Question of the Week (9/3/10) Welcome!

Greetings and welcome to your E9 blog. The purpose of this blog is to create a community of online writers (and readers) who share their thoughts and ideas about the texts studied in class.

Each week I will post a question(s) on the blog for you to answer. After you have answered the question thoroughly, using complete sentences, choose another classmate's response and comment on their answer. Do you agree or disagree? Have they made a valid point? Did they notice something you did not? What?
Remember: If you are the FIRST to answer the question you need NOT respond to a classmate. Each well written response is worth a total of 20 points. (See E9 course expectations for more information.)

 Conduct an online scavenger hunt and answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper:
Who wrote Antigone and what are the dates of his birth and death?
When was Antigone written?
Where did the author live?
What are some important roles the author filled for his community during his life?
During what dramatic festival did this author defeat Aeschylus (a reigning great playwright) and earn fame that carried him for the span of his career? Hint: the city in which Antigone takes place.
How many complete tragedies remain from what are believed to be over one hundred plays authored by this individual?
Name the two plays associated historically and plot-wise with Antigone.
What is the City Dionysia Festival?
Describe the competition playwrights would participate in during this time.
How many actors performed in a play?
Why was facial expression unimportant?
Describe the staging of Greek drama during this time period?
How long did performances typically last?

Remember: Answer the questions on a separate sheet of paper, and bring your answers to class on Tuesday. Do NOT post your answers on the blog.

Question of the Week 9/3/10 (Post your answers on the blog, after you have created a Google account.)
After conducting your online scavenger hunt, what is the most interesting aspect you uncover about Greek drama?

Question of the Week (9/10/10)

What do you think of Antigone as a person? In trying to bury her brother, is she "doing the right thing for the wrong reason" as the writer T. S. Eliot claimed? Your post should be at least 5 sentences, NOT including your response to a classmate's reflection. Posts are due by the end of school Tuesday.

Question of the Week (9/17/10)

Below are a number of questions directed toward comprehending and interpreting scene four. Find the quote that supports your answer(s) to the question, then paraphrase the quote in your own words. Answer TWO of the following questions and comment on a classmates' response. Posts are due by the end of the day on Tuesday. Enjoy your weekend.

Here is an example:

What are Creon's plans for Antigone? Why does he choose this for her death?
 "Take her, go!
You know your orders: take her to the vault
And leave her alone there. And if she lives or dies,
That's her affair, not ours: our hands are clean" (227).

Creon commands that Antigone be entombed alive (buried alive), apart from everyone, to live or die. In this way he believes he will be innocent of her eventual death because he is technically not guilty of murder.

1) What final request does Antigone make, and to whom is she making it?
2) How would you characterize the chorus at this point? Why?
3) What does Antigone make reference to in her parting words to Thebes?
4) What does Antigone question in this scene?

Question of the Week (9/24/10)

Describe the character and motivation of Antigone, Ismene, Creon, and Haemon. How are their characters revealed? What is disclosed through their interactions and confrontations (Antigone vs. Ismene, Antigone vs. Creon, Creon vs. Haemon)? What are the major patterns of imagery in this play and how are they connected with Antigone and Creon?

Imagery: the formation of mental images, figures, or likenesses of things, or of such images collectively: the dim imagery of a dream.

Post your answer and your response to a classmates post by the end of school Tuesday. Enjoy your weekend.

Question of the Week (10/1/10)

What is your opinion of the Stage Manager? Is the Stage Manage gender specific? What was Thornton Wilder's purpose in having the Stage Manager speak directly to the audience? How effective is this approach? Enjoy your weekend!

Question of the Week (10/15/10)

Follow the directions below and post your will to the blog. A suggestion would be to type your will in a word document and then cut and paste it onto the blog. Wills are due by the end of the school day on Tuesday.

