F - ... when we wrapped things up with the motifs in Hamlet.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: Are the mighty opposites that exist in Shakespeare's play really so different from the ones we observe in this century?

 The Act IV group finally presented their choral performance of a soliloquy. We discussed catharsis in at the end of Act IV (for Claudius and for Ophelia), and recalled the motifs of the play with particular attention to Hamlet's "mighty opposites" in Act V.

Learners changed groups and shared their person connections to the motifs from the play.

We read together and shared opening impressions or remembrances from last class with regard to Yeats's "The Second Coming."

PRACTISE: Bring in a physical representation of your interpretation of one of the motifs from Hamlet.

NEXT CLASS: Yeats, Hamnet (2026)

B - ... when we chatted about your crazy proposals.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: To what extend do our filters prevent us from forming authentic connections?

Learners shared their "modest pitches" from last class.

We spoke briefly about prose in the 18th century - auto-biography, biography, essay, story all function as social and political commentary, with mostly satirical tones.'

We read together the introduction to Pope's mock epic Rape of the Lock, and also the first part of Canto III.

READ: 

• She Stoops To Conquer
• Canto III & Canto V of Rape of the Lock
• Pope's epigrams, pg 412
• Wit & Nature, pg. 414-415
• The Age of Johnson, pg 416-418
• from "Preface to Shakespeare" pg. 422

NEXT CLASS: the mock epic, epigrams, dictionaries

F - ... when you had Ms. Baird.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What makes Hamlet a tragic hero?

According to Ms. Baird, you did okay! 

She said: Learners "seemed to get on well with preparing a response to the statement. When I walked around to check in with them, they all said they understood what they needed to do. We read the Yeats poem together and discussed meaning and connections to Hamlet. At the end, I asked them to consult the class blog about the activities in next lesson."

READ: Yeats's "The Second Coming"

NEXT CLASS: the Act IV group presents, sharing your structured responses to Hamlet's regeneration, Act V, the graveyard, mighty opposites

B - ... when the TTOC hopefully reminded you about ethos, pothos, logos in your "modest pitches."

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: To what extend is extreme absurdity necessary to expose cruelty?

Learners used the period to complete their "modest pitch," which I assigned last class.

READ: She Stoops to Conquer

F - ... when people filtered in late!

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: Why should we see Hamlet as a character who regenerates rather than the typical tragic figure who declines ethically and morally?

We discuss Hamlet as tragedy. I presented and spoke to slides on tragedy (see the link to the left, "Elements of Tragedy."

Learners worked in groups to discuss the movement of Hamlet's character towards regeneration. I asked learners to use Hamlet's reaction to the Player's speech on Hecuba, the closet scene, and the gravedigger's scene as markers of Hamlet's transformation. 

Learners tried to share their discussion, but I had to stop the first group, since the sharing was unfocussed and unorganized. I spoke about framing the sharing as they might an essay, with a thesis and topic markers. Learners used the rest of the period to try to format their ideas.

NEXT CLASS: time for organizing their ideas

READ: Yeats's "The Second Coming"

B - ... when you actually thought Swift was giving "eating babies."

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: Why is Swift important to the literary canon?

Learners shared briefly their reactions to Swift's proposal to eat babies as a solution for over-population.

I gave brief notes on Swift's essay, "A Modest Proposal" as sustained irony. I also outlined Swift's use of rhetoric - ethos (credibility), logos (logic), pathos (emotion) - to build satire. Learners worked in pairs to find examples from the essay.

PRACTISE: Propose a logically sound but morally reprehensible solution to a current "problem" (price of gas, school dress code, etc) - just like Swift! The "modest pitch" can be a recorded speech or an infograph / pamphlet.

NEXT CLASS: A Modest Pitch

F - ... when it was way too short to do anything.

Today was a bit of a shmozzle. Three of you were away for Holy Thursday prayer and a few others were away, so the class had a study period.

NEXT CLASS: finishing Hamlet