Reflections

Poster

Power Point

Food Explanation

Recipe: Store-bought...but there's a reason!

When I began reading the works of Shakespeare, I had always marveled at the creation of his female characters. When I started researching him, I deciding to ask why? I found out that Shakespeare just might identify with women. In Shakespearean London, women were oppressed and their voices were suppressed. Men had more rights than women. It's that simple. Blue has always been associated with the male gender, and pink has always been associated with the female gender. So on my delicious treats, I decided to put big blue dots on the boy's cupcakes and little pink dots on the girl's. These dots are symbols of the power that each gender held during that time period.
As I was deciding on whether I should bake chocolate or vanilla cupcakes, an idea arose inside of me. Buy them from the store! Though this may be viewed as an act of laziness (it really was not, I promise) the manufactured cupcakes represents the uniform thought of Shakespearean society. Men being better than women was an ideology that was blindly accepted by the public at that time. The uniform make of store-bought cupcakes appeared to me as a perfect parallel to this accepted societal belief.

Presentation Handout

Dramatic Tendencies: A presentation regarding the writing style of William Shakespeare

Presenter: Addyson Miklos

 
Learning Objectives:
1) Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly to make logical inferences.
2) Cite specific text evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions
3)Determine central ideas or themes from the text and analyze their development

Introduction:

Raise your hand if…

Color scheme explanation

Shakespeare’s Background:

What we know (not a lot)

Thesis:

Whether it’s in his romantic comedies, such as The Taming of the Shrew, or his plays that highlight strong father-daughter bonds, such as King Lear, Shakespeare has used his writing to reflect the gender inequalities in family and marriage dynamics during the Shakespearean era England.

Mmm…food:

What’s with the cupcakes?

Shakespeare's influences:
http://www.shakespeare-online.com/faq/writingstyle.html

Shakespeare’s sexuality

Poetry explanation

King Lear &Tragedy activity

The Taming of the Shrew & Comedy activity

 

 

