January 25 Starting Memorizing

Please bring a hand held mirror to class on Thursday. We are going to be practicing emotions and it's going to be a LOT of fun! If you have more than one mirror that you can bring that would be great!

Here's your homework for the week. It will help you a lot with memorizing your lines for the play.

Highlight your part/s in the play.

Read part aloud at least 5 times.

Record your part on a recording device so you can practice along with it. It helps to do the line right before each of yours to cue you.

As You Like It Character Descriptions

ADAM

Adam is the old faithful servant of the family of Sir Rowland de Boys. He offers all the savings of his thrifty life and faces all unknown perils to save the life of his young master Orlando from the clutches of his cruel brother.

AMIENS

Amiens is one of the lords attending Duke Senior in the forest of Arden. He agrees with the Duke when the latter says "sweet are the uses of adversity". He is not prepared to exchange his life in the forest with the comfortable life at the court. He is deeply attached to Duke Senior and, therefore, has willingly accompanied him to the forest of Arden.

ANDREW

Andrew is a shepherd lad. He is attracted by Touchstone's courtly manners and wit and Touchstone discovers in him rich honesty. Touchstone falls in love with Andrew. Their love is a parody of the romantic love of the hero and the heroine of the play.

CELIACelia is Duke Frederick’s daughter. When he took power, she became acquainted with her cousin Rosalind, and they were soon inseparable. Though she may love him, she does not like her father, particularly when he wrongs Rosalind; and when he banishes her, she insists on following along. It is she who has the idea that they run away to the Forest of Arden to seek Rosalind’s father. She is amused at her cousin’s falling head over heels for Orlando. She teases Rosalind mercilessly while still playing along with all her plots. She is somewhat more given to common sense than Rosalind, coming up with the idea of disguise, thinking to take their jewels and riches with them when they flee court, which allows them to buy the cottage where they stay, and preferring to take a nap to sighing over an absent lover. She falls in love with Oliver when they meet, and he with her, and they decide to marry. She is a great favorite of Touchstone’s, whom she persuades to follow her and Rosalind to the forest.

CHARLES

Charles is a professional wrestler whom Oliver tells to kill — or at least, maim — Orlando. Ironically, Orlando wins the match.

CORIN

Corin is an old shepherd that, despite being in love during his youth, has outgrown his folly and attained worldly wisdom. He feels badly for the enamored Silvius and tries to console him. He is a simple-hearted shepherd who is content with his lot, an innocent rustic with a good deal of humanity in him. Corin's simple way of looking at life and things around him make him an intellectually esteemed member of the play who frequently critiques the complexities of the court.

DENNIS
Dennis is a servant to Oliver.

DUKE FREDERICK
Duke Frederick is the villain of this comedy who banishes his elder brother Duke Senior and eventually also exiles his brother's daughter, Rosalind, from the ducal palace. Just before the play ends, he is converted by a religious hermit, and, henceforward, he chooses to lead a monastic life of peace and simplicity in the Forest of Arden and relinquishes the crown and lands he had taken.


DUKE SENIOR
Duke Senior is the elder brother of Duke Frederick. Having been banished by his usurping brother, Frederick, Duke Senior now lives in exile in the Forest of Arden with a number of loyal men, including Amiens and Jaques. His daughter Rosalind is kept at the court by Duke Frederick as a companion for his daugher Celia. Duke Senior appears as a contented man who rarely feels adversity. At the end of the play his kingdom is restored by Duke Frederick.

JAQUES

Jaques is a man of the world, a free spirit. In his travels, he has affected Continental mannerisms of speech and dress, and he believes that his ideas are terribly profound when actually they are very shallow and very generalized. Jaques is satirized by almost everyone with whom he holds "deep discussions." He is a follower of the exiled duke, Duke Senior.

JAQUES DE BOYS

Jaques de Boys is the second son of Sir Rowland de Boys and the brother of Oliver and Orlando. He only appears at the end of the play when he brings the news of Duke Frederick's reformation.

LE BEAU

Le Beau is a courtier in the Court of Duke Frederick; he commands the court.


LORD
Servant to Duke Frederick.


