Monday, June 4
Course Introduction; Sign-in; Policies; Introduction to Argument; Conciseness; Improving Sentence Construction; Set Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day Reading Schedule; Introduction to Shakespeare and Shakespeare's language
By tomorrow:
(1) Purchase or borrow a HARD copy of both Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day AND Shakespeare's Macbeth that you can write in. Very cheap at Half Price Books. Also available at Barnes and Noble. Find an edition of Macbeth with an editor's notes (New Cambridge, Arden 3, Oxford, Penguin, RSC).
(2) I'd like you to have worked through 1.1-1.3 of Macbeth by tomorrow. In case you can't find a copy today, print this version... a courtesy extended just this once. Here's the process:
(a) Watch the corresponding scenes of the Patrick Stewart version first.
(b) Watch them again.
(c) Read this scene-by-scene summary and analysis ONLY.
(d) Read Shakespeare's text, marking up your text with questions and ideas.
Stars Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard, and director Justin Kurzel, talk about making the newest screen version of Macbeth from 2015.
(e) Watch the corresponding scenes again. Think about the following as you watch and read: What exactly are these witches? What information do we get about the limitations of their power? As you'll see it's really important to figure out what the witches are! An answer will help us know how to answer a central question: Is Macbeth a story of one man's free will and his decision to opt for evil over good? Or is it a tragic story of one man trying to cope with a life that is already set out for him? I hope the answer is somewhere in between. Also, as you watch the Patrick Stewart version, you'll notice that the first two scenes of the play are swapped. We'll want to think about why by asking ourselves what such an inversion accomplishes dramatically?
(3) Be sure to register on turnitin.com.
Class ID: 15368041
Password: magis
(4) Work through numbers 1-12 on this site for tomorrow. Write out your responses by hand. To be turned in tomorrow.
(5) Bring a 1/2", 3-ring binder you can dedicate to this class by tomorrow.
Tuesday, June 5
Macbeth; "The Many Meanings of Macbeth: The Path to Your Final Essay;" A Few Sentence Patterns; Sentence combining exercises (finish for homework what we did not complete in class); Tonight, following the same procedure, read 1.4-2.1 of Macbeth. Think about:
(1) How the dramatist works with 'levels of awareness': To this point, everything has been public knowledge. The play really picks up, though, when Macbeth and Banquo have private exchanges and especially when Macbeth speaks on stage alone. What do these levels of awareness add?
(2) Where do you see continued conflict within Macbeth?
(3) Finish the Prologue (pages 3-20) of The Remains of the Day by tomorrow.
Wednesday, June 6
Macbeth; Set Macbeth Performance Comparison Assignment; Developing a thesis; What constitutes evidence?; Interpretive vs Evaluative Claims; We'll compare and contrast the opening scenes from 5 different productions of Macbeth as a means of preparing you for the type of work you'll be doing in your first writing assignment. For tomorrow, finish all of Act 2, thinking not only about the function of the Porter, but also about Macbeth's internal struggle and the ways it outwardly manifests itself. NOTE: You'll have a chance to put a draft of your performance comparison up on the board on Friday. Don't save the whole piece for the weekend.
Thursday, June 7
Macbeth; Macbeth and Lady Macbeth dominate the play. And though they're not alone on stage as a pair for more than a few hundred lines of a 2000-line play, their relationship -- the way they manipulate and feed off of each other -- accounts for most of the intellectual and emotional intrigue the play offers, and, really, is what most people remember the most about this play. Today and tomorrow we'll examine their scenes meticulously. Today you'll break into small groups, with each group working through an assigned selection. Use the prompts I've given you below, or don't, and be inventive and take your own approach. I'll be walking around, listening to your discussions. The classroom should buzz today.
1.5.53-73: Is there any indication that Macbeth has sent this letter to Lady M, knowing how she will react? Is there any psychological manipulation in the letter he sends her? In her subsequent soliloquy, is it apparent that she knows her husband well? What is her attitude toward his moral ambivalence? Then Macbeth enters: Notice for a moment just what Macbeth says and doesn't say. He tells her Duncan is coming tonight, but gives no indication that he's thinking about killing Duncan. Does he want her to come to the idea on her own? Given Macbeth's earlier passionate commitment to murder, this exchange seems strangely quiet. In this sense, who has the upper hand in the exchange? What does each character want out of the other at this point in the play?
1.7.26-83: What has happened to each character since their previous exchange? How have these events changed the way each thinks about the other? How has each's attitude toward his/her actions evolved? What is the last thing Macbeth says in his soliloquy right before this exchange? What is the juxtaposition of that thought and the immediate entrance of Lady M supposed to make us think? Who has the upper hand in this scene? Notice how Lady M's language has changed to something more visceral and attacking. How does Lady M spin M's figurative language? What does each character want out of the other at this point in the play?
