Honors Dystopian Literature: Block C 3/4/14 DOL #29 Book club in G101

DOL #29the writer william buckley who hosts the television series firing line has written a number of successful mysteries one of which is stained glass my cousin kevin commented that washington high school is different than whitman middle school in three ways size expectations and facilities

Honors Dystopian Literature: Block C 3/6/14 DOL #29 Journal: Do people always mean what they

say? How can you tell when someone is being insincere?

Continue reading Hamlet Act 1

Honors Dystopian Literature: C Block 3/10/14 DOL #30 Journal: Do people always mean

what they say? How can you tell when someone is being insincere?

Book club RAFT project (due Thurs, 3/20 at 5:00 to turnitin).

Hand out Room books, meet in groups to determine benchmarks.

Finish Lion King

Book Club DatesMarch 14th

March 25th

April 3rd

Honors Dystopian Literature: C Block 3/11/14 Objective: Students will understand the

political situation in Denmark and will be able to identify major characters.

DOL #31 Journal: What personality traits does a person

have to have to be powerful? Review Hamlet 1.1 Preview Hamlet 1.2 Read Hamlet 1.2

What happened before the play started?

King Hamlet (Denmark) Killed and took some of Norway’s land

King Fortinbras of Norway

Dies later(we don’t know how yet)

Younger brother Claudius takes throne

Younger brother “Old Norway” takes throne

Prince Fortinbras (King Fortinbras’ son) is gathering an army to take throne from uncle and land from Denmark

What happens in 1.2? We meet a lot of new characters:

King Claudius: King Hamlet’s younger brother. He took the throne and married his sister-in-law.

Queen Gertrude: King Hamlet’s widow, King Claudius’s wife, and Hamlet’s mom

Polonius: The king’s advisor, Laertes and Ophelia’s dad

Laertes: Polonius’s son, a student in FranceHamlet: The prince

What happens in 1.2? Claudius makes a speech to the court Claudius sends two messengers to the king of Norway

to tell the king what his nephew (Fortinbras) is up to Laertes asks Claudius’s permission to go back to

school in France Claudius and Gertrude tell Hamlet to stop acting so

sad about his dad’s death Hamlet tells the audience that he’s in such deep grief

over his father’s death that he’s considering suicide Horatio and the guards tell Hamlet that they’ve seen

his father’s ghost.

Questions for 1.2 Why did Gertrude marry Claudius? What are

the possible reasons? How sincere is Claudius? Who is Hamlet more angry at: his uncle or his

mom? Why? Why does Hamlet say he won’t commit

suicide? What is Hamlet like? Will the ghost talk to Hamlet?

Honors Dystopian Literature: C Block 3/13/14 Objective: Students will be able to describe the relationship between

Ophelia and her family and understand the topic of advice in the play.

DOL #31 Journal: What advice have you gotten as you

prepare to graduate? What advice has been useful and what hasn’t?

Preview of Hamlet 1.3 Watch 1.3 and discuss

What happens in Hamlet 1.3 We meet Ophelia, Laertes’s sister and

Polonius’s daughter We find out Ophelia and Hamlet are dating Laertes gives Ophelia some advice about

Hamlet before he leaves for college Polonius gives Laertes some advice before

Laertes leaves for college Polonius gives Ophelia some advice about

Hamlet

Questions for 1.3 What are Laertes and Polonius concerned

about regarding Ophelia and Hamlet? What is our impression of Polonius? What is our impression of Ophelia? What are Ophelia’s relationships to her

brother and father like? What do they think about her?

Honors Dystopian Literature: C Block 3/14/14 Objective: to understand the Elizabethan Chain of Being

and apply it to Hamlet DOL #33 Notes: The Elizabethan Chain of Being Book Club in classroom (sorry)

The Elizabethan Chain of Being

GOD: All-knowing, all-powerful, incapable of sin. Created and controls the chain. All spirit, no body. Capable of reason.

ANGELS: All-knowing, powerful over humans but subservient to God. Capable of intellectual sin but not physical sin. All spirit, no body. Capable of reason Have their own hierarchy (archangels, angels, seraphim, cherubim, etc.)

