Monday, December 22, 2008

Oedipus the King


Students are to read Oedipus the King over the break. We will continue reading Richard III when we return from vacation.


Thursday, December 18, 2008

Passage Analysis

In class we read through Act I, scene 1 and a few pages of scene 2 of Richard III. The passage analysis that is due for HW can be found by following these instructions.

  1. click on the Exam link under Course Links
  2. click Sample Questions & Scoring while on the college board site
  3. click 2002 Form B Free Response Questions
  4. scroll to section II Question 1
  5. it is the passage dealing with the "impression of Quoyle as a character.

Monday, December 15, 2008

The Wars of the Roses-Research

Use the links I have provided to research the conflict that is central to many of Shakespeare's histories. This should provide sufficient background knowledge and notes leading into Richard III. You should complete the following while you are researching:


How/why did the conflict begin?
How long did it last?
Why is it the war of the roses?
How was it resolved?
What are the famous battles? Including Richard III?
What are the myths about Richard III?
How many victories did each house have?
How many of Shakespeare's histories cover this period?
Take the quiz on site 6.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

The Tempest essay

The students completed the following assignment in class today:

Choose a work of literature written before 1900. Write an essay in which you present arguments for and against the work’s relevance for a person in 2008. Your own position should emerge in the course of your essay. You may refer to works of literature written after 1900 for the purpose of contrast or comparison.

You MUST choose one of the following works:

The Tempest

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

The Tempest

Finish reading The Tempest for HW.

Monday, December 8, 2008

The Tempest

Read through Act IV of The Tempest by tomorrow.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

For Monday

Students are to have read through Act II of The Tempest for Monday.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

The students completed the following assignment in class today:



Unlike the novelist, the writer of a play does not use his own voice and only rarely uses the narrator’s voice to guide the audience’s responses to character and action. Select a play you have read and write an essay in which you explain the techniques the playwright uses to guide his audience’s responses to the central characters and the action.

You might consider the effect on the audience of things like setting, the use of comparable and contrasting characters, and the characters’ responses to each other. Support your argument with specific references to the play. Do not give a plot summary.

You MUST choose one of the following works:

The Taming of the Shrew

Monday, December 1, 2008

The Taming of the Shrew

Bring your copy of shrew tomorrow.