding of justice, the degree to which the character’s search for justice is successful, and the significance of this search for the work as a whole.

Prompt 3. In The Writing of Fiction (1925), novelist Edith Wharton states the following: At every stage in the progress of his tale the novelist must rely on what may be called the illuminating incident to reveal and emphasize the inner meaning of each situation. Illuminating incidents are the magic casements of fiction, its vistas on infinity.

Choose a novel or play that you have studied and write a well-organized essay in which you describe an “illuminating” episode or moment and explain how it functions as a “casement,” a window that opens onto the meaning of the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary.

Prompt 4. “And, after all, our surroundings influence our lives and characters as much as fate, destiny or any supernatural agency.” Pauline Hopkins, Contending Forces

Choose a novel or play in which cultural, physical, or geographical surroundings shape psychological or moral traits in a character. Then write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how surroundings affect this character and illuminate the meaning of the work as a whole.

Prompt 5.  It has often been said that what we value can be determined only by what we sacrifice. Consider how this statement applies to a character from a novel or play. Select a character that has deliberately sacrificed, surrendered, or forfeited something in a way that highlights that character’s values. Then write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how the particular sacrifice illuminates the character’s values and provides a deeper understanding of the meaning of the work as a whole.

Prompt 6. In literary works, cruelty often functions as a crucial motivation or a major social or political factor. Select a novel, play, or epic poem in which acts of cruelty are important to the theme. Then write a well-developed essay analyzing how cruelty functions in the work as a whole and what the cruelty reveals about the perpetrator and/or victim.

Prompt 7. Many works of literature contain a character who intentionally deceives others. The character’s dishonesty may be intended either to help or to hurt. Such a character, for example, may choose to mislead others for personal safety, to spare someone’s feelings, or to carry out a crime. Choose a novel or play in which a character deceives others. Then, in a well-written essay, analyze the motives for that character’s deception and discuss how the deception contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.

Prompt 8. Select a novel, play, or epic poem that features a character whose origins are unusual or mysterious. Then write an essay in which you analyze how these origins shape the character and that character’s relationships, and how the origins contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole.

Prompt 9. In his 2004 novel Magic Seeds, V. S. Naipaul writes: “It is wrong to have an ideal view of the world. That’s where the mischief starts. That’s where everything starts unravelling.”

Select a novel, play, or epic poem in which a character holds an “ideal view of the world.” Then write an essay in which you analyze the character’s idealism and its positive or negative consequences. Explain how the author’s portrayal of this idealism illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole.

Introduction to Shakespeare

First Performed	Plays	First Printed
1590-91	Henry VI, Part I (H)	1594?
1590-91	Henry VI, Part II (H)	1594?
1591-92	Henry VI, Part III (H)	1623
1592-93	Richard III (T)	1597
1592-93	Comedy of Errors (C)	1623
1593-94	Titus Andronicus (T)	1594
1593-94	Taming of the Shrew (C)	1623
1594-95	Two Gentlemen of Verona (C)	1623
1594-95	Love's Labour's Lost (C)	1598?
1594-95	Romeo and Juliet (T)	1597
1595-96	Richard II (T)	1597
1595-96	A Midsummer Night's Dream (C)	1600
1596-97	King John (H)	1623
1596-97	The Merchant of Venice (C)	1600
1597-98	Henry IV, Part I (H)	1598
1597-98	Henry IV, Part II (H)	1600
1598-99	Much Ado About Nothing (C)	1600
1598-99	Henry V (H)	1600
1599-1600	Julius Caesar (T)	1623
1599-1600	As You Like It (C)	1623
1599-1600	Twelfth Night (C)	1623
1600-01	Hamlet (T)	1603
1600-01	The Merry Wives of Windsor (C)	1602
1601-02	Troilus and Cressida (P)	1609
1602-03	All's Well That Ends Well (P)	1623
1604-05	Measure for Measure (P)	1623
1604-05	Othello (T)	1622
1605-06	King Lear (T)	1608
1605-06	Macbeth (T)	1623
1606-07	Antony and Cleopatra (T)	1623
1607-08	Coriolanus (T)	1623
1607-08	Timon of Athens (T)	1623
1608-09	Pericles (R)	1609
1609-10	Cymbeline (T)	1623
1610-11	The Winter's Tale (R)	1623
1611-12	The Tempest (R)	1623
1612-13	Henry VIII (H)	1623
1612-13	The Two Noble Kinsmen* (C)	1634

This chart shows samples of the changes in English.