OLIVER DE BOYS
Oliver de Boys is the eldest son of Sir Rowland de Boys and the heir to his father's estates. In the beginning of the play he appears as a usurper like Duke Frederick. He ill-treats his younger brother Orlando, denies him good upbringing and education. He acts like a villain and even tries to kill Orlando by instigating the wrestler, Charles. By the end of the play he gets reformed and falls in love with Celia - which contributes to the happy ending of the play.


ORLANDO DE BOYS
Orlando is the younger son of the deceased Sir Rowland de Boys and brother of Oliver. He resents the harsh treatment he receives at Oliver's hands. He is portrayed as strong in both body and in his devotion to love. It is these qualities that make Rosalind fall for him as well. After angering his brother Oliver and later Duke Frederick, Orlando flees to live in exile in the Forest of Arden. There, he is accepted into the circle of the usurped Duke Senior and is eventually married to Duke Senior's daughter Rosalind.


PHEBE
Phebe is a pastoral girl beloved of Silvius, but she rejects him, while he suffers from the woes of love-sickness. Surprisingly, she falls wildly in love with Ganymede (Rosalind in disguise), yet finally she weds Silvius.


ROSALIND
Rosalind is the daughter of the exiled Duke Senior and niece to his usurping brother Duke Frederick. Her father is banished from the kingdom which breaks her heart. She then meets Orlando, one of her father's friends' son and falls in love with him. After angering her uncle, she leaves his court for exile in the Forest of Arden. Disguised as a shepherd named Ganymede, Rosalind lives with her sweet and devoted cousin, Celia (who is disguised as Ganymede's sister, Aliena), and Duke Frederick's fool Touchstone. Eventually, Rosalind is reunited with her father and married to her faithful Orlando.

SILVIUS

Silvius is a young shepherd who represents the romantic lover. He is madly in love with Phebe, a rural girl who does not return his love. Throughout the play, Silvius behaves like a love-sick youth, pining away for Phebe. Phebe treats him in an indifferent manner and exploits him to acquire the love of Ganymede whom she loves. She constantly rebukes Silvius, yet he longs for her love. Rosalind feels sympathy for him. Finally, he marries Phebe with the clever manipulation of Rosalind.

SIR MARTEXT

Sir Martext is a vicar from a nearby village, called to the forest to marry Touchstone and Andrew which does not happen at that time when Touchstone is dissuaded at the last moment by Jaques to wait and be married in a more respectable place such as a church.

TOUCHSTONE

Touchstone is Duke Frederick’s jester, and so fond of Celia that she is willing to abandon the court to follow her to the forest, for all that she does not enjoy rural life. Her folly is based on a solid ground of common sense, for she will have little to do with the high-flying phrases of love surrounding her, much preferring to mock poetry and to woo Andrew.
     We did some role reversals. In our play Audrey is called Andrew and William is called Willa. Touchstone is a woman who falls in love with Andrew and scares off Willa from pursuing Andrew.

WILLA

Willa is a country lass - humble and silly. She comes to profess her love for Andrew but during her conversation with Touchstone, does not show the depth of her feelings. She appears to be a coward. When she is threatened if she does not give up Andrew, she does not challenge Touchstone, her rival in love. Andrew's request that Willa should go away shows that the love between Willa and Andrew is superficial.

1ST PAGE
A servant to the banished Duke Senior.

2ND PAGE
A servant to the banished Duke Senior.

January 18 - New, shorter play script :)

Our new shorter version of the "As You Like It" script on Google docs has been emailed to each of you.

Your homework assignment for Shakespeare this week is to read the ENTIRE script. It's a very funny play. Enjoy!
Love, Sister Brown

January 11 - Auditions

UPDATE - Shakespeare auditions will be private, not in front of the whole class! 🙂

The script for "As You Like It" has been emailed to each of you and is a Google Doc. Let me know if you don't receive it.

Shakespeare homework

• Prepare for your audition next week. All auditions are individual, no group presentations. You will do three things  - sing a song, tell a story and recite something you've memorized. Plan on your performing taking approximately 5-7 minutes. You get to decide what to sing, tell and recite so play to your strengths and have fun with this!

• Read the script for "As You Like It."

• If after reading the script you have a different character preference than you listed on your paper today in class let us know before auditioning next Thursday.

