Tuesday,+January+31

‍‍‍ Find these words in the text and annotate their meanings.

 * abject
 * banishment
 * descent
 * incur
 * kindred
 * knave
 * melancholy
 * peril

‍Read
Read Scene ii of the Induction and annotate as you read. //Key terms: motif, allusion, prose vs. verse, farce, blank verse, iambic pentameter//
 * **Motif**- a repeated element or construct that often points to the theme (the proper behavior of women, battle of the sexes, distinctions between nobility and peasants, reasons for marriage, etc.)
 * **Allusion**- a reference to another literary work, piece of art, historical figure, myth, etc. (A Note on Allusions: most allusions in literature come from 1) the Bible, 2) Shakespeare, or 3) mythology. Being well-versed in these will prepare you to understand allusions in both classical and modern texts.)
 * Most of Shakespeare's work is written in **blank verse**- unrhymed lines of **iambic pentameter**. Iambic means that the pattern is unstressed syllable, stressed syllable, unstressed, stressed, etc. (Irene). Pentameter means that there is a pattern of generally 5 of these "iambs" per line.
 * Elizabethan playwrights used simple **prose** to indicate a simple character or simple subject matter. The lines of servants and peasants, for example, were written in prose. In this play, Shakespeare also switches to prose at times so that the audience doesn't miss puns or sexual innuendo. This is, after all, written for the entertainment of his audience.
 * **Farce**- type of comedy that entertains its audience by means of unlikely and exaggerated situations; disguises and mistaken identity; verbal humor, often very obvious and bordering on the vulgar; a fast-paced plot that often ends in an elaborate chase scene, and a happy ending in which most of the characters come out satisfied. Plot takes precedence over character; therefore, many characters in a farce are //stock// or //conventional// characters. Popular characters of the day- "shrews" and henpecked husbands!

‍‍‍Respond and Discuss
Answer the questions on the handout provided with your small group. Discuss these as a class.

Homework
Read Act 1 scene 1 by yourself. Annotate as you read- paraphrase, notice characterization, make connections, address rhetorical techniques. I will check annotations as a homework grade. We will discuss scene 1 and read scene 2 together on Thursday.

Answer the questions on the handout for Act I scene I.

‍‍‍By the way...
Shakespeare is tough! Don't be embarrassed if you have a hard time understanding it. Just DON'T GIVE UP! It's ok if you don't understand EVERY word; part of the beauty of Shakespeare is that you can read it thirty times and still notice something new. As you read more, the language will come more naturally. With your annotations, stop frequently to sum up what you've read. This will help you soooooo much!

Also, check out this website for help. It has plot summaries, character descriptions, explanations of theme and various literary elements, and SO MUCH MORE! And look at this Shakespearean Dictionary for help with all of those Middle English words. Elizabethan language can be hard to understand for modern readers, but remember, Shakespeare wrote to the masses. He entertained monarchs and peasents alike. This is how people spoke!