Friday, February 27, 2009

SHK--vocab

There will be vocab quizzes the NEXT two Fridays, lessons 19, 20, and 21 on Friday March 6, and 22, 23, & 24 on Friday March 13.

I have been most neglectful of keeping this schedule current; now I am clear about such matters. (There will be two more vocab quizzes in the month of April, on the 10th and 24th.)

AP English--March 2 - 6

For Monday March 2 (Tuesday for section 3): Death of a Salesman, act 1, pp. 1763-1795.

For Wednesday, March 4 (day of the command and National Grammar Day), Act 2 & Requiem.

Friday, March 6--vocabulary 22, 23, & 24.



Monday, February 23, 2009

SHK--more on Shylock

Jacob Adler was an actor and producer in the thriving Yiddish theater scene on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in the early 20th century. In his production of The Merchant of Venice, Adler spoke Shylock’s lines in Yiddish, while the other actors spoke in English.

In an interview for Theatre magazine in 1902, after his play had moved from the Bowery to Broadway, Adler had this to say about his portrayal of Shylock:

Shylock is rich enough to forgo the interest on his three thousand ducats for the purely moral satisfaction of his revenge. I say [he] would be richly dressed and proud of mien rather than the poor cringing figure time has made familiar. Antonio, on the other hand, is far from the chivalrous gentleman time has made familiar. . . The two men are confronted in a supposed court of justice, a court packed with Antonio’s friends, the judge openly committed to Antonio’s cause, the prosecuting attorney a masquerading girl soon to be the bride of his bosom friend, and Shylock alone against them all without counsel, without advocate, with nothing on his side but the law.

The verdict, of course, goes against him. A quibble reverses the case, Antonio and the court divide the spoils between them and–exit Shylock. That’s the end of him as far as Shakespeare’s stage direction goes. But having bought so dearly the right to his contempt for his Christian enemies, would he not walk out of that courtroom head erect, the very apotheosis of defiant hatred and scorn? That is the way I see Shylock, and that is how I have played him. 1


1. “Jacob Adler—the Bowery Garrick,” Theatre (November 1902): 18, quoted in Marjorie Garber, Shakespeare and Modern Culture (New York: Pantheon, 2008), 140-141.



Thursday, February 19, 2009

AP--week of February 23

Day 1--A Doll House, read act 3. Blogs for the play written by Sunday, 2/22. Comments to be written Monday, 2/23.

Day 2--Continue discussion. Begin work on "Blessay" assignment (for instructions on this assignment and suggestions on revising a blog post into a more fully organized short essay, click here.)

Day 3--Finish discussion of Ibsen. Bring revised blog posts to class for half a work period.

Day 4--Friday, February 27. Blog to essay assignment due, 600-800 words. Turn in both the printout of the original blog post and the revised version. The usual rules for headings. Turnitin assignment titled "Blog to Essay." Also on Friday, multiple choice quiz, part 1 of exam #3.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Shakespeare--Shylock paper

WHAT: A three- to four-page paper (approximately 1000 words) discussing and evaluating Shakespeare’s presentation of the character of Shylock and the extent to which that presentation either endorses or subverts prevailing Elizabethan anti-Semitism.

WHEN: Papers are due, both hard copy and to turnitin.com, Tuesday, March 2 by noon. Please arrange in advance if extenuating circumstances force you to request an extension.

HOW: Begin by reading the resources available at Prof. Grant Stirling’s web site: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/7221/. You may find other relevant resources, but this site will serve as an introduction to the issues and evidence of this debate. In your essay, show your understanding, both of the topic and of the play, by evaluating the evidence on both sides and presenting your own conclusions.

Since this essay involves some research, be certain both to document your sources and to give credit for ideas as well as direct quotations. Your essays must include a works cited page which should include, at a minimum, the play and the web site listed above.

DETAILS: Include a word count and digital receipt number in your heading. If you still haven’t “enrolled” in the class through Turnitin.com, the class number is 1875359, the password pcdswl). Submit your paper under the assignment titled “Shylock paper”. I have created a similar assignment on the home page for AP English for those of you enrolled in that class as well.

SUGGESTIONS: Read all the available information, paying special attention to what you find most persuasive. Give fair treatment to the different sides of the question. In your evaluation, state which ideas you believe are strongest and why. Support your reasons by referring to the play itself.