Research Paper

Shakespeare: an Aid in Achieving Gender Equality
Addyson Miklos
Ms. Wilson
AP Literature
12 February 2014
I have read and understand the sections in the Student Handbook regarding Mason High School's Honesty/Cheating Policy. By affixing this statement to the title page of my paper, I am certifying that I have not cheated or plagiarized in the process of completing this assignment. If it is found that cheating and/or plagiarism did take place in the writing of this paper, I understand the possible consequences of the act, which could include a "0" on the paper, as well as an "F" as a final grade in the course.
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Addyson Miklos
Nichole Wilson
AP Literature and Composition
12 February 2014
Shakespeare: an Aid in Achieving Gender Equality
Gender inequality has been a prevalent issue throughout history. There have been nationwide movements in which women have fought and suffered for the equal rights they deserve, and women have come out on top. Although, men have been women’s biggest suppressors, they have also been women’s strongest allies. They used their voice to fight for equality when women could not use theirs.
Poet and playwright William Shakespeare has been a huge advocate in giving women recognition through characterizing his female roles as strong and independent characters. The controversy of Shakespeare’s homosexuality or bisexuality could be a clue as to why he gave women more credit than the rest of the world, specifically England. Whether it’s in his romantic comedies, such as The Taming of the Shrew, Much Ado About Nothing, and The Tempest, or his plays that highlight strong father-daughter bonds, such as King Lear,
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Shakespeare has used his writing to reflect the gender inequalities in family and marriage dynamics during the Shakespearean era England.
There is significant evidence regarding Shakespeare’s questionable sexuality. 1) Most, if not all, of his sonnets dealt with the idea of love and admiration; and all of his sonnets were “dedicated to a mysterious "Mr. W.H." (Greenepan, 1). It is curious that a heterosexual man dedicated sentimental and heartfelt sonnets to another man. This dedication may imply that Shakespeare was not heterosexual, but just the opposite. 2) In Sonnet 20, the poem appears to idolize a specific man, and it asks the subject “Mine be thy love” (line 14). This indicates that Shakespeare was requesting an emotional relationship with a man. 3) In Shakespeare’s will, he leaves his wife his “second best bed” (Greenepan, 1). This could imply that his best bed was reserved for someone else, and judging from the evidence above, that special someone could quite possibly be male. These are just a few speculations of many, but several of these speculations indicate Shakespeare’s possible homosexuality or bisexuality. Since the “Elizabethan attitudes toward homosexuality” were not positive, Shakespeare would have had to conceal his sexuality outside of his writing in order to avoid societal shame. This societal ideal of shaming homosexuality was similar to the societal suppression of women’s rights during the Shakespearean era, which may have inclined Shakespeare to identify with women. Therefore, Shakespeare gave women such strong voices in his plays because they could not express their true voices in reality.
In Shakespeare’s King Lear, the characterization of King Lear creates a relationship between him and his favorite daughter, Cordelia. This relationship evolves from having no respect for one another to having equal respect for one another. This balanced relationship
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was developed only after King Lear discarded the gender and patriarchal values that were upheld in his society. At the beginning of the play, Lear treats love as a material object, considering his “largest bounty” (1.1.52) would be received by the daughter who expressed the most love for him. He was, in a sense, using his patriarchal status and bribery to receive love rather than earning it. Critics who have examined this scene believe the way Shakespeare crafted this proposition was influenced by “the ideology of property relations” (Smith, 68). Shakespeare uses this idea of Lear treating love as a business exchange to emphasize how ludicrous Lear’s proposition was. This characterizes King Lear as a superficial patriarch; this was a stereotype that many fathers (especially wealthy fathers) fit into during the Shakespearean era. This personality contrasts with the pureness and wholeness of Cordelia’s personality; she even refers to herself as “true” (1.1.108). Considering this, Cordelia cannot properly express her love due to the superficiality of the situation. Therefore Lear essentially disowns her. King Lear’s other daughters, Cordelia’s complements, crafted superficial yet “satisfactory” admissions of love. However, they created chaos that ultimately destroyed Lear in order to reap his wealthy to fulfill their own selfish desires. After those trials encompassed in this tragedy, Lear realizes the error of his previous behavior and asks his daughter to “forget and forgive” (4.7.85). Shakespeare employs alliteration in this line, which conveys the importance of this apology. Lear, a once prideful patriarch, asking for forgiveness represents that he identifies with Cordelia as his equal, if not his superior.
In Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare utilizes bawdy diction and witty banter to describe the relationship between the characters Beatrice and Benedick. This writing style
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exemplifies these characters as equals, thus allowing them to fall in love. Critics note that in Shakespearean romantic comedies, characters can always achieve ideal happiness. This is because “the reach of human happiness in this world of men and women is richer, deeper, more sustained, and more satisfying” (Smith, 32) in Much Ado About Nothing and several other romantic comedies that Shakespeare has written. The reason as to why Beatrice and Benedick eventually share this happiness is because they see each other as equals. This concept of equality is especially prevalent in the moment when Benedick confesses, “By my troth, it is no addition to her wit—nor no great/argument of her folly, for I will be/horribly in love with her.” Benedick loves Beatrice because she is witty—he sees her as an equal. Equality is what makes love real, and critics have analyzed that true happiness is attained in these Shakespearean comedies in which strong male and female leads fall in love.
Shakespeare’s The Tempest reiterates the idea of Shakespeare giving a voice to the female population through the relationship of Miranda and Ferdinand, thus promoting gender equality. The idea that love is the bond that humanity must always seek is prominent in this comedy, considering that “love in the comedies always turns out well” (Charney, 61). Miranda, daughter of the main character Prospero, marries Ferdinand, a man who respects her and loves her. Miranda breaks the conventions of a man proposing to a woman when she tells Ferdinand, “I am your wife, if you will marry me” (3.1.83) This not only conveys the love she possesses, but it also breaks accepted societal beliefs in regards to what a man should do and what a woman should do. If Miranda can propose to Ferdinand, why should women hesitate to take charge? Well, women eventually received the rights they deserved, which entitled them to being in control of a relationship just as much as their significant.
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Shakespeare’s creation of this relationship between Miranda and Ferdinand is achieved through the character’s dialogue. The evidence of Miranda and Ferdinand having equal amounts of power in their marriage was one of the stronger affirmations of gender equality that Elizabethan England had seen.
Similar to Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare creates two strong main characters who eventually fall in love in The Taming of the Shrew. Although Kate does succumb to Petruchio through rather unorthodox methods, Petruchio levels with Kate, presenting himself as her equal, which is evident when he says he is a “combless cock” (2.1.225). Since a rooster’s masculinity is defined by its comb, Petruchio is willing to give his machismo for her. This way, Kate keeps her strong, wise voice and marries a man who truly loves her. Critics believe that “comic endings […] are a fantasy of wish-fulfillment" (Smith, 32). At the end of this play, Katherine delivers a long monologue in which she is married to a man who views her as an equal, and her behavior now matches her wit. This is evident when she berates her peers for disobeying their husbands, since she believes “Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper, Thy head, thy sovereign, one that cares for thee” (5.2.140-141). Though it may seem that Katherine has transformed from independent to submissive, she is actually stronger than ever. Her wit now shines through her voice in a way that makes people listen, and she is in a marriage in which both parties are viewed as equals. The voice that Katherine is given and the equality shown in her marriage to Petruchio.
It’s true that Shakespeare is a cheerleader for authentic love between people. From family to marriage, true love seems to capture Shakespeare’s writing focus. This could certainly be because Shakespeare could never actually fall in love due to his likely
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homosexuality, but it is certain that without equality, all relationships are doomed. The voice Shakespeare gives to women and the equality shown in his plays has positively influenced the world’s view on gender equality.

Research Paper Final Outline

I. Introduction:
Gender inequality has been a prevalent issue throughout history. There have been nationwide movements in which women have fought and suffered for the equal rights they deserve, and women came out on top. Though men have been women’s biggest suppressors, men have also been women’s strongest allies. They used their voice to fight for equality when women when they could not use theirs.
Poet and playwright William Shakespeare has been a huge advocate in giving women recognition through characterizing his female roles as strong and independent characters. The controversy of Shakespeare’s homosexuality or bisexuality could be a clue as to why he gave women more credit than the rest of the world, specifically England. Whether it’s in his romantic comedies, such as The Taming of the Shrew and Much Ado About Nothing, or his plays that highlight strong father-daughter bonds, such as King Lear and The Tempest, Shakespeare has used his writing to reflect the gender inequalities in Shakespearean England.
II. Body Paragraph 1 Shakespearean background.
Relate background information w/ quotes to convey the idea of Shakespeare identifying and defending women.
III. Body Paragraph 2 King Lear.
a. Topic Sentence (State your Main Point): The characterization of both King Lear and his daughter Cordelia create a relationship of equal respect of one another, regardless of both the gender and patriarchal values that were upheld in London.
b. Commentary (to set up your Concrete Detail): At the beginning of the play, Lear treats love as a material object. He asks for his daughters love as if he deserved it solely because of his patriarchal status. Critics go so far as to define kinship in King Lear as
c. Concrete Detail (to defend your Topic Sentence): “in-formed by the ideology of property relations.”
d. Commentary (to analyze your previous Concrete Detail and introduce your next one): However, after all of the trials of the play, Lear returns to Earth and asks his daughter to
e. Concrete Detail (to further defend your Topic Sentence and Commentary): “forget and forgive” (4.7.85).
f. Commentary (to make sense of your entire paragraph and come back to your Main Point and Thesis): This apology is evidence of Lear identifying his daughter as his equal, if not his superior.
IV. Body Paragraph 3 Much Ado.
a. Topic Sentence (State your Main Point): In this comedy, Shakespeare uses witty banter to characterize both Beatrice and Benedick. This writing style exemplifies these characters as equals, thus allowing them to fall in love.
b. Commentary (to set up your Concrete Detail): Critics note that in Shakespearean romantic comedies, characters can always achieve ideal happiness.
c. Concrete Detail (to defend your Topic Sentence): “the reach of human happiness in this world of men and women is richer, deeper, more sustained, and more satisfying” in Much Ado About Nothing.
d. Commentary (to analyze your previous Concrete Detail and introduce your next one): This, I believe, is because Beatrice and Benedick see each other as equals. This concept of equality is especially prevalent in the moment when Benedick confesses
e. Concrete Detail (to further defend your Topic Sentence and Commentary): “By my troth, it is no addition to her wit—nor no great argument of her folly, for I will be horribly in love with her.” (2.3.207-208)
f. Commentary (to make sense of your entire paragraph and come back to your Main Point and Thesis): Benedick loves Beatrice because she is witty—he sees her as an equal. Equality is what makes love real, and critics have analyzed that true happiness is attained in these Shakespearean comedies in which strong male and female leads fall in actual love.
V. Body Paragraph 4 The Tempest.
a. Topic Sentence (State your Main Point): Though The Tempest has a much light tone than King Lear, the daughter-father bond is just as significant and the evidence of Shakespeare’s defensive of the female population is still visible.
b. Commentary (to set up your Concrete Detail): The idea that love is the bond that humanity must always seek is prominent in the Tempest, after all
c. Concrete Detail (to defend your Topic Sentence): “love in the comedies always turns out well”
d. Commentary (to analyze your previous Concrete Detail and introduce your next one): Miranda, daughter of the main character Prospero, marries Ferdinand, a man who respects her and loves her. Miranda breaks the conventions of a man proposing to a woman when she tells Ferdinand
e. Concrete Detail (to further defend your Topic Sentence and Commentary): “I am your wife, if you will marry me” (3.1.83)
f. Commentary (to make sense of your entire paragraph and come back to your Main Point and Thesis): This not only conveys the love she possesses, but it also breaks accepted societal beliefs in regards to what a man should do and what a woman should do. If Miranda can propose to Ferdinand, why can’t women always take charge? Well, women eventually realized that they can absolutely take charge if they have the courage to do so.
VI. Body Paragraph 5
a. Topic Sentence (State your Main Point): Similar to Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare creates two strong main characters who eventually fall in love in The Taming of the Shrew. Although Kate does succumb to Petruchio through rather unorthodox methods, Petruchio levels with Kate, presenting himself as her equal, and Kate keeps her strong, wise voice.
b. Commentary (to set up your Concrete Detail):
c. Concrete Detail (to defend your Topic Sentence): “comic endings […] are a fantasy of wish-fulfillment”
d. Commentary (to analyze your previous Concrete Detail and introduce your next one): In the end of this play, Katherine delivers a long monologue in which she is married to a man who views her as an equal, and her behavior now matches her wit. This is evident when she berates her peers for disobeying their husbands, for husbands are
e. Concrete Detail (to further defend your Topic Sentence and Commentary): “Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper, Thy head, thy sovereign, one that cares for thee” (5.2.140-141)
f. Commentary (to make sense of your entire paragraph and come back to your Main Point and Thesis): Though it may seem that Katherine has transformed from independent to submissive, she is actually stronger than ever. Her wit now shines through her voice in a way that makes people listen, and she is in a marriage in which both parties are viewed as equals.
VII. Conclusion—you may briefly summarize for your reader, but be sure to extend your analysis and leave your reader with an intriguing concept that will leave him or her thinking about your topic.
Love and equality play a major role in various Shakespearean plays. It is evident from this paper that happiness is derived by true love, and true love is derived through gender equality.

AP Open Question #1

2008. In a literary work, a minor character, often known as a foil, possesses traits that emphasize, by contrast or comparison, the distinctive characteristics and qualities of the main character. For example, the ideas or behavior of the minor character might be used to highlight the weaknesses or strengths of the main character. Choose a novel or play in which a minor character serves as a foil to a main character. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the relation between the minor character and the major character illuminates the meaning of the work.

Addyson Miklos

Nichole Wilson

AP Literature and Composition

23 February 2014

            William Shakespeare is a playwright whom frequently utilizes foil characters in his works; often he has multiple foils in his plays. In his comedy, The Taming of the Shrew, William Shakespeare has two important foil characters: Bianca and Lucentio. These characters foil with Katherine and Petruchio, essentially foiling one another’s relationship. Shakespeare uses the foil relationship to develop the plot, which is to tame Katherine; and the taming of this shrew proves that an intelligent woman with a strong yet wise voice is much more satisfying as a wife than a completely submissive wife.

            Katherine is first introduced with a shrewish demeanor; she sarcastically asks her father if it was his “will to make a stale of me amongst these mates” (1.1.57-58). This use of sarcasm characterizes Kate as a difficult woman. However, she is only attempting to protect herself from emotional damage through a witty yet sharp voice. This makes Kate an outcast, an unmarriageable woman. Bianca, her younger sister, is introduced as a submissive, quiet woman. The first time she speaks is in reply to her father’s commands, to which she replies “humbly I subscribe” (1.1.82.) All the men recognize her beauty and want Bianca’s submissive hand in marriage; however, she cannot marry anyone until Katherine is married off. The contrasts in Katherine and Bianca create the plotline of the play. The complexity of the play is deepened through Lucentio, who is both in love with Bianca and Petruchio’s foil. Lucentio wants to marry Bianca for the same reasons most other men want to marry Bianca; she is a “young modest girl” (1.1.151). However, Petruchio is only concerned with the dowry of a woman. His need to “wive it wealthily in Padua” (1.2.72) deems him the perfect candidate to be married off to a difficult woman, such as Katherine. In regards to Petruchio’s wit, a difficult woman seems to be a fun challenge for him to tame. This is just as perfect for Lucentio, for his only concern is to love the beautiful, submissive Bianca. The marriage of Petruchio and Kate allows Lucentio to have a chance to marry Bianca, and this plot development could not be achieved without Katherine and Petruchio’s foil characters.

            The taming of Katherine’s behavior may be seen as a need for all women to have suppressed voices, a need for all women to be confined to submission of their husband’s needs. However, the taming that Kate endured was not so. First of all, Petruchio establishes Kate as an equal; for her, he is a “combless cock” (2.1.225), and this allusion to a rooster’s sign of patriarchy and bravado is Petruchio’s way of emasculating himself for her. After they are to be married, Petruchio throws Kate through several hoops in order to tame her. Kate endures even starvation, but she does not let Petruchio win until they are traveling to her father’s house. Kate complies with everything Petruchio says, and even Hortensio agrees that “the field is won” (4.5.24). This does not mean Kate is submissive, however; she simply admires Petruchio’s strong-willed nature. She identifies with him, and their love is a love built out of mutual respect for each other’s intelligence.

            Katherine’s voice is transformed by her newfound marriage to Petruchio; she can now utilize her intelligence to shine through her voice in a way that both men and woman will listen. This is especially evident in her final monologue of the play. However, Kate could not have found her voice if it were not for both her and Petruchio’s foils. Their foils highlighted their strengths and weaknesses as main characters, which allowed for plot development and eventual resolution. 

AP Open Question #2

1985. A critic has said that one important measure of a superior work of literature is its ability to produce in the reader a healthy confusion of pleasure and disquietude. Select a literary work that produces this "healthy confusion." Write an essay in which you explain the sources of the "pleasure and disquietude" experienced by the readers of the work.

Addyson Miklos

Nichole Wilson

AP Literature and Composition

23 February 2014

William Shakespeare’s ability to create a tone that is joyful yet uncomfortable is astounding. This unusual mixture is most readily seen in Sonnet 20, a confusing sonnet in its expression of love. Shakespeare employs juxtaposition and diction to convey the power the subject holds over his heart, while revealing this subject is a man; a societal offense during the Shakespearean era.

The beautiful and idea of love and pleasure is evident in this sonnet. Shakespeare describes the subject as “the master-mistress of my passion” (3). This is a powerful admission of love; the word passion reveals that this subject is all Shakespeare desires, the goal of his love is what Shakespeare strives to achieve. Referring to the subject as the “master-mistress” illuminates that the subject has total control and power over Shakespeare. This is also seen when Shakespeare describes the subject as “A man in hue, all hues in his controlling” (7). The word “controlling” is how Shakespeare conveys his idolization of the subject.

However, the idea that Shakespeare’s lover is a man creates an air of disquietude in his works. When Shakespeare describes the subject as “master-mistress,” this juxtaposition of a male and female role reveals the identity of the subject as a man who has seduced another man. It is made obvious that the subject of the speaker’s attention is a man when the subject is referred to as “a man in hue.” The blatant statement of the true identity of the subject aids in creating a mood of disquietude in the reader. In the final couplet of the poem, Shakespeare realizes he must make peace with the physical impossibility of a relationship with the subject, because nature “pricked thee out for women’s pleasure

Mine be thy love, and thy love’s use their treasure” (13-14). The diction Shakespeare employs, specifically the word “pricked” refers to the male anatomy, which creates the physical blockade of a public or physical relationship.

            Shakespeare has the ability to write in ways that emotionally puzzle the reader. The literary devices he employs in his works create a mood that encompasses both pleasure and disquietude. The idolization of the subject makes the audience idolize the subject too; however, the implications of a forbidden homosexual relationship cause the reader to feel uncomfortable for both the speaker and the subject.

Prose Close Reading and Chart #1

	Linguistic	Semantic	Structural	Cultural
Specific textual examples of what you’ve observed when reading at this level—cited in MLA format. (You may use numbers or bullets here to take notes)	- “O slanderous world! Kate like the hazel-twig Is straight and slender and as brown in hue As hazel nuts, and sweeter than the kernels.” -“Take your paper too.  And let me have them very well perfum’d For she is sweeter than perfume itself To whom they go” (1.2.146-149). -“Why, this was molded on a porringer! A velvet dish! Fie, fie, ‘tis lewd and filthy!” (4.3.64-65). -“You must meet my master to countenance my mistress. Why, she hath a face of her own” (4.1.78-80).	-“Nay, by Saint Jamy, I hold you a penny, A horse and a man, Is more than one And yet not many” (3.2.75-79). -“Am I not Christopher Sly…by birth a peddler, by education a cardmaker, by transmutation a bearherd, and now by present  profession a tinker?” (Induction.2.16-19). “Or wilt thou sleep...Or wilt thou ride...Or wilt thou hunt?” (Induction.2.35-42). -“Have I not heard the sea, puffed up with winds, Rage like an angry boar chafed with sweat?” (1.2.197-198).	-“O this learning, what a thing it is!” (1.2.155). -“O this woodcock, what an ass it is!” (1.2.156). -“Why does the world report that Kate is doth limp?” - “Oh, let me see thee walk! Thou dost not halt.	-“Why, and I trust I may go too, may I not? What, shall I be appointed hours as though, belike, I knew not what to take and what to leave, ha?” (1.1.104-106). -“No mates for you Unless you were of gentler, milder mold” (1.1.59-60). -“Unknit that threat’ning unkind brow And dart not scornful glances from those eyes To wound thy lord, thy king, thy governor” (5.2.145-147).
Demonstrate the development of complexity of thought at each level by writing a descriptive response to what you’ve written in the row above. (Analyze your thought patterns when observing the examples you’ve listed above—these may also be in note-taking form)	When Petruchio speaks, Shakespeare uses several exclamations and hyperboles. He uses this wild speech of Petruchio’s to characterize him as loud and overbearing. Shakespeare sets up his similes in a clever way, making the intelligent characters shine through their creative parallels.  Often Grumio will use literality to create humor, thus providing comic relief for the audience. This really conveys the foolish qualities of his character, while simultaneously expressing intelligence in knowing the ambiguous nature of several situations and phrases.	Shakespeare employs several literary devices throughout his work, most of which help to characterize. This ultimate characterization, derived from his literary devices, creates meaning. Shakespeare, in the induction of The Taming of the Shrew, utilized anaphora, which characterized first the role of the homeless man, in this case Christopher Sly, then the role of the lord. This deepens the audiences understand of how miserable it is to be like Sly and how wonderful it is to be a Lord, and the comparison makes both situations quite extreme. In the actual play, Grumio’s role as the wise fool is further propelled by his use of limerick, and Petruchio’s arrogance is furthers by the use of simile, in which he uses powerful symbols, such as a lion and the sea, to reflect his own power.	A lot of character speech in Shakespearean comedies employs ambiguity and anaphora literary devices to create both humor and meaning. In the first two quotes, Hortensio makes an exclamatory statement regarding learning in a very basic, superficial manner, which creates some complexity. Shakespeare employs anaphora in Grumio’s humorous and truthful reply to create humor. When Petruchio asks the rhetorical question regarding Kate’s being “limp,” the word is used as a derogatory description of Kate. To prove she is not limp, he asks her to walk. Now Petruchio is implying the literal term of the word. His play on the word limp is his attempt to flatter Kate and characterizes Petruchio as somewhat intelligent.	At the beginning of the actual play, not the framing device, Katherine is both intolerable of others and to others. This makes her unsuitable for a man, and the more men curse her for her behavior, the more she acts out. Petruchio, a strong male role, does not care so much about her behavior as he does about her dowry, so he tames her by presenting himself as her equal, then by being as difficult as she was originally. Through this experience she realizes how good it feels to be loved, so by the end of the play she is just as sharp witted as she was in the beginning, but she can channel her energy and intelligence in a proper way.

Close Reading Text Analysis Chart

Passage #1 From Novel (Re-type or photo copy the passage in this column)

Analysis of Close Reading (Essentially a prose passage or poetry essay; synthesize the texture of the passage to the left.)

She strikes him P: I swear I’ll cuff you if you strike again K: So may you lose your arms If you strike me, you are no gentleman; And if no gentleman, why then no arms. P: A herald, Kate? Oh, put me in thy books! K: What is your crest? A coxcomb? P: A combless cock, so Kate will be my hen. K: No cock of mine. You crow too like a craven. P: Nay, come, Kate, come. You must not look so sour. K: It is my fashion, when I see a crab. P: Why, here’s no crab, and therefore look not sour. K: There is, there is. P: Then show it me. K: Had I a glass, I would. P: What, you mean my face? K: Well aimed of such a young one. P: Now, by Saint George, I am too young for you. K: Yet you are withered. P: ‘Tis with cares. K: I care not. P: Nay, hear you, Kate: in sooth you ‘scape not so. K: I chafe you, if I tarry. Let me go. P: No, not a whit. I find you passing gentle. ‘Twas told me you were rough and coy and sullen, And now I find report a very liar. For thou art pleasant, gamesome, passing courteous, But slow in speech, yet sweet as springtime flowers. Thou canst not frown, thou canst not look askance, Nor bite the lip as angry wenches will, Nor hast thou pleasure to be cross in talk. But thou with mildness entertain’st thy wooers, With gentle conference, soft and affable. Why does the world report that Kate is doth limp? O slanderous world! Kate like the hazel-twig Is straight and slender and as brown in hue As hazel nuts, and sweeter than the kernels. Oh, let me see thee walk! Thou dost not halt.

