How Modern Macbeth?

The entry is for period 1 and 2 students.

Here it is...ready?

Is Macbeth a 21st century text? Why or why not?

The quesiton may sound simple, but there's a lot of layers here to peel apart:

• What is a "21st century text"? We need to define our term.
• In what aspects are we discussing Macbeth? Plot? Themes? Poetry? Culture?
• In what ways is it still relevant?
• Does it still resonate with audiences?
• Can audiences still learn and grow from reading it? How so?

There's a lot here to discuss. Don't make the mistake of not taking time to consider the magnitude of what the question is really asking.

Also, feel free to make this a back-and-forth discussion.

Memory Box Project

This project is for periods 6 and 8 students.

Jem keeps special items in a small box that he hides away in his room. He keeps souvenirs of his life so far, including the carved soap figures, the Indian head pennies, the ball of twine and the broken pocket watch that were left in the knothole.

Your assignment is to create your own memory box that contains 7-10 key items from moments in your own childhood. Memory boxes are decorative boxes that contain personal items important to their owner.

You may use a shoebox or other container to make your memory box; make sure to decorate the exterior of your memory box and make it look attractive! This should be something that you can be proud of. Suggestions for what can go inside include: letters, photographs, postcards and souvenirs. These can also be easily re-created. Be smart and don't bring valuable objects to school. Digital photos of important keepsakes and replicas can be used!)

Think about who you were close to, your experiences in school, your hobbies and sports, and whatever else you used to do for fun. What events have occurred so far in your life? What did you keep to remember these events?

If you don’t still have special keepsakes, you can construct your memory box by creating replicas or symbolic representations of the highs and lows of life so far. We have spent a great deal of time discussing childhood memories in your journals—look to the journals for inspiration if you are stuck.

Assignment specifics:

1. You must include 7-10 items in the memory box.
2. The exterior of the memory box needs to be decorated.
3. You need to type a brief description of each item included in the box and attach these explanations to the inside of the lid.
4. Be prepared to share 2-3 items with the class in an informal presentation time permitting.
5. Projects are worth 30 points.

Oh, yeah. If you want to know why there's a picture of The Incredible Hulk #2 up above, be sure to ask me in class. Long story short - it would be in my memory box if I were doing the assignment.

Pick One

The blog entry is for period 6 and 8 students.

Answer one of the following questions. Feel free to agree or disagree with your classmates. Good luck!

Which character from the novel do you think is most...

• Fair?
• Strange?
• Honest?
• Creative?
• Flawed?
• Mentally healthy?
• Caring?
• Angry?
• Scared?
• Intelligent?
• Conniving?
• Fearless?

Character Defined

This entry is for period 8 students.

Your task: First, select a character from the book - major or minor, it makes no diference. Second, select a single sentence or phrase from the book that you feel truly defines that character. Third, share your response in the comments section with a thoughful, thorough paragraph.

Your paragraph should be thoughtful and thorough. It should include a quotation with correct parenhetical citation. It should contain a claim (topic sentence), evidence (context and quotation), and a warrant (an explanation of how the quote proves the topic sentence). All rule of grammar and punctuation apply. Pay attention to your tense, your person, etc. Be sure to read all of the entries before you create your own. Remember, no repeats.

Through Scout's Eyes

This entry is for period 6 students.

Throughout the novel, we as audience memebers are forced to view the events of the story through the eyes of a child - Scout's. This creates an interesting dillemma for the reader. The story is in no way childish or simplistic (in fact, it's incerdibly sophsticated and adult), but it still manages to maintain a tone of child-like innocence. We see an adult world through the eyes of a child.

Your task: Find a passage in the novel in which we as readers must interpret the true nature of a given situation. In other words, discuss a passage in which Scout sees the events of her life one way, but we are supposed to see them another way.

Your paragraph should be thoughtful and thorough. It should include a quotation with correct parenhetical citation. It should contain a claim (topic sentence), evidence (context and quotation), and a warrant (an explanation of how the quote proves the topic sentence). All rule of grammar and punctuation apply. Pay attention to your tense, your person, etc. Be sure to read all of the entries before you create your own. Remember, no repeats.

Which Witch Is Witchiest?

This extra credit entry is for both Period 1 and Period 2 students.

Here are a some different versions of the three witches from various sources - film, stage, fine art, comic books, etc. You can click on each image to enlarge.

Henry Fuseli

Théodore Chassériau

film adaptation directed by Roman Polanski

Austin Shakespeare Company

Long Overdue Theater Company

Jon Haward

Dream Puppets production

film adaptation directed by Orsen Welles

unknown stage production

unknown

Richard Westall

So, which witch is which? Which is the creepiest? The lamest? Most interesting? Closest to Shakespeare's original intent? Most effective for a modern audience? Which version would you most like to see if you were viewing the play as a live stage production? Let me know what you think. Remember, we're looking for insight, not merely personal opinion. So be sure to answer: "Why?"

