English Literature 12

a virtual palimpsest

Entries from January 2006

Asides, Soliloquys, Tragedy

January 31st, 2006 · Comments Off

Aside : used during a play to allow the audience to ‘overhear’ the character’s thoughts. An aside occurs when other actors are on stage, but the person speaking does so as if it is ‘under their breath’ or, spoken so the audience hears, but not the other characters on stage. This enables the [...]

[Read more]

Tags: Hamlet · Renaissance and 17c · vocabulary

Shakespearean Sonnets, Quatrains, Couplets, Rhyme Scheme…

January 31st, 2006 · Comments Off

Shakespearean Sonnet: A twist on the sonnet…Shakespeare’s sonnet is composed of 3 quatrains followed by a rhyming couplet. Usually, the third quatrain will alter the general direction the poem is taking, and the rhyming couplet (two rhymed lines of poetry) will sum it all up.
rhyme scheme (the [...]

[Read more]

Tags: Renaissance and 17c · course updates · vocabulary

Hamlet Act IV notes….

January 26th, 2006 · Comments Off

Hamlet Act IV notes… just a quick recap.
IV.i
Act IV opens after the killing of Polonius…this is partly why the scenes are shorter, as the action is speeding up…we are in the thick of it now!
The Queen relates the death of Polonius to Claudius
IV.ii
R+G seek out the body…the search is on.
Hamlet also gives out that he [...]

[Read more]

Tags: Hamlet · Hamlet notes · reading

Hamlet and Pirates…

January 26th, 2006 · Comments Off

This post was also posted on the Team Blog…
Hi everyone…
Ever since we discussed the whole ‘pirate’ scene of Hamlet (IV.vi), and after reading Wango’s Act IV.vi post I have been wondering about this scene. It seems that in my head this scene has been replaced by the more popular film adaptation of having [...]

[Read more]

Tags: Class/Course Reflections · Hamlet · Hamlet notes · reading

Hamlet updates…

January 24th, 2006 · Comments Off

Hi everyone,
In today’s class we wrote the Act III-IV quiz. I think all of you will ace it, especially because of our review beforehand…
Assigned for Thursday: Act 4 blog/log post.
On Thursday we will begin experiencing Ethan Hawke’s version of the play (that is, assuming I can get ahold of a copy!)
For Tuesday you [...]

[Read more]

Tags: assignments · course updates

Hamlet Act III Notes…the quick and dirty…

January 23rd, 2006 · Comments Off

Hi everyone,
Here’s my rough Act III notes, just to help you remember what is going on….
Hamlet Act III Notes…
III.i
This scene opens with Hamlet’s good buddies Rosencrantz and Guildenstern reporting back to the King and Queen that they can not find out the cause of Hamlet’s madness (III.i.5+). It is a crafty kind of madness, apparently.
They [...]

[Read more]

Tags: Hamlet · Hamlet notes

Hamlet Act II Notes

January 10th, 2006 · Comments Off

Some brief notes to help you remember what is going on here…
II.i
Polonius sends Reynaldo to Paris to spy on his son, Laertes. He suggests that Reynaldo get him into all sorts of trouble: drinking, gambling, even seeing prostitutes…Yikes! The reason for this seems to be that he is wanting to see how Laertes [...]

[Read more]

Tags: Hamlet · Hamlet notes · reading

Surviving Portfolios…

January 8th, 2006 · Comments Off

I have created a document that may help you in doing your portfolio work on the Information Technology portion. I will provide a paper copy of this on Tuesday’s class, but here is a link in case you are chomping at the bit or loose your copy:
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/135251
Hope you are enjoying your weekend!

[Read more]

Tags: course updates · portfolio

Tuesday’s class updates…

January 3rd, 2006 · Comments Off

As discussed in class, please be aware of the following:
We read Act 3.1 in class –> 3.2 is assigned for you to read for Thursday. This is an important scene, so please read it!
Quiz! –> At the end of Thursday’s class you will be given an open book take home quiz. Please read the instructions [...]

[Read more]

Tags: Hamlet · assignments · course updates · reading