[CAS-BHS] FRESHMAN ENGLISH UPDATE
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cas-bhs at lists.berkeleypta.org
Tue Apr 25 06:45:28 PDT 2006
April 25, 2006
Dear CAS freshmen & families,
This week is Star testing. The tests as set up are flawed in a dozen different ways. They don't test knowledge; they test a very narrow range of response skills. Another critical flaw is that there is really no motivation for students to take them seriously except their desire to help their school (which is something few teens can be said to feel automatically). While we are not happy about the regime of standardized testing that the state imposes on our schools, we are encouraging our students to show up and do their best. It can be seen as a practice for these tests which students will have to take often in their lives. And we don't want Berkeley High to be labeled as a low testing school - it could see us forced to do much more "test prep" as curriculum.
In any case, just a reminder of our work this week on The Tempest. We viewed the film Shakespeare Behind Bars last week. It was a wonderful documentary of inmates in a prison in Kentucky. How they rehearsed, how they analyzed, how they performed the play. Quite compelling. We had extensive discussions about punishment and forgiveness - in the prison world and in Shakespeare. This brought to live the many ways Shakespeare can be read and interpreted. His writing is so rich that it has different meanings and implications to different people (through the centuries of history; in different historical and social settings). This is why Harold Bloom says that, "We do not read Shakespeare, Shakespeare reads us."
We have also been reading the Aime Cesaire version of the play and students have enjoyed the fresh and critical version he has created. Many asked if we couldn't just put on this play as a live performance.
Students are doing a short final writing piece on the play(s). This is not a highly structured piece - it is more of a response paper. We will still read it for clarity and in fact will do peer editing. But the most important thing is the student idea and student exploration that goes into the piece. The Quotes and Comments work that most students did were quite excellent. So we framed this as a kind of extended, or more thorough, Quote and Comment. See the assignment below. They are slightly different in period 1 and period 3. With different deadlines (for period 3, it is this Thursday; for period 1, it is next Monday). So be sure to read the one for your class.
Next, we will be reading Russel Banks' Rule of the Bone.
Sincerely,
Rick Ayers & Anna Shneiderman
CAS freshman English teacher
WRITING ASSIGNMENT FOR PERIOD ONE
Extended Quote and Comments
Final Writing Assignment on The Tempest
CAS Freshman Seminar
Period One
Spring, 2006
Option One: Imagining A Just Society
"If I ruled the world," sings Nas. Everyone thinks sometimes about what kind of world they would create if they were absolute dictator.
Prospero the magician has created his ideal society on the island. Far from the scheming and corrupt court life of Italy, he has created a world ruled by spirit and by the magic arts. What kind of world has he created? Is it a just, fair, society? How does he use his powers, for good or evil?
Gonzalo talks about the ideal island society he'd create if he were able to start civilization over again on the island:
"Had I a plantation of this isle, my lord -
And were the king on't, what would I do?
I' the commonwealth I would by contraries
Execute all things: for no kind of traffic
Would I admit; no name of magistrates;
Letters should not be known; riches, poverty,
And the use of service, none; contract, succession,
Bourn, bound of land, tilth, vineyard, none;
No use of metal, corn, or wine, or oil;
No occupation, all men idle, all;
And women too, but innocent and pure;
No sovereignty.
All things in common nature should produce
Without sweat or endeavor. Treason, felony,
Sword, pike, knife, gun, or need of any engine
Would I not have; but nature should bring forth,
Of its own kind, all foison, all abundance,
To feed my innocent people.
I would with such perfection govern, sir,
T'excel the golden age."
(The Tempest, II, i line 155 - 182)
Now, an island is a perfect place for you to imagine creating your ideal society, your little kingdom, your paradise. Plenty of books, movies and TV shows have dealt with this theme. Think of Mosquito Coast in which Harrison Ford attempts to create his ideal world; think of the TV show LOST. And, of course, Lord of the Flies is all about the experiment in creating a micro-society. In Shakespeare Behind Bars, the wardens and prisoners try to create a new society in the island of the prison. While it is not ideal, they are trying to make it the best they can under difficult circumstances.
