English 12. Overview. So get comfortable as we embark on our journey into English.

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1 OVERVIEW ENGLISH 12 i English 12 Overview English 12 is about using the English language to its best effect in both fiction and non-fiction writing. This course will help you explore how various authors have created stories that carry readers to another place and time, and how others make arguments clear and compelling. Reading and writing exercises will also challenge you to become more critical in how you make the language your own. So get comfortable as we embark on our journey into English. You will complete four of six modules for English 12 as follows: Module 1: Paragraph and Essay Writing Module 2: Poetry and Short Prose Module 3: The Novel or Module 6: First Nations Novel Study Module 4: Hamlet or Module 5: Death of a Salesman In addition to these topics there are grammar activities inserted throughout the course to help you with your writing. After you have completed Module 3 or Module 6, you'll have to choose which play you would like to study. Your choices are Shakespeare's Hamlet (Module 4) or Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman (Module 5). You only have to complete one of these modules, so be sure to let your school know which play you would like to study. You may also want to talk to your teacher and read the To Choose Hamlet or Death of a Salesman, that is the question! box below to help you decide.

2 18 MODULE 2 ENGLISH 12 Connotations: Words with Emotional Associations house home Connotations are the emotional associations that come with some words. Take the words house and home. Which word makes you feel something? A house is a building where people live. A home, however, is a word with connotations or emotional associations for example, warmth and security. Why would a real estate agent want to sell you a townhome and not a townhouse? Which word has connotations for you? Which is more appealing, a used car or a pre-owned car? Could you say that a pre-owned car does not have the connotations of being used at all? If a man wants to rub something onto his face after shaving is he more likely to buy a moisturizer or a face protector? Why? Which word has more masculine connotations: moisturizer or protector? Poetry Journal For an example of a poem in which simple words have emotional overtones, turn to the poem by Charles Simic in Discovering Literature - Poem page 786. Read the paragraph just before the poem, then read the poem itself and the section that follows the poem including The Personal Response. Remember to record your personal responses and feelings to the poem s subject and structure.

3 MODULE 2 ENGLISH Together, let s do a close reading of the poem to help you come to grips with the way a poet uses connotations to suggest meaning. At the simplest level, the first part of the poem suggests an upward movement and the second part suggests a downward movement. If you read the poem closely and ask yourself questions about what you read, you will see that the meaning of the poem is enriched. In part one, the speaker personifies the smoke. I watch the smoke mount / In great strides above the city. What are the connotations of the word, stride? One who strides walks with purpose and confidence. As a result, the speaker feels free, I belong to no one. and appears to forget his earthly state. In fact, the word smoke suggests something insubstantial, without physical body, perhaps even spiritual. In part two, what does the speaker remember? To put on his shoes, bend down, and tie them. Why does the speaker say, I will look into the earth? Why not just say that he will look at the earth? What are the connotations of looking into the earth? Looking at the earth suggests looking at the drudgery of his daily life; looking into the earth suggests his mortality. All humans may wish to slip the bonds of their daily lives and of their mortality, but they can t. And if the smoke suggests moving upward into freedom, the earth pulls him back to physical reality. Make note of the relationship between tying up his shoes and being tied down. Use the connotations in Simic s poem to make a cluster chart on the word earth.

4 ii OVERVIEW ENGLISH 12 To help you decide which play you would like to study please consider the following: To Choose Hamlet or Death of a Salesman, that is the question! Once you have successfully completed the first three modules of English 12, a tremendous accomplishment, you have only one last module to study the drama module. In this case, you get to choose which play to watch and read. You may be wondering what play would be best for you; consider the following factors before making your choice. Death of a Salesman A modern masterpiece that has been produced and studied around the world since it was first written in Written in modern English all the language used is plain and easy to understand. A dark and critical look at the modern experience. In particular, the nature of family and work and the American dream are considered. Considerably influenced by two artistic styles realism and expressionism. The central character, Willy Loman, a middle-aged, unsuccessful salesman, husband and father, comes to terms with his life s struggles. Hamlet Many consider this play to be the pinnacle of Shakespeare s dramas. If you plan to study literature or drama at university (or college) then know that this play will be much referred to in your future studies. Written in Elizabethan English uses turns of phrase and vocabulary that may, at first, be unfamiliar. However, you have studied Shakespeare in Grades 10 and 11, so you will have some understanding of the older grammar and your textbook provides detailed notes to help explain any difficult phrasing or obscure allusions.

