The Last Syllabus
WE WILL END SOPHOMORE ENGLISH BY briefly examining Shakespeare’s Macbeth. It’s a tale of one man and one woman’s descent into madness, driven to suicide and self-destruction by greed and dreams of power and grandeur. In it, Shakespeare sets the action in Medieval Scotland—just as he sets Romeo & Juliet during the Italian Renaissance—as a deft political nod to the British monarchy. In the play a lower member of the Scottish aristocracy is tempted by a supernatural prophecy that he will rise to the position of king. Do the weird sisters cause Macbeth to murder his king, tempting a good man to evil acts, or do they merely prophesize the blind ambition that is an inherent part of Macbeth’s persona? In other words, using Lord of the Flies as analogy, is Macbeth like Ralph, persuaded to act like Jack, or is he like Jack who only pretends to be loyal, like Ralph?
MONDAY: GREY DAY/OFFICE HOURS
Today is a grey day, and you can meet with me during Zoom office hours 12:50 and 1:50 pm. Check Canvas for the link to Zoom.
Thursday, May 28
Starting with a Zoom meeting. Fifth period will meet at 9:00 am, and second period at 10:10. Links are posted on the Canvas syllabus.
We will take an online course survey.
I’ll present the summer reading.
We will watch a final episode of Victorian Slum House to wrap up our work with Dickens.
HW: I will share out a graphic version of Shakespeare’s play for students to explore (with Elizabethan script—it’s a great comic book!)
Monday, June 1
No Zoom class today.
Students are watching a film version of Shakespeare’s play, linked on the Canvas syllabus.
Wednesday, June 3
Starting with a Zoom meeting. Check the syllabus on Canvas for a link.
Q&A on the film version of Macbeth
HW. Submit your revision of Great Expectations paper to shared google drive. A link is located on the Canvas syllabus.
Friday, June 5
Official last day of school.
Individual conferences with students, but only as required (for missing or incomplete work)