Y12: Coursework questions to consider

Oh hi Y12,

Firstly, congratulations to our quiz champs (Louis, Charlie, Daniel, Will, Harry and Cameron) - a victory for sheer weight of numbers!

Now, a reminder of your fun holiday homework:

Below is a list of the coursework questions we've put together.

Please follow the instructions above.

At the bottom of the doc, you will find a list of critical opinions about 'The Winter's Tale' from a range of critics. These will give you an insight into some of the debates around the play, and one or two of them might eventually make it into your essay. Here's the doc:



If you find any other useful links, quotes from critics or any other resources, please leave a comment to let me know.

Keep checking back for updates. I'll post any good sites or resources that I find.


Have a good Christmas,


Mr M

About Pandosto

Hi,


Robert Greene, who famously referred to Shakespeare as 'an upstart Crow, beautified with our feathers...in his owne conceit the onely Shake-scene in a countrey", wrote the source material for The Winter's Tale.

Here are some links to some info about Pandosto:

The full text - with modern spelling
Pandosto at Wikipedia

It's worth considering the things that Shakespeare changed from the source material. As always, Shakespeare's language transforms the story to create a richness way beyond that of the source. The drama is heightened. It is infused with poetry and comedy.

Often, Shakespeare creates a character who either doesn't exist in the source or is very different - often a show-stealing character. Think Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet. Or, in The Winter's Tale, both Autolycus and Paulina.

Also, throw in a bear and a statue - and you have an infinitely better (and weirder) piece of work.


Mr M

Y12: Where we are

Hi all,

Tony Bell as Autolycus at the Rose Theatre

With only a week and a bit left until Christmas, we really need to motor through to the end of the text. Our priority will be to focus on the aspects of comedy in The Winter's Tale which might make a good focus for an essay question.

Here's our short-term timeline as it see it at this moment:

1) Finish the play by Monday 15th December at the latest. There'll be another quiz!
2) You'll take away a list of coursework questions to brainstorm.
3) In early January, you'll submit a one-page outline essay plan.
4) We'll have some one-to-one discussions to approve your plan.
5) You will write a first draft (under 1500 words) by the end of January.
6) After getting feedback, you will have until after February half term to submit your final draft.

In lessons, we'll be mainly focusing on our novel, The Road, after Christmas. 

Mr M

Act 4 Scene 4: It's epic!

Hi,

Horticultural 'grafting' - a metaphor...

Next lesson, we'll be:

1) Doing a comedy theory quiz
2) Reading five pages of 4.4
3) Preparing to have a go at a short re-creative task based on the scene.

Today, we read a chunk of Act 4 Scene 4 (which is 40 pages long in my edition). To clarify the events and ideas in this long and complex scene, take a look here for a quick and easy summary. The first 21 bullet points take us up to where we are in the scene. Why not have a go at a quiz or two while you're there?

Click the image above to learn more about 'grafting' - then consider the relevance of this idea to the play.

Here's the scene with some helpful marginal notes.

Oops. I also forgot that we were going to go over Time's chorus at the start of Act 4. Keep hold of your notes - we'll do this next week.

Homework reminder:

1) Hand in essay (staging 4.3) on Thursday
2) Revise your comedy theory stuff.



Mr M