• For those of you who weren't there to fill out the audition form here it is. Please copy and paste, fill it out and email it to Sister Brown.

As You Like It Audition Information

Name_______________________________________

What are your performance strengths? _______________________________________________

What do you feel you struggle with in performing___________________________________________

How willing are you to memorize a long part? Very Somewhat Not at all

Circle the things below that you enjoy

Singing

Dancing

Telling jokes

Reciting poetry

Lights/sound

Painting

Creating scenery

Sewing

Stage make-up

Musical instrument

Props

What three characters would you most like to perform in order of preference?

DUKE SENIOR, a banished duke

ROSALIND, his daughter, later disguised as Ganymede

DUKE FREDERICK, Duke Senior's usurping brother

CELIA, his daughter, later disguised as Aliena

OLIVER, son of Sir Rowland de Boys

JAQUES DE BOYS, son of Sir Rowland de Boys

ORLANDO, son of Sir Rowland de Boys

ADAM, an old servant in the household of Oliver

DENNIS, a servant of Oliver

LE BEAU, a foppish courtier in the court of Duke Frederick

CHARLES, a wrestler in the court of Duke Frederick

TOUCHSTONE, a clown or fool

AMIENS, a lord attending Duke Senior in exile

JAQUES, a malcontent satirist in the retinue of Duke Senior

CORIN, an old shepherd

SILVIUS, a young shepherd enamored of Phebe

PHEBE, a shepherdess, disdainful of Silvius

WILLIAM, a country youth, a suitor to Audrey

AUDREY, a country wench

SIR OLIVER MARTEXT, a country vicar

PAGE 1 PAGE 2

LORD 1 LORD 2

ATTENDANTS

First choice________________________________

Second choice _____________________________

Third choice_______________________________

For your audition you will need to present three things.

Sing a song, tell a story, recite something memorized. Plan on approximately 5-7 minutes to perform.

January 4 - No Homework for Shakespeare this Thursday

Shakespeare starts back up this week but there's no homework this time. Just come prepared to have fun. See you all Thursday!

Week 8 - November 16

Final week of the first semester of Shakespeare!

Let us know if you've earned your crown!
Crown Requirements (due this week)  

• Have read all of King Lear as part of your 7 plays
• 7 plays total read, watched or listened to (email the mentors your list or bring your list to class)
• Memorized and passed off the Albany speech
• Turned in your character sketch (do a thorough job of this!)
• Turned in your summary of King Lear
• Done your Shakespeare presentation

Note cards

peevish

     fretful, irritable; obstinate; headstrong

gudgeon

     credibility, gullibility

gaged

     a pledge or pawn, security; a challenge

occasion

     circumstance, opportunity; need, requirement

debtor

     a person in debt or under obligation to another

Memorization
If you haven't passed off the Albany speech we'll be doing that in class

Reading Assignment

All of Act Five (finish reading King Lear)

Writing Assignments

Summary of King Lear AND Character Sketch

Week 7 - November 9

It's hard to believe there are only two weeks left until the end of our first semester! As we get close to wrapping up our study of King Lear and closer to our Kings and Queens of Shakespeare evening on Friday, December 1st,  there are several things to finish.

To be crowned a king or queen and to earn a crown here are the things that need to be completed by the last day of class so we know how many crowns to order and have enough time for them to arrive.

• Pass off the Albany speech to Jessica, Sister Brown or Sister Maurer
• Have given your Shakespeare presentation
• Read, watch or listen to 7 Shakespeare plays (Remember that reading all of King Lear and watching the King Lear play we saw on Vision day can count for two of the seven and you can read and listen to a tape or CD at the same time if you choose)
• Turn in finished Character Sketch (the person you chose two classes ago) AND a summary of what happened in King Lear (due the last day of this semester, November 16)

Homework

Memorization - prepare to pass off Albany speech to a Shakespeare mentor this Thursday (or last chance on the following Thursday)

Note cards

Usurer

   money-lender, one who charges excessive interest

Compromise

   to damage, weaken or expose

Rank

   high, great; foul-smelling, stinking

Beholding

   sight; attention; obliged, indebted

Reading Assignment

Act 4 Scenes 6-7

Writing Assignment

Is it easier to forgive others or yourself? Why? How are both types of forgiveness important?