3. 2 – 3 things you can remember about the poet/ poem you researched.
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6. Information about the Exam and this Unit This unit is 60% of your A2 grade and 30% of your overall A’ Level mark. The exam is 2 hours 30 minutes long and in this time you will need to write two essays. The paper will consist of two compulsory questions on four unprepared texts, covering all three genres. All four extracts on the paper will be on the subject of love, and will be further connected through a theme such as ‘partings’ or ‘loss’. The first question will ask students to compare two texts from the same genre refer to wider reading from the same genre. The second question will ask students to compare the two texts and will specifically require students to compare them with their wider reading across the literature of love. Your wider reading should make up approx. 30 – 40% of each essay.
7. How will you be assessed in this part of the examination? All of the assessment objectives are equally weighted in this exam...
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9. How do things appear to be similar to / different from other periods?
30. What was The Canterbury Tales? The Canterbury Tales contrasts with other literature of the period in the naturalism of its narrative, the variety of stories the pilgrims tell and the varied characters who are engaged in the pilgrimage. Chaucer drew on real life for his cast of pilgrims. The many jobs that Chaucer held in medieval society—page, soldier, messenger, valet, bureaucrat, foreman and administrator—probably exposed him to many of the types of people he depicted in the Tales. He was able to shape their speech and satirize their manners in what was to become popular literature among people of the same types.
31. The Canterbury Tales-The Prologue To understand Chaucer’s language, and to begin to understand some of the themes and features of his language, use the handout you have been given and match the original lines of the General Prologue to The Canterbury Tales with the modern translations. When you have matched the translations, see if you can form a list of what you think some of the themes and features of the tales might be.
32. The Canterbury Tales-The Prologue When April with its showers sweet and blessedThe drought of March has thoroughly redressed,And bathed each plant in its reviving powerBy virtue of which blooms the springtime flower;And gentle winds blow sweetly from the west,Life breathing into tender leaves caressedIn field and forests, and a youthful sunIn Aries only half its course has run,And birds begin to chirp a cheerful song,Those that with open eyes sleep all night long(Inspired by Nature with an instinct strong),Then folks to pilgrimages turn their faces,The more adventuresome to foreign places,To very distant shrines of great renown;But mostly common folk from every townIn England, off to Canterbury wind,That they the holy martyr there might find,
33. The Canterbury Tales-The Prologue When April with its showers sweet and blessedThe drought of March has thoroughly redressed,And bathed each plant in its reviving powerBy virtue of which blooms the springtime flower;And gentle winds blow sweetly from the west,Life breathing into tender leaves caressedIn field and forests, and a youthful sunIn Aries only half its course has run,And birds begin to chirp a cheerful song,Those that with open eyes sleep all night long(Inspired by Nature with an instinct strong),Then folks to pilgrimages turn their faces,The more adventuresome to foreign places,To very distant shrines of great renown;But mostly common folk from every townIn England, off to Canterbury wind,That they the holy martyr there might find, Superstitious
34. The Canterbury Tales-The Prologue When April with its showers sweet and blessedThe drought of March has thoroughly redressed,And bathed each plant in its reviving powerBy virtue of which blooms the springtime flower;And gentle winds blow sweetly from the west,Life breathing into tender leaves caressedIn field and forests, and a youthful sunIn Aries only half its course has run,And birds begin to chirp a cheerful song,Those that with open eyes sleep all night long(Inspired by Nature with an instinct strong),Then folks to pilgrimages turn their faces,The more adventuresome to foreign places,To very distant shrines of great renown;But mostly common folk from every townIn England, off to Canterbury wind,That they the holy martyr there might find, Religious
35. The Canterbury Tales-The Prologue When April with its showers sweet and blessedThe drought of March has thoroughly redressed,And bathed each plant in its reviving powerBy virtue of which blooms the springtime flower;And gentle winds blow sweetly from the west,Life breathing into tender leaves caressedIn field and forests, and a youthful sunIn Aries only half its course has run,And birds begin to chirp a cheerful song,Those that with open eyes sleep all night long(Inspired by Nature with an instinct strong),Then folks to pilgrimages turn their faces,The more adventuresome to foreign places,To very distant shrines of great renown;But mostly common folk from every townIn England, off to Canterbury wind,That they the holy martyr there might find, Adventurous/Would travel far on pilgrimages
36. The Canterbury Tales-The Prologue When April with its showers sweet and blessedThe drought of March has thoroughly redressed,And bathed each plant in its reviving powerBy virtue of which blooms the springtime flower;And gentle winds blow sweetly from the west,Life breathing into tender leaves caressedIn field and forests, and a youthful sunIn Aries only half its course has run,And birds begin to chirp a cheerful song,Those that with open eyes sleep all night long(Inspired by Nature with an instinct strong),Then folks to pilgrimages turn their faces,The more adventuresome to foreign places,To very distant shrines of great renown;But mostly common folk from every townIn England, off to Canterbury wind,That they the holy martyr there might find, Chaucer focuses in a wide range of people from all levels of society
37. Read the next section of The General Prologue It happened one day in that time of year,I did to Southwerk’s Tabard Inn draw near,As I to Canterbury started outUpon my pilgrimage, with heart devout.At night into the inn to stay and dineMore pilgrims came, in number twenty-nine.People of every kind, a motley lot,Into a fellowship by Fortune brought.Who, Canterbury-bound, some lodging sought.With bedrooms large, this was the place to stay,All nicely furnished in the finest way.And briefly, when it was no longer day,In every one of them I had confided,And so o’er this assemblage I presided.All early out of bed agreed to riseAnd leave, as later I shall thee advise. But now, while our departure we await,Ere of our journey further I relate,I think it might be good to go intoThe circumstances of each of our crew,As noted from my humble point of view - The social rank and status of each guest,And also in what outfits they were dressed;So with the Knight I’ll start off, then the rest.
38. Read the next section of The General Prologue It happened one day in that time of year,I did to Southwerk’s Tabard Inn draw near,As I to Canterbury started outUpon my pilgrimage, with heart devout.At night into the inn to stay and dineMore pilgrims came, in number twenty-nine.People of every kind, a motley lot,Into a fellowship by Fortune brought.Who, Canterbury-bound, some lodging sought.With bedrooms large, this was the place to stay,All nicely furnished in the finest way.And briefly, when it was no longer day,In every one of them I had confided,And so o’er this assemblage I presided.All early out of bed agreed to riseAnd leave, as later I shall thee advise. But now, while our departure we await,Ere of our journey further I relate,I think it might be good to go intoThe circumstances of each of our crew,As noted from my humble point of view - The social rank and status of each guest,And also in what outfits they were dressed;So with the Knight I’ll start off, then the rest. What is being described? Summarise in your own words What do we learn about life in the Middle Ages? What do you expect of the tales from The General Prologue?
39. The General Prologue What is being described? Summarise in your own words What doe we learn about life in the Middle Ages? What do you expect of the tales from The General Prologue? 1. The narrator opens the General Prologue with a description of the return of spring. He describes the April rains, the burgeoning flowers and leaves, and the chirping birds. Around this time of year, the narrator says, people begin to feel the desire to go on a pilgrimage. Many devout English pilgrims set off to visit shrines in distant holy lands, but even more choose to travel to Canterbury to visit the relics of Saint Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral, where they thank the martyr for having helped them when they were in need. The narrator tells us that as he prepared to go on such a pilgrimage, staying at a tavern in Southwark called the Tabard Inn, a great company of twenty-nine travelers entered. The travelers were a diverse group who, like the narrator, were on their way to Canterbury. They happily agreed to let him join them. That night, the group slept at the Tabard, and woke up early the next morning to set off on their journey. Before continuing the tale, the narrator declares his intent to list and describe each of the members of the group, focusing on their social rank and status.
40. The General Prologue What is being described? Summarise in your own words What doe we learn about life in the Middle Ages? What do you expect of the tales from The General Prologue? 2 and 3. The speaker celebrates the vitality and richness of spring. This approach gives the opening lines a dreamy, timeless, unfocused quality, and it is therefore surprising when the narrator reveals that he’s going to describe a pilgrimage that he himself took rather than telling a love story. A pilgrimage is a religious journey undertaken for penance and grace. As pilgrimages went, Canterbury was not a very difficult destination for an English person to reach. It was, therefore, very popular in fourteenth-century England, as the narrator mentions. Pilgrims traveled to visit the remains of Saint Thomas Becket, archbishop of Canterbury, who was murdered in 1170 by knights of King Henry II. Soon after his death, he became the most popular saint in England. The pilgrimage in The Canterbury Tales should not be thought of as an entirely solemn occasion, because it also offered the pilgrims an opportunity to abandon work and take a vacation. This is evident from the starting location of the pilgrimage-the inn!
41. The General Prologue What is being described? Summarise in your own words What doe we learn about life in the Middle Ages? What do you expect of the tales from The General Prologue? 2 and 3. The speaker’s intention to describe each pilgrim as he or she seemed to him is also important, for it emphasizes that his descriptions are not only subject to his memory but are also shaped by his individual perceptions and opinions regarding each of the characters. He spends considerable time characterizing the group members according to their social positions. The pilgrims represent a diverse cross section of fourteenth-century English society. Medieval social theory divided society into three broad classes, called “estates”: the military, the clergy, and the laity. (The nobility, not represented in the General Prologue, traditionally derives its title and privileges from military duties and service, so it is considered part of the military estate.)
42. To finish the lesson… Turn to the person next to you. Discuss two things you know about Chaucer now which you did not know at the beginning of the lesson. Discuss three things you know about the Middle Ages that you didn’t know at the beginning of the lesson. Discuss one thing you would still like to know about Chaucer and the Middle Ages.
43. To finish the lesson… Turn to the person next to you. Discuss two things you know about Chaucer now which you did not know at the beginning of the lesson. Discuss three things you know about the Middle Ages that you didn’t know at the beginning of the lesson. Discuss one thing you would still like to know about Chaucer and the Middle Ages. HOMEWORK: Make a note of what the class wants to know about Chaucer and the Middle Ages and research these areas. Be ready to share your findings at the beginning of next lesson.
