Daily Agenda 11/28

Today's Agenda ~

* Work day for short stories (middle seats open please)

* Announcements: vocabulary due yesterday; persuasive final copies due Monday 12/3 ; last day to accept Monday 12/10; all make-up quizzes on Thursday

* Conferences continue today

* Short stories due at the end of the period

Rashomon, or What's the True Story?

the overview:
The world perpetually seeks truth. But what exactly is truth? Can we define it? Marcus Aurelius, a Roman stoical philosopher, said “Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.”

In 1950, Japanese director Akira Kurosawa released a film called Rashomon, based on the short story "In the Grove". The movie follows the discussion of a woodcutter, priest, and commoner as they attempt to decipher four completely different accounts of the same event. The climax occurs at the end of the movie, where the sheer horror results not from the apparent deception of the four different accounts -- but in the realization that this ambiguity applies to all of life. No one can ever be sure about anything, ever. To mimic Aurelius, all truth is subjective.

Recall Lady Capulet's words after Tybalt's death: "He is a kinsman to the Montague; /Affection makes him false; he speaks not true: / Some twenty of them fought in this black strife, /And all those twenty could but kill one life" (RJ 3.1.181-184). If this is the way Lady Capulet really saw things, does that still mean that she's lying?

the assignment:
We assume when we read Romeo and Juliet, that the story on paper is the actual, true story. But whose perspective is it? Obviously, from the two movie adaptations, people interpret scenes very differently. So, here’s your chance to present the true story of what happened.

In a short story, you will give a character from the play a chance to make clear the real events. Some of the characters you may choose from died since the beginning of the play. That is okay – you may still write as that character. Your short story will be 500 words in length, approximately 100 for each act, told from the perspective of one of the main characters. So, in other words, using first person pronouns such as "I" and "me" WILL BE APPROPRIATE and necessary for this assignment. Still avoid second person pronouns. Spelling, capitalization, and punctuation still matter, although I will be more lenient for stylistic changes to grammar, as long as they are appropriate. For instance, Mercutio might talk in sentence fragments; the Nurse might talk in run-ons, etc.

You will have half of the period Monday, 26 November to work individually on this project. You will also have Tuesday, 27 November, and Wednesday, 28 November to work the entire period on this project. It will be due at the end of the period on 28 November. You may work on this assignment outside of class as well. However, you should bring all materials to class to work on during these two days. Tuesday and Wednesday will be conducted like a study hall; it should be quiet for people to concentrate on their work.

Although you should include commentary that reflects how your character feels about certain events, major events, like deaths, cannot be altered. However, feel free to be as creative as possible in your interpretation of the play. Consider the adaptation The True Story of the Three Little Pigs when writing this short story.

Realize that when you write this, it should sound as if it came from your chosen character. A story told from Romeo's perspective and a story told from Tybalt's perspective should sound very different. Stories which do not reflect the appropriate tone for that character will experience points deducted.

Use a large piece of construction paper and fold it in half like a book. The front cover should have some illustration on it, either digically created or hand-drawn. It should be in color. The back cover should have at least 3 fictional, comical reviews from popular critics, celebreties, or local community figures praising or berating the book. The story should fit entirely in the middle of the folded sheet of paper -- hand-written or typed. No font restrictions for this assignment -- as long as I can still read it.

the content:
Your short story should be written from one of the following characters' perspectives:

• Romeo
• Juliet
• Nurse
• Friar
• Benvolio
• Lady Capulet
• Tybalt
• Mercutio

Your short story should include the following major events of the play:

• opening fight scene between the servants / households (Act I)
• meeting between Romeo and Juliet (Act I, II)
• Romeo and Juliet's marriage (Act II)
• Mercutio's death (Act III)
• Tybalt's death (Act III)
• Juliet's pressure to marry Paris (Act I, III)
• Juliet taking the potion and faking death (Act IV)
• Romeo not receiving the letter (Act IV, V)
• Romeo's suicide (Act V)
• Juliet's suicide (Act V)
• other scenes important to your character

extra help:
As always, if you feel like you need help beyond what is available in the classroom, I will be available before school 7:00-7:30 and after school until 4:30. Ms. Wayne and I also check our email daily and may provide assistance this way as well. We cannot provide assistance if you do not ask; claiming to "not understand" an assignment and not asking for help is inexcusable. If you do not ask for help we will assume you understand the assignment and plan to turn it in, completed, on the due date.

the value:
The short story: 75 points
The cover design: 15 points
The back cover: 10 points
total value for this project: 100 points

resources:
What is a parody? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parody
Hamlet parody, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosencrantz_and_Guildenstern_Are_Dead
Short stories: 10 tips for Novice Creative Writers: http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/creative/shortstory/index.html

Indiana Academic State Standards met by this project: 10.3.3, 10.3.4, 10.3.8, 10.3.9, 10.3.10, 10.3.13, 10.4.1, 10.4.13, 10.4.10, 10.4.11, 10.5.1, 10.5.2, 10.5.8, 10.6.3

So, What's the True Story

Your journals during Romeo and Juliet should have been focused on telling the story from that particular character’s point of view. However, we all agree that oftentimes different people see the same scene or event differently. So, here’s your chance to present the true story of what happened. Give that character a chance to make clear the real events. Some characters you chose may have died since the beginning of the play. That is okay – you may still write as that character. Use a large piece of construction paper and fold it in half like a book. Here are the criteria for writing your story:

• Should be written in the point of view of one of the characters, dead or alive
• Should have a cover page with some illustration on it, computer generated or hand-drawn.
• Should have a back cover page with reviews from popular critics.
• Should include the major events of the play: opening fight scene between servants, meeting between Romeo and Juliet, Romeo and Juliet’s marriage, Mercutio’s death, Tybalt’s death, Romeo’s banishment, Juliet’s pressure to marry Paris, Juliet taking potion and faking death, Romeo not receiving the letter, Romeo’s suicide, Juliet’s suicide. You may also include other scenes which are pertinent to your character.
• Should have a logical beginning, middle, and end.
• Should reflect the views of that character. Ask yourself: how would my character feel about this?
• Should always, always use proper grammar and writing conventions.
• Should reflect the overarching theme of struggles.