11/20/09

11-20-09

English Class Notes: Lady Macbeth's Guilt

- when she is sleep walking and saying "out damned spot" and attempting to watch false blood off her hands, it implies she is not free from her guilt even in sleep.

- Lady Macbeth is eventually so overcome by guilt that she commits suicide because she feels followed and plagued by her actions in the past.

- one of the things that most likely bothers Lady Macbeth the most is that she doesn't end up gaining anything but the throne even though she aids in the murders of many people to prevent potential problems.

- another thing Lady Macbeth feels guilty about is that, during the first murder, she tells Macbeth that he needs to toughen up and then after a few murders, she begins feeling the way he did at first. She feels bad about bothering him and pressuring him because now she is in the same position.

11/16/09

11/16/09
Macbeth Notes

• Tragic Flaw --> his lust for power once he knew it was possible.
• Macbeth change: Began by killing the king but it snowballed and he ended up killing many people. Becomes colder as the play goes on.

11/10/09

11-10-09

English Notes on Reading Strategies

Strategies:

1) Actively read

*2) Read in an appropriate environment (an environment that is conducive and helps you focus on your reading)

EXAMPLES - library, couch,

3) Be honest with yourself:

EMAPLE - Do i really work better with music?

Is it distracting to have the TV on when i'm reading?

4) Aids: -literary criticism (analysis, often found at beginning or end of book. essays criticizing the book

-study guides (handed out by teachers to help students understand the reading)

-spark notes (online notes on the reading including plot summary, analysis of the texts, and analysis of characters. Some teachers consider these cheating)

-books on tape ( listening to something often allows one to better understand the language use in a novel)

-movies (visual of books, although occasionally inaccurate because it is an interpretation of the work)

(*Super extra, fuzzy, chocolate-fudge-covered, stupendously important)

By the way, guys, today is HUG A HAYDEN DAY!

11/6/09

11-06-09

Shakespeare Notes

- Sonnet - poem that's 14 lines and an octave and a sextet. Shakespeare used these quite frequently.

- Iambic Pentameter - when the emphasis is on the second syllable. Shakespeare tends to write in iambic pentameter. The emphasis is placed in beats of two syllables and every second syllable is stressed.

EXAMPLE: "whose woods these are i think i know." Unstressed. Stressed

"to be or not to be, that is the question"

- Shakespeare invented 1,700 words in the English language. (according to some sources)

(Because Mr.Bourne is amazing, he wants us to be aware of vampire kitties or we might have our blood drained and replaced with ketchup)