Sunday, February 2, 2014

February Assignments

UPDATE:  Due to the recent snow days, the following changes have been made:


*Unit 4 Vocabulary Test will be on Friday, Feb. 21. 
*Antigone Creative Writing Assignment (20 Points) and the Antigone Socratic Seminar (20 Points)  will be moved to Thursday, February 27See the information below on both items
*End test for Antigone (40 Points) will be on Friday, February 28.  This will include True/False, Multiple Choice, and matching.  The test will conclude with a short essay prompt. 
*End test for Oedipus and Greek Theater Background (50 Points) will be on Monday, March 3.  You must review your PowerPoints - Greek Theater Background and Greek Masks.


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We will be doing a dramatic reading of Oedipus the King in class and you will be reading and completing assignments for Antigone independently.  If you miss any part of the dramatic reading of  Oedipus the King, it is your responsibility to read the part you missed at home.  Please notice the assignments and due dates for Antigone listed below.  I have also provided outside sources to help guide you through both Oedipus the King and Antigone. On top of Antigone and Oedipus, you will need to prepare for the Unit 4 Vocabulary Quiz (Friday, February 14). 

ANTIGONE ASSIGNMENTS:


CREATIVE WRITING ASSIGNMENT (20 Points) -- Due Thursday, February 20, 2014: 


Choose one of the following creative writing assignments listed below.  The response must show originality and creativity.  However, it must also stay true to what you have learned about the characters in the play.  You must use MLA format.  At this point, you should know what I mean by MLA format and if not, refer to my blog to find out where you can access this information.  Your response should not exceed two typed pages. Bring in a printed copy of the assignment to class on Thursday, February 20, but it also must be posted to turnitin.com prior to coming to class on February 20.  Late papers will be penalized a letter grade lower for every day it is late. 

       1.  An epilogue is a speech delivered by one of the actors after the conclusion of the play.  Write an epilogue for Antigone that describes the fates of Creon, Ismene, and Tiresias after the play ends.  Then write a brief explanation of WHY you believe your version of the future to be the best ending for the story. 

  2. An elegy is a song or poem that expresses sorrow for one who has died.  Write a separate elegy for TWO out of the three characters:  Antigone, Haemon, and/or Eurydice.  Use these elegies to sum up your feelings and opinions about the characters’ lives and actions. 


  3. Write a eulogy for Antigone.  A eulogy is a speech written in praise of a person after his or her death; it is spoken during funeral rites to honor the deceased.  Select an appropriate character to deliver the eulogy.  Write from that characters point of view. 



SOCRATIC SEMINAR PREPARATION (20 POINTS) -- Due Thursday, February 20, 2014:    

    Prepare for your Socratic Seminar by taking notes as you are reading Antigone.  These notes will be checked at the beginning of class and will be turned in at the conclusion of the Socratic Seminar.  All students must participate in the discussion.  Please have your book with you on this day.  The following topics will need to be discussed during the Socratic Seminar:


*Do you think people should be obliged to obey laws even if they don’t agree with  them?  Why or why not? Link your response to Antigone.  
*Connect our discussion last week on pride in terms of Antigone.  Think about each character in the play that possessed this quality.  Was it an admirable quality or not in terms of these characters? 
*From your experience, do most people find it easy or difficult to admit they’ve made a mistake?  Is admitting to a mistake a sign of strength or weakness in contemporary society?  Explain. Link your response to Antigone.  
*How responsible do you feel for your family members?  Do you think family members should risk danger or even death for one another?  Explain your responses. Link your response to Antigone.  
*Refer to your PowerPoint on Greek drama and discuss how Antigone fits the definition of a Sophoclean Tragedy.  Who do you think is the tragic character of this play—the title character or Creon?  Why?  
*Do you think there was a single “correct” solution to the political problem of the play:  whether or not to bury the body of Polynices?  Consider both Antigone’s and Creon’s sides of the argument.
*In a single sentence, state what you think Sophocles was trying to tell his audience in     Antigone.  Then discuss whether you agree or disagree with his viewpoint.

OUTSIDE RESOURCES FOR ANTIGONE AND OEDIPUS:
 Greek Theater Glossary
Study Guides – Oedipus
Oedipus - Background Animated Movie
Oedipus Audiobook:
Antigone Audiobook: