Winter's Tale

12/11: HOMEWORK: Prep for tomorrow's assessment. You can bring in a 4x6 notecard wit your evidence and ideas.

In class, we talked about the arguments laid out in Tyrants and in this piece (we focused on the ideas of repentance as the argument applicable to Leontes) in order to get ready for the assessment tomorrow. We also voted to read Twelfth Night next.

12/7: HOMEWORK: One piece of criticism comes from Stephen Greenblatt’s new book called Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics. Read through the excerpt, marking up the arguments you find. Choose a couple of these arguments to wrestle with, Do the same work we did above (including the writing).

In class: I’d like to spend a little time looking at a couple of different critical takes on the play – one is a video argument about faith and Paulina and the hope at the end of the play. This one makes an argument for the question Hallie’s comment prompted yesterday – “Why did Shakespeare feel the need to end the play that way?” It’s from a series called Shakespeare Uncovered. I’ll play you a couple of extended clips. As you watch, be listening to the argument(s) presented and the evidence they use to support the arguments. Take down some notes. After we’ve watched, wrestle with a couple of the ideas presented. Paraphrase the idea as it was presented, then interact with it – if you think you agree, build on it. Explore evidence (write this down) and/or aspects of the argument that they didn’t explore and think about how what you bring deepens/strengthens the argument. If you disagree, do the same paraphrase but then make your counterargument, using evidence and analysis to pull your ideas together.

12/6: The Winter's Tale ending.

12/5: We read 5.2 and then broke the revelations into sections (Camillo and the King, the revelation of the fardel, the meeting of the kings, the story of Antiginous' death, Perdita hears about her mother's loss, the shepherd and the clown). Each group needs to perform a "dumb show" for their scene.

12/4: On the front of the notecard, let me know what you are thinking about, especially in light of our discussions yesterday. Choose one or more of these ideas to explore: How are you feeling about Paulina (too much, a woman of faith, etc.)? What do you think will happen with Florizel and Perdita (star-crossed? headed for hapily ever after, etc.?, How are you feeling about the state of things in Sicilia and why? Which character do you most admire at this point and why? Which character has lost your admiration and why? What are your conspiracy theories about how this play will end? Fill the front of the noetcard.

12/3: We're back in Sicilia. We read and discussed 5.1.

11/30: Finish the paired work on the 4.4 questions and share with me (cathy_nicastro@wrsd.net). When you are finished, make sure to review the “action” at the end of 4.4 so that you know who is headed to Sicilia, in what form of dress, with what motivations and why.

11/28: Finish the work on 4.4 and alone first, work on these questions.

11/27: There's background you'll need for 4.4 here. Before you read, watch the scene. My hope is that this will help you (so much goes on in this scene). Then, in small groups, work your way through the scene, using my notes as a guide.

11/26: To start today, tell me what you know about Autolycus from last week’s work. Who is he? What is his reputation? What is his connection to The Clown? To the prince? Where does his comedy come from in the play? What are his plans as far as the sheep-shearing is concerned, etc.? Tell me as much as you can about how you see him and why (you can go back into 4.3 to refresh your memory).Fill the front of the notecard: Please work alone on this, so you can get your hands dirty). Then, watch the scene performed. On the back of the notecard write about what you noticed in the performance, what new understandings you have and why, what did the scene reinforce for you, how did it help you to understand character, relationship, etc. Strive to fill both sides of the notecard. Please hand these in to the sub.

11/20: Go back to 3.2 (starting at line 205 and continuing through the end of that scene) to remind us of Leontes’ state of mind (which Time reaffirms in his speech).Spend a little time looking at Paulina’s role in this and especially at that beautiful “A thousand knees,/ten thousand years together...” and the image that creates. Then let's return to 4.3, to Autolycus, music in Shakespeare, the Clown (God love him), and the plans for the sheep shearing.

11/19: To start, on the front of the notecard: write about the successes you had with the most recent reflection Write about at least three things that you discovered (about the play, yourself, your work ethic/learning style, etc.) that you are proud of and why and then write about one or two things you wish you could work on. We turned our atention back to Winter's Tale today and worked on Time's speech in 4.1. Students paraphrased the speech. On the back of the notecard: tell me three things you are sure of from the speech and two things you think might be right (but are riskier).

11/15: SOME NOTES: Let the evidence lead you to your argument, not the other way around. If you are looking at two speeches from Leontes for example, look at the patterns you notice - could be violent imagery, animal imagery, repetitive sounds, etc. Look for similarities: is he always talking about a particular character or reacting to a particular situation, etc when these patterns occur? Do they all speak to a particular theme idea? What does this tell you? Why does it matter? That's how to deveop an argument.

