Have a great holiday!

Richard III

The students completed Act I today in class. Also, students are to read through chapter 34 of Pride and Prejudice over the break. Students were given a packet to complete along with their reading, which is due when they return from break, and a multiple choice packet to be completed by the end of the marking period.

Richard III

Students received their essays on "One Art" today. I covered some of the common areas of trouble with the class. We then read Act I, scene 1 of Richard III.

Students presented information on ballads today. We will complete an in class essay tomorrow. I will distribute checklists for analyzing poetry tomorrow.

English Sonnet

Today the English Sonnet groups presented. Tomorrow will be Italian Sonnets. We discussed breaking them down by quatrains.

Form

Students began working on the following assignment:

Poetry
Form/Pattern
Group Assignment
20pts

Your assignment is to examine a specific form of poetry. You must provide a clear explanation for the rest of the class including examples. You have to teach this. You must decide on your approach (handouts, PowerPoint, poster, etc.). You must also write an original poem in the form you are teaching.


You must provide a poem for class discussion. Your group will lead the discussion of the poem. This includes asking questions that guide the class discussion. Be prepared with specific discussion questions. You are the expert on the poem, but you must teach it, not explain it. Your goal is to analyze the poem and how the form impacts the meaning of the poem. Your classmates will decide if you are effective. All students must participate in the discussion. It is your job to see to this.

Forms:
• English Sonnet
• Italian Sonnet
• Villanelle
• Ballad
• Ode


Presentations will begin on Wednesday.

poetry

We have analyzed and discussed the following poems this week: "THe Oxen" "getting Out" "We Real Cool" "Blackberry Sweet" "Nothing Gold Can Stay" "Had I The Choice" and "To A Daughter Leaving Home"


Students are to read through chapter 14 by Monday. Students will be given a group assignment next week.

Students also received the following handout for study:

Terms covered in Sound & Sense. Not only must you know the definition of each item on this list, but you must also be able to apply them to the analysis of poetry.


• Connotation/Denotation
• Imagery
• Simile
• Metaphor
• Personification
• Apostrophe
• Metonymy/Synecdoche
• Symbol
• Allegory
• Paradox
• Overstatement/Understatement
• Irony-verbal, dramatic, situation
• Allusion
• Tone
• Repetition
• Alliteration
• Assonance
• Consonance
• Rhyme-masculine, feminine, internal, end, slant
• Refrain
• Rhythm
• Accented/Stressed
• End Stopped Line/Run-on Line
• Caesuras
• Free Verse
• Prose Poem
• Meter
• Foot
• Stanza
• Scansion
• Onomatopoeia
• Structure
• Form
• Sonnet-Italian (Petrarchan)/English (Shakespearean)
• Octave
• Sestet
• Quatrain
• Couplet
• Satire
• Sarcasm

Poetry

I have been out ill for the past 2 days, but I left the following poems for students to analyze: "To a Waterfowl" "Design" and "Evening Hawk". We will discuss these today in class.

Today we discussed "My Last Duchess" "In the inner city" and "Ulysses"

Students will complete an essay tomorrow.

Today we compared "How Annandale Went Out" and "To The Mercy Killers"

Poetry

Today we discussed "Mirror" "Naming of Parts" and "Cross".


Students are to read chapter 4 of Sound and Sense for tomorrow.

Poetry

Today we discussed "The Whipping" and "Terence, this is stupid stuff" from chapter 1 of Sound and Sense. Student will write an essay on The Handmaid's Tale tomorrow and must read chapter 2 of S & S for Friday.

Students continued working in groups on a study guide for The Handmaid's Tale.

Students worked in study groups preparing notes for The Handmaid's Tale. The focus has been on the satirical purpose of their examples.

Today the students worked on a few sample multiple choice sections. Students are to analyze their incorrect responses and look for patterns.

The Handmaid's Tale

Today we discussed the historical notes and Jezebel's.