William Shakespeare, world renowned English playwright/poet, uses characterization of his characters and speech to create meaning. In his play, The Taming of the Shrew, the witty banter between characters, transformed through use of literary devices, combines what the role of women was and what the role of women should have been in the Shakespearean era.         Before this exchange, Shakespeare meticulously characterizes both Kate and Petruchio as strong, stubborn characters in order to create complexity in their eventual marriage. Petruchio uses eloquent language and arrogantly expresses his intelligence, which is shown through his encounters with Grumio. Kate is characterized with just as much wit and stubbornness, but because she is a woman she is cast out as a shrew, which transcends her independence into callousness, making her even more unattractive to men.         In this exchange between Petruchio and Kate, both characters consider the ambiguity of language and utilize several meanings of different words. Their replies are both witty and they both use the same style when creates their retorts to one another. However, Kate uses her wit to degrade Petruchio and maintain her independence, while Petruchio uses his intelligence to woo and flatter her. This complexity of argument allows Kate to reveal her genuine emotions accidentally. She upholds a shrewish façade to protect her independence, though she does have a desire to feel love. Petruchio’s relentless flattery in combination with persuasive actions eventually forces Kate into submission.         Kate, the most stubborn and bitter women whom is not thought of as a worthy wife, is paired with Petruchio. Petruchio convinces Kate that he does believe that they are equals, but she must be an obedient wife in order to live a happy life. As a transformed, tamed women, Kate can now use her sharp tongue appropriately, which allows her to gain respect and become accepted by the community. Her voice is not squandered, but her attitude is significantly improved.

Complete the chart below by synthesizing your notes (above) into a brief (but thorough—fill the space) analysis of each level as it applies to your passage. You may replicate the chart and type your responses in the space provided—size 10 font, Times New Roman, roughly 300 words apiece

Prose Close Reading Chart and Essay #2

	Linguistic	Semantic	Structural	Cultural
Specific textual examples of what you’ve observed when reading at this level—cited in MLA format. (You may use numbers or bullets here to take notes)	“The moment is thy death. Away! By Jupiter, This shall not be revoked.” (1.1.181-182) “Thus Kent, O princes, bids you all adieu. He’ll shape his old course in a country new.” (1.1.193-194) “Nothing, my lord. Nothing? Nothing” (1.1.87-89)	“Why have my sisters husbands if they say They love you all?” (1.1.99-100) “My sometime daughter.” (1.1.122) “So young and so untender? So young, my lord, and true.” (1.1.107-108)	“So young and so untender? So young, my lord, and true.” (1.1.107-108) “Nothing, my lord. Nothing? Nothing” (1.1.87-89) “Our last and least” (1.1.83)	“Why have my sisters husbands if they say They love you all?” (1.1.99-100) “My sometime daughter.” (1.1.122) “So young and so untender? So young, my lord, and true.” (1.1.107-108)
Demonstrate the development of complexity of thought at each level by writing a descriptive response to what you’ve written in the row above. (Analyze your thought patterns when observing the examples you’ve listed above—these may also be in note-taking form)	Shakespeare employs several literary devices in his works. In his plays, it is important to differentiate between upper and lower class characters. This can difference can be seen through dialogue; upper class characters (Lear) speak in verse, lower class characters (Kent) speak in prose. Since Lear is a tragedy, it is crucial to recognize his power to later understand his fall from power. Another device used is anaphora. This repetition of similar sentence beginnings helps emphasize meaning in the dialogue.	In these quotes, Shakespeare employs a rhetorical question, irregular diction, and anaphora as a form of characterization and plot development. The rhetorical question Cordelia asks conveys the unfairness of Lear’s demands. If Lear occupies the whole of his daughter’s love, then they have no love leftover for their husbands or anyone else deserving of love. This realization unveils the greed that is controlling Lear’s capacity for true love. When Lear mentions in his speech (in regards to Cordelia’s refusal to outdo her sisters’ admissions of love for Lear) that Cordelia is his “sometime daughter,” the word sometime is out of place. A daughter is a permanent person; unless she is disowned. This use of irregular diction is how Lear disowns Cordelia, which helps develop the plot of the play. Also, Shakespeare employs anaphora, which is used for emphasis. In this case, Lear refers to Cordelia as “young and untender” because he views her as immature, and her silence as cruel and rebellious. However, Cordelia replies that she is “young and true” because thought she is inexperienced, she is honest and will not construct a miraculous declaration of all consuming love solely to please Lear and gain land, because that would be immoral.	The anaphora used, again, creates emphasis which is why Shakespeare’s literature is dense with anaphora. The repetition of the beginning word or phrase in his characters’ sentences allows him to create meaning and characterize simultaneously. The beginning emphasizes, and the remainder of the sentence differentiates, which allows the characters to create their own identity. Shakespeare is also adamant is using alliteration to create emphasis on a main idea. This repetition keeps his audience engaged in his work while simultaneously characterizing and acting as a catalyst for plot development.	The main idea this scene in King Lear conveys is the immorality of greed. The rhetorical question Cordelia asks highlights Lear’s greed for love, because if his daughters give him all of their love, they will not have any left to give to their husbands. When the anaphora is used in the third quotation, Lear is clearly hurt by Cordelia’s silence and lashes out on her, essentially deeming her cruel. However, Cordelia wisely states she is not cruel, only honest, unlike her ignorant father. Lear’s greed forces him to ignore Cordelia’s wise statements and continue his lashing out by disowning her, since he could not have all of her love. Unfortunately, this leaves him with no love at all.