Monday, February 9, 2009

AP--February 9 - 23

Monday, February 9/Tuesday--last day of Hamlet discussions; make sure you have posted both blogs and at least 10 different comments.

Tuesday, February 10/Wednesday--Write in class on either Oedipus, Antigone, or Hamlet.

Wednesday, February 11/Thursday--Review multiple choice exam #2. Calculate raw and scaled scores and look at correlations to AP exam scores for the class of 1991.

NB--because of the AMC exam, days 2 and 3 are reversed for section 2, royal blue.

Tuesday, February 17--no assignment due. Begin reading A Doll House, pp. 1677-1736.

Acts 1 & 2 due Wednesday 18th and Friday 20th, respectively. Vocabulary 19, 20, & 21 also Friday Feb 20.

Act III to be read for Monday, February 23.

Everyone writes a short blog answering one of the questions on pp. 1734-35 (300-400 words maximum) by Sunday February 22.

Everyone writes 4 or 5 substantive comments the evening of Monday, February 23.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Vanity Plate Oedipus

Oedipus, King of the Road by Daniel Nussbaum

From PL8SPK, a collection of famous stories told through personalized license plates registered with the California Motor Vehicles Bureau. (First featured in Harpers Magazine, September 1992.)

ONCEPON ATIME LONGAGO IN THEBES IMKING. OEDIPUS DAKING. LVMYMRS. LVMYKIDS. THEBENS THINK OEDDY ISCOOL. NOPROBS.

OKAY MAYBE THEREZZ 1LITL1. MOTHER WHERERU? WHEREAT MYDAD? NOCALLZ NEVER. HAVENOT ACLUE. INMYMND IWNDER WHOAMI? IMUST FINDEM.

JO MYWIFE GOES, OED DON’T USEE? WERHAPI NOW LETITB. IGO NOWAY. IAMBOSS. DONTU TELLME MYLIFE. INEED MYMOM. II WILLL FINDHER. FIND BOTHOF THEM.

SOI START SEEKING DATRUTH ABOUT WHO IAM. ITGOEZ ULTRAAA SLOWE. THE SPHYNXS RIDDLE WAS ACINCH BUT NOTTHIZ.

SUDNLEE WEHEAR SHOCKNG NEWS. WHEN IWASA TINY1 THISGR8 4SEER SED IWOOD OFF MY ROYAL OLDMAN THEN MARREE MYMAMA. SICKO RUBBISH, NESTPAS? WHOWHO COUDBE SOGONE? STIL MOMNDAD SENT MEEEEE AWAY. MEE ABABI AWAAAY.

NOWWWWW GETTHIZ. MANY MOONS GOBY. IMEET THISGUY ONATRIP. WEDOO RUMBLE. WHOKNEW? ILEFTMY POP ONE DEDMAN.

UGET DAFOTO. MAJR TSURIS. JOJO MYHONEE. MYSQUEEZ. MYLAMBY. MIAMOR. MYCUTEE. JOJOY IZZ MYMOMMY.

YEGODS WHYMEE? YMEYYME? LIFSUX. IAMBAD. IAMBADD. IMSOBAD. STOPNOW THISS HEDAKE. THIS FLESH DUZ STINK. ITZ 2MUCH PAYNE 4ONE2C. TAKEGOD MYEYES!

AIEEEEE! (154 license plates were used in writing this story.)

Monday, February 2, 2009

Shakespeare--February 3 - 12

Tuesday February 3--Continue practicing performance scenes

Wednesday February 4--Annotated performance scripts due, with complete subtext (for your character) and vocabulary notes. Begin workshopping "dress rehearsals" of performances with oral notes from class and instructors.

Thursday February 5--Finish workshopping

Friday February 6--Presentation of performance scenes; KB and LCC take brief written notes.

Tuesday February 10--Read Act I, The Merchant of Venice; which characters are most prominent? How many plotlines does Shakespeare set in motion? How are the plots related to each other?

Wednesday February 11--Continue discussion of Act I

Thursday February 12--Read Act II; vocabulary quiz covering lessons 16 - 18 in Vocabulary for Achievement.

Friday February 13--No school--Presidents' Weekend Holiday