Today we discussed a random passage from a past exam.

Today we discussed the scrabble words from The Handmaid's Tale.

Today we discussed word choice and connotation using examples from The Handmaid's Tale.

The students completed an open response essay in class today.

Today we practiced more open essay planning. The powerpoint is posted on this blog.
Tomorrow students will be writing an essay on We.

Open Essay

Today we brainstormed titles for several open essay prompts. Tomorrow I will present some tips for success on the essay. Students will be writing an essay on We on Thursday.

The Handmaid's Tale

Students are to read to page 195 by next Friday. Today we continued our discussion of the novel.

The Handmaid's Tale

Today we began our discussion of the novel.

Q3

Today we examined an open-response prompt. Students were asked to brainstorm novels/plays they could use in response to the prompt. Discussion followed.

Students also were given individual research projects yesterday. They are to look up 4 of the following terms/allusions:

Angels
Marthas
Commanders of the Faithful
Guardians of the Faith
Beatitudes
Whirlwind
Chariot
Behemoth
Gilead
Econowives
Unwomen
Lilies of the Field
Milk and Honey
All Flesh
Gender Treachery
Tammy Faye Bakker
Eyes of the Lord
Quakers
Loaves and Fishes
Rachel and Leah

Students were given time to rewrite their first essays after a brief discussion on syntax.

Diction/Tone

Today we covered diction and tone again. I have added the presentation I used to the right side of this blog. We then looked at syntax and began analyzing the passages from the packet the students received last week.

Diction

We continued our analysis of diction today. Students received a worksheet which can be accessed here. We applied some of these adjectives to the passages that students received yesterday, which can be found here.

Diction

Today we read sample passages in an effort to strengthen the students' analysis of diction. Students spent time brainstorming appropriate adjectives to describe the diction of each passage. This study will continue over the next few days. Students also received a copy of The Handmaid's Tale. They are to read the first 100 pages by next Thursday.

Essays

Students received their passage analysis essays today. We then looked at samples of their writing and discussed how to improve them.

Here is the handout of samples:

In the passage, uses literary devices such as diction, imagery, and figurative language to generate a clear image of the character Quoyle.


The author spends a great deal of time referring back to Quoyle’s past to help explain why Quoyle is so dreary as an adult.


Certain diction such as “Eyes the color of plastic” and “brimming with grief and thwarted love” give examples of the sadness Quoyle faces day after day.

Yet a lack of an appealing outward shell is not Quoyle’s only fault. The author describes the man as having a montage of failures that had been shown to “multiply like an explosion of virulent cells.” These included the inability to swim, speak clearly, sit up straight, get up in the morning, have a good attitude, or have ambition or ability.

The diction makes the passage dreary and pitiful.

Referring back to the industrial revolution of the 1800s, cities were slums of poverty, disease, and death. “Hoovervilles” of the 30s during the “Great Depression” were representations of city-life, being that of sadness and helplessness.

Finally, the exaggeration of loneliness adds suspense-where is this passage leading to?

The author of this passage uses very descriptive words to express the torment that is Quoyle’s life.

The use of figurative language in “the father saw other failures multiply like an explosion of virulent cells,” demonstrates the extreme feelings of Quoyle’s father towards him, while also using imagery to reinforce that point.

This passage contains many examples of excellent diction, and imagery that provide a clear and concise picture of the character, Quoyle.

This sentence forms the image of a teenager in college….

Had the author chosen any other word than “stumbled” the image depicted of Quoyle would have changed drastically.

I can only assume that his grotesque appearance and deformities made other students mock him, and all he did was ignore it.

Today we discussed passages from We that the students selected. We will continue our discussion tomorrow.

blogs

Today the students began setting up their AP lit blogs. Here are the instructions:


Setting up your blog.