44. As you are waiting for the lesson to begin… What can you remember about Chaucer and life in the Middle Ages?
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47. The Knight’s Tale The Knight’s Tale forms part of the Canterbury Tales, Chaucer’s collection of tales told by a group of characters who are on a pilgrimage to Canterbury. The Knight is the pilgrim of highest social rank, and is held in awe by some of the others. He is noble in every sense of the word: "a very parfitgentil knight". He has served in tough campaigns and bears the scars of battle and he understands the etiquette of courtly love. The outline of the story is this: Palamon and Arcite, cousins of the royal house of Thebes, are taken prisoner in battle by Theseus, and imprisoned in a tower. From here they see Hippolyta's sister, Emily, with whom both fall in love. Arcite is ransomed but banished from Athens; nevertheless, he returns in disguise. Palamon escapes but remains in Athens. Theseus discovers them fighting over Emily; he orders them to return in a year to fight properly, in a tournament, each backed by a hundred knights. Arcite prays to Mars for victory, while Palamon prays to Venus for success in love. Arcite wins the tournament, but Venus has called on the aid of Saturn: as he rides in triumph around the arena, Arcite is thrown by his horse. Fatally injured, he survives long enough to be reconciled to Palamon, to whom he freely yields the right to Emily's hand.
48. Courtly Love The "courtly love" relationship typically was not between husband and wife, not because the poets and the audience were immoral, but because it was an idealised sort of relationship that could not exist within the context of "real life" medieval marriages. In the middle ages, marriages amongst the nobility were typically based on practical and dynastic concerns rather than on love. The idea that a marriage could be based on love was a radical notion. But the audience for romance was perfectly aware that these romances were fictions, not models for actual behaviour. Courtly love is the term used to describe the conventional refined behaviour of aristocratic lovers in literature. In these high romances featuring courtly love, the lady remains unattainably chaste while the lover composes songs for her, keeps his love secret to protect her reputation, becomes unable to eat or sleep and is in danger of death if she will not allow him to declare his love and offer her his service.
49. Love in The Knight’s Tale Read the modern translation of the opening of the Knight’s Tale. In pairs, answer the following questions: What is happening in this extract? How is Emily presented? What does this reveal about Palamon and Arcite’s feelings for her? How is love presented in this extract? What elements of courtly love do we see in this extract?
50. To finish the lesson… Bullet point how love is presented by Chaucer in The Knight’s Tale. Have you learnt anything different about medieval life and times?
51. To finish the lesson… Bullet point how love is presented by Chaucer in The Knight’s Tale. Have you learnt anything different about medieval life and times? HOMEWORK: Complete at least two PEE paragraphs answering the question: How does Chaucer present love in Medieval England in The Knight’s Tale?
52. As you are waiting for the lesson to begin… Can you match the following Middle English phrases from The Miller’s Tale with the modern translations? And seyde, "Lemman, love me al atones Or I woldyen, also God me save!" And she sproong as a colt dooth in the trave, And with hir heed she wryedfasteawey, Or I will die, so save me God!" And with her head she twisted fast away, And she sprang as a colt does when restrained, And said, "Sweetheart, love me immediately
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55. The Miller’s Tale The Host asks the Monk to tell the next tale, but the drunken Miller interrupts and insists that his tale should be the next. He tells the story of an impoverished student named Nicholas, who persuades his landlord’s sexy young wife, Alisoun, to spend the night with him. He convinces his landlord, a carpenter named John, that the second flood is coming, and tricks him into spending the night in a tub hanging from the ceiling of his barn. Absolon, a young parish clerk who is also in love with Alisoun, appears outside the window of the room where Nicholas and Alisoun lie together. When Absolon begs Alisoun for a kiss, she sticks her rear end out the window in the dark and lets him kiss it. Absolon runs and gets a red-hot poker, returns to the window, and asks for another kiss; when Nicholas sticks his bottom out the window and farts, Absolon brands him on the buttocks. Nicholas’ cries for water make the carpenter think that the flood has come, so the carpenter cuts the rope connecting his tub to the ceiling, falls down, and breaks his arm.
59. Any religious imagery used and its effect.A04 – 6. Chaucer is writing in the 14th century. The context in which you are reading The Miller’s Tale is the 21st century. As a reader would you agree that Chaucer’s comedy is universal or do you feel that too much of it depends on its period?
60. The Miller’s Tale How does Chaucer parody courtly love in these extracts? How is it contrasted to The Knight’s Tale?
61. To finish the lesson… Discuss with the person next to you: What have you learnt about love in Medieval England? How does Chaucer present love in Medieval England? HOMEWORK: Complete the following essay: What do we learn about love in Medieval England through Chaucer’s The Miller’s Tale and The Knight’s Tale?
62. As you are waiting for the lesson to begin… Discuss with a partner: What do you already know about the Elizabethan era and William Shakespeare? How do the following images support what you know? Be prepared to feedback your ideas.