Write a description of your ideal society. Describe Prospero's island society and Gonzalo's ideal society. Compare it with another ideal society from another book, movie or TV show. What kind of society would you would create if you were the lord over an island, the Prospero with magic powers? How is your vision similar to or different from Prospero's or Gonzalo's? Why do you think yours is better?
Option Two: Character Study Essay - Caliban
Think about Caliban, one of Shakespeare's most delicious and interesting characters.
Here is Caliban's perspective:
This island's mine, by Sycorax my mother,
Which thou tak'st from me. When thou cam'st first,
Thou strok'dst me and made much of me, wouldst give me
Water with berries in't; and teach me how
To name the bigger light, and how the less,
That burn by day and night. And then I loved thee
And showed thee all the qualities o' th' isle,
The fresh springs, brine-pits, barren place and fertile:
Cursèd be I that did so! All the charms
Of Sycorax - toads, beetles, bats - light on you!
For I am all the subjects that you have,
Which first was mine own king; and here you sty me
In this hard rock, whiles you do keep from me
The rest o' the island. . . . . (I, 2, ln. 331-344)
You taught me language; and my profit on't
Is, I know how to curse. The red plague rid you
For learning me your language! . . . . (I, 2, ln. 362-364)
Here are some important sides of Caliban:
-- Nature: Shakespeare has described Caliban in contact with the pure and original forms of nature. Césaire has Caliban speaking up in defense of the island, against the Europeans who see the earth as dead.
-- Language and power: Shakespeare and Césaire describe a debate over which is "proper" language and whether Caliban is adept at English, his native language, or both.
-- The colonial reading. Caliban is a slave - a strange mixture of European projections, European constructions of "the other," of Native Americans and Africans. Justifying his control of Caliban, Prospero describes him as part beast. The fear and admiration of Prospero for him reflects the European ambiguity about this brave new world. Césaire describes a rebellious Caliban; one who wants only to cut the master's throat. In fact, he argues with Ariel, the house slave, who seeks his freedom through flattery of the master.
Write an evaluation of Caliban. First describe Caliban as he appears in Shakespeare and in Césaire. Then, analyze the complex character of Caliban. What does this character Caliban tell you about the attitudes of Europeans of Shakespeare's time? How does Shakespeare's Caliban connect with Columbus' description of the first encounter? What does Cesaire's Caliban tell you about the view from the colonies on their struggle for liberation? How does this connect with your thoughts about racism, oppression, the creation of the "other"? Finally, give your opinion of Caliban. Is he evil, or just misunderstood?
Option Three: On Forgiveness
In the last scene of the play, there are a number of instances of forgiveness.
Prospero tells Antonio:
" I do forgive thee,/ Unnatural though thou art." (V, 1, ln. 78-79)
In the closing moment of the play, Prospero asks the audience for forgiveness:
Now my charms are all o'erthrown,
And what strength I have's mine own,
Which is most faint: now, 'tis true,
I must be here confined by you,
Or sent to Naples. Let me not,
Since I have my dukedom got
And pardon'd the deceiver, dwell
In this bare island by your spell;
But release me from my bands
With the help of your good hands:
Gentle breath of yours my sails
Must fill, or else my project fails,
Which was to please. Now I want
Spirits to enforce, art to enchant,
And my ending is despair,
Unless I be relieved by prayer,
Which pierces so that it assaults
Mercy itself and frees all faults.
As you from crimes would pardon'd be,
Let your indulgence set me free. (Epilogue, ln. 1-20)
In Shakespeare Behind Bars, the inmates in Luther Luckett Correctional Facility connected deeply with this theme of forgiveness. They felt that through working through their past crimes (partly by performing The Tempest,) they were able to forgive themselves.