Close Reading Text Analysis Chart

Complete the chart below by synthesizing your notes (above) into a brief (but thorough—fill the space) analysis of each level as it applies to your passage. You may replicate the chart and type your responses in the space provided—size 10 font, Times New Roman, roughly 300 words apiece

Passage #2 From Novel (Re-type or photo copy the passage in this column)

Analysis of Close Reading (Essentially a prose passage or poetry essay; synthesize the texture of the passage to the left.)

LEAR-Although our last and least, to whose young love The vines of France and milk of Burgundy Strive to be interessed. What can you say to draw A third more opulent than your sisters? Speak. CORDELIA- Nothing, my lord. LEAR- Nothing? CORDELIA-Nothing. LEAR-How? Nothing will come of nothing. Speak again. CORDELIA-Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave My heart into my mouth. I love your majesty According to my bond, no more nor less. LEAR- How, how, Cordelia? Mend your speech a little, Lest you may mar your fortunes. CORDELIA- Good my lord, You have begot me, bred me, loved me. I Return those duties back as are right fit— Obey you, love you, and most honor you. Why have my sisters husbands if they say They love you all? Haply when I shall wed That lord whose hand must take my plight shall carry Half my love with him, half my care and duty. Sure, I shall never marry like my sisters, To love my father all. LEAR- But goes thy heart with this? CORDELIA- Ay, good my lord. LEAR- So young and so untender? CORDELIA- So young, my lord, and true. LEAR- Let it be so. Thy truth then be thy dower. For by the sacred radiance of the sun, The mysteries of Hecate and the night, By all the operation of the orbs From whom we do exist and cease to be— Here I disclaim all my paternal care, Propinquity, and property of blood, And as a stranger to my heart and me Hold thee from this for ever. The barbarous Scythian, Or he that makes his generation messes To gorge his appetite, shall to my bosom Be as well neighbored, pitied, and relieved As thou my sometime daughter.

Shakespeare’s writing style is known for its wide variety of literary devices and its clever usage of these devices. In this passage from King Lear, the use of rhetorical question, anaphora, and irregular diction helps to characterize Lear and develop the plot in regards to the idea of greed. The rhetorical question Cordelia asks conveys the unfairness of Lear’s demands. If Lear occupies the whole of his daughter’s love, then they have no love leftover for their husbands or anyone else deserving of love. This realization unveils the greed that is controlling Lear’s capacity for true love. When Lear mentions in his speech (in regards to Cordelia’s refusal to outdo her sisters’ admissions of love for Lear) that Cordelia is his “sometime daughter,” the word sometime is out of place. A daughter is a permanent person; unless she is disowned. This use of irregular diction is how Lear disowns Cordelia, which helps develop the plot of the play. Also, Shakespeare employs anaphora, which is used for emphasis. In this case, Lear refers to Cordelia as “young and untender” because he views her as immature, and her silence as cruel and rebellious. However, Cordelia replies that she is “young and true” because thought she is inexperienced, she is honest and will not construct a miraculous declaration of all consuming love solely to please Lear and gain land, because that would be immoral. The rhetorical question Cordelia asks highlights Lear’s greed for love, because if his daughters give him all of their love, they will not have any left to give to their husbands. When the anaphora is used in the third quotation, Lear is clearly hurt by Cordelia’s silence and lashes out on her, essentially deeming her cruel. However, Cordelia wisely states she is not cruel, only honest, unlike her ignorant father. Lear’s greed forces him to ignore Cordelia’s wise statements and continue his lashing out by disowning her, since he could not have all of her love. Unfortunately, this leaves him with no love at all. The tragedy of King Lear is entirely dependent on this scene. The characterization of Lear as a greedy patriarch will lead to his ultimate fall from power, which starts with disowning Cordelia. Though Cordelia is right to omit from Lear’s competition, he is too greedy to recognize this, which causes him to become angry and disown her. Disowning Cordelia, his favorite daughter, leaves him alone with his deceitful older daughters, which is crucial to the plot development in regards to Lear’s messy and devastating fall from power.