1. Go to www.blogger.com
2. Click Create Your Blog Now
3. Provide your email address
• Create a password that you will not forget
• Choose a name-it should not be your actual name (choose a fake name)

4. Choose any template you like
5. Choose an address
6. Click the Settings tab
7. Click the Email tab
8. In the Blogsend Address window type in klimasthocles@gmail.com



Requirements:

• You must have 1 blog per novel. This will be your on-going journal covering all of the works we read this year
• Each blog must contain the following
a. Analysis of a topic/theme/symbol/argument/etc. of your choice
b. Your favorite line/quote/passage along with an explanation and analysis
c. Your thoughts on the novel. This can be a review or casual commentary. Why did you like/dislike the work?
d. You must comment on at least 2 of your classmates’ blogs for each marking period.
e. Your blog should reflect your personality. Make it your own.
f. *you can upload images/videos. They should relate to the work you are posting about.
g. Provide me with your blog address and screen name

We

Today we began our discussion of We.

MC

Today we continued working on some multiple choice practice tests. Students also received the following project which is due Wednesday 9/28:


We
10pts


Complete both of the following tasks:

1. Ode to OneState:
You are to compose a poem either in honor of OneState, The Benefactor, or the beauty of mathematics. The poem must be of a nature that if a Guardian were to read it, you would not face the machine as a result. The structure and style of the poem must also be consistent with the style and structure of OneState.

Requirements:
• The poem must rhyme
• The poem must have an even number of stanzas (minimum of 4)
• The lines should be approximately the same length (you don’t want any lines longer than the rest; that would be chaos!).
• It must speak of your subject in a very loving manner
• 8 ½ X 11
• Typed


2. Poem of Rebellion:
You are to compose a poem of a rebellious nature. This does not necessarily mean it has to be about rebellion. In OneState, writing from inspiration IS rebellion. You may choose the subject and follow any style you like. Make it as chaotic as possible. In other words, you want to be headed for the machine because of this one.

Requirements:
• Any structure is acceptable
• The paper should look chaotic. If D-503 were to read it, it should drive him nuts.
• Similar in length to the first poem.

Week 1

This week students have been exposed to the prose passage and multiple choice tasks. Students are also currently reading the novel We which must be completed by Thursday 9/22. Students are required to select a passage from the novel for our discussion on Thursday. Students also must complete the following project by Tuesday 9/20:

You will be given a literary term to teach to the rest of the class. You will NOT, however, be presenting this term. You must create some type of poster/collage that contains the following:

Definition
Example
Reason for use-what could an author accomplish by using this device
Images representative of the device



Analogy
Anaphora
Aphorism
Apostrophe
Archetype
Cacophony
Caesura
Chiasmus
Connotation
Denotation
Doppelganger
Euphemism
Euphony
Foil
Juxtaposition
Malapropism
Metonymy
Paradox
Pathetic Fallacy
Portmanteau
Spoonerism
Synecdoche
Understatement

Welcome

Welcome to AP Literature. I hope everyone had an enjoyable summer. We will discuss the summer reading during our first week back in school. Due to scheduling issues, I will need some time to organize the presentations regarding Introduction to the Bible.

AP Lit closing/opening comments

To my outgoing class:

Enjoy your summer. I hope you enjoyed this year as much as I did. My advice for your senior year is to attack it head on. Strike First, Strike Hard, and Show No Mercy!


To my incoming class:

Enjoy your summer. I hope you enjoy your summer reading and engage in some lively discussions via NiceNet.


Mr. Klimas

Students are working on a PhotoStory3 project in class.

The Wiki criticisms are due on 6/10.

PhotoStory3 Project

Students began working on a group assignment using PhotoStory3. They must recreate a scene from a work of literature using only visual aids. They must NOT narrate the text. Students also received more instructions for the final exam.

