The work: This class began to read Henry IV and towards the end of the past week we memorized ten lines from the play (MM). We watched a PBS series with Michael Wood looking at the life of William Shakespeare. We learned many interesting details of his life...his father was a gloveman, a mayor, and an illegal wool dealer (NR). We discovered a country boy who was lost between the worlds of religious intolerance (VC). We took notes on how Henry came into power and his ironic speech about ending all of the bloodshed (GM). We learned that...royalty, or the aristocracy, speak in iambic pentameter (AH). We learned new ways to memorize lines, perhaps as actors during Shakespeare's time did (ER). As we are reading the class has been taking advantage of our tuition dollars by printing out the story in the school library due to a back order of the text (BB). Having read Acts I and II...the only real question is when is Hal going to leave his thieving friends, Poins and Falstaff, and become the prince he is supposed to be (SS).
The workers: We learned why Mr. McGonegal dislikes Doug E. (ER). Chapin was critical of the film (ER). Michael won the American Idol contest with "I could feel the ground tremble with ancient energy" (DK). Brendan came to the conclusion that the story's real underlying theme was the struggle in the relationship between father and son (SS).
Words to live by:
"'Tis no sin for a man to labour in his vocation." ~Falstaff
"He will give the devil his due." ~Prince Hal
"He's funny, streetwise, sexy, and by all accounts, good company." ~Michael Woods (on Shakespeare)
"My reformation, glitt'ring o'er my fault, will show more goodly and attract more eyes..." ~Prince Hal