2.2.9-73: This is off topic, but first of all, why don't we get to see the murder? Isn't drama all about imitation? Why is this kept from us? ***** How does this scene reveal some profound psychological differences between husband and wife? Now that the deed is done, do they see each other in ways we've yet to see? Why is Lady M so sensitive to sounds? Notice how terse the language has gotten once M enters. What is this supposed to help us understand? What else indicates extreme stress? Describe each's attitude toward the murder. NOW what does each want from the other? How do Ian McKellan and Judi Dench's performances of this scene (to the left) help you to understand what is really at stake in this scene? ***** My favorite scene in any Shakespeare play is 3.3 of Othello. This is a distant second, but a second nonetheless.
Tonight I'd like for you to read 3.1-3.4. Focus on the following sections and the questions associated with those sections:
3.2.9-59: What has happened to each character since their previous exchange? How have these events changed the way each thinks about the other? How has each's attitude toward his/her actions evolved? What does the fact that Lady M says one thing to herself, but something contradictory to Macbeth tell us about her at this point? What is Macbeth keeping from his wife, and why? What has happened to their bond, if they ever had one? 3.2.53-59 are some of the most telling lines in this scene. How do they help to indicate a total reversal in their relationship?
3.4.123-145: What has happened to each character since their previous exchange? How have these events changed the way each thinks about the other? How has each's attitude toward his/her actions evolved? What does Lady M blame Macbeth's hallucinations on? What effect does each character have on the other at this point? What indicates, if anything, a complete deterioration of their relationship?
If any of you wish to put a draft of your performance comparison on the board tomorrow, please e-mail it to me by 7 AM tomorrow morning.
Friday, June 8
Sample performance comparisons on the big board; How can you structure this first piece? Paragraph Development/Progression; Crutches; Blending Quotations; MLA Review; Macbeth 3.2 and 3.4; Over the weekend, finish Acts 3 and 4. Continue with your reading of The Remains of the Day.
Monday, June 11
Macbeth; Set Macbeth Thematic Essay; Recall "The Many Meanings of Macbeth: The Path to Your Final Essay"; By tomorrow, finish the play! Here is a list of big-issue study questions I'd like you to look over today. Use them to continue to think about what you'd like to write about for your final, thematic essay. When we return to class I will be asking each of you for the topic you'll be writing about (it can come from the list or can be one of your choosing).
Tuesday, June 12
Macbeth; By tomorrow, print, read, and annotate Joyce, "Araby".
Wednesday, June 13
Fiction; A woman is sitting...; Joyce, "Araby" and "Eveline"; Set Creative, "Epiphany" Assignment; Joyce, "Araby"; For tomorrow, print, read, and annotate Joyce, "Eveline."
Thursday, June 14
Joyce, "Eveline"; Blending Quotations; Your assignment tonight is to read Updike's "A&P." As with "Araby" and "Eveline," print, read, annotate, bring to class.
Friday, June 15
Updike, "A&P"; MLA Review; time to meet individually about final essay; Today in class we'll also discuss introductions using this. Over the weekend catch up on your The Remains of the Day reading if you need to.
Monday, June 18
Introduction to poetry; Essay structure; Set Team Teach a Poem with Kubus Assignment; "A Barred Owl" and "The History Teacher"; "My Papa's Waltz" and "Those Winter Sundays"; For tomorrow, print, read, and bring to class: Shelley, "Ozymandias" and Shakespeare's Sonnet 20. Also, read this.
Tuesday, June 19
Shelley, "Ozymandias," Shakespeare, "Sonnet 20"; Conclusions; Final explanation of team teaching with Kubus; Tomorrow, print and bring to class Hopkins, "The Windhover" and "Spring and Fall: to a young child." Come having annotated each. Know that on Tuesday you'll be expected to bring 3 copies of a full draft of your final Macbeth essay for peer review. Also remember Monday is your The Remains of the Day reading test.
Wednesday, June 20
Hopkins, "The Windhover," "Spring and Fall,"; Time to prepare for our team teaching
Thursday, June 21
Team Teaching with Kubus
Sidney 72 and Shakespeare 94: Henry
Shakespeare 138 and Wordsworth, "The world is too much with us": Hector
Coleridge, "The Eolian Harp" and Keats, "To Autumn": Eduardo
Friday, June 22
Team Teaching with Kubus
Keats, "Ode on a Grecian Urn" and Shelley, "Ode to the West Wind": Calvin
Tennyson, "Ulysses" and Browning, "My Last Duchess": Nicholas
Hopkins, "God's Grandeur" and Hopkins, "As Kingfishers Catch Fire": Jordan
Kazuo Ishiguro
Monday, June 25
The Remains of the Day Reading Test; The Remains of the Day
Tuesday, June 26
The Remains of the Day; Peer editing of final essay
Wednesday, June 27
The Remains of the Day; The Art of Styling Sentences
Thursday, June 28
The Remains of the Day; The Art of Styling Sentences
Friday, June 29
The Remains of the Day
“O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife...”
