November 18

Objective: Students will research the key facts about Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray.
Students will understand (Aestheticism, Hedonism, Decadents, Dandyism, Homosexuality, and Victorianism).

Do Now: What do think is the meaning of self-love? Use the following table to brain storm list 3 synonyms, 3 antonyms, and 3 examples.

Self Love - Regard for one's own happiness.
Synonyms - Confidence, Selfish, Conceited
Antonyms - Generosity, Worrying for others, Giving
Examples -

Mini Lesson on key terms:
Aestheticism: Late 19th century literary movement that rested on the credo "Art for Art's Sake" and stressed the appreciation of beauty; Oscar Wilde, who insisted on separation of art and morality, was a dominant figure in this movement.
Hedonism: the doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the highest good, or the proper fend of action; belief in or practice of living only for pleasure; Dorian Gray lives only for his own pleasure, not caring if he hurts others.
Decadents: 19th century European writers who aspired to free literature from all influences; stressed the bizarre and the incongruous and artificial in their work as well as their personal lives; advocated art for art's sake, independent of moral and social concerns; Dorian Gray portrays the restlessness and the spiritual and moral confusion of a decadent.
Dandyism: a literary and artistic style of the latter part of the 19th century marked by artificiality and excessive refinement; Lord Henry Wotton introduces Dorian to dandyism.
Homosexuality: Oscar Wilde was 19th century literature's most conspicuous homosexual.
Victorianism: the ideas, beliefs, morals, way of living, and other standards common during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901); noted for prudery, moral strictness, and sexual repression; The Picture of Dorian Gray was considered scandalous when it was first published at the height of the Victorian Age.

Cooperative Learning: Key Facts on Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray Post to your Blogs and include Works Cited

Date of first publication: April, 1891
Genre: Gothic; philosophical; comedy of manners
Point of View: The point of view is third person omniscient. This is because at times the narrator sees the external world as well as what the characters are thinking.
Setting: London, England
Themes: The purpose of art, the supremacy of youth and beauty, the surface nature of society and the negative consequences of influence.
Tone: Gothic, sardonic and comedic.
Oscar Wilde born and died: Born in October 16th, 1854 to Jane Francesca Elgee and William Wilde. Died in November 30th, 1900.
Married: Married on May 29th, 1884 to Constance Lloyd.
Children: They had two children, Cyril in 1885 and Vyvyan in 1886.
Education: He first attended the Portora Royal School at Enniskillen. He later received a scholarship from Portora Royal School to attend Trinity College in Dublin. He won the college's Berkeley Gold Medal for Greek and was awarded a Demyship scholarship to Magdalen College in Oxford.
Crimes and Arrest: In April of 1895, he was arrested and convicted of gross indecency and sentenced to 2 years hard labor.
Literary Works:

Poetry

• Ravenna (1878)
• Poems (1881)
• The Sphinx (1894)
• The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898)

Plays

• Vera; or, The Nihilists (1880)
• The Duchess of Padua (1883)
• Salomé (French version) (1893, first performed in Paris 1896)
• Lady Windermere's Fan (1892)
• A Woman of No Importance (1893)
• Salomé: A Tragedy in One Act: Translated from the French of Oscar Wilde by Lord Alfred Douglas, illustrated by Aubrey Beardsley (1894)
• An Ideal Husband (1895) (text)
• The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) (text)
• La Sainte Courtisane and A Florentine Tragedy Fragmentary. First published 1908 in Methuen's Collected Works

Prose

• The Canterville Ghost (1887)
• The Happy Prince and Other Stories (1888, fairy tales) [5]
• The Decay Of Lying (First published in 1889, republished in Intentions 1891)
• Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and Other Stories (1891)
• Intentions (1891, critical dialogues and essays, comprising The Critic as Artist, The Decay of Lying, Pen, Pencil and Poison and The Truth of Masks)
• The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891, Wilde's only novel)
• A House of Pomegranates (1891, fairy tales)
• The Soul of Man under Socialism (First published in the Pall Mall Gazette, 1891, first book publication 1904)
• Phrases and Philosophies for the Use of the Young (First published in the Oxford student magazine The Chameleon, December, 1894)
• De Profundis (1905)
• The Rise of Historical Criticism (published in incomplete form 1905 and completed form in 1908)
• The Letters of Oscar Wilde (1960) Re-released in 2000, with letters uncovered since 1960, and new, detailed, footnotes by Merlin Holland.
• Teleny or The Reverse of the Medal (Paris, 1893) has been attributed to Wilde, but was more likely a combined effort by a several of Wilde's friends, which he may have edited.

Cited Sources:
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/doriangray/facts.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Wilde#Works
http://www.cmgww.com/historic/wilde/bio3.htm

Homework:
Email yourself a picture of yourself or bring in a digital copy of a facial photograph/bust picture of yourself .
Look at your picture and create a list and project what you will look like in 50 years.
Read preface of the novel.
What are the seven deadly sins?

What I will look like in 50 years:
- Full of wrinkle.
- Drier skin.
- Hair lost?
- Walking around with a stick?
- Heavier.

What are the 7 Deadly sins?
- Wrath
- Lust
- Gluttony
- Avarice
- Sloth
- Pride
- Envy

October 20

ACT 3, Scene I

NARRATOR
(Outside the hotel in New York, Cassio brought a band of musicians to the party, knowing that Othello have an interest with music, he therefore hoped for the best that it will put Othello in a good mood.)

(CASSIO (Will Smith) enters with MUSICIANS.)

CASSIO (Will Smith)
Yo, that little musical band right there. Mind if you do me a favor? See, me and my good friend right here need to ease things up a little, so play us some soothing music while you’re at it.

(The MUSICIANS play. The CLOWN (Adam Sandler) enters.)

CLOWN (Adam Sandler)
What the hell kind of sound is that? Sounds like something is stuck up your a**.

MUSICIAN
Erm, I beg your pardon?

CLOWN (Adam Sandler)
Is this what you call music?

MUSICIAN
Well, yes.

CLOWN (Adam Sandler)
Exactly, jacka**. That's the problem.

MUSICIAN
Excuse me, but what is wrong with it?

CLOWN (Adam Sandler)
Because how you played it sucked, you little sarcastic bastard. Tell you what, here's the money and go away. Just because Mr. Big Guy right there appreciate your little effort.

MUSICIAN
We will stop as you wish, and thank you very much.

CLOWN (Adam Sandler)
Well, if you do something else than play music, then you can do that. But seeing that you can't do anything else, you might as well leave since the big guy doesn't want to listen to your crap.

MUSICIAN
We cannot do anything else but play music.

CLOWN (Adam Sandler)
Then what the hell are you waiting for? Get the hell out of here.

(The MUSICIANS exit.)

CASSIO (Will Smith)
You heard of my buddy, man?

CLOWN (Adam Sandler)
Nah, of course I don't hear him when you're talking.

CASSIO (Will Smith)
Are you being sarcastic? (CASSIO gives CLOWN money). Here, you’re a funny guy. And oh, do me a favor will you? The woman that looks after Desdemona, is she around? If so, can you fetch her so I can have a word with her.

CLOWN (Adam Sandler)
I’ve just seen her wondering around moments ago, and yeah yeah yeah.. I’ll tell her about you only if she feels like it.

(The CLOWN (Adam Sandler) exits.)

(IAGO (Martin Lawrence) enters.)

CASSIO (Will Smith)
Yo, Iago. How you doing, man?

IAGO (Martin Lawrence)
Oh, Cassio. Why are you still up?

CASSIO (Will Smith)
I couldn’t go to sleep, besides when I left before, it was already morning. And by the way, I hope you don’t mind that I’ve sent someone to give my word to your wife because I have to ask her something regarding about Desdemona.

IAGO (Martin Lawrence)
Oh, is that so? Couldn’t you ask me instead other than going through all that trouble just to talk to my wife? Tell you what, I’ll find a way to distract Othello so you don’t have to worry about having to explain yourself to him about this.

CASSIO (Will Smith)
Thanks, man. I appreciate that, Iago.

(IAGO (Martin Lawrence) exits.)

Florentines aren’t that bad after all, this Iago guy sure is someone I can actually depend on.

(EMILIA (Milla Jovovich) enters.)

EMILIA (Milla Jovovich)
Good evening, Cassio. I’ve heard about what happened between you and Othello, and I’m sorry to hear that. I just hope that everything will be alright. Othello and Desdemona are talking about you right now, and Desdemona is trying to convince him. But Othello insists that the man that you fought before is one of the respected guys here in New York, and because of that, Othello has no choice but to refuse to give you a promotion. But he says that he still respects you Cassio, and he would find a way to get you out of the mess you got yourself into.

CASSIO (Will Smith)
Can you still find a way to have Desdemona speak only with no one else but me?