In Act III of Our Town, Emily has died in childbirth. She joins other characters among the dead,
such as Simon Stimson, Mrs. Gibbs, and Mrs. Soames. The dead observe the lives of the living
and comment on their lack of understanding of life and living.
Your task is to write a will for Emily, who has just died in childbirth, or for Simon Stimson or
Mrs. Gibbs. Keep in mind the will is be read aloud to family and friends a few days after your character’s death. The purpose of a will is to distribute personal belongings, like money or material possessions,
and to express one’s final wishes and thoughts. Here are some ideas that might be appropriate for
your character’s will:
• What do you want to tell your children? The town? The world? Your spouse? Your
friends?
• If you are writing Simon’s will, why did you choose to die the way you did? Why didn’t
you seek help and live out the rest of your life?
• Would your character leave any advice for anyone?
• Would your character divide his or her possessions? You can assume certain possessions
that are not mentioned in the play as long as they are consistent with the character and the
time period.
Write in first person, from your character’s point of view. Wills should be about one page in
length. Do not forget to revise and/or proofread to reduce grammatical errors. Use the following
line as your beginning:
“I, __________, declare this to be my last will and testament….”

Question of the Week (10/8/10)

Choose one of the following questions and answer using evidence from the text. Post by the end of the day on Tuesday. Don't forget to respond to a classmate's response! Enjoy your weekend.

In Act II, the Stage Manager focuses on love and marriage. Why does he choose to show one particular conversation between Emily and George? What does it reveal about their relationship? What might this suggest about love?

Discuss the portrayal of marriage in Our Town. Compare the marriages between Mr. and Mrs. Webb and Dr. and Mrs. Gibbs. What does Mrs. Webb mean when she says that sending girls into marriage is “cruel”? 

Question of the Week (11/19/10)

Answer the following questions for Act IV, Scene 1. Do NOT post your answers to the blog, bring them to class on Monday. Enjoy your weekend.

1. How would you characterize Macbeth's behavior as he interacts with the Witches?
2. What is the first apparition, and how does it warn Macbeth? How does Macbeth respond? What advice doe the Witches give Macbeth about speaking with the apparitions?
3. What is the second apparition, and what does it reveal to Macbeth? What is Macbeth's response?
4. What is the third apparition, and what is its message? How does Macbeth respond?
5. What is Macbeth's final question? What answer does he receive, and what is his response?

Question of the Week (11/12/10) More detail for Personal Journal

In preparation for your reading of Act III next week post your predictions as to what will happen in the play. Remember to respond to another classmate's response. Posts are due by the end of the school day on Tuesday.

Here is more information on your Macbeth Personal Journal.
 

Your personal Macbeth Journal

Throughout your reading of Shakespeare's Macbeth you will notice an array of themes. You will keep a color-coded theme tracker in your text using Post-it Notes. Your text will be checked regularly to ensure you are maintaining your theme tracker. In addition, you will keep a journal of themes which includes your own thinking on the themes and quotes which support each theme. Your journal will be checked at the end of each act and should include a minimum of three quotes which support the selected theme. You will also choose an additional journal from each act from the sheet of Macbeth response journals. These journals will be due at the end of each act. Both journals should be typed or neatly written. Your personal Macbeth journal should be in the following format:

Cite the act and scene of your first quote; for example, Act 1, Scene 1.

I. Begin by selecting a quote. Include a total of 3 (three) quotes in proper MLA format. Each quote MUST be from a different scene of the act.

For example: Act I, Scene III

“All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!” (9).

II. My understanding of Macbeth so far is that...

Use 3 of the following statements to elaborate on your understanding of the quote such as:

It appears...

It seems...

I think...

I sense...

You may use your own statements as well. These are to help you get started.

III. What I don't understand is...

Use 3 of the following statements to elaborate on your thoughts.

Maybe this character is acting this way because...

Maybe Shakespeare...

This is confusing because...

I would have done this...

I would be...

Perhaps...

One thing I think this character should do is...

(Note: Hopefully by the time you finish this paragraph you will understand. IF not this is something you should bring up in class discussion.) You may use your own statements as well. These are to help you get started.

IV. One of the themes represented is... (use the themes provided below to finish this sentence).

Now that you have written about the quote, paraphrase the quote, and give your analysis of the quote.

Use 3 of the following statements to elaborate.

This is shown in the following manner...

I know this because...

This character represents this theme by...

You may use your own statements as well. These are to help you get started.

**If your chosen quotes support more than one theme note what the different themes include and state in your journal:

Another theme represented is...

