Thursday, 5/14 - Let us essay to write our essay

MAaN is a giddy thing

• P&P

• Film - Much Ado

• Tomorrow: 

1. Short MAaN quiz
2. Final exam essay (prompts below)

Hey there y'all! I'll post the prompts for your Final Exam Essay by class time tomorrow. Today I want you to kick back, relax, kick a friend in the head, relax, and enjoy some of the finer moments of Much Ado about Nothing . . . for MAaN is a giddy thing, and this is my conclusion.

Here are your prompts for your essay dealing with The Taming of the Nothing and Much Ado about the Shrew. Remember that Shrew was first performed in 1593-94 and Much Ado in 1598-99, so any development you notice should begin with his earlier work.

Remember that you should plan for a five or an extraordinarily well-developed four paragraph essay. Please put together a working thesis statement in advance, along with your topic sentences and an array of supporting details. 

You will have the entire class time on Monday to put this bad-boy together ; )

God bless you as you prepare. You have been a wonderful class! Go hard now and we'll enjoy some relaxation during your exam time.    

Final Essay Prompts

1. What is Shakespeare doing with his display of Mimetic Desire (desire that is learned, mimicked)? See Leithart pages 255-258. Is he doing drastically different things in these two dramas, or is he developing and furthering a study of mimesis as he moves from Shrew to Ado? (This is sort of the looking-glass-self prompt.)
2. Catheruccio vs Beatrick (or Petratherine vs Benetrice): which couple's love is more profound and why?
3. Examine Shakespeare's use of "drama" within these dramas. How many "plays" or "fictions" are there in each? What is Shakespeare saying about the nature of his creative art and its interplay with life that we too often believe to be un-storied?
4. Shrew or Ado?: which work is a deeper biblical comedy (not to be confused with "funny") and why? See Leithart's section "The Bible as a Master Story" (pages 14-19) and "Introduction: Comedy" (pages 203-04).

 

Much Ado - Journals

Much Ado - J1 (Lesson One: Intro and Acts 1.1-2.1)

1. Explain the structure of the play.
2. Explain the title of the play.
3. Why is Don John angry with Claudio?
4. How are love and war different? Similar?
5. What is the "romantic" view of love? The "commercial"? How are are they two sides of the same coin?
6. What is Beatrice's view of love and men?
7. Why does Benedick resist love and marriage? (explain using the term "cuckoldry")
8. What is the history of Beatrice and Benedick's relationship?
9. What is "mimetic desire"? How does this theory account for Claudio's "love" for Hero? How does it reflect Benedick's fear of love?




Much Ado - J2 (Lesson Two: Acts 2.2-3.3)

1. Explain the significance of the order of the five scenes.
2. How are Don John and Don Pedro similar and different?
3. How is Don John's description of his deception significant on a biblical level?
4. How does Shakespeare's Much Ado venture beyond, yea, provide a nuanced perspective of, the stale theme, "appearances can be deceiving"?
5. How does Shakespeare's resolution to the problems of appearance and reality save his audience from slipping into skepticism?
6. Why does Benedick think it unmanly to be in love?
7. Why is Benedick's description of falling in love vital to an understanding of true love? How does this understanding of love contrast with Claudio's understanding and experience? How does Benedick display his own understanding?
8. What is important about what Benedick and Beatrice's friends say about them that induces them to love one another?
9. How does the character of Dogberry fit the themes of Much Ado?



Much Ado - J3 (Lesson Three: Act 4)

1. How are the fulfillment of the two deceptions directly linked, and why is this significant?
2. What does a wedding signify, and how is Claudio and Hero's wedding "a hellish, demonic parody" of an ideal wedding?
3. Why does Claudio direct such a public outrage toward Hero (in other words, what does this tell us about the nature of his "love")?
4. How is the imagery of nakedness, covering, and shame used in the wedding scene?
5. How is Friar Francis's proposal a fitting solution for the play, and how is it reflective of how several early church fathers understood the gospel?
6. Why is it significant that Beatrice and Benedick profess love for each other immediately after the first wedding?
7. Why does Beatrice want Benedick to kill Claudio?
8. What is her conception of most of the men of Messina?