Major Grades
(1) Macbeth Performance Comparison Assignment - Set 06/07, Due 06/12
(2) Macbeth Thematic Essay (FINAL EXAM) - Set 06/12, Due 06/28
(3) Creative, "Epiphany" Assignment - Set 06/15, Due 06/19
(4) Team Teach a Poem with Kubus - 06/22-06/23
(5) The Remains of the Day Reading Test - 06/26
(6) The Remains of the Day Discussion Participation - 06/26-06/30
Required Texts
Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day
A Smattering of Short Stories and Poetry (Provided)
Study Links
Click the image to read The Art of Fiction, No. 196: An Interview with Kazuo Ishiguro
““Poetry is a sword of lightning, ever unsheathed, which consumes the scabbard that would contain it””
Due Dates
Macbeth Performance Comparison Assignment - Monday, June 12
Creative, "Epiphany" Assignment - Monday, June 19
Team Teach a Poem with Kubus - Thursday-Friday, June 22-23
The Remains of the Day Reading Test - Monday, June 26
Macbeth Thematic Essay (FINAL EXAM) - Wednesday, June 28
The Remains of the Day Discussion Participation - Monday-Thursday, June 26-30
From National Public Radio, an interview with Kazuo Ishiguro
Macbeth (1976), directed by Trevor Nunn
Full production of Macbeth with Ian McKellen
Patrick Stewart, "Is this a dagger…"
Free learning from The Open University, an introduction by David and Ben Crystal to the 'Original Pronunciation'
POLICIES
ATTENDANCE
Regular attendance and participation in discussion is the way to succeed in this class. The best way to retain an idea in your long-term memory is to discuss it. There will be ample opportunity to share your thoughts and ideas with your peers. For more on class participation, see below. Show up to class, listen attentively, talk when you hear something you don't agree with, try to have a little fun.
In my classes, attendance is not mere physical presence; you must come to class with book, notebook, and pen in tow. Failure to comply will certainly affect your daily participation grade and may result in dismissal from class.
NOTE: No late work will be accepted during summer school.
NIGHTLY READING
Do tonight’s reading… tonight! There is a hefty reading load in this course. It would behoove you to stay on top of your nightly reading. All readings, long-term assignments, and due dates will be posted on this website. You should consult this site daily.
IPADS
The school's acceptable use policy can be found here. In my classes, though, we will NEVER use the iPad. If you have the iPad on you for another class, you are to keep it in your bag at all times.
TEACHER REQUIREMENTS
For my part, I will be prepared for class, return all work in a timely fashion, give ample notice for long-term projects and upcoming tests, update the class website often, and respect every student for his individuality and intrinsic value. I care very much about helping you to become fine-tuned readers and writers. I will be available in my office after class for as long as you need.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
Strake Jesuit has instituted an Academic Honesty policy, which clearly and concisely outlines the definition of and consequences for instances of academic dishonesty, including but not limited to: cheating on tests, sharing homework answers, and copying some or all of another person’s written work.
I find plagiarism especially morally and professionally abhorrent; it is a violation of the mutual respect between teachers and students, scholars and researchers, as well as that between peers.
REVIEW COMMUNITY LIFE for what constitutes plagiarism. Be moral. Refer to the MLA Handbook regularly. One day, your life may be saved because you know proper MLA citation (I have a story.). IGNORANCE IS NOT AN EXCUSE.
SUNDRY, OFF-THE-RECORD ITEMS
Be willing to contribute an insight no matter how reticent you are. But you should be prepared to defend each and every thing that you say with verifiable evidence from the text. If you decide to open your mouth in class, be prepared to defend yourself.
When you're doing work for my class, DO NO GOOGLING. Googling is done by the man looking for the quick fix; googling is stopgap thinking; it’s putting a BandAid on a fatal wound. Googling is for tourists. Don’t be a tourist; let yourself live in your essays.
PROOFREAD. You should know that for each and every spelling, grammatical, and citation error, you will lose 1-pt. Do not lose these easy points. But more than that, when you're essay is riddled with errors, you're telling me you take no pride in your work, and that is something I very much care about. Eviscerate errors.
Be good to yourself and BEGIN EARLY. Build in time to meet with me, to fully think through your ideas, to go back and revise. You owe it to yourself as an active learner to do your work the right way. So get to work. Here is the grindstone…
Don't feel. Think.
Don't throw off the rhythm of the class by raising your hand and asking to use the restroom. I need not know how your kidneys are functioning. Just go. Leave us out of it.
Let personal queries be dealt with outside the classroom; that is, come by my office to ask me about what you missed when you were absent / extensions / issues that come up while you're working. When I'm in class, oftentimes my mind can solely be on the matters of that day's class.
A note about extensions: I give them. But I do not acquiesce to night-before-the-final-paper-is-due requests. If you give me ample notice and have a valid excuse, I will (in most instances) grant your request. Be proactive; plan ahead.
When you send me an email, be sure it's appropriately addressed and formatted. And, please, by no means send me an attachment with no message. Learn this skill now.
I will never answer the question when will our essays be ready? I work diligently to grade your essays with meaningful feedback and to give them back to you in a timely manner. If you ask when your essay will be ready, it goes to the bottom of the pile.