HUMANS: Strive to be like angels, but nature tempts them to act like animals. Capable of intellectual sin and physical sin. Have a spirit and a body. Capable of reason. Have their own social hierarchy (kings, merchants, peasants) and family hierarchy (father, mother, son, daughter).

ANIMALS: Incapable of reason or sin. Act on basic instincts. No soul. Have their own hierarchy (mammals, fish and reptiles, bugs).

PLANTS: Living, not sentient. Hierarchy: trees, shrubs, grass

MINERALS: No spirit, not sentient. Hierarchy: gold, brass, stone

How does the Elizabethan Chain of Being relate to Hamlet?

People in Shakespeare’s day saw society as very ordered and structured.

They believed bad things could happen when someone or something disrupted the order.Small betrayals might result in minor punishments, and big betrayals

might result in major punishments.If a peasant overthrew a king, a natural disaster (like a hurricane or

earthquake) might happen.If a daughter disobeyed her father, she might die.

Hamlet believes his uncle disrupted the order of things by ascending to the throne and he has to fix it.“The time is out of joint. O cursed spite, that ever I was born to set it

right.” Hamlet thinks his mom acted like an animal (lustful, instinctive) in

remarrying, while he thinks people should strive to be like angels (using their reason)

Honors Dystopian Literature: C Block 3/17/14

Objective: understand the nature of the ghost and Hamlet’s plan to take revenge.

DOL #34 Journal: What advice have you been given as

you prepare to graduate from high school? What advice has been helpful and what hasn’t?

Preview / questions for Hamlet 1.4-1.5 Watch 1.4-1.5 and discuss Homework:

RAFT projects due Thursday

What happens in Hamlet 1.4-1.5 Hamlet, Horatio, and Marcellus wait for the ghost while

Claudius parties downstairs The ghost appears and beckons Hamlet to go away

with it The ghost tells Hamlet how he died and commands him

to avenge his death Horatio and Marcellus find Hamlet and notice he’s

acting a little jumpy Hamlet makes them swear not to tell anyone what they

saw Hamlet tells them that he’s going to act mad (crazy) to

make it easier to kill Claudius

Questions for 1.4-1.5 Why don’t Horatio and Marcellus want Hamlet to

follow the ghost alone? Why isn’t Hamlet afraid of the ghost? Where does the ghost go during the day and at

night? Why? How was King Hamlet murdered (according to the

ghost)? What’s the story the public of Denmark has heard?

Why does Hamlet plan to act mad to get his revenge?

Is Hamlet really mad?

Honors Dystopian Literature: C Block 3/20/14

Objective: Students will understand how Hamlet’s reason for being “mad” differs from what other characters think.

DOL #35 Journal: What do you think causes

miscommunications or misunderstandings between parents and kids?

Preview and read Hamlet 2.1-2.2 Homework:

RAFT project due today at 5 P.M. to turnitin.comNext book club meeting: Tuesday

What happens in Hamlet 2.1-2.2? Act 2 Scene 1

Polonius hires Reynaldo to spy on Laertes to make sure Laertes is behaving at college.

Ophelia tells Polonius that Hamlet came into her room acting crazy

Polonius thinks Ophelia’s rejection caused Hamlet’s madness Act 2 Scene 2

Claudius and Gertrude hire Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (Hamlet’s childhood friends) to figure out why Hamlet is acting mad and report back to them.

Polonius tells C&G that Hamlet is acting crazy because Ophelia rejected him.

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern try to figure out why Hamlet is acting mad

A troupe of actors arrives at the court to put on a play.

Honors Dystopian Literature: C Block 3/25/14 Objective: To understand the three big questions in the

nunnery scene and how the answer to those questions might impact the interpretation of the characters

No DOL or journal Read Hamlet 3.1 (starting on pg. 95): the

Nunnery Scene Book club—staying in the room due to MCAS.

Homework:

Journals and reflections due Tuesday, April 1st

What happens in Hamlet 3.1 (the Nunnery Scene)? Claudius and Polonius ask Gertrude to leave, then hide

behind an arras (a large tapestry) to spy on Hamlet Hamlet delivers the “to be or not to be” soliloquy where he

Considers suicide, since that would be easier than dealing with the miseries of life

Decides against it, since he’s afraid that what comes after death might be worse than life

Ophelia meets with Hamlet to return his gifts and break up with him (while Claudius and Polonius watch)

Hamlet freaks out on Ophelia and tells her to go live in a nunnery

This is an arras

Big questions in the Nunnery Scene What were the literal and slang definitions of

the word “nunnery” to Shakespeare’s audience?

