To be, or not to be...

You've made it within two days of break!  You won't have much homework over the break (I really shouldn't be so nice), but your one assignment is to memorize Hamlet's oh-so-famous "To be, or not to be" soliloquy.  In case you have trouble finding the text online (that's a joke, as it is not hard to find at all), I will post it below.  Prior to memorizing it, though, you need to understand what Hamlet is saying.  Therefore, I would like you to translate it into your own words (still from Hamlet's point of view).  We will do the actual performances of the speech beginning on January 9th.

*Update* Since I am so nice and you do have quite a bit of work due next week, I will only require you to memorize up to "With a bare bodkin" (line 84 below).  However, you will receive extra credit for reciting the entire soliloquy.

To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks (70)
That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause: there's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life;
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,
The pangs of despis'd love, the law's delay, (80)
The insolence of office and the spurns
That patient merit of the unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscover'd country from whose bourn
No traveller returns, puzzles the will
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of? (90)
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all;
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,
And enterprises of great pitch and moment
With this regard their currents turn awry,
And lose the name of action.-- Soft you now!
The fair Ophelia! Nymph, in thy orisons
Be all my sins remember'd.

Words, words, words

Well, only one more week to get through before winter break.  You can make it!  We will try to get through Act II and well into Act III of Hamlet before the week is through. 

I know some of you are wondering: "Why are we studying Hamlet?"  Well, if you haven't already started recognizing several of the lines from the play, I'm sure you will soon.  Shakespeare introduced so many words and phrases into the English language it is unfathomable, and some of the most ubiquitous (look it up) come from Hamlet.  For this assignment, I want you to find at least two contemporary references to Hamlet (they can be from books, TV shows, movies, songs, comic strips... well, you get the picture) and describe the reference in a paragraph.  You also need to provide a complete citation in MLA format at the bottom of the page.  Separate the citations by putting the title Works Cited in the center of the page, and then cite each work below that.  For a review of proper citation format for different mediums (book, website, online video, etc.) click on the hyperlink below and use this reference:

http://library.williams.edu/citing/styles/mla.php

P.S. The Lion King is "off limits," since we have been using it as an example in class.

This assignment MUST BE TYPED and is due at the BEGINNING OF CLASS on WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, the penultimate (again, look it up) class before winter break.

Well, I know the blog hasn't seen much traffic lately (hopefully you've all checked out your videos I uploaded, though), but welcome back. 

We may not have enough Hamlet books for everyone to have a copy to take home, but, well, welcome to the twenty-first century.  Since we are using public domain literature (from the most studied author in the English language, there is no shortage of free online texts, which means (you got it) homework!  The following is a good online version of Hamlet from Open Source Shakespeare:

http://www.opensourceshakespeare.org/views/plays/playmenu.php?WorkID=hamlet

You may use this site to complete homework assignments, reading, etc.  Now you have no excuse (I'm sure you can find a computer to use, but nice try).

I will also be posting clips from various film adaptations of Hamlet with interpretation questions which you will be expected to watch and respond to outside of class.

Cheers,

Mr. Pace

Beowulf Videos

Okay, after much ado, here are the Beowulf videos that were all so wonderfully made. Nice work!

Anglo-Saxon/Beowulf Exam Reschedule

Hello everyone,

Due to the busy week with homecoming, etc., I have decided to postpone the Anglo-Saxon/Beowulf exam until next Tuesday.  This will allow for a little more time to review in class and study on your own.  I will give you more details in class.

-Mr. Pace

Anglo-Saxon/Beowulf Exam Study Guide

Hello, all, I hope you had a good weekend and are ready for homecoming this week.  I thought I would post the study guide to the exam on Beowulf and the Anglo-Saxon period (don't worry, I'll still give you a copy).  So, without further ado, here it is...

Anglo-Saxon/Beowulf Exam Study Guide

Geography

·         Know and be able to label on a map

o   The four countries comprising Great Britain

o   France

o   The English Channel

o   London

Anglo-Saxon Period

·         Celtic Civilization

o   Religion & priests

o   Most famous Celtic ruins

o   Warriors’ blue dye

o   Basis for Arthurian legend

·         Roman Occupation

o   Beginning and ending dates

o   Roman emperor during invasion of Britain

o   Two geographical features brought to Britain by Romans

o   Religion brought by the Romans after Emperor Constantine converted to it

·         Anglo-Saxon Period

o   Three major tribes (Angles, Saxons, and Jutes)

o   Terms for Anglo-Saxon poets

o   “Warrior Heaven”

o   Odin and Thor

o   Four main virtues (and how they relate to Beowulf)

o   Significance of dragon in Anglo-Saxon poetry

o   Influence of monks and monasteries

o   3 major accomplishments of Alfred the Great

o   Event that marks the end of the Anglo-Saxon period, as well as the date and its leader

Beowulf

·         Who wrote it?  About when?

·         How do scholars account for the Christian and Pagan elements existing concurrently in the poem?  Be able to identify examples of each from a given passage.

·         What is the one verifiable historical reference in Beowulf? (Hygelac was a historical figure who led a raid around the year 525).

·         What is the name of the mead-hall?  Who builds it?

·         Who is Grendel’s ancestor?

·         What is wyrd?  Provide an example of its importance in Beowulf?

·         What is wergild?  How is this important in Beowulf?

·         What is a ring-giver?

·         What is the history between Hrothgar and Beowulf’s father?

·         Genealogy:

o   Danes: Know Hrothgar’s ancestry back to Shield Sheafson.

o   Gaets: Know Beowulf’s father and his uncle whom Beowulf succeeds as king

·         Know the three battles and the major events in each.

·         What is the name of Beowulf’s sword?

·         How does Beowulf become king of the Gaets?

·         How many years does he rule before he fights the dragon?

·         Who is the warrior who remains loyal to Beowulf in his final battle?

·         How does Beowulf die?

·         What happens to Beowulf’s body after his death? 

·         What are some themes that remain relevant today?

Literary Terms

·         Know and be able to define, as well as provide some characteristics of, an epic (see the list on pages 28-29 in the textbook).

·         Know and be able to define and identify from a selected passage:

o   Kenning

o   Alliteration

o   Caesura (a pause in the middle of a line of poetry)

Greetings, and welcome to PaceSpace. I thought for the first entry we could discuss music. As a musician from a young age, I have been obsessed with songs and the meanings they hold for us. In Beowulf, the poet employs songs that were popular at the time (and which also contain a pertinent meaning) to connect with his audience and add some variety to the text. The songs, of course, are significantly less readily available to us now, but the concept remains. We add songs to our movies (especially the major blockbusters), and we tend to appreciate it when a film incorporates a pertinent popular song in the soundtrack. For this post, I'd like you to think about what you think is the best soundtrack to any movie. Personally, I tend to return with alarming alacrity (vocab word!) to Moulin Rouge. The genius of that film (besides the casting and directing) is how Baz Luhrmann incorporates popular songs from the past 1oo years into the storyline. In doing so, I think the movie is successful in demonstrating the immanence of death and the embodiment of Bohemian ideals through (relatively) contemporary songs.