Write a reflection on forgiveness in The Tempest. Why does Prospero forgive Antonio? Why does Prospero need to ask the audience for forgiveness? As an audience member, you have the power to choose whether Prospero should be forgiven. Should he be forgiven or not? Why or why not? How did the prisoners' production of The Tempest connect with notions of forgiveness in the play? What is your take on forgiveness?
All papers should:
a.. Include parts of the quotation provided from The Tempest.
b.. Refer to at least one other text (Césaire's A Tempest, Shakespeare Behind Bars, Columbus' Diary.)
c.. Include your own opinions.
d.. Be about 400 words long, which is about two pages, typed, 12 point, double spaced. Please do not single space as that makes it difficult to read. If you need computer access to complete this assignment, talk to me right away.
e.. Be checked for spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors.
Extra Credit: You may include an artistic representation of your idea (a collage, drawing, photograph you take, etc.).
WRITING ASSIGNMENT FOR PERIOD THREE
Formal Quote and Comments
Final Writing Assignment on The Tempest
CAS Freshman Seminar
Period Three
Spring, 2006
Option One: Gonzalo's Just Society
Smokey Robinson used to sing, "If I were the king, I would make you my queen." "If I ruled the world," sings Nas. Everyone thinks sometimes about what kind of world they would create if they were absolute dictator, could make it over any way they wanted.
Prospero, of course, is the magician who has created his ideal society. Far from the scheming and corrupt court life of Italy, he has created a world ruled by spirit, by the magic arts, in some ways by the female side of human nature. What kind of world has he created? Jot down some notes (in your Unit section, English notebook) that describe the ideal society that Shakespeare has made Prospero create. Is it a just, a fair, society? How does he use his powers, for good or evil?
Now, an island is a perfect place for you to imagine creating your ideal society, your little kingdom, your paradise. Plenty of movies have dealt with this theme. Think of Mosquito Coast in which Harrison Ford attempts to create his ideal world; think of the Swiss Family Robinson or Robinson Crusoe. And, of course, Lord of the Flies is all about the experiment in creating a micro-society.
Shakespeare is thinking about the ideal world that he would like to see. In fact, he has Prospero's faithful servant Gonzalo talk about the ideal island he'd create if he were able to create anything he wanted:
"Had I a plantation of this isle, my lord -
And were the king on't, what would I do?
I' the commonwealth I would by contraries
Execute all things: for no kind of traffic
Would I admit; no name of magistrates;
Letters should not be known; riches, poverty,
And the use of service, none; contract, succession,
Bourn, bound of land, tilth, vineyard, none;
No use of metal, corn, or wine, or oil;
No occupation, all men idle, all;
And women too, but innocent and pure;
No sovereignty.
All things in common nature should produce
Without sweat or endeavor. Treason, felony,
Sword, pike, knife, gun, or need of any engine
Would I not have; but nature should bring forth,
Of it own kind, all foison, all abundance,
To feed my innocent people.
I would with such perfection govern, sir,
T'excel the golden age."
(The Tempest, II, i line 155 - 182)
Such speculation about the ideal society was common in Shakespeare's time. Indeed, we discussed exactly these thoughts of the enlightenment philosophers. We will see that it was this pursuit of the ideal that led to the anti-monarchial revolutions of Europe and to the American revolution.
Thinking about Gonzalo's ideal world, and Prospero's, read the following description of an ideal society that Michel de Montaigne imagined when he wrote about the "noble savages" - the Native Americans - of the New World:
"It is a nation that hath no kind of traffic, no knowledge of letters, no intelligence of numbers, no name of magistrate nor of politic superiority, no use of service, of riches or poverty, no contracts, no successions, no dividences, no occupation but idle, no respect of Kindred but common, no apparel but natural, no manuring of lands, no use of wine, corn, or metal. The very words that import lying, falsehood, treasons, envy, dissimulation, covetousness, detraction, and pardon were never heard."