Monday, 4/28 - Reno not here but Leithart still here ; )

• Those of you responsible seniors who weren't here for block day, be sure (if you are reading this) to bring your copy of Leithart on Monday ; )

• Work on your two remaining journals. You can find them HERE

• I will see you tomorrow, Lord willing. I hope you mine some glories from Leithart; he has some really good stuff on the Gospel in these two journal reading. God bless!

Tuesday, 4/22 - Continue Shrew

• P&P

• Commence Act 1.1 (remember we just finished the Induction scene with Christopher Sly "the lord")

HW: Keep up with Leithart as we read, doing your journals as we go. You have the three I will be assigning. 

Wednesday, 4/9 - OK. I Caved. Today is a work day ; )

• P&P

• Work day! Do your posters and/or your J1 and such. You're welcome ; )

• The Taming of the Shrew

HW: Poster and J1 due block

Tuesday, 4/8 - Taming the Shrew in You

• P&P

• 20 minutes to work on your posters, which are due block day.

• Quick film overview of Taming of the Shrew  

HW: Work on your projects and do Shrew - J1 (by block day)

Shrew - J1 (Induction and Act 1)

1. What is the point of the two "induction" scenes with Christopher Sly? How do these scenes relate to the action of the main play?
2. What is the structure of Act 1? Why did Shakespeare arrange the scenes in this way?
3. Why has Lucentio come to Padua?
4. What is Tranio's advice? How does it fit with the two models of education discussed in Leithart?
5. What does Lucentio call Bianca when he first sees her and why is this significant?
6. What kind of character is Bianca?
7. What does Katherina mean by saying that her father has made her a "stale"? How does this help to explain her shrewish behavior?
8. Why is Petruchio in Padua? How are his reasons for coming different from AND similar to Lucentio's?
9. What kind of man is Petruchio?

 Shrew - J2 (Act 2)

1. Explain the structure of Act 2. Why is it significant that Katherina has tied Bianca's hands? What happens to Bianca's "hands" by the end of Act 2?
2. How does Petruchio approach Baptista? What does Baptista seem most interest in?
3. Why does Petruchio insist on calling Katherina "Kate"?
4. Give some biblical examples of the importance of names.
5. What is Petruchio's method for courting and taming Kate? Why does he approach her this way?
6. What does the relationship of Petruchio and Kate suggest about the importance and power of words?
7. Explain or illustrate the difference between "imagining" and "saying" something. What does it have to do with the play?
8. How does Petruchio constantly change Kate's meaning? How does this fit with his plan to tame her?
9. Are Petruchio and Kate in love? How do you know?

Shrew - J3 (Acts 3-4)

1. How does Petruchio dress for his wedding? Why? How do his actions reflect his attire?
2. Describe Bianca's education. Why is it significant that she has never heard of a "taming school"?
3. In what sense does Bianca "take her sister's room"?
4. Why does Petruchio constantly attack his servants? How does Kate react?
5. Explain the double meaning of "stoop."
6. Why is it significant that Petruchio refuses to le Kate eat or sleep?
7. What does Petruchio do with Kate's new clothes? Why? How does this fit with larger themes of the play?
8. How does Kate show that she has become submissive to Petruchio?
9. Does Kate's submission stifle her liveliness and creativity?
10. Explain the "sun" imagery in the last part of Act 4.

 

Monday, 4/7 - Use your time . . . wisely.

• P&P

• Today is the last day that I'll give you class time to work on your posters. Tomorrow we begin The Taming of the Shrew.

HW: Get you a copy of Taming and bring to class tomorrow. To get a head-start, read Leithart's intro to comedy tonight and also his intro to Taming.