Final Exam
Part II-

Presentation-100pts

PhotoStory3

You must develop a presentation using PhotoStory3 covering both the plot of the novels you have read and your criticism. You may use the narration feature. Your presentation must adhere to the following requirements:

• 5 minutes maximum running time
• Images that explain both novels
• Images and text that provide analysis
• Narration-you can tell the story without summarizing
• Citations for any images that you did not create yourself

This project should combine the stories of the novels and your analysis of them. Be creative and decide on the best way to communicate the ideas in the novels and your ideas about them.

Final Project

Students were introduced to their final project today.

Final Exam
20010-2011
AP Literature
Mr. Klimas

Part I-
The AP Literature Wiki project. 100pts

This project will be your legacy. Every AP Literature class from now until the end of time will be responsible for completing this project and adding to it.

For this assignment you will use all of the skills that we have practiced this year. You are responsible for providing a scholarly literary criticism for each of the works you have chosen to read. This is NOT a research assignment. This is NOT a review. The goal is that other students will be using your work as a source for their research assignments. This project will be published and will be a permanent fixture on both my blog and the Library/Resource Center webpage.

You will be responsible for the following:

• read 2 works by the author of your choice;
• write a scholarly criticism of each work;
• post it on the High Point Regional High School Guide to Contemporary Literary Criticism Wiki.

Your criticisms must include:

• title stating concept and novel title;
• an abstract describing the thesis;
• scholarly criticism/analysis of the work;
• passages;
• a point/argument;
• the skills we focused on during class;
• your knowledge of the author/context/literature/the world.


At the end of each criticism, you are to include your initials and the year you wrote it. Ex. (A.B. 2009) Again, this is permanent. You can view your criticisms when you are old and gray like me. Your kids will be able to view them.

http://apliteraturehp.wikispaces.com/

Good Luck!

(Link) View more The Karate Kid Sound Clips and Martin Kove Sound Clips

Today we practiced poetry multiple choice.

Poetry

Students received a packet of poetic devices. We then analyzed 4 poems focusing on how sound impacts meaning.

The Bench of Boors

In bed I muse on Tenier's boors,
Embrowned and beery losels all;
A wakeful brain
Elaborates pain:
Within low doors the slugs of boors
Laze and yawn and doze again.

In dreams they doze, the drowsy boors,
Their hazy hovel warm and small:
Thought's ampler bound
But chill is found:
Within low doors the basking boors
Snugly hug the ember-mound.

Sleepless, I see the slumberous boors
Their blurred eyes blink, their eyelids fall:
Thought's eager sight
Aches--overbright!
Within low doors the boozy boors
Cat-naps take in pipe-bowl light.

Herman Melville


The Dance
In Brueghel's great picture, The Kermess,
the dancers go round, they go round and
around, the squeal and the blare and the
tweedle of bagpipes, a bugle and fiddles
tipping their bellies (round as the thick-
sided glasses whose wash they impound)
their hips and their bellies off balance
to turn them. Kicking and rolling
about the Fair Grounds, swinging their butts, those
shanks must be sound to bear up under such
rollicking measures, prance as they dance
in Brueghel's great picture, The Kermess.
William Carlos Williams



Traveling through the Dark

Traveling through the dark I found a deer
dead on the edge of the Wilson River road.
It is usually best to roll them into the canyon:
that road is narrow; to swerve might make more dead.

By glow of the tail-light I stumbled back of the car
and stood by the heap, a doe, a recent killing;
she had stiffened already, almost cold.
I dragged her off; she was large in the belly.

My fingers touching her side brought me the reason—
her side was warm; her fawn lay there waiting,
alive, still, never to be born.
Beside that mountain road I hesitated.

The car aimed ahead its lowered parking lights;
under the hood purred the steady engine.
I stood in the glare of the warm exhaust turning red;
around our group I could hear the wilderness listen.

I thought hard for us all—my only swerving—,
then pushed her over the edge into the river.

William Stafford




















Shut In Robert B. Shaw

Like many of us, born too late,
(like all of us, fenced in by fate),
the late October fly
will fondly live and die

insensible of the allure
of carrion or cow manure.
Withindoors day and night,
Propelled by appetite,

he circles with approving hums
a morning’s manna-fall of crumbs
hoping to find a smear
of jelly somewhere near.