Here's an example of the format you should use:

Act I, Scene III

I. “All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!” (9).

II. My understanding of Macbeth so far is that since this is the second time the witches have appeared they must be an integral part of the plot. It appears Macbeth is a brutal warrior and in this type of society will be rewarded for his valor. I sense the witches prophecies are all true, and that the witches are meddling with the overall fate of this man.

III. What I don't understand is why Macbeth trusts the witches at all. If this were me I would be very skeptical of these three strange women. He should listen to Banquo. Perhaps he trusts them because he wants to hear what they have to say and this makes it easier to rationalize not only their words.

IV. One theme represented in this quote is: When supernatural powers represent evil, they should be ignored. Clearly Macbeth should ignore what the witches have to say because it leads not only to his downfall, but a host of other issues. The witches are clearly supernatural because of the spell they have cast over the sailor's wife. Shakespeare is using this element of the supernatural to set a tone for things to come.

**Another theme represented is that ambition can subvert reason. This is demonstrated in Macbeth's reaction to what the witches say. He wants to hear more of their prophecies.

Act I, Scene II

I. “Till he unseamed him from the nave to the chops” (5).

II. My understanding of Macbeth so far is that even though we have yet to see his character, he seems like a brutal and violent soldier. Shakespeare is setting the scene for Macbeth's character by having the captain give such gory details of him. This is an excellent way to excite the reader and the audience. Also, how could Macbeth “unseam” a person, even if it is during battle.

III. What I don't understand is who is fighting whom, but I see from the footnotes that the Irish are also involved. It must be a war between the Scots and the Irish and Norwegians.

IV. One theme represented in this quote is: Destruction ensues when ambition goes unchecked by moral constraints. Clearly Macbeth's destruction on the battlefield is an indication of his unchecked morality. Even in battle there are rules of war and to annihilate another soldier is certainly evidence of the brutality to come.

(Note: As these are examples they are shorter in detail than your journal entries should be. This is meant to give you a general idea of the requirements.)

Then you would go on to include a third entry with another quote.

Colors for themes

(Note : SPOILER ALERT, if you don't want to know what happens in the end of the play, only write down the themes and do not read about how they are shown.)

The following themes are:

Ambition=blue

Ambition can subvert reason.

Macbeth is a play about ambition run amok. The weird sisters’ prophecies spur both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to try to fulfill their ambitions, but the witches never make Macbeth or his wife do anything. Macbeth and his wife act on their own to fulfill their deepest desires. Macbeth, a good general and, by all accounts before the action of the play, a good man, allows his ambition to overwhelm him and becomes a murdering, paranoid maniac. Lady Macbeth, once she begins to put into actions the once-hidden thoughts of her mind, is crushed by guilt.
Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth want to be great and powerful, and sacrifice their morals to achieve that goal. By contrasting these two characters with others in the play, such as Banquo, Duncan, and Macduff, who also want to be great leaders but refuse to allow ambition to come before honor, Macbeth shows how naked ambition, freed from any sort of moral or social conscience, ultimately takes over every other characteristic of a person. Unchecked ambition, Macbeth suggests, can never be fulfilled, and therefore quickly grows into a monster that will destroy anyone who gives into it.
Fate=purple
Attempts to control the future by overturning the natural order of society are futile.
Despite prophecies of the future, people are responsible for their own actions.
From the moment the weird sisters tell Macbeth and Banquo their prophecies, both the characters and the audience are forced to wonder about fate. Is it real? Is action necessary to make it come to pass, or will the prophecy come true no matter what one does? Different characters answer these questions in different ways at different times, and the final answers are ambiguous—as fate always is.
Unlike Banquo, Macbeth acts: he kills Duncan. Macbeth tries to master fate, to make fate conform to exactly what he wants. But, of course, fate doesn’t work that way. By trying to master fate once, Macbeth puts himself in the position of having to master fate always. At every instant, he has to struggle against those parts of the witches’ prophecies that don’t favor him. Ultimately, Macbeth becomes so obsessed with his fate that he becomes delusional: he becomes unable to see the half-truths behind the witches’ prophecies. By trying to master fate, he brings himself to ruin.
Violence=black
Destruction ensues when ambition goes unchecked by moral constraints.
To call Macbeth a violent play is an understatement. It begins in battle, contains the murder of men, women, and children, and ends not just with a climactic siege but the suicide of Lady Macbeth and the beheading of its main character, Macbeth. In the process of all this bloodshed, Macbeth makes an important point about the nature of violence: every violent act, even those done for selfless reasons, seems to lead inevitably to the next. The violence through which Macbeth takes the throne, as Macbeth himself realizes, opens the way for others to try to take the throne for themselves through violence. So Macbeth must commit more violence, and more violence, until violence is all he has left. As Macbeth himself says after seeing Banquo’s ghost, “blood will to blood.” Violence leads to violence, a vicious cycle.