EMILIA (Milla Jovovich)
Well, there is this place where I can take you. Come in with me.

CASSIO (Will Smith)
Thank you, Emilia.

(They both exit.)

NARRATOR
(Overhearing Cassio’s and Emilia’s conversation, Iago then went to fetch Desdemona at once. Which later on, had Desdemona agreed to see Cassio to speak about what has happened, allowing both Cassio and Emilia to enter her room.)

ACT 3 Scene II

NARRATOR
(Knowing that Cassio needs a lone time with Desdemona, Iago quickly went to Othello’s presence, as he have a plan to separate the two. But luck has given Iago since Othello is not around Desdemona anymore, giving Cassio the opportunity to have a word with Desdemona alone.)

(OTHELLO (Tyrese Gibson), IAGO (Martin Lawrence), and GENTLEMEN enter.)

OTHELLO (Tyrese Gibson)
Iago, give all of these letters to the driver who brought us here, and while you’re at it, also ask him if he can send my regards to the Senate of Hawaii. With that finished, I’m just going out to have some air. If you need me for anything, you know where to find me.

IAGO (Martin Lawrence)
If you say so.

OTHELLO (Tyrese Gibson)
Alright, who’s down drinking with me? Tabs on me.

GENTLEMEN
Yo, Othello. You are the man!

(They all exit.)

October 17

Manager: Raphael Romero
Members: DaQwan, George, Ariel, Stephanie
Date: Friday, October 17

Today, I was once again assigned as the group manager this Friday, October 17. Today, in the class, we have to discuss about individual speeches from the characters of Othello. In our group, we've decided which character that most fit our play. Even though in our Do Now, we may have chose different characters whom we thought that best of all, but as a group, the only one that we all decided on was Iago for having such a brilliant, and a manipulating man. We've also cited our quote from Iago in the book, William Shakespeare's Othello, from page 137, line 62. With all classwork done, our group also manage to discuss about our plans for our final project. We've discussed about errors, what are missing, and things that are in need to be done. Today, thankfully, all of our group members manage to get all together and are complete in class. We've also started working on our virtual version of our project since it may be due by the week after the upcoming one. Overall, I am very proud of my group members for taking this project seriously. ^_^

October 3

Aim: What are the various themes that we can apply to Shakespeare's Othello and what settings do you think are appropiate to represent the settings in your act?

Do Now: Write a paragraph on what you think is an appropiate theme for Shakespeare's Othello.

- What I think is an appropiate theme for Othello is where it may be filled with lies and deception and revenge, like for example, Iago, in order for him to accomplish his revenge, he would therefore lie to everyone and to gain their trust, persuading them with his failure of honesty.

Cooperative Learning:
Select one of the following themes and in another paragraph or two state why your selection best fits the play.
1) Appearance and reality.
2) Society's treatment of the outsider; and
3) Jealousy.

The theme that I chose would be jealousy because the entire play, Shakespeare's Othello, based this play upon jealousy. The reason why explains how Iago is so determined and jealousy at his current position, so in order for him to accomplish his evil deeds, he therefore lied to everyone else and persuade them with his so called 'honesty.' I state this theme to be the best selection because jealousy is expressed throughout the play, and overall, this play is rather tragic. Without jealousy, it wouldn't be tragedy.

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Homework

As the manager for today (Yay me!), October 3, Friday, I have taken responsibility to be the manager. They didn't vote for it but more likely assigned ourselves in which order hereby goes on that certain day. Our group consist of the members of me, DaQwan, George, Ariel and Stephanie. Our group accomplish so many things for this day, and because of that, no member of this team can have an excuse for not being able to do their work because all of us are updated to the latest information we've gathered and discussed until now. We also discussed which characters are to play in Othello's cast, the setting on where it would be based upon New York and Hawaii since our teacher suggested the idea. Our group also discussed about Othello's theme to be jealousy. Thankfully, Ariel finally shown up and I do hope that he would be able to remain in class so we can actually be dependent on him, a little effort would do as we try to convince him to at least make his own blog. With our group fully updated with our blog, homework, and the upcoming quiz to do, we are prepared on whatever it is that we are about to do after.

