Class Notes 11/15/10 to 11/26/10

AP Multiple Choice Questions

Strategy #1: Know what to do

                    read very slowly and closely

                    read passage 1st

Strategy #2: Know your enemy

                   Rhetorical Function

                          asks for the purpose of something in relation to the rest of the peace

                   Context

                          identify the meaning of a word used in the context of the passage

                   Antecedent

                          asks which antecedent the quoted word is referring to

                   Style

                          asks for authors writing style

                          make sure both descriptors fit

                   Tone

                          identify the tone of the passage or a selection from the passage

                          make sure to differentiate between the speaker's tone and the 

                          author's tone

Strategy #3: Know yourself

                   Use tricks you already know for answering multiple choice

More Notes

based on Norse legend by Saxo Grammaticus in Latin (1200 AD)

      his book History of the Danes (Amleth = Hamlet)

based on Thomas Kyd's Spanish Tragedy (revenge) Ur-Hamlet

Poetics by Aristotle - tragedy is an imitation of a single unified action that is 

                                 serious, complete, and has a certain magnitude

                              - fall of good character because of hamartia = tragic flaw rather

                                than a vice

Revenge Tragedy:

      Play plot may include:

          - heroes hesitation, insanity (real or fake), contemplation of suicide, multiple 

             levels of intrigue, a scheming villain, lots of philosophical soliloquies, 

             exhibition of dead bodies or sensationalization of murder

      Dynamics of Revenge - Audience Encounters: 

          - the offense

          - the antagonist

          - clarification of strategy and marshalling or resources

          - series of delays, obstacles, diversions, mistakes

          - unforseen development that almost thwarts the scheme

          - the showdown with the revenge carried out

Revenge Tragedy also existed as "tragedy of blood"

     -  works out revenge and retribution through murder, assassination, mutilation, 

         carnage

     -  satisfies craving for morbid excitement by Elizabethan audiences

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Outside Connections:

Through learning more about Hamlet and finding out that it was not an original created by Shakespeare but rather borrowed from previous authors, I have come to realize the truth to the phrase "there is only one story". Nothing is wholly original, but rather repackaged.