Tone, Mood, and Scout's Narrative Honesty

This blog entry is for Period 6 and Period 8 students.

We spent a day-and-a-half in class watching some of A Christmas Story. You’ll remember that I asked you to pay attention to the tone of Ralph’s voice as an adult. He was excited, boisterous, overly enthusiastic, and easily swooped up into waves of deep emotion (hilarity, tragedy, fear, etc.). In short, Ralph as an adult sounded like Ralphie as a kid. Ralph as a narrator still believed in Santa, still believed in the almost magical power of an air rifle, and still believed in pure Christmas magic. At least, he sounded like he did. This is what made the movie so funny. Triple dogs dares just don't exist in the adult world.

So here we are a few days into To Kill a Mockingbird, and guess what? The same device is used in the novel. Scout as an adult is seeing the events of the novel through her eyes back when she was a little girl. Barely sad moments are full of grief, and tragic adult moments are hardly visible whatsoever. We might, for this reason, consider Scout what we call an “unreliable” narrator. In other words, we can’t always trust what Scout says.

After all, Scout already knows how the book is going to turn out. She lived it, right? She can’t give away the ending! She needs to create drama, suspense, humor.

One such example of Scout-the-adult-narrator mimicking the voice and vision of Scout-the-six-year-old is in chapter one when she recounts Jem’s description of Boo. According to Jem, Boo “was about six-and-a-half feet tall” judging from the tracks Boo left behind and “dined on raw squirrels, and any cats he could catch” (Hansberry 16). Scout thinks this is a “reasonable description” (16). The reader, of course, knows Jem’s description is anything but “reasonable.” In fact, it is far from it. Heck, he makes Boo sound like Frankenstein's monster. This is a great example of moment in which the tone (the narrator’s attitude) is contrary to the mood (the reader’s attitude).

Your Task : Find another example of this narrative discord – a moment in which Scout the narrator is being less than straight with the reader and thus creating a chasm between tone and mood. Your comments should be thoughtful and thorough, use correct textual citations (just like my example), and contain correct grammar and punctuation. Remember, we're looking for specific examples, not broad generalizations. Look for short, concise word clusters. Feel free to find your example anywhere within chpaters one through eight. One more thing: No repeats! (So be sure to read the comments posted before yours.)

Extra Credit: Feel free to comment on one another’s responses. Just be sure to move the conversation along. This is a discussion, not a list of repeated ideas. You may agree or disagree with one another as long as you support your claims with evidence.

Note: When you post your comment, be sure to select "name" on the drop down menu and include your first and last name so you can earn credit for your work.

Appearance and Reality in Macbeth

Note: This blog entry is for Period 1 students only. Period 2 students should see the following entry entitled "Order and Disorder."

Shakespeare’s plays are peppered with instances of people and events not being what they seem. He uses this theme of ‘appearance and reality’ for both comedic and dramatic effects, and the theme comes in many forms. Here are a few:

• intentional deception
• unintentional misunderstandings
• false loyalty and friendship
• mistaken gender and class
• wise fools and foolish wisemen
• hidden motivations
• lies and confessions
• bickering lovers and kissing foes

These aren’t the only ways the theme of appearance and reality manifests throughout his plays, but it’s a pretty good start.

Here's an example: In I.iv., King Duncan is discussing his relationship with the then-in-office Thane of Cawdor, and how he is surprised to hear of the thane's disloyalty. When describing this revelation, Duncan explains that there is "no art / To find the mind's construction in the face (I.iv.12-13.) This notion is naive at best, and in saying so Duncan is demonstrating his lack of ability to see a man’s true intentions. Of course not all men wear their “mind’s construction” upon “their face.” Many times an individual’s true thoughts and are purposely hidden away, and the expression upon one’s face is anything but a reflection of his or her true intentions. It is called lying. This flaw is the very flaw that leads to Duncan’s own death. If he had realized that seeing a man’s true thoughts is very much an “art,” then he would have seen Macbeth’s true intentions and never spent the night at his home.


Your task: Find a moment of deception – either intentional or intentional, either literal or figurative – somewhere in Act I and II. Cite the passage and explain how and why it is a moment of deception. Be sure to read all of the comments. We’d like to try to avoid repeats. The rules of composition apply – complete sentences, grammar, correct citations, etc. Keep in mind, some of the examples you’ll find in the play are pretty subtle. Be sure to examine character actions and intentions and motivaitons as well as the words they merely say. Please note, we are not looking for plot generalizations. We are looking for specific moments in the text that demonstrate this theme. Quotations and citations are mandatory.

Extra credit: If you wish, you may comment on your peer’s responses, either agreeing or disagreeing with their responses. If you do decide to engage in this aspect of the blog, be sure to add something to the conversation. Simply agreeing or disagreeing will not take the discussion forward. You need to support your responses.

Suggestion: You probably want to construct your response in Word, for spell check and revision purposes, and then copy and paste it into the blog field.

Order and Disorder in Macbeth

Note: This entry is for Period 2 students only.

One of Shakespeare’s central themes throughout his plays – the comedies and histories as well as the tragedies – is the idea of order and disorder. There is a general pattern throughout most of Shakespeare’s works:

1. character’s flaws cause order to give way to disorder
2. people in the society suffer from this disorder, either dramatically or comically
3. and finally order is somehow reinstated

Thus, stability gives way to instability, logic gives way to confusion, pattern and tradition give way to chaos, contentedness gives way to suffering, etc. This disorder can manifest itself one of three ways:

1. On the individual level (i.e. madness, delusion, guilt, fatigue, rage, etc.)
2. On the societal level (civil war, rebellion, fighting, political maneuvering, family conflict, etc.)
3. On the natural level (storms, animals, the geographical landscape, etc.)
   

In II.ii., upon killing Duncan, Macbeth asks Lady Macbeth “Didst thou hear a noise?” (II.ii.14). Lady Macbeth replies, “I heard the owl scream and the crickets cry” (II.ii.15). The noise to which Macbeth is referring is the guards speaking to him in their sleep, laughing at him and accusing him of murder. A noise that is, apparently, imagined. The noise Lady Macbeth hears, however, is perhaps more grounded in reality. It seems that nature itself has become angered at their crime.

Either way, both Macbeth and his wife are experiencing moments of disorder. Macbeth’s experience is on the individual level, Lady Macbeth’s on the natural level. Things have changed, Shakespeare suggests. Is ‘haunting’ too strong a word? Maybe at this point it is, but as we will see, this plunge into disorder has just begun.


Your task: Find a moment of disorder somewhere in Act I and II. Cite the passage and explain how and why it is a moment of disorder. Be sure to read all of the comments. We’d like to try to avoid repeats. Also, be sure to look at the three levels for your example: individual, social, and natural. The rules of composition apply – complete sentences, grammar, correct citations, etc. Keep in mind, some of these examples are pretty subtle. Look at how characters think, speak, sleep, feed, move, etc. Look at their actions and intentions and motivaitons as well as the words they merely say.

Extra credit: If you wish, you may comment on your peer’s responses, either agreeing or disagreeing with their responses. If you do decide to engage in this aspect of the blog, be sure to add something to the conversation. Simply agreeing or disagreeing will not take the discussion forward. You need to support your responses.

Scenes from a Deconstructionist Lecture

EXCERPT - PART I

Student

So, according to deconstructionists, I don’t have to take notes on what you are saying, since you actually aren’t saying anything at all.

Instructor

Correct. In fact, you couldn’t take notes if you wanted to. Your notes wouldn’t exist. Of course, I also can’t pass you, since you never handed in an essay.

Student

I couldn’t hand in an essay.

Instructor

That’s true.

Student

And actually, I can’t actually fail, since the letter F doesn’t exist.

Instructor

Exactly.

Student

Now all I have to do is convince my mom to become a deconstructionist.

EXCERPT, PART II (The Next Day)

Instructor

So here’s a deconstructionist chicken joke. The first deconstructionist asks, “Why did the chicken cross the road?” And the second deconstructionist replies, “What chicken?” And the first deconstructionist says, “Exactly. Cappuccino?”

Student 1

I’ve got a problem with that.

Instructor

How so?

Student 1

Well, does the second guy get the joke or not? I mean, is he asking “what chicken” because he really doesn’t know, or is he correctly answering the first guy’s question? See, the first guy says “cappuccino,” but I don’t know if the second guy is standing there bewildered, and the first guy says “cappuccino” just to confuse him more. Or if the second guy gets the joke, and they’re both laughing about it and they’re going to go drink cappuccino together. See, it would be better to end the joke with the first guy saying “exactly,” like he does, only instead the second guy says “cappuccino.” Or better yet, have the first guy ask the question, and then the second guy say, “What chicken? Cappuccino?” Then the joke would make more sense.

Student 2 (To Student 1)

Um, seriously, I think you just deconstructed his deconstructionist chicken joke.

Critical Lenses - The Chicken Jokes

Click on the image to enlarge.

9 Critical Approaches to Literature

Click on the image to enlarge.