In such an easeful habitat
while autumn wanes he waxes fat
and languorous, but not
enough to let the swat

of hasty, rolled-up magazine
eliminate him from the scene.
Outside, the air is chill.
Inside, he’s hard to kill.

Patrolling with adhesive feet
the ceiling under which we eat,
he captures at a glance
the slightest threat or chance,

and flaunts the facets of his eyes
that make him prince of household spies.
And as he watches, we,
if we look up, will see

a life of limits, like our own,
enclosed within a temperate zone,
not harsh, not insecure,
no challenge to endure,

but yet, with every buzz of need,
by trifles running out of speed.
One day he will be gone.
Then the real cold comes on.

Today we practiced writing outlines for the open response essay. Students received sample prompts.

Today we discussed Lucius Brockway and Mary Rambo from Invisible Man. Tomorrow we will practice for the open response.

Today students received their practice exams and calculated their own scores. We also spent the period completing character analysis worksheets for several characters from Invisible Man.

IM

Students are to finish reading Invisible Man over the break and keep notes on the following:

Chapter 11: Mother, Brer Rabbit and Buckeye
Chapter 12: Dumping slosh on the Reverend's head
Chapter 13: I am what I yam
Chapter 14: Cabbage, U.S. Constitution/Ballot:
Chapter 15: piggy bank
Chapter 16: 3 white men on black horses
Chapter 17: Soldier
Chapter 18: Filed steel from Brother Tarp
Chapter 19: White bed
Chapter 20: Foot races, Sambo Doll
Chapter 21: Two black pigeons rising above a white barn, Rotting cabbage
Chapter 23: Sunglasses, Rind and Heart
Chapter 24: Briefcase and running
Chapter 25: Oil and Milk

Prose

Today we spent time planning several essays.
Students were also given a notebook assignment for Invisible Man.

Students received the following handout:

Keep a notebook that contains analysis of each of the following examples. You may add others that you encounter.

Prologue
“What did I do to be so Black and Blue”
1369 light bulbs

Chapter 1
Briefcase
Brass tokens
Tattoo

Chapter 2
Founder’s statue
Red-tin apple
Log cabins

Chapter 3
Golden Day
Mechanical man
Mr. Norton’s illness

Chapter 4
White dividing line
Mr. Norton’s car

Chapter 5
Baptist church

Chapter 6
Leg shackle
Bledsoe’s fingers
Sealed envelopes

Chapter 7
Jim Crow

Chapter 8
Statue of Liberty

Chapter 9
Breakfast
Artifacts from college

Chapter 10
Optic White
Lucius Brockway


Students are to read through chapter 10 by Monday. Also, students are to add an analysis of the excerpt they received from Self-Reliance in regards to how it relates to IM's conversation with Mr. Norton.

Students are to read the sample essays they received and score them over the weekend.

Invisible Man

Students received copies of Invisible Man and are to read through chapter 2 by Monday.

essay

Today students wrote an essay in response to the following prompt:

An effective literary work does not merely stop or cease; it concludes. In the view of some critics, a work that does not provide the pleasure of significant closure has terminated with an artistic fault. A satisfactory ending is not, however, always conclusive in every sense; significant closure may require the reader to abide with or adjust to ambiguity and uncertainty. In an essay, discuss the ending of a novel or play of acknowledged literary merit. Explain precisely how and why the ending appropriately or inappropriately concludes the work. Do not merely summarize the plot.

You MUST choose ONE of the following works:

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

Hw for Portrait

Students are to complete the assignment found here

Portrait

Reading schedule adjustment.

All students are to have finished the book by Wednesday 3/23.

Pd 3 discussed the close of part I.
Pd 6 discussed the close of part II.