#1 is Old English or Anglo-Saxon (circa 450-1066 CE).
#2 is Middle English (circa 1066-1450 AD).
#3 is Modern English from about the time of Shakespeare.
#4 is another sample of Modern English, but it is more recent than #3.

Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare

Saturninus, son to the late Emperor of Rome, [afterwards declared Emperor]

Bassianus, brother to Saturninus, in love with Lavinia

Titus Andronicus, a Roman, general against the Goths

Marcus Andronicus, tribune of the people, and brother to Titus

Lucius, Quintus, Martius, Mutius, sons to Titus Andronicus

Lavinia, daughter to Titus Andronicus

Young Lucius, a boy, son to Lucius

Tamora, queen of the Goths

Alarbus, Demetrius, Chiron, sons to Tamora

Aaron, a Moor, beloved by Tamora

Welcome to Dramatic Literature

Mission and Philosophy

We will be creating a literary community through reading, writing, and blogging; discovering classic dramatic literature from the past and present through voices from around the world. I want you to learn how literature makes us know that we are not alone; we are spiritually connected and can feel safe.

How will we do this?

Dramatic Literature is more about teaching students to read and write with greater insight, as well as a chance to help students develop a genuine sense of empathy through literature. This course hopes to re-examine the entire idea of “rigor” by implementing global citizenship into every aspect of the curriculum, making it a richer experience and creating a model for curriculum at Andover High School. Each section of the unit will have three components:

1) Global Citizenship
2) Well-chosen plays which connect to the former from the past and present.
3) Experiences where students find connections in drama to themselves and the world.

The framework of the course will consist of a series of existential questions from Dr. William Gaudelli’s research. Each question, piece of literature, and overall learning experience will build on the next. Toward the end of term two, students will be having experiences where they combine all these elements and have direct contact with students from another country, students from an adjoining city, and share their work in a public forum.

In addition, I reworked “grading” last year and students found it highly rewarding. My grading system focuses on the big picture, student personal growth, enthusiasm, participation, authenticity, and passion for the ideas we discuss.

I hope you enjoy the course, and I look forward to sharing in this journey with all of you!


Major Themes & Talking Points

• Why drama?
• The line between comedy and tragedy
• How does one define reality? 
• What is truth? Does it even exist?
• Ghosts! Link between past, present, and future 
• Is there such a thing as self-identity?
• What is the cost of being truly authentic? 
• Dealing with death and mortality
• The paradox: How does it get to the heart of a matter?
• What constitutes good writing?
• Developing a personal writing style
• Public speaking through performance

Major Works

• Allegory of a Cave by Plato
• Ghosts by Henrik Ibsen
• The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
• Wit by Margaret Edson
• Holy Sonnets by John Donne
• Hamlet by William Shakespeare
• Shakespeare's Sonnets
• A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams
• Six Degrees of Separation by John Guare
• Proof by David Auburn

Assessments

Class Participation, Blogs, Daily Meditation Journal, and Homework 50%
Every night you will read a selection from the works above and compose a blog response. If you are absent, please view the blog and respond when you are able. Criteria and rubrics for the above will be made available. At the beginning of every class, I will read a piece of literature to bring you in the present followed by a five minute free write to be composed in your meditative journal. I will check these at the end of the term.

Writing & Performances 50%
This category includes all major writing assignments, screenplays, and final performances. Criteria and rubrics for the above will be made available.


Turnitin.com

Class ID: 22103951
Enrollment Key: princehamlet


Aspen

Grades and progress reports will be consistently posted on Aspen. It is your responsibility to track your progress.


Classroom Behavior

Students must adhere to the rules of conduct outlined in the Andover High School Student Handbook 2018-2019 edition. If you act like an authentic adult, you will be treated in kind.

No cell phones, ever. I do not want to see them.