A strong paraphrase works as well as a quote in many cases. You need to quote when the language in the text helps you to make your argument (so, if you are examining usage of animal imagery or repetition of an "s" sound, you probably need to quote). In either case, put the evidence in context first. Describe what's happening in the play. EXAMPLE: When Paulina turns Leontes' use of the word traitor back on him, her speech is filled with "s" sounds directed at his actions against the state and his family, for "[t]he sacred honor of himself , his queen's,/His hopeful son's, his babe's, betrays to slander,/ Whose sting is sharper than the sword's; and will not/(For as the case now stands, it is a curse..." (Shakespeare 2.3. 83-86). NOW instead of repeating what the quote says, write about the use of the s sounds - in the beginning the "s" assist in listing those he betrayed - and recall the betrayal of the serpent in the Garden of Eden who betrays mankind. Paulina's speech makes clearer the connection between Leontes and the serpent as she continues. "Whose sting is sharper than sword's..."packs the "s" sound tight (6 "s" sounds in 7 syllables) and reinforces the"sting" of the betrayal (like the sting of a snake) and makes that sting more deadly than the weapons of war that someone in Leontes position about have used to cause damage. Paulina's use of the "s" so tightly connected to the havoc Leontes' suspicion has created cast him (and his jealousy) in the role of the betrayer who takes down an entire kingdom.

Please note the format of the citation and the use of the / to maintain line integrity. Both are correct and they are what you should be doing.

Having checked your reflections this morning (I was looking to see how they were shaping up) it seems apparent that a good number of you have done little work on these (more of you have clearly worked on them and used the time well, so thank you). Take advantage of this time today to work them. I am amending the grading criteria to take into account the proper use of the time allotted for the assignment as part of "good faith effort" (you've had three class periods now and nearly a week to work on these. You should be revising at this point, not just starting). Please do NOT work together - use this time wisely. You can listen to music if you set a playlist and leave it alone. Get to work, please. No need to send emails defending yourselves. I am aware of who came prepared to class and was working in class on Tuesday, who wasn't, etc.

11/14: Working on the reflection assessment. Make sure to read the assignment and the grading criteria. You need to make an argument and then support it. Due by Friday.

11/9: HOMEWORK:Continue to narrow your focus and gather evidence for your first reflection about this play. Bring all the work with you to class on Tuesday.

We finished Act 3 - most famous stage directions in Shakespeare, the Clown and Shepherd and our little Perdita. We also began work on the first reflection for this play

11/8: We talked through the various issues presented in the TED talks and article, both for their implications in our world and in the play.

11/7:HOMEWORK: Watch one of the following TED talks: Tony Porter "A Call to Men" Jackson Katz "Violence Against Women: It's A Men's Issue" or read this essay about women and lying. Instructons for the work are here.

In class, we watched a performance of the trial scene and started to look closely at Paulina's speeches at the end of trial scene.

11/5: We discussed what students found on the deeper dig into the text and prepped and performed the court scene in 3.2.

11/2: We talked about Forsyth and dug deeper into the play.

10/31: HOMEWORK: Read and respond to the Forsyth chapter on rhetorical questions. In class, we listened to and discussed a report about a new poll about the #MeToo movement in connection with the question of whether or not we believe Hermione. In small groups, we read 2.2 and 2.3.

10/30: We read and discussed Elie Wiesel's Nobel Prize speech and applied his ideas to Leontes' rule. We talked about the ways in which Polixenes and Camillo put Hermione's life n greater danger by leaving. We read 2.1.

10/29: Please hold onto your projects. I will collect them tomorrow. Please get together in groups of 3-4 (no twos and no more than 4). Work your way trhough the rest of 1.2. Start on page 15 with Camillo's speech "My gracious lord..." Take teh tiem you need to make sure you are all following what he is saying and then spend time working your way through his conversation with Leontes (and Leontes' demands) and with Polinexes (and the decision they reach). Pay careful attention to word play - who uses it, how, its significance, what it reveals. When you are done, talk together about the play so far - how are you seeing each character (what a character says, does, what others say about him/her), each relationship, who do you believe and WHY? SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH ME IN A GOOGLE DOC (cathy_nicastro@wrsd.net)

10/26: HOMEWORK: Continue to work on the project. Due by Monday. We spent some time exploring the misconceptions/miscommunications that suspicion and jealousy might wrought. To get hands wet, we paraphrased Leontes' "I am angling now..." speech. We worked our way through part of 1.2 (we met Camillo).

10/25: HOMEWORK: Continue to work on the project. Due by Monday. In class, we started The Winter's Tale. Thinking about bro friendships and lazy assumptions, jealousy and anger and who we blame/believe when men accuse women of cheating.

10/24: HOMEWORK: Continue to work on the project. Due by Monday. In class, we did some quick writes about childhood friendships, misunderstandings and jealousy and used these as the underpinnings for improv. We talked about the Fall of Man introduced the settings/kings Bohemia (Polixenes) and Sicilia (Leontes), Shakespeare's breaking of Aristotle's rules of unity (time and place) in drama, and set the stage for The Winter's Tale.