Portrait/Essay

Pd 3 completed the following essay:

Choose a distinguished novel or play in which some of the most significant events are mental or psychological; for example, awakenings, discoveries, changes in consciousness. In a well-organized essay, describe how the author manages to give these internal events the sense of excitement, suspense, and climax usually associated with external action. Do not merely summarize the plot.

You MUST choose one of the following novels:
Pride and Prejudice

Pd 6 began discussing A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.

Reading Schedule-
Part I
pd 3-Monday
Part II
pd 3-Wednesday 3/16
pd 6-Monday 3/14
Part III
pd 3-Friday 3/18
pd 6-Wednesday 3/16
Part IV
pd 3-Monday 3/21
pd 6-Friday 3/18
Part V
pd 3-Wednesday 3/23
pd 6-Monday 3/21

Pride and Prejudice/Essay

Pd 3-Completed our discussion of P & P.

Pd 6-Completed the following essay:

Novels and plays often include scenes of weddings, funerals, parties, and other social occasions. Such scenes may reveal the values of the characters and the society in which they live. Select a novel or play that includes such a scene and, in a focused essay, discuss the contribution the scene makes to the meaning of the work as a whole. You may choose a work from the list below or another novel or play of literary merit.

Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice/A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

We continued our discussion as to where P & P belongs in the canon and students received copies of Portrait. They are to read part 1 by Friday.

Passage analysis/Pride and Prejudice

Students are to complete the passage analysis essay found here. This essay is due Friday.

Also, students are to select 3 passages for discussion from Pride and Prejudice. Students are to be prepared with the passages and explanations/analysis as to why they chose them.

Passage HW

Today we read the following passage:



Students are to clarify their thoughts regarding tone, detail, diction, and syntax. Select precise descriptors and examples from the passage to support your claims.

Click here for a full page version of the passage.

Pride and Prejudice

Today we had a very interesting discussion on marriage. Students shared their opinions on the topic and discussed the relevance of marriage in the novel.

Pride and Prejudice

Students are to finish the novel by Friday of next week (3/4).

Students are to read through chapter 42 by Monday of next week.

Diction

In class, we are currently working on refining our vocabulary in regards to our analysis of diction. Students are looking at lists of descriptors and sample passages. Tomorrow will be a class discussion of our findings.

Things to think about while reading...

In addition to the topics mentioned in my previous post, consider the characters of Elizabeth Bennet, Mrs. Bennet, and Mr. Darcy. How are they characterized? What is your opinion of each, and why?

Pride and Prejudice

Students received copies of P&P(&Z?). Students are to read through chapter 23 by Monday of next week. Topics to consider before and during reading are as follows:
-your personal thoughts on marriage
-the importance of first impressions
-definitions of pride and prejudice

Pd 6-we analyzed Marc Antony's speech in Julius Caeasar and are tackling Hamlet's famous soliloquoy.

Pd 3-we analyzed Henry V's famous St. Crispian's day speech.

Essay

Students completed the following essay today:

In a literary work, a minor character, often known as a foil, possesses traits that emphasize, by contrast or comparison, the distinctive characteristics and qualities of the main character. For example, the ideas or behavior of a minor character might be used to highlight the weaknesses or strengths of the main character. Choose a novel or play in which a minor character serves as a foil for the main character. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the relation between the minor character and the major character illuminates the meaning of the work.


You MUST choose the following work:
Richard III

PD 3 discussed the ending of Richard III and compared Richard and Richmond's oration to their troops.

PD 6 analyzed the St. Crispian's Day speech from Henry V.

King Henry's army is greatly outnumbered and he needs to inspire them to fight.

Students were asked to look for shifts and highlight the strategies he uses to inspire his men. In other words, break down the formula for the inspirational speech that appears in many movies today.

Students are to finish Richard III by tomorrow. Pd 6 finished in class today.

Pd 3 is to read through Act V, scene 2 of Richard III.

