Read one of the plays by William Shakespeare (see worksheet before making your choice) and then leave a comment on it in the comment box below.
The worksheet gives you detailed instructions on your summer homework. Please download it here, read it carefully and follow exactly what it is written there.
Dear Miss Ribotta,
ReplyDeletehere is my summer homework.
Your faithfully, Annalisa Serpi
NAME OF THE BOOK: A midsummer Night’s Dream
AUTHOR: William Shakespeare
GENRE: Fantasy
SATISFACTION GRADE: 4
SHORT OUTLINE OF THE PLOT: Theseus ,the duke of Athens is going to marry Hippolyta.
There’s a four-days ceremony, and for this event comes Egeus with his daughter Hermia and two guys Lisander and Demetrius. Egeus would like Hermia to marry Demetrius, but she loves Lisander.
So Hermia and Lisander decided to escape from Athens, they told their plan to Helena, who told it to Demetrius.
They will meet each other in the woods, where there is also the fairies’ king Oberon, the queen Titania and a group of persons who practice a show for the wedding . Oberon and Titania don’t want to see each other because of a quarrel, then the king poured some magic juice in her eyes ,that will make her fall in love with one of the actors in the woods, Bottom to which Oberon has swapped his head with a donkey’s one.
Finally Oberon repents of his action and dropped on all those in the woods a deep sleep. Awakening later they believed it was just a midsummer night’s dream.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTER IN WHICH YOU ALSO JUSTIFY YOUR CHOICE : I was particularly impressed by the personality of Hermia , because she’s the ideal of a rebellious, independent girl who is able to choose her own destiny . In fact she isn’t under her father’s influence; even if he repeatedly threatened her. I also admire the love that Hermia feels for Lisander because she is also willing to die for him. She is definitely a girl who follows her own feelings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF YOUR FAVORITE EPISODE IN WHICH YOU JUSTIFY YOUR CHOICE : My favorite episode was in chapter 4 in which it describes the fatigue that the group of actors bending to practice Phyramus and Thisbe in honor of the duke’s wedding . I personally think that is the greatest comic part in the book . We actually notice the inability of the group of persons that makes this chapter a sort of theatrical parody.
Good evening Teacher,
ReplyDeleteI will send to you my comment on the book.
Benedetta Marone
- NAME OF BOOK AND AUTHOR
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
- GENRE
Comedy
- SATISFACTION GRADE
5
- SHORT OUTLINE OF THE PLOT IN ABOUT 100 WORDS
Hermia, a young Athenian girl, has to marry Demetrius, but she refuses because she loves Lysander. If she doesn't marry Demetrius, she will be punished, so Lysander and Hermia decide to run away from Athens and go into the wood near the city. They are followed by Demetrius and Helena, Hermia's friend and in love with Demetrius. In the wood there is also Oberon, the King of the Fairies, and Titania, his Queen. They had a quarrel, and Oberon uses a magic flower to make a trick to her. Because of this flower Demetrius and Lysander fall in love with Helena and the four young start to fight. Oberon, with his magic, resolves the situation and in the end Lysander marries Hermia and Demetrius marries Helena.
- BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF YOUR FAVOURITE CHARACTER IN WHICH YOU ALSO JUSTIFY YOUR CHOICE
My favourite character is Hermia, Egeus' daughter. At the beginning of the comedy she has to marry Demetrius, but she refuses because she loves Lysander. During the story she is abandoned by the man she loves because of a magic flower. In the end she can marry Lysander. I like her because she is strong, brave and she has the courage of saying what she thinks, unconcerned of the risk, in front of her father and the Duke of Athens, and this isn't a simple thing, because in that period women haven't got a good social condition.
- BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF YOUR FAVOURITE EPISODE IN WHICH YOU ALSO JUSTIFY YOUR CHOICE
My favourite episode is when the Duke of Athens, Theseus, decides what enertainment wants to see at his wedding. He chooses the play "Pyramus and Thisbe" played by Bottom and his friends. Theseus choises it because he is so happy that simple people like them want to celebrate him and his bride with a play and because they worked so hard for doing that and he wants to treat them with respect. I really like this episode because the Theseus' behaviour impress me a lot. I thought that he was going to choose another play, with real actors for show to the invites that he is a duke and he can have the best things, instead he chooses Bottom and his friends, and I totally agree with his choice.
Good afternoon, I will send to you my comment of the book
ReplyDeleteName of book: Julius Caesar
Author: William Shakespeare
Genre :tragedy
Satisfaction grade : 5
Short outline of the plot in about 100 words :
When Julius Caesar decided to return to Rome a group of man, called conspiracy, wanted to kill him because they thought that Caesar wanted to be king of Rome. The day before the murder there were some strange event and a lot of people thought that the goods were angry with Rome or Caesar. At the Ides of March, when Caesar went to Senate House, the conspiracy killed him with a lot of stabs. At the funeral Mark Antony said the Caesar's will and Cassius and Brutus ran away from the city. After this there was a war between Cassius with Brutus' army and Mark Antony with Octavius' army. Cassius and Brutus died and the other army won.
Brief description of your favorite character in which you also justify your choice:
I love so much Portia, the wife of Brutus. She was my ideal of women, brave and courageous, she loved her husband and she wanted to help him at any cost.
