Sunday, February 22, 2015
Response to Course Materials Feb 22
The last time we did one of these was forever ago, but because of 7th grade camp and all our long weekends, I don't have too much to report on. We started out by doing final exam projects. My group picked characters from Death of a Salesman, Hamlet, and The American Dream that related to each other and could work as foils. We mainly focused on which characters died and what aspects of their personalities and lives led to this. When we first finished the video I don't think any of us really thought we had learned too much from it, but when discussing what we were going to say in the class discussion, I realized what common themes all the works we've read have had. After this, we moved on to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Although I like this plays connection to Hamlet, and the conversation it opens up about it, I did not enjoy the play that much. I definitely think part of that is because I missed all of the movie and some of the discussion days so I don't feel as comfortable with it as the other works. I'm hoping that coming up with a theme will help me with this. We have been annotating articles on Ros&Guil, several of which have been about whether it is part of Theater of the Absurd. I do not think so because it is not cyclical and it does not seem to convey the message that life is meaningless.
Monday, February 16, 2015
Open Prompt part 2
2008. In a literary work, a minor character, often known as a foil, possesses traits that emphasize, by contrast or comparison, the distinctive characteristics and qualities of the main character. For example, the ideas or behavior of a minor character might be used to highlight the weaknesses or strengths of the main character. Choose a novel or play in which a minor character serves as a foil for the main character. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the relation between the minor character and the major character illuminates the meaning of the work.
In Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, Laertes acts as a foil for the main character Hamlet. Laertes is very close with his sister, Ophelia, and his father, Polonius, offers him advice and cares deeply about him. Laertes strong family connections draw attention to Hamlet's weak family ties. This adds to the meaning of Hamlet because it shows how Hamlet's isolation and lack of support leads to him going crazy.
A major difference in Hamlet and Laertes family is their relationship with their father. Hamlet does not seem close with King Hamlet when he appears as a ghost, in fact he seems terrified of him, and he is trying to murder his new father/uncle so they do not have much of a relationship. Juxtaposing this, Polonius sits Laertes down to give him advice before sending him off to go to college. It is obvious they are close and can talk frankly with one another. On the other hand, Hamlet is constantly asking for advice-but only from himself. His long monologues show that he could use an authority figure to look out for him but he does not have one.
Laertes also has a good relationship with Ophelia, his sister and Hamlet's lady friend. They have a frank and equal discussion about Ophelia's life, including her relationship with Hamlet. She gently teases him for giving her advice to stay chaste and brings up that he isn't really all that pure himself. Hamlet's counterpart to this relationship is with his mother Gertrude. While Hamlet and Gertrude are close (maybe a little too close, if you know what I mean) their relationship is not a healthy one. While Leartes and Ophelia are calm and Laertes advice to Ophelia is gentle, Hamlet and Gertrude get into a screaming match that ends with a man dead and Hamlet going insane.
When Hamlet wishes to go back to college, he must approach Gertrude and Claudius in a crowded stately room and even then they say no. Laertes asks in their family quarters and his father helps him to leave. Both Hamlet and Laertes fathers are killed but while Hamlet is indecisive, Laertes takes action. Laertes rushes to the castle to kill the person who killed his father with a crowd of loyal supporters while the entire play is about Hamlet trying to decide if he should take revenge or not.
In Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, Laertes acts as a foil for the main character Hamlet. Laertes is very close with his sister, Ophelia, and his father, Polonius, offers him advice and cares deeply about him. Laertes strong family connections draw attention to Hamlet's weak family ties. This adds to the meaning of Hamlet because it shows how Hamlet's isolation and lack of support leads to him going crazy.
A major difference in Hamlet and Laertes family is their relationship with their father. Hamlet does not seem close with King Hamlet when he appears as a ghost, in fact he seems terrified of him, and he is trying to murder his new father/uncle so they do not have much of a relationship. Juxtaposing this, Polonius sits Laertes down to give him advice before sending him off to go to college. It is obvious they are close and can talk frankly with one another. On the other hand, Hamlet is constantly asking for advice-but only from himself. His long monologues show that he could use an authority figure to look out for him but he does not have one.
Laertes also has a good relationship with Ophelia, his sister and Hamlet's lady friend. They have a frank and equal discussion about Ophelia's life, including her relationship with Hamlet. She gently teases him for giving her advice to stay chaste and brings up that he isn't really all that pure himself. Hamlet's counterpart to this relationship is with his mother Gertrude. While Hamlet and Gertrude are close (maybe a little too close, if you know what I mean) their relationship is not a healthy one. While Leartes and Ophelia are calm and Laertes advice to Ophelia is gentle, Hamlet and Gertrude get into a screaming match that ends with a man dead and Hamlet going insane.
When Hamlet wishes to go back to college, he must approach Gertrude and Claudius in a crowded stately room and even then they say no. Laertes asks in their family quarters and his father helps him to leave. Both Hamlet and Laertes fathers are killed but while Hamlet is indecisive, Laertes takes action. Laertes rushes to the castle to kill the person who killed his father with a crowd of loyal supporters while the entire play is about Hamlet trying to decide if he should take revenge or not.
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Open Prompt part 1 2008
1. In the first paragraph, the author answers the question completely by stating a character who is a foil for another character. I thought that she should have stated some of the differences and then showed how those added to the theme of the overall work. The AP grader thought the introduction was perfect though, so maybe I just do not know exactly what answering the entire prompt in a paragraph entails. The rest of the essay was good. It clearly stated points that proved the theses and then used evidence from the text to back them up. It was clear and focused.
2.The next introduction does not seem to answer the prompt at all. It reads like a plot summary to me and it never actually states who is a foil to who and why. Without having this strong thesis to prove, the essay seemed a little wishy washy and I kept going back to try and figure out what the author was trying to prove. In the next few paragraphs the author definitely had some plot summary going on but they did have some good points about how the characters opposing personalities were used to show the theme of the novel.
3. Ah, This essay is just straight up bad. The intro is a complete plot summary until the last sentence when it provides absolutely no explanation or tie in with the theme of the novel. The comparisons between Baba and Hassan mainly focused on random things that did not seem to have any connection to the meaning of the novel. Ample evidence was not provided and the organization of the essay was quite poor.
2.The next introduction does not seem to answer the prompt at all. It reads like a plot summary to me and it never actually states who is a foil to who and why. Without having this strong thesis to prove, the essay seemed a little wishy washy and I kept going back to try and figure out what the author was trying to prove. In the next few paragraphs the author definitely had some plot summary going on but they did have some good points about how the characters opposing personalities were used to show the theme of the novel.
3. Ah, This essay is just straight up bad. The intro is a complete plot summary until the last sentence when it provides absolutely no explanation or tie in with the theme of the novel. The comparisons between Baba and Hassan mainly focused on random things that did not seem to have any connection to the meaning of the novel. Ample evidence was not provided and the organization of the essay was quite poor.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)