Settings for Othello

New York (Cyprus)

Hawaii (Venice)

September 29

Othello Characters

Roderigo - Terrence Howard

Iago - Martin Lawerence
Emilia - Milla Jovovich
Brabanito - Bernie Mac
Desdemona - Aaliyah
Othello - Tyrese Gibson
Cassio - Will Smith Duke of Venice - Jack Nicholson
Montano - Samuel L. Jackson
Clown - Adam Sandler
Bianca - Megan Good

September 25

"I'm still over the moon, I ain't coming down." - Terrence Howard

The African-American actor Terrence Howard would be best fitted as Othello because of his characterization in every movie that I've seen. Such movie such as Ray, Hustle&Flow, The Brave One, Iron Man, and Big Momma's House. :)

September 24

Aim: What is the cultural as well as the social context of Shakespeare’s othello?
Please post on your Blog Page.

Do Now: In yesterday’s lesson, we created a scene. If you had to select an actor to play one of the characters (protagonist/antagonist) who would you choose and why?

1)Who were the Moors?
The Moors are a modernized society of Muslims.
Source.

2)Who were the Venetians?
The Venetians were the typical Venice imitators. (Also known for artistic handmade arts and crafts.)
Source.

3)What was the military duty of ranked officers?
The military duty of ranked officers were to give orders to the lower ranked officers while maintaining their status. (Protecting their land.)
Source.

4)What was the military hierarchy?
The military hierarchy of ancient Greece could in retrospect be viewed as running parallel to its social hierarchy. The aristocratic class were the wealthiest and most politically powerful individuals of the society. Their social position gave them such high identical structure in the military hierarchy, for they assumed complete authority as trierarchs of both land and sea forces.
Source.

5)What was the role of women?
The role of women in the 16th century society were viewed as sinful and imperfect by that time and English writers such as William Shakespeare gave these views with their works as women later on change little by little. In play, women were nearly in silence the entire time, as if their freedom of speech haven't been introduced to them yet. Little they only know, they only wrote what they felt inside in poetry. While noble women live easier lives like Queen Elizabeth, women that are poor have to work hard to keep their husbands and families happy.
Source.

6)What was expected of a daughter?
Daughters were seen as property to control by their fathers. They were expected to obey their father's wishes and to marry by the age of 13. They were like objects to always have a guard around and watched over, as they are so delicate to be sent to the opened world. They were also expected to preserve chastity until marriage, and provide a dowry when they finally did marry.
Source.

7)What was expected of a bride?
They were suppose to be follow the orders of their husbands and bear children.
Source.

8)What relationships between men and women were considered beyond reproach?
For women to marry to men who were less wealthy then their families was very looked down because women were not considered very useful of things other than marrying rich so the family could become wealthy.

9)What rules for getting married existed at the time of the play?
The Church required the consent of the wife and the husband but many parents used marriage as a way to gain wealth.
Source.

10)Who was the most famous Moor?
Edmund Kean, the most famous Moor, the great tragic thespian, who also performed in the other Shakespeare's plays such as Richard III, Macbeth, Lear, and Hamlet.
Source.

11)What were the rules of courtship?

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Homework

Catharsis - Purification or purgation of the emotions (as pity and fear) primarily through art.
Character - One of the attributes or features that make up and distinguish an individual.
Climax - A figure of speech in which a series of phrases or sentences is arranged in ascending order of rhetorical forcefulness.
Denoument - the final outcome of the main dramatic complication in literary work.
Dialogue - a conversational element of literary or dramatic composition.
Diction - choice of words especially with regard to correctness, clearness, or effectiveness.
Dramatic Monologue - a literary work (as a poem) in which a speaker's character is revealed in a monologue usually addressed to a second person.
Dramatis Personae - the characters or actors in a drama.
Exposition - discourse or an example of it designed to convey information or explain what is difficult to understand.
Falling Action - part of a literary plot that occurs after the climax has been reached and the conflict has been resolved.
Monologue - a dramatic sketch performed by one actor.
Narrator - to tell (as a story) in detail.
Parody - a literary or musical work in which the style of an author or work is closely imitated for comic effect or in ridicule.
Pathos - an element in experience or in artistic representation evoking pity or compassion.
Plot - the plan or main story.
Point of View - a position or perspective from which something is considered or evaluated.
Resolution - the point in a literary work at which the chief dramatic complication is worked out.
Rising Action - means a related series of incidents in a literary plot that build toward the point of greatest interest.
Soliloquy - a dramatic monologue that represents a series of unspoken reflections.
Stage Direction - a description (as of a character or setting) or direction (as to indicate stage business) provided in the text of a play.
Tragic Flaw - a flaw in character that brings about the downfall of the hero of a tragedy.