66. Merchant of Venice The Merchant of Venice is typically placed under the genre of comedy. Though classified as a comedy and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, a modern audience may well consider it to be more of a tragedy as the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic scenes, and is best known for Shylock and the famous 'pound of flesh' speech. The play combines two stories, the flesh-bond tale and the love caskets tale. Love-caskets tale: Bassanio wishes to marry Portia, the heiress of Belmont, which provides a great fortune. Her father’s will states that she can only marry the man who chooses the casket (gold, silver or lead) which contains her portrait. Bassanio, a scholar and soldier asks his friend Antonio (the merchant of Venice) to lend him money to clear his debts and buy gifts to impress the wealthy Portia, whom he hopes to marry. Antonio has no spare money so he offers Bassanio his credit instead.
67. Merchant of Venice In Belmont, Portia is awash with suitors. If the suitor chose the right casket, he got Portia; if he lost, he had to go away and never trouble her or any other woman again with a proposal of marriage. The first suitor, the money-obsessed Prince of Morocco, chooses the gold casket, which states "Choose me and get what most men desire“. Inside the casket are a few gold coins and a skull with a scroll with a riddle stating that he had not made the right choice. The second suitor is the conceited Prince of Aragon. He decides not to choose lead, because it is so common, and will not choose gold because he will then get what many men desire and wants to be distinguished from the barbarous multitudes. He decides to choose silver, which proclaims "Choose Me And Get What You Deserve". Inside the casket, however, is the picture of a court jester's head on a baton , meaning that he was foolish to imagine that a pompous man like him could ever be a fit husband for Portia. The last suitor is Bassanio, who chooses the leaden casket. Bassanio remarks, "So may the outward shows be least themselves. / The world is still deceived with ornament." And at the end of the same speech, just before choosing the least valuable, and least showy metal, Bassanio says, "Thy paleness moves me more than eloquence; / And here choose I; joy be the consequence!" He has made the right choice.
68. Merchant of Venice Read the following extract before we look at the rest of the scene. - What impression do you get of Portia from here?- How do you think she feels about Bassanio, as he is about to choose a casket?- Do you think Portia conforms or subverts the role of Elizabethan women, based on this short extract? PORTIA (to BASSANIO) I pray you, tarry. Pause a day or two Before you hazard, for in choosing wrong I lose your company. Therefore forbear awhile. There’s something tells me—but it is not love— I would not lose you, and you know yourself Hate counsels not in such a quality. But lest you should not understand me well— And yet a maiden hath no tongue but thought— I would detain you here some month or two Before you venture for me. I could teach you How to choose right, but I am then forsworn. So will I never be. So may you miss me. But if you do, you’ll make me wish a sin, That I had been forsworn. Beshrew your eyes, They have o'erlooked me and divided me. One half of me is yours, the other half yours— Mine own, I would say. But if mine, then yours, And so all yours. Oh, these naughty times Put bars between the owners and their rights! And so, though yours, not yours. Prove it so.
69. Merchant of Venice What is happening in this scene? Summarise in your own words. How is love presented? How is this extract representative of life and love in the Elizabethan Era? How is this extract similar or different to the representation of love in the Chaucer extracts we have looked at previously?
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72. To understand the social and historical context of the Elizabethan Era. Can you write down three things that you have learned about the Elizabethan Era this lesson?
77. What different types of love can you see presented?In the exam, you will only be given a small amount of information about each unseen extract and you will be required to cover all of the assessment objectives based on this. Based on you initial reading – what do you know about the Elizabethan Era / Shakespeare that you could comment on in relation to these extracts
78. All of the character’s in this scene have a different focus on love. In groups you will investigate how love is presented in relation to this character.
86. The rhyme scheme is a-b-a-b, c-d-c-d, e-f-e-f, g-g; the last two lines are a rhyming couplet.
87. Sonnets have 14 lines, each with 10 syllables. These syllables are referred to as iambic pentameter, which creates rhythm. The syllables are divided into five pairs called iambs or iambic feet. An iamb is a metrical unit made up of one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable. A line of iambic pentameter flows like this: da DUM / da DUM / da DUM / da DUM / da DUM
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89. The first twelve lines are divided into three quatrains with four lines each.
90. In the three quatrains the poet establishes a theme or problem and then resolves it in the final two lines, called the couplet. GROUP ANALYSIS Read through each of the sonnets on your handout. Label the three quatrains. In small groups, can you work out what each of the quatrains is about? What resolution is reached by the couplet? In your analysis, remember that you must consider the comparisons between each sonnet and how they link to the Elizabethan era. Be prepared to feedback your ideas!
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92. Firstly you must consider the key areas of the extracts.
93. Then, in your groups, plan your response using the mark scheme you have been given. Consider how you will aim to reach the higher band.
94. Your paragraphs should focus on the following objectives:AO2 - Demonstrate detailed critical understanding in analysing the ways in which structure, form and language shape meanings in literary texts. (Select a specific area of the text and encourage close analysis.) AO3 – Explore connections and comparisons between different literary texts, informed by interpretations of other readers. (Encourage comparisons between the extracts and others that we have looked at.) AO4 - Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received. (How does this affect the content?)
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96. Using the mark scheme you have been given, decide on the band and mark for each paragraph.
