All Boys, All Blogged: February 10, 2015

Focus: How do the ways in which the characters die reflect the ways in which they lived their lives?

1. Warming up with some directorial thoughts

a. How would you stage Lady Macbeth's death? Would it be noble? What larger meaning would you be trying to evoke regarding her character or any larger themes in the play?

b. How would you stage Young Siward's death? Would it be noble? What larger purpose would it serve?

c. The big question: How would you stage Macbeth's death? Would it be noble? What larger meaning would you be trying to evoke regarding his character, his downfall, or any larger themes?

2. Battling out the final scene of Act 5 with a focus who lives, who dies, and why it matters:

In "Ye Ole Daily Class Log" (or with sticky notes--your choice), keep a list of which characters die. For each one, discuss and write down...

• How does the character die?

• Is the death a "noble" one (think back to your brainstorming from last week)?

• How is the manner of death is fitting for each particular character? Try to think of each death symbolically.

• Which characters get to live, and why is significant that they survive?

3. Viewing and discussing Polanski's interpretation of Act 5

• How does he stage each of the deaths? 
• Read each one symbolically and try to figure out the thinking behind his choices.

HW:
1. Final word traces are due today. I will likely start grading them around 3:00 pm.

2. This Friday is the end of 6 weeks; anything you'd like to revise/redo must be turned in by then. IF you're redoing your word trace, make sure you give the yellow rubric back to me.

3. How are those banned books, y'all?

All Boys, All Blogged: February 9, 2015

Focus: According to Shakespeare, what does it mean to lead a noble life? What does it mean to have a noble death?

1. Warming up with happy Monday thoughts

2. Enjoying the lyrics of the Flobots and connecting them back to Macbeth's (self-?) destruction

3. Battling out the rest of Act 5 with a focus who lives, who dies, and why it matters:

In "Ye Ole Daily Class Log" (or with sticky notes--your choice), keep a list of which characters die. For each one, discuss and write down...

• How does the character die?

• Is the death a "noble" one (think back to your brainstorming from last week)?

• How is the manner of death is fitting for each particular character? Try to think of each death symbolically.

• Which characters get to live, and why is significant that they survive?

4. If time allows, viewing and discussing Polanski's interpretation of Act 5

HW:
1. Final word traces are due tomorrow. I will likely start grading them around 3:00 pm.

2. This Friday is the end of 6 weeks; anything you'd like to revise/redo must be turned in by then. IF you're redoing your word trace, make sure you give the yellow rubric back to me.

3. How are those banned books, y'all?

All Boys, All Blogged: February 6, 2015

Focus: According to Shakespeare, what does it mean to lead a noble life? What does it mean to have a noble death?

1. Warming up by acing a quiz on subjects and verbs (10 min)

2. Relaxing into your banned books (20-30 min) and setting a reading schedule for yourself

3. Reuniting with your acting company to tackle the following tasks:

a. Read the scene summaries for the rest of Act 5 so that you get a preview of Monday.

b. In "Ye Ole Daily Class Log" (or with sticky notes--your choice), keep a list of which characters die. For each one, discuss and write down...

• How each one dies

• Whether or not the death was "noble" (think back to your brainstorming from yesterday)

• How the manner of death is fitting for this particular character

c. Also in "Ye Ole Daily Class Log," try doing the following for EACH of the five acts:

On a plot level, Act 1 is about...

On a deeper level, Act 1 is about...

On a plot level, Act 2 is about...

(and continue this for all five acts)

HW:
1. Final versions of your word traces are due Tuesday at the latest. Remember that you should have at least eight entries.

2. Read your banned book; make sure you're on track to finish by March 2.

All Boys, All Blogged: February 5, 2015

Focus: What does it mean to lead a noble life? What does it mean to have a noble death?

"It is his capacity for self-scrutiny that makes Macbeth a worthy tragic subject. He never lies to himself about the nature of his deed, never rationalizes to justify his actions. Aware that he doomed, he pursues his damnation headlong to his own destruction." (Norrie Epstein)

1. Warming up by responding to the focus question and quotation above

2. Recapping the first part of 4.3, watching Macduff's reaction to the sad news, and considering Macduff as a foil:

A foil is a character who serves by contrast to highlight the opposing qualities in another character.  For example, in Harry Potter, Malfoy serves as a foil to Harry Potter; while Malfoy is a bully who manipulates and hurts others, Harry is a hero who selflessly saves and protects others. They both, however, are able to using magic in cunning and powerful ways.

