English 9A Syllabus October 14 – 19
English 9A Syllabus
Jane Belton
Mon., Wed., Th., Fri.
Syllabus: October 2009
Wednesday 10/14
In Class: Antigone Short Stories due. Discuss Antigone: Haemon’s tactics; Creon’s anger; Antigone’s speeches. With whom does the Chorus side and why? With whom do you side?
Homework: Review and re-annotate pp 111-117. Pay specific attention to Tiresias’s Speeches: What is Tiresias’s role? What are his views on Creon? On Antigone? On leadership and justice?
Thursday 10/15
In Class: Discuss Antigone pp 111-117. The role of Tiresias; the chorus’s views on leadership and justice. Creon’s realizations.
Homework: Read and annotate Antigone pp. 118-128. As always, put a box around at least three words or terms that you do not know. Look up these words/terms and write down their definitions. You must show me your complete vocabulary list tomorrow at the beginning of class.
Friday 10/16
In Class: Vocabulary lists due. Discuss Antigone pp 118-128.
Homework: Write a letter to one of the characters in the play. In your letter, respond to the character’s most intriguing actions and words. Incorporate quotes from the play (phrases the character says or about the character) into the body of your letter. DO NOT use long quotes, but instead weave short phrases from the play into your letter. Use the following as an example: Antigone, when you say that “no loved one mourns [your] death” why do you fail to acknowledge your sister, Ismene (line 969)? Is it because you feel she betrayed you? Remember that she did try to come to your defense. Ismene must feel a great deal of sadness at losing a sister now, having lost her entire family already. You say you have been “denied all joy of marriage…/deserted so by loved ones” (lines 1010-1011). But what about Haemon? Did he desert you? 1-2 pages, typed, double-spaced. Remember, when you quote from the text you must refer to the line numbers in parenthesis at the end of your sentence. Really use this letter to ask and consider questions that you are still grappling with about the characters and their actions.
REMEMBER: Your Reading Life Letter books must be entered into your Goodreads account by Monday.
Monday 10/19
In Class: Share some letters. Discuss Chorus’ last lines and significance to the play as a whole. Echoes to other moments in the play.
Homework: TBA