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98. Write one sentence summarising how love is presented by Shakespeare in the Elizabethan Era. Use your notes to help if necessary.
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102. Who was Webster and what was typical of the Jacobean period? Read through the social and historical context on your handout. What do you think is significant? How would you summarise the period?
103. What happens in The Duchess of Malfi? The play is set in the court of Malfi Italy over the period 1504 to 1510. The recently widowed Duchess falls in love with Antonio, a lowly steward, but her brothers, not wishing her to share their inheritance, forbid her from remarrying. She marries Antonio in secret, and bears him several children. The Duchess' lunatic and incestuously obsessed brother Ferdinand threatens and disowns her. In an attempt to escape, the Duchess and Antonio concoct a story that Antonio has swindled her out of her fortune and has to flee into exile. She takes Bosola into her confidence, not knowing that he is Ferdinand's spy, and arranges that he will deliver her jewellery to Antonio at his hiding-place in Ancona. She will join them later, whilst pretending to make a pilgrimage to a town nearby. The Cardinal hears of the plan, instructs Bosola to banish the two lovers, and sends soldiers to capture them. Antonio escapes with their eldest son, but the Duchess, her maid and her two younger children are returned to Malfi and, under instructions from Ferdinand, die at the hands of executioners under Bosola's command. This experience, combined with a long-standing sense of injustice and his own feeling of a lack of identity, turns Bosola against the Cardinal and his brother. The Cardinal confesses to his mistress Julia his part in the killing of the Duchess, and then murders her to silence her, using a poisoned Bible. Next, Bosola overhears the Cardinal plotting to kill him (though he accepts what he sees as punishment for his actions), and so visits the darkened chapel to kill the Cardinal at his prayers. Instead, he mistakenly kills Antonio, who has just returned to Malfi to attempt a reconciliation with the Cardinal. Bosola then stabs the Cardinal, who dies. In the brawl that follows, Ferdinand and Bosola stab each other to death.
104. Analysing The Duchess of Malfi Despite her brothers’ threats, the end of Act One, Scene One sees the marriage between The Duchess and her chief steward, Antonio. At the time, it would have been expected that a wealthy widow remain unmarried, but she is determined to marry beneath her social status and at times seems driven purely by lust. In this extract the Duchess calls Antonio to write her will. This leads to a discussion about marriage and the Duchess gives her ring to Antonio to soothe a bloodshot eye (the cold metal of the ring was supposed to soothe it). The Duchess declares her intentions and with Cariola as a witness, she believes they do not need the Church to make it any more binding or legal. Read the extract from Act One, Scene One which describes the Duchess’ marriage proposal. What type of love is Webster presenting the audience with?
105. Analysing The Duchess of Malfi We see forbidden, lustful and yet romantic love. The Duchess could be criticised for not following the conventions of the time and ignoring the responsibilities and expectations of her position. She lies to her brothers and defies the church by proclaiming that no church is needed to formalise her marriage. However, the Duchess can also be seen as a powerful, determined woman who is beyond her time as she will not be bound by social conventions. She remains bold and dignified until the end-even in the face of death.
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107. The Duchess performs a lengthy and important speech where she discusses the woes and misfortunes of being nobility and capable of love. What does the Duchess complain about in this speech? What reaction in Antonio do you think this speech is designed to provoke?
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109. To finish the lesson… What have you learnt about love in The Duchess of Malfi? How is love presented by Webster? Taking account of social and historical context, why might he have presented love in this way? Is this similar/different to the way love is presented in the other time periods we have studied? Homework: Complete your extended answer: How is love presented in the extract from Act One, Scene One of The Duchess of Malfi?
116. To finish the lesson… In Webster’s time, most widows did not remarry; wealthy widows even less-not least because, for the first time in their lives, they found themselves truly independent with the means to enjoy it, their identity no longer derived from either husband or father. The Duchess’ passion drives her to challenge conventional chastity. Despite the marriage being fruitful and beneficial, the marriage is ultimately destroyed. What is Webster’s message about love throughout the play? Comment on the scenes you have studied. Why does the Duchess ultimately die? Homework: Essay: Compare the ways Shakespeare and Webster present forbidden love in two extracts of your choice.
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118. What does it suggest about John Donne’s views of love?
119. Is this similar or different to the views of love we have seen by other writers?“He is stark mad, whoever says, That he hath been in love an hour,Yet not that love so soon decays, But that it can ten in less space devour “
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122. What is metaphysical poetry? Metaphysical poetry typically employs unusual verse forms, complex figures of speech applied to elaborate and surprising metaphorical conceits. Donne’s poetry exhibits each of these characteristics. His jarring, unusual meters; his abstract puns and double entendres; his often bizarre metaphors (in one poem he compares love to a carnivorous fish; in another he pleads with God to make him pure by raping him); and his process of oblique reasoning are all characteristic traits of the metaphysicals, unified in Donne as in no other poet. Metaphysical poetry is concerned with the whole experience of man, but the intelligence, learning and seriousness of the poets means that the poetry is about the profound areas of experience especially - about love, romantic and sensual; about man's relationship with God - the eternal perspective, and, to a less extent, about pleasure, learning and art. Metaphysical poems are lyric poems. They are brief but intense meditations, characterized by striking use of wit, irony and wordplay. Beneath the formal structure (of rhyme, metre and stanza) is the underlying (and often hardly less formal) structure of the poem's argument. There may be two (or more) kinds of argument in a poem.
