The Millennial Scholar s Guide to Literature and Drama

Transcription

1 The Millennial Scholar s Guide to Literature and Drama An Interactive Comedy for Adolescents and Adults WORKPACK. ( / bap_mexico@yahoo.com

2 (It s quite recommended to check this out before watching the play) Synopsis Novels, plays, characters or even simple quotes can make a deep scar in our minds, which might change a person forever. And that s why a working knowledge of literature and drama is so important. THE THREEFOLD PURPOSE OF LITERATURE IS TO ENTERTAIN, TO EDIFY, AND TO EXALT THE HUMAN SPIRIT. But we understand that in this age of digital devices and instant information, new scholars need an overview. A rundown. An abstract. A conspectus. We will get Homer s the Iliad condensed by Achilles himself (or myself?) all of Cervantes Don Quixote with (sort of/kind of) Spanish subtitles, Wagner s The Ring of the Nibelung and Dickens A Christmas Carol performed and retold with the help of the audience and, of course, there's Shakespeare s King Lear, which got turned into some kind of GAME to achieve a portion OF Lear s THRONES. The original books The Iliad is an epic poem traditionally attributed to Homer. Set in the Trojan War, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles. The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha is a novel written by Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes about Alonso Quixano, a retired country gentleman who has become obsessed with books of chivalry King Lear is a tragedy written by Shakespeare about an elderly King who is deciding to give up his power and divide his realm amongst his three daughters, Cordelia, Regan, and Goneril. Lear's plan is to give the largest piece of his kingdom to the child who professes to love him the most The Ring of the Nibelung is a cycle of four German-language epic music dramas composed by Wagner. The plot revolves around a magic ring that grants the power to rule the world. A Christmas Carol is a novel written by Charles Dickens where a stingy businessman called Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by three ghosts and is given one last chance to change his ways and save himself from the grim fate that otherwise awaits him. ( / bap_mexico@yahoo.com

3 CHARACTERS ACHILLES A TROYAN GUARD DON QUIXOTE SANCHO PANZA KING LEAR GONERIL REGAN CORDELIA* ALBERICH SIEGFRIED FREIA* BRUNHILDE* EBENEZER SCROOGE GHOST OF THE PAST* GHOST OF THE PRESENT* GHOST OF THE FUTURE* * This is a highly interactive play. Some characters might be represented by an audience member ( / bap_mexico@yahoo.com

4 3 RD GRADE AFTER WATCHING THE PLAY

5 Activity 1 CRITICAL THINKING Answer the questions and give reasons a) Did you like the play? Why? b) Give your opinion about the anachronistic choices in costumes. Justify it. c) Do you enjoy classic literary pieces? Why? d) Do you prefer interactive or non-interactive plays? Why? e) Which famous authors not included in this play do you know? Why do you remember them?

6 Activity 5: This is a picture from The Adventures of Asterix (a series of French comics). Match it to one of the segments of the play. Which one, and why? Retell the actual scene.

7 Activity 6: The next segment we presented, featured two characters from Cervantes Don Quixote. 1- Write an opposite adjective: Charming Skinny Handsome Disrespectful Down-to-earth Well-off 2- Match two of them with each character

8 Activity 2: The following segment was about the first act of Shakespeare s King Lear. Reorganize the pictures to retell it properly. A B C D Correct order:

9 Activity 3 Let s try to concentrate in the characters from The Ring of the Nibelung. Are these sentences TRUE or FALSE (T or F)? Alberich was a Nibelung dwarf from the lower level Freia was small, ugly, deformed, clumsy AND smelly Siegfried was blond, beautiful, strong, agile, luminous and never grew old Siegfried and Alberich live in the Walhalla Wotan was a hobbit Alberich was small, ugly, deformed, clumsy AND smelly Brunhilde was beautiful, sweet and smart. She had purity of spirit and love. Brunhilde killed Freia.

10 Activity 4 The last segment was inspired by Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol. Now, to know more about the author, complete the word search to find some of his famous novels.

11 WRITING Activity 5 Write a paragraph telling us which other literary work you would have liked to see in our play.

12 .