Hello all,
I have published the personal reflections, and now you have a chance to comment on them. Once again, begin your comment with your student number only. You may comment directly to other students' comments by clicking the "Reply" button, I believe. You must comment on two different posts by Friday of this week. If you have any technical concerns, please bring them up in class and I will try to address them as soon as possible.
Regards,
The Indomitable Mr. Allilomis
Monday 6 May 2013
Thursday 2 May 2013
No and Me: The Personal Reflection
Good morning, all.
Some of you have already seen this blog at least once before, and some of you are coming for the first time. Please post your one page, personal reflection as a comment on this post. You will be able to comment directly to the posts after they have been published.
Remember, the due date for the personal reflection is Monday, May 6, at 3:15. I will publish the comments as soon as possible after school. Be sure to start your post with your student number only!
Sincerely,
The Indomitable Mr. Allilomis
Some of you have already seen this blog at least once before, and some of you are coming for the first time. Please post your one page, personal reflection as a comment on this post. You will be able to comment directly to the posts after they have been published.
Remember, the due date for the personal reflection is Monday, May 6, at 3:15. I will publish the comments as soon as possible after school. Be sure to start your post with your student number only!
Sincerely,
The Indomitable Mr. Allilomis
Monday 29 April 2013
2013: The First Post for "No and Me"
Good day, class.
Once again we dive into the crazy world of the Information Superhighway. As a start to this online activity, please write a short comment on your favourite (or least favourite) character from the novel "No and Me", and why you liked them (or did not like them at all). REMEMBER: Begin every post with your nine-digit Student ID number! Do not include your name! This will keep our posts secure yet sharable.
I moderate all comments before they are posted, so if they do not show up immediately it is because I still have to approve them. I will remind you that the deadline for your personal connection assignment is Monday, May 6, 2013, at 3:15. Otherwise, your post may turn into a pumpkin, or worse. The second component - the analysis of two other postings - will be due Friday, May 10, 2013.
Get those first responses as soon as possible!
Sicnerely,
The Indomitable Mr. Allilomis
Once again we dive into the crazy world of the Information Superhighway. As a start to this online activity, please write a short comment on your favourite (or least favourite) character from the novel "No and Me", and why you liked them (or did not like them at all). REMEMBER: Begin every post with your nine-digit Student ID number! Do not include your name! This will keep our posts secure yet sharable.
I moderate all comments before they are posted, so if they do not show up immediately it is because I still have to approve them. I will remind you that the deadline for your personal connection assignment is Monday, May 6, 2013, at 3:15. Otherwise, your post may turn into a pumpkin, or worse. The second component - the analysis of two other postings - will be due Friday, May 10, 2013.
Get those first responses as soon as possible!
Sicnerely,
The Indomitable Mr. Allilomis
Wednesday 30 May 2012
Post 9: Equivocation
We discussed equivocation in Monday's class, and how it affected Shakespeare's audience at the time. There was no greater threat to national security than an equivocator, especially a Catholic one. They may claim to be loyal to the crown, but in fact they could be carrying malice and treachery in their hearts, and all without the sin of lying because, well, they weren't lying. Not really.
After witnessing the gruesome ghost of Banquo at his dinner, Macbeth began to doubt everything about himself. Whom could he trust? Were his senses lying to him? He had to return to the witches to demand they show more about his future. Of course, the witches did not seem to mind, though they warned him that he might not like what he saw. What he saw terrified him, but also gave him resolve and courage. He now knew that his was a charmed life, one that would not be ended as easily as others. Well, that's what he thought, at least.
But why did the witches take such interest in Macbeth? Could they really see the future, or did they hope to change the future by swaying Macbeth's opinions? After all, they did not seem to benefit from Macbeth's actions; then again, they do not seem to care as much about this world as do those who actually live on it. Both Macbeth and Banquo at the beginning of the play pondered that the Devil could only speak the truth, and perhaps this is the case for the witches as well. For this post, discuss whether you think the witches intentionally lied to Macbeth, or told him the absolute truth. Were they equivocating to him the whole time, leaving out crucial information, or were they being completely honest? Are witches even capable of being honest - or even capable of lying? What do they stand to gain by Macbeth's actions? Please begin your post with your student number.
After witnessing the gruesome ghost of Banquo at his dinner, Macbeth began to doubt everything about himself. Whom could he trust? Were his senses lying to him? He had to return to the witches to demand they show more about his future. Of course, the witches did not seem to mind, though they warned him that he might not like what he saw. What he saw terrified him, but also gave him resolve and courage. He now knew that his was a charmed life, one that would not be ended as easily as others. Well, that's what he thought, at least.