      4.3: How does Macduff serve as a foil to Macbeth? Try to come up with at least two ways.

3. Reading and watching Act 5, scene 1

• What, specifically, is Lady Macbeth having nightmares about in this scene?
• Find two things she says or does that are symbolic, and argue what they symbolize.
• How has Lady Macbeth changed throughout the play?

4. Battling out Act 5, if time allows

• Which characters are the most noble and how? Which are the least noble and how?
• Which characters die nobly and how? Which die ignobly and how?

HW:
1. Final versions of your word traces are due Tuesday at the latest. Remember that you should have at least eight entries.

2. Read your banned book; make sure you're on track to finish by March 2.

3. Prepare for tomorrow's brief quiz on subjects and verbs.

All Boys, All Blogged: February 4, 2015

Focus: When does ambition turn to greed?  What are the consequences of greedy behavior?

1. Warming up with an explanation of your participation and presentation grades

2. Acting out Act 4

       4.1: Figuring out Macbeth's final speech and understanding how he's changed

       4.2: Figuring out why we see this scene and why we meet Lady Macduff

3. Viewing scene 3 (I don't show 4.1 and 4.2)

      Mini lesson on foils:

A foil is a character who serves by contrast to highlight the opposing qualities in another character.  For example, in Harry Potter, Malfoy serves as a foil to Harry Potter; while Malfoy is a bully who manipulates and hurts others, Harry is a hero who selflessly saves and protects others. They both, however, are able to using magic in cunning and powerful ways.

      4.3: How does Macduff serve as a foil to Macbeth? Try to come up with at least two ways.

4. Talking it out with your grid groups

HW:
1. Complete your www.noredink.com assignment on subjects and verbs before class on tomorrow.

2. Update your word trace entries for all of Act 4. If you'd like a sneak peak at the rubric I'm using for your Growth and Mastery grades on this assignment, click HERE. Remember that by the end of the play (which is very soon), you need 8-10 entries.

3. I know this sounds weird, but please bring an umbrella to class tomorrow.

All Boys, All Blogged: February 3, 2015

Focus: What happens when ambition turns to greed? What are the consequences of greedy behavior?


1. Warming up: Discovering the bizarre, Elizabethan pastime of bear baiting. Keep an eye out for it today and consider its symbolic significance in Act 3.

2. Reading and watching the rest of Act 3

3. Entering the ghostly world of Act 4 and meeting the apparitions! Click HERE for the apparition chart; you can either make a copy of the whole document or just copy and paste the chart into Ye Ole Daily Class Log.


HW:
1. Respond to today's focus question ON THIS BLOG before class tomorrow. Your response should be at least four sentences long (preferably longer), and I encourage you to bring in any examples to support your thinking.

2. Complete your www.noredink.com assignment on subjects and verbs before class on Thursday.

3. Update your word trace entries for Act 4, scene 1. If you'd like a sneak peak at the rubric I'm using for your Growth and Mastery grades on this assignment, click HERE.

All Boys, All Blogged: February 2, 2015

Focus: What is shifting in Act 3, and why are these shifts significant?

1. Warming up with happy Monday thoughts

2. Viewing Act 3 with a focus on the following questions (I simplified the questions created by your Acting Companies because there was some overlap):

• How is the dynamic between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth changing, and how does this affect our attitude towards Macbeth?

• There are three witches and three murderers; in the original productions of the play, the same actors often played the witches and the murderers. What is the connection between the witches and the murderers?

• Why does it matter that Fleance got away?

• Why is Macbeth haunted by the ghost of Banquo but not the ghost of Duncan?

3.

HW:
1. Now that we have made our way through most of Act 3, you should have at least FIVE word trace entries. Use the Harvard Concordance link on the website if you need help locating your word. You will be receiving a GROWTH grade in the next few days on these five entries; please make sure that you have revised your entries based on my initial round of feedback.

2. Read your banned book.  They need to be finished by Feb 22 (it's 3 weeks away).

3. Complete your new www.noredink.com assignment on subjects and verbs before class on Friday.