Pick out the words that are in common between Montaigne's essay and Gonzalo's speech. Do you think Shakespeare had read Montaigne?
Your writing assignment is to write a 400-word description of your ideal society - this will be your response to the Gonzalo quotation - making connections to your own thinking. How does this quotation connect with your ideas of an ideal society? What kind of society would you would create if you were the lord over an island, the Prospero with magic powers? Describe this society. How is it different from Prospero's, Gonzalo's, Montaigne's? Why do you think it is better?
Extra Credit: You may include an artistic representation of your idea (a collage, drawing, photograph you take, etc.).
(Note: this should be about 400 words, which is about two pages, typed, 12 point, double spaced. Please do not single space as that makes it difficult to read. If you need computer access to complete this assignment, talk to me right away.)
This paper is due at the beginning of class on Thursday, April 27.
Option Two: Character Study Essay - Caliban
This island's mine, by Sycorax my mother,
Which thou tak'st from me. When thou cam'st first,
Thou strok'dst me and made much of me, wouldst give me
Water with berries in't; and teach me how
To name the bigger light, and how the less,
That burn by day and night. And then I loved thee
And showed thee all the qualities o' th' isle,
The fresh springs, brine-pits, barren place and fertile:
Cursèd be I that did so! All the charms
Of Sycorax - toads, beetles, bats - light on you!
For I am all the subjects that you have,
Which first was mine own king; and here you sty me
In this hard rock, whiles you do keep from me
The rest o' the island. . . . .
You taught me language; and my profit on't
Is, I know how to curse. The red plague rid you
For learning me your language! . . . .
No more dams I'll make for fish
Nor fetch in firing
At requiring;
Nor scrape trencher, nor wash dish
'Ban, 'Ban, Caliban
Has a new master: get a new man.
Freedom, hey-day! Hey-day, freedom! Freedom,
hey-day, freedom! .
Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears; and sometime voices
That, if I then had waked after long sleep,
Will make me sleep again; and then, in dreaming,
The clouds methought would open and show riches
Ready to drop upon me, that, when I waked,
I cried to dream again.
Think about Caliban, one of Shakespeare's most delicious and interesting characters. Here are some things we have talked about regarding Caliban.
-- Nature: Shakespeare has described Caliban in contact with the pure and original forms of nature. Césaire has Caliban speaking up in defense of the island, against the Europeans who see the earth as dead.
-- Language and power: Shakespeare and Césaire describe a debate over which is "proper" language and whether Caliban is adept at English, his native language, or both.
-- The colonial reading. Caliban is a slave - a strange mixture of European projections, European constructions of "the other," of Native Americans and Africans. Justifying his control of Caliban, Prospero describes him as part beast. The fear and admiration of Prospero for him reflects the European ambiguity about this brave new world. Césaire describes a rebellious Caliban; one who wants only to cut the master's throat. In fact, he argues with Ariel, the house slave, who seeks his freedom through flattery of the master.
Your writing assignment is to write a 400-word evaluation of Caliban - this will be your response to Caliban - making connections to your own thinking. Be sure you describe Caliban. You should draw on the Caliban of Shakespeare and the Caliban of Césaire. Analyze and explain the complex character of Caliban. What does this character Caliban tell you about the attitudes of Europeans of Shakespeare's time? What does Cesaire's Caliban tell you about the view from the colonies on their struggle for liberation? How does the quotation connect with your thoughts about racism, oppression, the creation of the "other"?
Extra Credit: You may include an artistic representation of your idea (a collage, drawing, photograph you take, etc.).
(Note: this should be about 400 words, which is about two pages, typed, 12 point, double spaced. Please do not single space as that makes it difficult to read. If you need computer access to complete this assignment, talk to me right away.)
This paper is due at the beginning of class on Thursday, April 27.
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