123. John Donne and Metaphysical poetry John Donne's Songs and Sonnets do not describe a single unchanging view of love; they express a wide variety of emotions and attitudes, as if Donne himself were trying to define his experience of love through his poetry. Love can be an experience of the body, the soul, or both; it can be a religious experience, or merely a sensual one, and it can give rise to emotions ranging from ecstasy to despair. Donne is both a great religious poet and a great erotic poet, and perhaps no other writer strove as hard to unify and express such incongruous, mutually discordant passions. As such, he often contradicts himself in his poetry.
124. THE BROKEN HEART.by John DonneHe is stark mad, whoever says, That he hath been in love an hour,Yet not that love so soon decays, But that it can ten in less space devour ;Who will believe me, if I swearThat I have had the plague a year? Who would not laugh at me, if I should say I saw a flash of powder burn a day?Ah, what a trifle is a heart, If once into love's hands it come !All other griefs allow a part To other griefs, and ask themselves but some ;They come to us, but us love draws ;He swallows us and never chaws ; By him, as by chain'd shot, whole ranks do die ; He is the tyrant pike, our hearts the fry. If 'twere not so, what did become Of my heart when I first saw thee?I brought a heart into the room, But from the room I carried none with me.If it had gone to thee, I knowMine would have taught thine heart to show More pity unto me ; but Love, alas ! At one first blow did shiver it as glass.Yet nothing can to nothing fall, Nor any place be empty quite ;Therefore I think my breast hath all Those pieces still, though they be not unite ;And now, as broken glasses showA hundred lesser faces, so My rags of heart can like, wish, and adore, But after one such love, can love no more.
125. What is John Donne saying about love in this poem?
126. What is John Donne saying about love in this poem? The poem declares that any man who claims to have loved for an hour is insane. The man is insane, not because love “decays,” but because love “devours.” The poet uses an analogy of the plague and ignited gun powder to love. Similar to the plague and gun powder, love is violent and swift.
129. Features of metaphysical poetry (use your handout to help you)If you finish, make notes exploring the similarities and differences between how the writers present love through the different time periods we have studied.
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132. What is typical about the presentation of love at this time?
133. Are there any common features it shares with other time periods?Homework: Write a detailed analysis of the ways John Donne presents love in his poetry.
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135. What type(s) of love do you think are / will be present?Can you see any immediate connections with other texts we have studied? Make notes on your handout.
140. Restoration Period1660 - 1689 Read through the handout you have been given. What do you think the significant points are? How does this period compare to the other periods that we have studied? Do you see any great changes that may impact on the literature of the time?
141. Who was John Milton? John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet, best known for his epic poem Paradise Lost. He wrote at a time of religious flux and political upheaval in England, and his poetry and prose reflect deep convictions and deal with contemporary issues, such as his treatise condemning censorship, He was an official serving under Oliver Cromwell. Though Cromwell’s death in 1658 caused the English Republic to collapse into feuding military and political factions, Milton stubbornly clung to the beliefs that had originally inspired him to write for the Commonwealth. In 1659 he published A Treatise of Civil Power, attacking the concept of a state-dominated church, denouncing corrupt practices in church governance. As the Republic disintegrated, Milton wrote several proposals to retain a non-monarchical government - against the wishes of parliament. Upon the Restoration in May 1660, Milton went into hiding for his life following his propaganda writings, while a warrant was issued for his arrest and his writings burnt. He re-emerged after a general pardon was issued, but was nevertheless arrested and briefly imprisoned before influential friends intervened. On 24 February 1663 Milton remarried, for a third and final time, and spent the remaining decade of his life living quietly in London, only retiring to a cottage – Milton’s Cottage – in Chalfont St. Giles, his only existing home. Milton died of kidney failure on 8 November 1674 and was buried in the church ofSt. Giles, Cripplegate.
142. What is Paradise Lost? Paradise Lost is an epic poem by the 17th-century English poet John Milton. The poem concerns the Christian story of the Fall of Man: the temptation of Adam and Eve by the fallen angel Satan and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Milton's purpose, stated in Book I, is to "justify the ways of God to men" and clarify the conflict between God's eternal foresight and free will. Milton incorporates Paganism, classical Greek references, and Christianity within the poem. It deals with diverse topics from marriage, politics and the monarchy, along with issues including fate, predestination and the introduction of sin and death into the world. Milton's epic is generally considered one of the greatest literary works in the English language.
143. Task Read through the extracts from Paradise Lost. What is happening in each extract? How is Eve presented in the first extract? How is the love between Adam and Eve presented overall? How do you think this extract links to the context?
144. Group Task You will be working in groups, analysing the extracts from Paradise Lost, Book IX. You will be required to analyse your extract with a particular focus and then present your ideas to the rest of the class. You should ensure you include textual evidence with detailed analysis and interpretations.
