WORLD LITERATURE

March 1, 2010

WARM UP What is fate? Do you believe in fate?

Why or why not? Do you believe that fate has played a role in your life? If not, what do you think has contributed to your experiences in life so far?

Be ready to discuss this topic

TODAY’S ACTIVITIES AND TARGETS Warm up

Obituary assignment

Obituary reflection

Anticipating important theme

Fate

CONSIDER FATE Stay Positive: This is the life you hope to live if

things go well and you invest time in what’s important to you

Give yourself time: at least until age 60. Don’t spend too much time thinking about the manner of your death. This is your life.

Be detailed. Look at the obituaries in the sample. These examples mention everything from schools and jobs to families and game playing hobbies. Be creative. Think about what you would want to be remembered for and what you will likely be remembered for.

Think also about building blocks. If you want to be CEO, what will have to happen first? Will you go to school? How will you start your career?

LOOK AT THE LIFE YOU’VE DESCRIBED What one thing about that life is the

most important to you? Why? What one thing about that life will be

the hardest to accomplish? Why?

FATE Remember that as your World Literature

teacher, I hold the scales of Fate: If I could assure you that this life would happen, would you want me to make it your fate?

What if I made such a promise and the life started coming true? How would you react? Would it change your approach to life?

WHO WAS WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE THEN?The Man 1564-1616 Stratford-upon-Avon Son of town official Married Ann Hathaway, 8 years older First child born 6 months later

WHO WAS WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE THEN?Actor/Poet/Owner Great roles for both emotional and

comic acting Careful attention to words Writes for both nobility and groundlings

to keep $$ coming in

WHO WAS WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE THEN?Politics: Aware of politics/stays on the right side Macbeth covers ancient kings of

Scotland First Scottish man to be King of England

WHO WAS WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE THEN? Influenced by morality plays and miracle

plays Starts with histories/comedies Tragedies and darker comedies after

death of son Hamnet in 1596

GETTING THE LANGUAGE: With a partner, please translate the following into

modern American English

Once yonks ago, I had a walkabout and met a banana bender. He was a few kangaroos loose in the top paddock. His car was a cactus chock a block with junk, and it went kaput. He was quite a lerrikin who would lag a lot, so he became a yobbo who had to do yakka. He told me a yarn about when he was a great aerial ping pong player. He was off his face and all he had to eat was a dead horse, so I gave him a chook and a used thong I had. Never seen him since, hope he has no worries, mate!

AND IT SAYS…Once, a long time ago, I went for a walk and

met someone from Queensland. He was not all there mentally. His care was a piece of junk and it had broken down. He was a rascal and irresponsible young man. He didn’t want to do much so he had to work as a manual labor. He told me a story about how he was a great Australian Rules soccer.

 He was extremely drunk and had nothing to

eat, so I gave him a chicken and some used sandals. I haven’t seen him since then; I hope he’s fine, friend.

WHAT DID YOU THINK? Which words were particularly difficult? Which words were familiar? Where did

you learn them? Which words still don’t make sense?

Now, try to confuse me. With your partner, write 3-4 sentences using slang I won’t understand.

SHAKESPEARE DOESN’T HATE YOU Remember, many of Shakespeare’s

references and slang would have been perfectly normal for his time

Shakespeare wrote plays; much of his audience would have followed the story based on the action, the emotions of the characters and the tone the actors. Even his audiences didn’t understand all of it.

CHARACTERSMajor Players: Macbeth Main character General of the Scottish army Ambitious Shakespeare Language. Macbeth

speaks in blank verse Poetry of his speech shows humanity,

CHARACTERSMajor Players: Macbeth Divided between his moral side and his

corrupt, ambitious side Reflective, intelligent, even sensitive in

a way

CHARACTERSMajor Players: Lady Macbeth Ambitious, savage woman attempts Goads her husband into killing

his king Suffers terrible guilt for murders Mrs. deVidal’s favorite literary villain

CHARACTERSMajor Players: Lady Macbeth Shakespeare language: Lady M speaks

in prose regular language (less poetic than Macbeth)

Her use of language fits her practical character

Contrast w/Macbeth’s poetic language

CHARACTERS:Major Players: The three witches They set up the atmosphere in the

beginning of the play “fair is foul and foul is fair”

Function is to give predictions of the future, sometimes encouragement, sometimes warning

These predictions cause a chain reaction in Macbeth

Macbeth hears what he wants to hear

CHARACTERSTurn to Page 3 in your textbooks Character Page. Good reference for you to go back to as

names are difficult to track

TEXT FEATURESTurn to page 61.1 paragraph At the beginning of each scene Give a summary of the action Provides some context

TEXT FEATURESTurn to page 6Footnotes to side Give definitions of difficult or unfamiliar

words and terms

TEXT FEATURESTurn to page 7Line numbers Generally every 5th line is marked For citations, Act I scene I, lines 3-4

becomes 1.1.3-4 (like Iliad)

TEXT FEATURESTurn to page 11 Very little stage directions; mostly

entrances and exits

TEXT FEATURESTurn to page 23 Note the “aside” on line 125 Direction to whom the character is

speaking. Sometime to the audience, sometimes to a particular character

Assume that only the intended listener can hear

CHARACTERS FOR 1.1-2 First witch, second witch, 3rd witch Duncan, Malcolm, Captain, Lennox,

Ross,

ACT I SCENE 1 & 21. What do these opening scenes focus on? Point out

at least two themes you see established, what lines make those themes clear

2. This play is set in a difficult time in Scotland. Based on the information we are given in 1.2, what is the situation in Scotland as the play opens. Be detailed

3. This play’s title character, Macbeth, does not appear in its first two scenes, but he is mentioned. What do we know about Macbeth based on the information given in these first two scenes? What is his character? Be Specific

4. King Duncan of Scotland will be of great importance as the play progresses—what do we learn about him in Scene 2? What are his strengths and weaknesses?