Please make a name tag. (Mrs. Makovsky is a struggling learner who still doesn't have all of your names in her brain.)
2. No reading ticket? No desire to participate? See Mrs. Makovsky for an alternate assignment:
- Post a detailed summary of the discussion on the class blog (under comments, below)
- Track comments from participants
- c=comment or response
- ?=question
- !=Wow--a breakthrough moment
- " "=quotation given
- Log specific references to text--page and line numbers
HW--Read Act V and prepare for Friday's acting groups:
- Courtiers: 5.1. Suggestion: Cut out repetitive material about the rebel cause and discuss why it is repeated.
- Rebels: 5.2
- All Groups: 5.3 and 5.4. The battle!! All groups come together to fight. Assign speaking parts and one director for the battle. It is very important that actors with speaking parts rehearse well. No standing like statues this time. We need fighting and dying.
- Pub Crawlers: 5.5 (Most of the tavern crew stayed at home, so please lower yourselves and play courtiers today....)
To allay confusion, please use simple props or costumes to distinguish characters. For example, Henry wears the crown; Falstaff, a padded hoody. If you hate costumes, at least create name tags for the various characters.
Act 4 - Scene 3: Hotspur’s rant on King Henry’s choices
ReplyDeleteIf King henry had kept Northumberland, do you think the rebellion would have continued? Was it to speak for the people, or just so the rebels can save a little face?
The war may not still be going on, but is for selfish reasons, and they are all fighting for their own reasons not a cause.
They didn’t look united, Falstaff’s army doesn’t work out (looks like Lazarus)
More of a pride issue - Hotspur isn’t open to suggestions or a change in plans (seen through the announcement of his father’s sickness)
Rebel cause seems to be collapsing
Maybe Hotspur would be giving up, or fighting alone, but he doesn’t want to accept failure
How Falstaff and Hal’s relationship will be affected? Who will win in that battle? Falstaff? Or will Hal become the King he says he would be?, Status of soldiers
The army was more of volunteering
Men not good enough to die - don’t have to have great social status to go into battle
The young most insignificant people are often put at the front of the battlefield
H and F’s relationship, no longer a joke, real battles. It will put a strain on their relationship. Severity will change Hal’s opinion
Pg. 171 - stealing cream for butter. Need some consistency of old self(selves)
Relationship will change to where Hal is the authoritative figure over Falstaff
Between Scene 2 and 3: Shakespeare juxtaposes two sides of the war. Does he want to guide us to a side?
Falstaff’s speech: almost mourning his army which was almost as good as dead
Should we like Falstaff? Putting him against Hotspur pushes us to Hotspur’s side (rebels) - therefore a purpose in juxtaposition
Falstaff is in it for money, Hotspur is more motivated for war
Does shakespeare make you love the bad characters? Rooting for underdog
How does knowledge of knowing who will lose effect the conflict?
Contrast between bad boys and fools. Who’s the real fool? The man fighting for honor, or the jokester? - Falstaff seems to be on the winning side.
Hotspur is naive - war for young men is a heartbreaking experience, but it’s good he shows passion. (naive to carry on w/o Nortumberland’s army). Or maybe he wants to die fighting to be remembered. He is honorable and inspiring
Rebel characters seem like foils
Vernon’s description of Hal. What was the significance of comparing Hal to Mercury? (Act 4.2). Mercury is greek god of eloquence and travelers (anyone who uses roads). He isn’t really a great person, but he has eloquent moments. Mercury is messenger of gods.
As bringing a message to his father to prove himself with a literal message
Other people saw Hal as an actual leader. Hal is a fool, and everyone hated him a prince, but now he is a threat.
Would people during this time understand the reference? Low-life guys may not, but educated would
Hotspur is like Mars - offering dead people to himself.
Takeaways
Hotspur and his pride, personality transformation, sympathizing for him
Comparisons of characters to gods
Contrast between Hotspur and Mercury (now more understandable)
Back in forth between two different sides in the scenes
The idea of the fool in shakespeare’s play
Hotspur and Hal arguments
Why are the rebels actually fighting? Rebels compared to gods