British Literature Class Notes -- February 6 (Week 4)

 Greetings!

I enjoyed our class this week.  Even thought we're a small group, the discussions are meaty. We've finished Beowulf and are now reading Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing.  I began the class by having the students take some to write answers to the following questions:

1.  What is the mood of the play?  Describe how it is a comedy.

2.  Compare Hero & Beatrice, the two lead female characters

3.  Describe Don John's character.  What is his role in the story.
4.  What is the role of deception in the play?
5.  How is this a play of love & war?

After the students had taken some time to write down some thoughts to these questions, we discussed them as a group.  Included in our discussion were the topics of high and low comedy, contrasting characters, and the motif of masks.

We will have another week to read Much Ado; our discussion next week will continue to look at characters, the plot, and comedy.  Since we're reading a smaller portion, I'd like the students to begin our next book, Great Expectations.  This is a lengthy book, and getting a head start is a good idea.

Assignment for Next Week:

-- Read Acts IV and V of Much Ado.

-- Read through chapter 5 of Great Expectations (p. 30)

This week's blogs:

Class Notes

Much Ado information

Have a great week!  Stay warm!

Mrs. Prichard