146. …To end the lesson Three things that you have learnt about the restoration or the work of John Milton this lesson. Two things that you would like to know about the restoration or the work of John Milton. One thing you knew about the Restoration or John Milton at the start of the lesson.
147. As you are waiting for the lesson to begin… Summarise your understanding of Paradise Lost by John Milton to 8 bullet points. What texts have you read so far that you could compare to Paradise Lost? How do they compare?
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149. To explore the links between Paradise Lost and other texts studied.
153. Why do you think Milton has emulated such a well-known story?
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155. How is love presented in the poem On Desire by Aphra Behn? In the exam, you will be given two unseen extracts. The questions test your wider reading in the prescribed area for study – Love Through the Ages. In your answer, you should take every opportunity to refer to your wider reading. You will work in groups to devise an essay plan on one unseen poem from the Restoration era.
158. The ways the writers’ use form, structure and language to express their thoughts and ideas .
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160. As you are waiting for the lesson to begin… Consider the poem ‘On Loving Two Equally’ you read and analysed for homework . How would you summarise the style of Aphra Behn, based on this initial reading? As we study her work further, what do you expect to see with regards the theme of love?
175. Compare how Congreave portrays love in the extract from ‘The Way of the World’ with other texts from your wider reading.
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177. As you are waiting for the lesson to begin… The words below are from the text we will be looking at today. What predictions can you make about the presentation of love? Agony Catastrophe Caution Suffered Beautiful Creation Miserable Compassion
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180. ‘Frankenstein’ by Mary Shelley Victor Frankenstein experiences an idyllic childhood in Switzerland, surrounded by a loving family and accompanied by his adored cousin Elizabeth. He is fascinated by ancient philosophers whose grandiose ambitions included looking for an Elixir of Life. After the death of his mother, his first unhappy experience, he attends University in Germany where he applies his new-found knowledge of science to manufacture a human being of enormous size and strength.When his creation comes to life, Frankenstein is so horrified by his own bizarre accomplishment that he falls into a delirious illness which last months. Meanwhile, the creature flees into the woods and disappears.Two years later, Frankenstein returns home upon learning that his brother has been mysteriously murdered. Justine, a friend of Frankenstein, is falsely convicted and executed. Having been hated, rejected and feared by every human encountered, the creature considers all of humanity to be his enemy. He demands that Frankenstein create a female companion for him so that he will not be lonely, and promises that with his companion he will flee to a remote corner of South America and never come into contact with humans again.Frankenstein cannot forgive the creature for the death of his brother and Justine; he refuses to build the female companion. In desperation and rage, the creature promises to make his creator as miserable as himself. In his vengeance, the creature murders Frankenstein's friends and family one by one, including his beloved cousin Elizabeth (who he married; 19th-century writers apparently weren't too bothered by incest; Wuthering Heights featured inter-cousin romance as well).When the creator and his creature are at last equally alone and family-less, Frankenstein seeks his own revenge and pursues his enemy into the Arctic northern wastes where together they meet their climatic fate.
181. ‘Frankenstein’ by Mary Shelley Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ was a phenomenal book that included shocking ideas about ambition, desire and individual limits. Read through the two extracts as a class and then individually find evidence (with analysis) to support the following statements about the presentation of love in the text. Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ presents an individual who’s passion and desire to create life and therefore play the role of God, leads to disaster – thus providing a moral message to its reader. Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ presents an unconventional parent / child relationship. Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ presents the misery associated with loneliness and a lack of family and companionship.
182. To finish the lesson... Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ was written during the literary period referred to as Romanticism and she was heavily influenced by famous poets during this time – such as her husband Percey Shelley. TASK: Read through the handout on the Romantic period and highlight features of the period that you think are prevalent in Shelley’s text. Extension: Is there anything unusual about ‘Frankenstein’ that doesn’t link to the literary period of Romanticism?
183. Homework Research In our next two lessons we will be analysing Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Emma. You therefore must research Jane Austen’s life, her writing style and the presentation of love and relationships in her novels.
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186. Social and Historical Background Read through the handout you have been given and summarise Austen’s writing style. Do you think Austen fits into the ‘Romantics’ genre?
187. Social and Historical Background Do you think Austen fits into the ‘Romantics’ genre? Romanticism was deeply connected to the politics of the time, and this is certainly evident in Austen’s work (social politics)
192. Compare how Congreave portrays love in the extract from ‘The Way of the World’ with other texts from your wider reading.
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196. To finish the lesson... Read through your partner’s response and comment on two of the following areas with one positive observation and one target. Understanding of the chapter, the theme of marriage and the relationship between Mr and Mrs Bennet. Understanding of the social and historical context. Close analysis of language and its effects. Analysis of the structure of the chapter e.g. The opening statement. The tone of the piece and the use of humour in the chapter. Consideration of alternative interpretations – of the characters, situation or quotations.