Poetry Close Reading Chart and Essay #1

	Linguistic	Semantic	Structural	Cultural
Specific textual examples of what you’ve observed when reading at this level—cited in MLA format. (You may use numbers or bullets here to take notes)	“Two loves I have, of comfort and despair” (1) “The better angel is a man right fair,” (3) “Yet this shall I ne'er know, but live in doubt, Till my bad angel fire my good one out.” (13-14)	“The better angel is a man right fair, The worser spirit a woman colored ill.” (3-4) “But being both from me both to each friend, I guess one angel in another’s hell.” (11-12)	“Two loves I have, of comfort and despair” (1) “Yet this shall I ne'er know, but live in doubt, Till my bad angel fire my good one out.”(13-14)	“The better angel is a man right fair, The worser spirit a woman colored ill.” (3-4) “But being both from me both to each friend, I guess one angel in another’s hell.” (11-12) “Yet this shall I ne'er know, but live in doubt, Till my bad angel fire my good one out.”(13-14)
Demonstrate the development of complexity of thought at each level by writing a descriptive response to what you’ve written in the row above. (Analyze your thought patterns when observing the examples you’ve listed above—these may also be in note-taking form)	This sonnet is a Shakespearean sonnet, so formatting is important to recognize. There are three quatrains and an ending rhyming couplet, which reveals the main idea of the poem. The rhyme scheme engages the reader because it is lyrical. In this specific poem, the conceit of the speaker’s lovers being angels allows the audience to recognize how the writer feels about both of his angels.	The conceit of angels in this poem is important to recognize how the speaker loves two people; one angel is a man, one angel is a woman. He uses contrasting diction to differentiate his feelings towards both of his angels, and to describe his angels' hell. This attributes to the poem by giving it a hopeless tone, because every person in this sonnet has a problem that cannot be fixed.	The first sentence in this poem introduces two people, described as angels. The contrasting adjectives describing these angels, however, are written not before the noun but after. This develops the speaker’s conflict and allows the reader to create a scenario that is more dramatic than if in the adjectives had been properly placed.  The ending couplet reveals the end thoughts of the speaker, in which he cannot decide which angel is actually the worse angel.	The speaker has two loves, each of the opposite gender. The forces the idea that the speaker is bisexual. It is established that there is a better angel, a man, and a worse angel, a woman. However, both angels experience each other’s hell, leading to the idea that the man experiences the feeling of being an outcast for his homosexuality, such as a woman experiences regardless of sexual identity. Both angels live in this hell, and though it has been established that the man is the good angel, the angel the speaker loves more, and the bad angel is the woman, an angel that the speaker can physically love, the couplet reveals something else; that the speaker doubts which angel is truly better or worse. In society, the male angel would be considered worse, considered immoral. A man should be with a woman. So the speaker will continue to doubt his angels until the bad angel unambiguously reveals itself as the worse angel.

Close Reading Text Analysis Chart

Complete the chart below by synthesizing your notes (above) into a brief (but thorough—fill the space) analysis of each level as it applies to your passage. You may replicate the chart and type your responses in the space provided—size 10 font, Times New Roman, roughly 300 words apiece

William Shakespeare’s Sonnet #144

Analysis of Close Reading

Two loves I have, of comfort and despair, Which, like two spirits, do suggest me still; The better angel is a man right fair, The worser spirit a woman colored ill. To win me soon to hell, my female evil Tempteth my better angel from my side, And would corrupt my saint to be a devil, Wooing his purity with her foul pride. And whether that my angel be turned fiend Suspect I may, but not directly tell; But being both from me both to each friend, I guess one angel in another’s hell.   Yet this shall I ne'er know, but live in doubt,   Till my bad angel fire my good one out.

In this sonnet, Shakespeare discusses the negative temptations of both of his "angels," insinuating (as several of his sonnets do) that Shakespeare was bisexual. He refers to the male angel as his "better" angel, and puts a lot of the blame on the female angel for tempting the other away. He does make an assumption that "one angel" is "in another's hell" which relates to the themes in much of Shakespeare's work. In "Taming of the Shrew," Katherine is cast out for her poor manners. This is relatable to the female angel discussed in the sonnet, since the blame in both the sonnet and the play is usually placed on the women. However, Shakespeare is clearly still sympathetic toward the female angel, as he is toward his male angel. He is identifying the struggles of being cast out as a homosexual with the struggles of being cast out as a woman. Katherine is cast out for her behavior when men would normally be excused for it. Shakespeare's revelation of his society's unfair discrimination toward both homosexuals and females are evident in both Sonnet 144 and "The Taming of the Shrew."        This sonnet is a Shakespearean sonnet, so formatting is important to recognize. There are three quatrains and an ending rhyming couplet, which reveals the main idea of the poem. The rhyme scheme engages the reader because it is lyrical. In this specific poem, the conceit of the speaker’s lovers being angels allows the audience to recognize how the writer feels about both of his angels.          The conceit of angels in this poem is important to recognize how the speaker loves two people; one angel is a man, one angel is a woman. He uses contrasting diction to differentiate his feelings towards both of his angels, and to describe his angels' hell. This attributes to the poem by giving it a hopeless tone, because every person in this sonnet has a problem that cannot be fixed. The first sentence in this poem introduces two people, described as angels. The contrasting adjectives describing these angels, however, are written not before the noun but after. This develops the speaker’s conflict and allows the reader to create a scenario that is more dramatic than if in the adjectives had been properly placed.  The ending couplet reveals the end thoughts of the speaker, in which he cannot decide which angel is actually the worse angel. The speaker has two loves, each of the opposite gender. The forces the idea that the speaker is bisexual. It is established that there is a better angel, a man, and a worse angel, a woman. However, both angels experience each other’s hell, leading to the idea that the man experiences the feeling of being an outcast for his homosexuality, such as a woman experiences regardless of sexual identity. Both angels live in this hell, and though it has been established that the man is the good angel, the angel the speaker loves more, and the bad angel is the woman, an angel that the speaker can physically love, the couplet reveals something else; that the speaker doubts which angel is truly better or worse. In society, the male angel would be considered worse, considered immoral. A man should be with a woman. So the speaker will continue to doubt his angels until the bad angel unambiguously reveals itself as the worse angel.