But why did the witches take such interest in Macbeth? Could they really see the future, or did they hope to change the future by swaying Macbeth's opinions? After all, they did not seem to benefit from Macbeth's actions; then again, they do not seem to care as much about this world as do those who actually live on it. Both Macbeth and Banquo at the beginning of the play pondered that the Devil could only speak the truth, and perhaps this is the case for the witches as well. For this post, discuss whether you think the witches intentionally lied to Macbeth, or told him the absolute truth. Were they equivocating to him the whole time, leaving out crucial information, or were they being completely honest? Are witches even capable of being honest - or even capable of lying? What do they stand to gain by Macbeth's actions? Please begin your post with your student number.
Friday 25 May 2012
Post 8: Interpretations
Macbeth is Shakespeare's most produced play; it is also the play that has been interpreted the most by actors, directors, and artists around the world. Its themes of ambition, guilt, and fate are universal, and translate well into other languages and cultures. Some say this is the origin of the Dreaded Curse, that because it is performed so often, more things are likely to go wrong with Macbeth than any other play (Those people are wrong; it's witches).
As we read the play, we get images in our minds of what the characters are supposed to sound or look. Macbeth is supposed to look like this, and Lady Macbeth is supposed to act like this. We have this idea in our heads of how they sound and look, usually based on our own experiences of film and fiction. In III, iii, I always imagine the first murderer portrayed by an action star. That way, when Banquo says, "It looks like rain tonight," I can imagine Gerard Butler, or Jason Statham, or even Jean-Claude Van Damme, stepping out from the shadows, drawing his sword, and shouting, "Then LET - IT - FALL!!!" Of course, that's just me.
In class today we watched two different film versions of the play: Roman Polanski's Macbeth (1971) and Akira Kurosawa's Kumonosu Jo (Throne of Blood) (1957). The setting for these two fims were very different - medieval Scotland and feudal Japan - but the story remains the same, more or less. What is interesting is how the directors interpreted some of the characters based on their understanding of the play. The character of Lady Macbeth, for instance, was very different in these two films, and both might even be different from how you envisioned her yourself. For this entry, choose one of the four characters of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Duncan, or the witches. Which of the two films did a better job of interpreting the characters, based on what you thought they were like? Were there any changes that you thought did not fit with your interpretation of the play? Was there anything unique about how these characters looked or acted that really caught your attention? Please begin your comment with your student number.
As we read the play, we get images in our minds of what the characters are supposed to sound or look. Macbeth is supposed to look like this, and Lady Macbeth is supposed to act like this. We have this idea in our heads of how they sound and look, usually based on our own experiences of film and fiction. In III, iii, I always imagine the first murderer portrayed by an action star. That way, when Banquo says, "It looks like rain tonight," I can imagine Gerard Butler, or Jason Statham, or even Jean-Claude Van Damme, stepping out from the shadows, drawing his sword, and shouting, "Then LET - IT - FALL!!!" Of course, that's just me.
In class today we watched two different film versions of the play: Roman Polanski's Macbeth (1971) and Akira Kurosawa's Kumonosu Jo (Throne of Blood) (1957). The setting for these two fims were very different - medieval Scotland and feudal Japan - but the story remains the same, more or less. What is interesting is how the directors interpreted some of the characters based on their understanding of the play. The character of Lady Macbeth, for instance, was very different in these two films, and both might even be different from how you envisioned her yourself. For this entry, choose one of the four characters of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Duncan, or the witches. Which of the two films did a better job of interpreting the characters, based on what you thought they were like? Were there any changes that you thought did not fit with your interpretation of the play? Was there anything unique about how these characters looked or acted that really caught your attention? Please begin your comment with your student number.
Thursday 24 May 2012
Post 7: Ghosts!
Ghosts are usually scary, sometimes friendly, but always not of this realm. They chase Pac-man through mazes and provide targets for the Ghostbusters to bust. They are supernatural, and do not belong on this plane of existence. At least, not for long.
In class today we discussed the history of England leading up to the Elizabethan era and Shakespeare's time. It was a period of conflict between Catholics and Anglicans as the country tried to realign itself after the death of Henry VIII and a brutal civil war. While both religions were Christian and shared many similar beliefs, the details often created confusion among the populace. Ghosts, for instance: if you were Catholic, you knew that a ghost was the soul of a deceased person, forced to stay on Earth to undo a wrong, seek out revenge, or protect a loved one; if you were Anglican, you knew that the souls of the dead went straight to Heaven or Hell, and that any ghosts were either completely imaginary or created by the Devil or some other wicked creature. Shakespeare was Anglican, as were many of his audience members. Many of his audience members also remembered a time when they were Catholic, and may have been forced to convert. Old habits die hard, and the audience's understanding of ghosts would be influenced by both the Catholic and Anglican faiths.
For this entry, describe what you think a ghost is. Do your opinions fall along the lines of Catholicism, or Anglicanism? Are they the souls of the dead, or are they not real at all? Based on your opinon, what do you think is at the dinner table with Macbeth - is it really the ghost of Banquo, or is it created by Macbeth's brain? Please begin your post with your student number.