Brief description of your favorite episode in which you also justify your choise:
Without any doubt my favorite episode was the funeral of Caesar. I loved loyalty of Mark Antony towards his dead friend, he wanted to revenge Caesar and he tried to do this at any cost. But I'm also in love with the reaction of crowd when they knew the Caesar 's will.
Good evening, Ms Ribotta,
ReplyDeletehere it follows my work on the book that I have read this summer.
Claudia Mana
Name of book: Macbeth
Author: William Shakespeare
Genre: tragedy
Satisfaction grade(0-5): 5/5
Short outline of the plot in about 100 words:
After defeating the enemy. Macbeth and Banquo, both generals of Duncan, King of Scotland, meet three witches. The women predict that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor and then King of Scotland, while Banquo’s descendants will become kings. After hearing that he was made the new Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth starts to believe in the witches’ predictions and his wife, Lady Macbeth, plans to kill King Duncan and convinces her husband to do the killing and blame the king’s guards. After the murder, Macbeth is crowned king. Even if he is tormented by his feelings of guilt, Macbeth is too ambitious, so he decides to get rid of his opponents, such as Banquo and Macduff’s family. In the meantime Lady Macbeth goes insane and commits suicide. The play ends with the final battle in which Macbeth dies, killed by Macduff.
Brief description of my favourite character:
I was very impressed by Lady Macbeth because in my opinion she is the most complicated character in the story. At the beginning she is depicted cruel and powerful, because she controls and manipulates her husband with great skills. But moving on into the play, we can see how disturbed she is: even if she seemed to be fine with herself planning to murder the King, eventually she goes insane because of her feelings of guilt and decides to commit suicide.
Also I really appreciated the fact that Shakespeare introduced in this play a strong female figure, that brought the idea that women and men are both equal, something that was totally unknown at Shakespeare’s time.
Brief description of my favourite episode:
It would probably be the one when Lady Macbeth is sleepwalking: I have found very interesting how the feeling of guilt has transformed Lady Macbeth through the play. I was also impressed by the way the author uses to underline the guilt of a crime she hasn’t materially committed, but only planned. In my opinion, rubbing her hands to wash the blood away was perfect to describe her madness: such a strong scene!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteGood morning, Ms. Ribotta.
ReplyDeleteAttached to this message there are all my thoughts about the book I read this Summer.
• Name of the book: Macbeth
• Author: William Shakespeare
• Genre: Tragedy
• Satisfaction grade: 5/5
• Outline of the plot: Macbeth, who at the time was Thane of Glamis, and Banquo meet three witches. The women prophesy that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor and later King of Scotland, while Banquo’s heirs will be kings. Suddenly Ross, Thane of Scotland, arrives and tells Macbeth that the King Duncan has created him Thane of Cawdor. Duncan decides to make a brief visit to Macbeth’s castle. When Lady Macbeth gets to know the prophecy, she wants her husband to become King by all means, so together they plan how to murder the King of Scotland. By night Macbeth kills Duncan and his guards: Macbeth is the new King of Scotland. After this episode he starts to feel guilty and insecure. At the end of the play Macduff and Malcolm lead an army against Macbeth and kill him, while Lady Macbeth kills herself.
• Brief description of my favourite character: I think that my favourite character is Malcolm, King Duncan’s son, because after all he has fought till the end in order to get justice for his father.
• Brief description of my favourite episode: I liked the end of the play because in this part Macbeth finally gets a proper punishment for what he has done and for being so selfish and hungry for power.
After that I would like to thank you for all the useful and beautiful things you taught us this year, I’ve never enjoyed an English class more!
Sincerely,
Arianna Manzoni.
Dear Ms Ribotta,
ReplyDeleteIn the comment below there is my point of view of the book that I' ve read this summer.
Your faithfully, Gaia Fantolino
-NAME OF BOOK AND AUTHOR:
"A Midsummer Night's Dream" by William Shakespeare
-GENRE: comedy
-SATISFACTION GRADE: 5
-SHORT OUTLINE OF THE PLOT IN ABOUT 100 WORDS:
Hermia has to marry Demetrius, but she is in love with Lysander, so they decide to meet in the wood near Athens and run away together. But here there are other people: Demetrius and Helena, who is in love with him, because they have followed the two lovers, the Fairies' King Oberon and his queen Titania, and Bottom and his friends that are rehearsing the play to Theseus (the Duke of Athens) and Hyppolita' s wedding. Oberon decides with his servant Puck to use a magic juice to make Demetrius falling in love with Helena, but Puck confuses him with Lysander, that falls in love with Helena. Oberon, with is magic, repairs the trouble. Finally it celebrates three weddings between Hermia and Lysander, Helena and Demetrius, Hyppolita and Theseus.
-BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF YOUR FAVOURITE CHARACTER IN WHICH YOU ALSO JUSTIFY YOUR CHOISE:
My favourite character is Puck, Oberon' s servant. I like him because is very nice and loyal to his king: in fact in my opinion he makes the comedy funny with his trouble: he accidentally confuses Demetrius with Lysander, that falls in love with Helena, even if he has tried to satisfy Oberon.
-BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF YOUR FAVOURITE EPISODE IN WHICH YOU ALSO JUSTIFY YOUR CHOISE:
My favourite episode of the book is in part seven, when Bottom and is friends perform the play "Pyramus and Thisbe" for Theseus and Hypollita' s wedding. I like this scene because is very funny: in fact Bottom and his friends aren' t real actors, so the play seems very silly, but the Duke admires it anyway.