Did (or does) Hamlet really love Ophelia? Does Hamlet know he’s being watched, and if

he does, when does he figure it out? How do our answers to these questions affect

how we view Hamlet and Ophelia?

Big questions in this scene: What did the word “nunnery” mean to Shakespeare’s audience?Literal Definition

A convent

Hamlet wants to protect Ophelia from bad men, OR if

he can’t have her, no one can.

Hamlet loves her, or he feels like he owns her

Slang Definition

A brothel (house of prostitution)

Hamlet’s calling Ophelia a whore

Hamlet and Ophelia may have had sex

Big question in this scene: Did (does?) Hamlet really love Ophelia?

YesHe’s broken-hearted that

Ophelia is breaking up with him

His emotion in this scene is real

NoHe doesn’t care that Ophelia

is breaking up with him

His emotion in this scene is a show for Claudius and

Polonius

Big questions in this scene: Does Hamlet know he’s being watched?

YesHamlet’s putting on a show to

convince Claudius and Polonius he’s mad

He really loves (or loved) Ophelia and doesn’t mean what he says

He’s only a little bit of a jerk

NoHamlet’s being honest

He may have loved her but is very angry with her, or he never loved her, OR he’s really mad

Hamlet is very cruel or very insane

Honors Dystopian Literature: C Block 3/26/14 DOL # 35 Journal: What effects can guilt have on a person? Is anyone ready to recite for extra credit? Preview of Hamlet 3.2-3.3 Watch Hamlet 3.2-3.3 Important lines (If time) Notes: Hamlet and Oedipus Homework:

Journal and reflections due Tuesday, 4/1“To be or not to be” extra credit due Friday, 4/4

What happens in Hamlet 3.2-3.3? The players perform the play Hamlet wrote to

see if Claudius reacts Claudius commands Rosencrantz and

Guildenstern to take Hamlet to England Hamlet walks in on Claudius praying and

almost kills him, but decides against it.

Hamlet and the Legend of Oedipus Oedipus (“ed-i-puss”) = ancient Greek king Born to King Laius and Queen Jocasta of Thebes

Oracle says Oedipus will kill Laius and marry Jocasta when he grows up

Left on a mountain to die of exposureFound by a shepherd; raised without knowing he’s a prince

Grows up, meets King Laius on the road; they argue, Oedipus kills Laius

Oedipus solves the riddle of the Sphinx, who has been terrorizing Thebes

Oedipus becomes King of Thebes, marries Jocasta, has four kids

When they finally find out, Jocasta kills herself, Oedipus pokes out his own eyes.

The Oedipus Complex Coined by Freud in early 1900s Between ages 3-5, every boy feels jealous of his father

for taking his mother’s attention: the “Oedipal stage” Subconsciously, every boy ages 3-5 wants to kill his

father and marry his mother. This is normal and most boys grow out of it. Experience of Oedipal stage helps boys eventually have

successful relationships with women. Some boys don’t grow out of the Oedipal stage

Grow up subconsciously wanting to kill father and marry mother

“Mama’s boys”Men who expect their wives to be just like their mothers

What does this have to do with Hamlet?

Does Hamlet have an Oedipus complex?Hamlet fixates on his mother’s remarriage to his uncle

and the fact that she has sexual urges at her age.Hamlet has a very volatile relationship with Ophelia

If Hamlet does have an Oedipus complex . . .He’d want to have murdered his father and married his

motherInstead, Claudius did thatHamlet hates Claudius but also identifies with him, since

Claudius did what Hamlet subconsciously wanted to doHamlet hesitates in killing Claudius because that would

be like killing a part of himself.

Do I have to believe this? No.

Most psychologists don’t believe in the Oedipus complex, at least not totally.

Many scholars think diagnosing Hamlet with an Oedipus complex over-simplifies his relationship with his mother.

This interpretation is starting to go out of style. However, it’s important to know that lots of people

DO believe Hamlet has an Oedipus complex, and some productions reflect that with overly-affectionate touching / kissing between Hamlet and Gertrude.