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198. ‘Emma’ by Jane Austen – Plot Summary Although convinced that she herself will never marry (because she has no financial concerns, so believes she has no inducement to marry), Emma Woodhouse, a precocious twenty-year-old resident of the village of Highbury, imagines herself to be naturally gifted in conjuring love matches. After self-declared success at matchmaking between her governess and Mr. Weston, a village widower, Emma takes it upon herself to find an eligible match for her new friend, Harriet Smith. Though Harriet’s parentage is unknown, Emma is convinced that Harriet deserves to be a gentleman’s wife and sets her friend’s sights on Mr. Elton, the village vicar. Meanwhile, Emma persuades Harriet to reject the proposal of Robert Martin, a well-to-do farmer for whom Harriet clearly has feelings. Harriet becomes infatuated with Mr. Elton under Emma’s encouragement, but Emma’s plans go awry when Elton makes it clear that his affection is for Emma, not Harriet. Emma realizes that her obsession with making a match for Harriet has blinded her to the true nature of the situation. Mr. Knightley, Emma’s brother-in-law and treasured friend, watches Emma’s matchmaking efforts with a critical eye. He believes that Mr. Martin is a worthy young man whom Harriet would be lucky to marry. He and Emma quarrel over Emma’s meddling, and, as usual, Mr. Knightley proves to be the wiser of the pair. Elton, spurned by Emma and offended by her insinuation that Harriet is his equal, leaves for the town of Bath and marries a young woman there almost immediately. Emma is left to comfort Harriet and to wonder about the character of a new visitor expected in Highbury—Mr. Weston’s son, Frank Churchill. Frank is set to visit his father in Highbury after having been raised by his aunt and uncle in London, who have also adopted him as their heir. Emma knows nothing about Frank, who has long been deterred from visiting his father by his aunt’s illnesses and complaints. Mr. Knightley is immediately suspicious of the young man, especially after Frank rushes back to London merely to have his hair cut. Emma, however, finds Frank delightful and notices that his charms are directed mainly toward her. Though she plans to discourage these charms, she finds herself flattered and engages in a flirtation with the young man. Emma greets Jane Fairfax, another addition to the Highbury set, with less enthusiasm. Jane is beautiful and accomplished, but Emma dislikes her because of her reserve and, the narrator insinuates, because she is jealous of Jane. Suspicion, intrigue, and misunderstandings ensue. Mr. Knightley defends Jane, saying that she deserves compassion because, unlike Emma, she has no independent fortune and must soon leave home to work as a governess. Mrs. Weston suspects that the warmth of Mr. Knightley’s defence comes from romantic feelings, an implication Emma resists. Everyone assumes that Frank and Emma are forming an attachment, though Emma soon dismisses Frank as a potential suitor and imagines him as a match for Harriet. At a village ball, Knightley earns Emma’s approval by offering to dance with Harriet, who has just been humiliated by Mr. Elton and his new wife. The next day, Frank saves Harriet from Gypsy beggars. When Harriet tells Emma that she has fallen in love with a man above her social station, Emma believes that she means Frank. Knightley begins to suspect that Frank and Jane have a secret understanding, and he attempts to warn Emma. Emma laughs at Knightley’s suggestion and loses Knightley’s approval when she flirts with Frank and insults Miss Bates, a kindhearted spinster and Jane’s aunt, at a picnic. When Knightley reprimands Emma, she weeps. News comes that Frank’s aunt has died, and this event paves the way for an unexpected revelation that slowly solves the mysteries. Frank and Jane have been secretly engaged; his attentions to Emma have been a screen to hide his true preference. With his aunt’s death and his uncle’s approval, Frank can now marry Jane, the woman he loves. Emma worries that Harriet will be crushed, but she soon discovers that it is Knightley, not Frank, who is the object of Harriet’s affection. Harriet believes that Knightley shares her feelings. Emma finds herself upset by Harriet’s revelation, and her distress forces her to realize that she is in love with Knightley. Emma expects Knightley to tell her he loves Harriet, but, to her delight, Knightley declares his love for Emma. Harriet is soon comforted by a second proposal from Robert Martin, which she accepts. The novel ends with the marriage of Harriet and Mr. Martin and that of Emma and Mr. Knightley, resolving the question of who loves whom after all
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200. What similarities / differences are there between ‘Emma’ and ‘Pride and Prejudice’?
204. ‘Emma’ by Jane Austen In this extract from the novel, Emma has met her friend Harriet’s love interest Mr Martin and offers her opinion on him. Read through the extract (pg 28-29) and then answer the following questions: Jane Austen had said, that she wanted to create a heroine who no-one will much like. How is Emma Woodhouse presented in this extract? How has Harriet been presented in the extract? Why doesn’t Emma approve of Mr Martin as a match for Harriet? What is Austen suggesting about the class system in England at this time?
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207. Compare the presentation of love in upper-middle class England in ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and ‘Emma’.
Notas do Editor
Print slides as a handout for students or enlarge onto A3 and get them to circulate the room annotating the image
Print slides as a handout for students or enlarge onto A3 and get them to circulate the room annotating the image
Print slides as a handout for students or enlarge onto A3 and get them to circulate the room annotating the image
Print slides as a handout for students or enlarge onto A3 and get them to circulate the room annotating the image