Nature and the Unnatural (Supernatural)=green
The natural order is disrupted by any upset in the proper order of human society.
When supernatural powers represent evil, they should be ignored.
In medieval times, it was believed that the health of a country was directly related to the goodness and moral legitimacy of its king. If the King was good and just, then the nation would have good harvests and good weather. If there was political order, then there would be natural order. Macbeth shows this connection between the political and natural world: when Macbeth disrupts the social and political order by murdering Duncan and usurping the throne, nature goes haywire. Incredible storms rage, the earth tremors, animals go insane and eat each other. The unnatural events of the physical world emphasize the horror of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth acts, and mirrors the warping of their souls by ambition.
Also note the way that different characters talk about nature in the play. Duncan and Malcolm use nature metaphors when they speak of kingship—they see themselves as gardeners and want to make their realm grow and flower. In contrast, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth either try to hide from nature (wishing the stars would disappear) or to use nature to hide their cruel designs (being the serpent hiding beneath the innocent flower). The implication is that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, once they’ve given themselves to the extreme selfishness of ambition, have themselves become unnatural.
Manhood=red/pink
Ambition can subvert reason.
Appearances do not always reflect reality.
Over and over again in Macbeth, characters discuss or debate about manhood: Lady Macbeth challenges Macbeth when he decides not to kill Duncan, Banquo refuses to join Macbeth in his plot, Lady Macduff questions Macduff’s decision to go to England, and on and on.
Through these challenges, Macbeth questions and examines manhood itself. Does a true man take what he wants no matter what it is, as Lady Macbeth believes? Or does a real man have the strength to restrain his desires, as Banquo believes? All of Macbeth can be seen as a struggle to answer this question about the nature and responsibilities of manhood.

Your personal Macbeth Journal DUE DATES are as follows:

First Journal DUE: Tuesday, November 9

Second Journal DUE: Tuesday, November 16

Third Journal DUE: Tuesday, November 23

Fourth Journal DUE: Tuesday, November 30

Fifth Journal DUE: Tuesday, December 7

Your Macbeth response journals are as follows:

First Journal DUE: November 12

Second Journal DUE: November 19

Third Journal DUE: November 23

Fourth Journal DUE: December 2

Fifth Journal DUE: December 7

Each journal is worth 100 points. Your personal Macbeth journals will be calculated with your paper grade and the response journals will be calculated as a portion of your homework, notebook, blog grade for the quarter. Needless to say this is an important (and large) portion of your grade for quarter two. Late work will receive 5 points off per day it is late (weekends count as 10 points). Make sure you let me know if you are having trouble or are going to be absent the day a journal is due. Please see the course expectations sheet for more information.

Question of the Week (11/5/10)

When working on your personal Macbeth journals this weekend, replace the current theme under the subject of violence with this one:

Destruction ensues when ambition goes unchecked by moral constraints.

It is clearer than the previous theme.

Write about the character you find most intriguing and why. Cite a quote from the text to illuminate your reasoning using MLA format. Post by the end of school on Tuesday.

Question of the Week (10/22/10)

Hi Guys,
There is no question of the week this week. Enjoy your weekend.

Question of the Week (10/29/10)

Question of the Week (12/17/10)

What was the "injury" caused by Fortunado to Montresor? What could Fortunado have done to make his "friend" treat him this way? Use evidence from the text to support your answers. Post by the end of the school day on Tuesday and respond to a classmate's response. Enjoy your weekend.

Question of the Week (12/10/10)

What has been your favorite aspect of E9 so far? Keep in mind we have read Antigone, Our Town, Macbeth, performed in Shakesfest, and done a ton of vocabulary. What have you enjoyed most?

Question of the Week (12/3/10)

Question of the Week (1/7/11)

Question of the Week (1/14/11)