Period 3-Read Act IV, scene 1 of Richard III.

Students are to read through scene 2 of Act III.

Richard III

Today we read Act II scene 1 and part of scene 2. Students are to finish scene 2 and read all of scene 3 for homework. Also, study materials were handed out for multiple choice and free response. I have also posted 2 slide presentations on this blog as study tools. 8 students also stayed for extra help today after school. The free response study guide was the focus of the extra help session.

Today we continued reading in class. We are about half way through scene 3.

Richard III

Today we began acting out the first 2 scenes of Richard III. Students are to look back at what we read of scene 2 and list all of the cute names that Anne has for Richard. (Would you ask someone out on a date after they referred to you as a "lump of foul deformity"?)

Richard III

Today the students began breaking down Richard's opening speech. Students were asked to annotate the speech looking for tone, figurative language, shifts, motivation, and treachery.

GLOUCESTER

Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this sun of York;
And all the clouds that lour'd upon our house
In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.
Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths;
Our bruised arms hung up for monuments;
Our stern alarums changed to merry meetings,
Our dreadful marches to delightful measures.
Grim-visaged war hath smooth'd his wrinkled front;
And now, instead of mounting barded steeds
To fright the souls of fearful adversaries,
He capers nimbly in a lady's chamber
To the lascivious pleasing of a lute.
But I, that am not shaped for sportive tricks,
Nor made to court an amorous looking-glass;
I, that am rudely stamp'd, and want love's majesty
To strut before a wanton ambling nymph;
I, that am curtail'd of this fair proportion,
Cheated of feature by dissembling nature,
Deformed, unfinish'd, sent before my time
Into this breathing world, scarce half made up,
And that so lamely and unfashionable
That dogs bark at me as I halt by them;
Why, I, in this weak piping time of peace,
Have no delight to pass away the time,
Unless to spy my shadow in the sun
And descant on mine own deformity:
And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover,
To entertain these fair well-spoken days,
I am determined to prove a villain
And hate the idle pleasures of these days.
Plots have I laid, inductions dangerous,
By drunken prophecies, libels and dreams,
To set my brother Clarence and the king
In deadly hate the one against the other:
And if King Edward be as true and just
As I am subtle, false and treacherous,
This day should Clarence closely be mew'd up,
About a prophecy, which says that 'G'
Of Edward's heirs the murderer shall be.
Dive, thoughts, down to my soul: here
Clarence comes.


[Enter CLARENCE, guarded, and BRAKENBURY]


Brother, good day; what means this armed guard
That waits upon your grace?

Richard III

Today students were introduced to the character of Richard III by discussing the following assignment:

• You are Richard, the Duke of Gloucester, the third son of a duke who is killed in a civil war against Henry VI, the King of England. In revenge, you join with your brothers to overthrow the King and kill his son, leaving his wife, Lady Anne, a widow. Your oldest brother, Edward, has become the new King of England. However, Edward is dying, and you want to become the King when he is gone. There are some barriers to your ambition, though. King Edward has a wife, Queen Elizabeth, who has two brothers and two grown sons from a previous marriage. The King and Queen have two young sons, Edward and Richard, who are in line before you, and a pretty, young daughter, Elizabeth. And also, there is your popular older brother George, Duke of Clarence, who might stand in your way. Clarence has two children, Margaret and Edward.

• Although you are intelligent and courageous in battle, you suffer from a physical deformity. You are of small stature, sinister looking, and have a crooked back that hunches you over and raises your left shoulder higher than your right. You have an aggressive attitude, a persuasive tongue, and are quick to argue or fight. You aren’t interested in love or the benefits of peace. All you want is the ultimate power of kingship. How will you get it?

• Write a plan for overcoming the obstacles before you and gaining kingship. Figure into your plan: Lady Anne, Queen Elizabeth and her daughter Elizabeth, your persuasive ability, the Tower of London, some unscrupulous nobles, and a couple of common murderers.