In class today we discussed the history of England leading up to the Elizabethan era and Shakespeare's time. It was a period of conflict between Catholics and Anglicans as the country tried to realign itself after the death of Henry VIII and a brutal civil war. While both religions were Christian and shared many similar beliefs, the details often created confusion among the populace. Ghosts, for instance: if you were Catholic, you knew that a ghost was the soul of a deceased person, forced to stay on Earth to undo a wrong, seek out revenge, or protect a loved one; if you were Anglican, you knew that the souls of the dead went straight to Heaven or Hell, and that any ghosts were either completely imaginary or created by the Devil or some other wicked creature. Shakespeare was Anglican, as were many of his audience members. Many of his audience members also remembered a time when they were Catholic, and may have been forced to convert. Old habits die hard, and the audience's understanding of ghosts would be influenced by both the Catholic and Anglican faiths.
For this entry, describe what you think a ghost is. Do your opinions fall along the lines of Catholicism, or Anglicanism? Are they the souls of the dead, or are they not real at all? Based on your opinon, what do you think is at the dinner table with Macbeth - is it really the ghost of Banquo, or is it created by Macbeth's brain? Please begin your post with your student number.
Post 6: Friendship
In class yesterday, we were discussing friendship, and what friends do for each other. A stand-up comedian once joked, "A friend is someone who will help you move; a best friend is someone who will help you move a body." We rely on our friends, and make them an integral part of our friends. When we see them, we feel complete; when we let them down, or are betrayed by them, we feel empty, hollow, as if we lost a limb or an organ.
In the film Fast Five, Vin Diesel and Paul Walker play characters that are pursued by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson for stealing automobiles in awesome ways. There are love interests in the form of female fugitives and other various characters, but the true relationship is between Messrs. Diesel and Walker: these two, burly, manly men with muscles-on-top-of-muscles spend more time together sharing their feelings to each other than with any female. Heck, they spend more time with stolen cars than with women. In no way is their relationship homosexual, though; it is, rather, a closeness that can only be understood by other men who have gone through or are going through similar events - a "bromance" to use the colloquial terminology. There is this wonderful scene where, after beating our heroes into a pulp, The Rock is betrayed by his own soldiers and barely survives this super-cool grenade explosion. As his vision clears, he sees Vin Diesel, manly frown on his bloody, manly face, standing over him - will he exact his revenge on The Rock? No. Instead, after a tense moment, he offers his burly, manly hand and helps up his former adversary to continue the fight together. I have seen many films in my life, and I have never seen anything more romantic than that scene.
Macbeth and Banquo were brothers-in-arms. They fought alongside one another, drew blood together, relied on each other for survival; this bond is one of the strongest that can be formed between masculine characters. And yet, the witches' prophesy seems to give more to Banquo than to Macbeth, being the father of a line of kings. Despite all they have gone through, Macbeth feels so threatened by his only friend that he has to send murderers to dispatch him. In your opinion, did Macbeth do the right thing in ordering the death of Banquo? Would you choose lifelong friendship, or your destiny as king? Would you have done anything differently, and why? Please begin your post with your student number.
In the film Fast Five, Vin Diesel and Paul Walker play characters that are pursued by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson for stealing automobiles in awesome ways. There are love interests in the form of female fugitives and other various characters, but the true relationship is between Messrs. Diesel and Walker: these two, burly, manly men with muscles-on-top-of-muscles spend more time together sharing their feelings to each other than with any female. Heck, they spend more time with stolen cars than with women. In no way is their relationship homosexual, though; it is, rather, a closeness that can only be understood by other men who have gone through or are going through similar events - a "bromance" to use the colloquial terminology. There is this wonderful scene where, after beating our heroes into a pulp, The Rock is betrayed by his own soldiers and barely survives this super-cool grenade explosion. As his vision clears, he sees Vin Diesel, manly frown on his bloody, manly face, standing over him - will he exact his revenge on The Rock? No. Instead, after a tense moment, he offers his burly, manly hand and helps up his former adversary to continue the fight together. I have seen many films in my life, and I have never seen anything more romantic than that scene.
Macbeth and Banquo were brothers-in-arms. They fought alongside one another, drew blood together, relied on each other for survival; this bond is one of the strongest that can be formed between masculine characters. And yet, the witches' prophesy seems to give more to Banquo than to Macbeth, being the father of a line of kings. Despite all they have gone through, Macbeth feels so threatened by his only friend that he has to send murderers to dispatch him. In your opinion, did Macbeth do the right thing in ordering the death of Banquo? Would you choose lifelong friendship, or your destiny as king? Would you have done anything differently, and why? Please begin your post with your student number.
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