ENG 20-1: Shakespeare's Macbeth
Mr. Steel
Abraham Lincoln once said that Macbeth is the most politically-astute
of Shakespeare's plays. Indeed, the play gravitates around the problem of
tyranny, and it asks the question of how one ought to take and maintain
political power. Macbeth is also
Shakespeare's shortest tragedy; and yet it is one of the most fast-paced of his
works. This suggests that time is of the essence in politics and political
decision-making. We will read Shakespeare's tragedy in order to explore the
real world of politics theoretically, and to question our own understanding of
both action and decision-making.
WORK AND ASSESSMENT
Minor Assignment
Every
student will write a brief, double-spaced reflection on each of the FIVE acts of the play (no more than a
page please). These reflections should
not be expository or descriptive in nature (ex.: "This happened, then
this, then this..."). Rather, students are expected to encounter the text deeply;
they must investigate a major theme, question, idea, problem, or symbol
encountered in each particular Act of the play. Every student reflection MUST end with a question about the Act.
Again, no "Trivial Pursuit" questions will be accepted. The point of
the questions is to engage students in a class discussion, and to use student
inquiry to engage deeply in the play's meaning and significance. Students MUST
keep on top of these assignments, since it is imperative that they come
prepared to discuss the play each class.
Minor Assignment
Students
will be exposed to selections from the writings of Machiavelli, a political
philosopher with whom Shakespeare was intimately familiar, and with whose ideas
on power Shakespeare toyed and analyzes in Macbeth.
Student understanding of the political underpinnings of Shakespeare's Macbeth will be gauged through short reading
comprehension assignments.
Minor Assignment
Students
will watch Roman Polanski's 1971 movie version of Macbeth, and write a short
movie review. The movie review will
develop critical-analytic skills. It will take the following form:
q
Students
must discuss what they liked about the movie and why.
q
Students
must discuss what they did not like about the movie and why.
q
Students
must discuss whether or not the movie is "true" to the play as
written by Shakespeare. Did anything get left out? Was anything added?
q
Students
must grade the movie on a scale of one to ten (ten being the best).
*** Minor assignments are to
be kept in a duo-tang folder by each student. Each assignment will be
marked in class and placed in this duo-tang. Students who miss assignments are
expected to complete them as soon as possible. Students will not receive credit
for missing assignments unless prior arrangements have been made; however, all
assignments must be finished. Missed assignments are not accepted late (unless
through prior arrangement) because the allure of copying other students' work
is too great for many students, and plagiarized work from classmates is hard to
police. Rather, students who miss assignments will receive credit for
completing extra reading comprehension assignments located on the back wall of
the classroom.
***
Any
student who wishes to improve his or her mark in English 20-1 can complete
extra reading assignments located on the back wall of my classroom. I use these
assignments both to fill in blank/missing assignment grades, and to replace
lower marks on older assignments where a student is ambitious enough to take
advantage of this opportunity. Every student, through his/her own initiative,
is thereby given ample opportunity to excel in English class. (NOTE: In order
to avoid the "plagiarism factor" among the student populace, extra
assignments are NOT handed back to students.)
Major Assignment
Students
will write a Personal Response to
the play in the format mandated by Alberta Learning. All students must learn
the Personal Response format in order that they may find success in their
provincial examinations at the 30-level.
|
Imagine
you are Machiavelli. Write a letter advising either Macbeth, or a tyrant like
Macbeth, about how to take and maintain political power. Remember to rely on
your knowledge of Shakespeare's play for examples! Cite these examples in
your creative writing. |
Major Assignment
Students
will write a multiple choice reading
comprehension test based on selections from the plays of William
Shakespeare.