Assignments - Week of Sept. 20

Monday, Sept. 20

Watch the documentary. Start doing the research for your essay. Here are the topics.

Regular English final essay –
As You Like It essay: Critique and defend the director’s decision to set the play in Japan. Use at least one professional film critic’s opinion (try www.rottentomatoes.com). You should also do some research about the history of the play and Shakespeare’s original setting of the “forest of Arden” as background for your discussion. You need at least one quote from the play to support your answer. This needs to be at least a five paragraph essay with internal citations and a Works Cited page.

Regular English test essay –
Shakespeare Behind Bars essay: How did the players benefit and/or change through their production of The Tempest? Use specific examples of characters and their roles. Include a brief synopsis of the play and the documentary in your essay.

Honors English final essay –
Shakespeare Behind Bars essay: Identify and analyze the reasons why The Tempest (out of all Shakespeare’s works) was the best choice for the prisoners to perform. Include at least one film critic’s opinion in your essay, as well as a summary of the play and the documentary. You may also use As You Like It for comparison. This needs to be at least a five paragraph essay with internal citations and a Works Cited page.

Honors English test essay –
As You Like It – Defend and critique the director’s decision to set the play in feudal Japan. Use two characters as specific examples of the strengths and weaknesses of the decision.

Tuesday – no English class.

Wednesday – We will review a synopsis of the plot of The Tempest. How does is compare to As You Like It? Homework for Thursday – find and print a film critique that you will use in your essay (Honors - Shakespeare Behind Bars, Regular - As You Like It). Highlight one or two quotes that you might use. Print the Works Cited citation for this article – make sure you have an author, a publication and a publication date. Turn in at the beginning of class.

Thursday/Friday – Finish watching the documentary in class. I will return your college essays. Homework for Monday – hand in a typed outline and a finished Works Cited page for your essay.