5 OVERVIEW ENGLISH 12 iii A study of the nature of evil and the affect of vengeance. Moreover, Shakespeare tackles questions of family, friendship, love, appearances vs. reality, and, of course, death (this is a tragedy after all). Uses both verse and prose. The central character, Hamlet, is a thoughtful and sensitive young man who seeks justice after discovering that his father has been murdered. Both plays are challenging. While the lessons in each module are different, the section assignments are very similar. In fact, both modules place an emphasis on experiencing the play as an actual play and not just as another book to read. You will find the assignments creative and engaging. The modules are intended to be a fun way to wrap up your English 12 experience. Whatever you choose, you are sure to enjoy an exciting and dynamic last module. Enjoy! Each of the modules consists of lessons, lesson activities and section assignments (which you'll submit for marking). Be sure to work through all the lessons and lesson activities in a section before attempting the section assignment. Course Outline It would be a good idea to have this course outline posted so you can check off the items that you've completed as you work through the course. At the end of the outline there's a list of all course work you'll need to submit to your instructor for marking.

6 60 MODULE 2 ENGLISH 12 Simile The speaker says he is lonely as a cloud / That floats on high over vales and hill. How is the simile appropriate as a comparison? The cloud floats over the hills and valleys with no connection to or relationship with any other natural object. The speaker is also alone and lonely. It s not until he actually looks closely at the daffodils and feels joy that he becomes one with the world about him. Diction What are the denotations and connotations of the word host? The word host has at least two important meanings. It means a great number; it also means someone who entertains. The word has positive, welcoming connotations or emotional associations. The lonely speaker sees a crowd, a multitude of daffodils that seem to be welcoming him into their company. He is no longer lonely.

7 MODULE 2 ENGLISH Personification Why does the speaker give human characteristics to the daffodils and the waves? If the daffodils are like humans, he can more easily identify with them. If he imagines that they are dancing and happy, he is encouraged to be like them.

8 62 MODULE 2 ENGLISH 12 Hyperbole How does the speaker exaggerate? Why? The speaker exaggerates the number of daffodils: Continuous as the stars that shine / And twinkle on the milky way They stretched in never-ending line. He emphasizes their number and also the magnitude of the joy they seem to be feeling. This raises his level of joy. Rhymes What do the sounds of the rhyming words add to the poem? The sounds of the rhyming couplets trees/breeze, glance/ dance, thought/brought, fills/daffodils accentuate the joyous feeling. Now list the topics covered in the poem: 1. solitude and loneliness 2. objects of natural beauty 3. emotional identification with beauty 4. value of memory and imagination in recalling and reliving joy

9 MODULE 2 ENGLISH Now look back at your summary of the poem, think about the way poetic devices help suggest meaning, read over your list of topics, and decide how the topics relate to each other. Write one complete sentence that states an idea that grows out of the relationships you see in the topics. This sentence is the theme. Write the theme as a complete sentence. You ll notice that the themes make a general statement about the meaning of the poem. Here are a couple of examples: An open and sympathetic response to nature can change a person for the better. Identifying with beauty and joy can feed a person s mind and imagination. Guided Practice 2.1G 1 Writing about Theme You ll find good ideas for writing about theme in Discovering Literature - Writing about Literature pages The Writing Workshop section is devoted to comparing or contrasting the themes of two poems. The Sample Student Paper also shows a good example of writing about theme. Study the paper and try to answer the Questions for Peer Review. Note to student: It is recommended that you discuss your answers with other students taking the course or with your teacher.

10 MODULE 4 ENGLISH Laertes: Avenger or Hired Killer Act 4 In Act Four, Scene 5, Ophelia has lost her grip on her noble mind and Laertes returns from Paris, ready to avenge the death of his father, even if he has to kill the King. He is all action, and is not about to let reflection or reason slow him down. We see Claudius being threatened by Laertes who is not easily diverted from his purpose. But diverted he is, for at the end of Act Four, Scene 7, the King and Laertes are plotting the death of Hamlet together. How does this manipulation come about?

11 126 MODULE 4 ENGLISH 12 Is Shakespeare the greatest writer ever? The greatest artist ever? Many would argue so and many would not. Care to have a bit of fun joining the debate and assessing your aesthetic values? If you have access to a computer, become a part of an on-line philosophy survey entitled Shakespeare vs Brittany Spears What is Art? ( Guided Practice 4.4D 1 The Manipulation of Laertes anger Read Discovering Literature - Act Four, Scenes 5 and 7, pages and then answer the following questions. 1. Why does Laertes call Claudius thou vile king (line 116)? (5 marks) 2. At the beginning of Act Four, Scene 7, the King summarizes for Laertes the situation so far: that the murderer of his father thought he was pursuing Claudius. Therefore, Laertes should consider the King his friend, and acquit him of any wrongdoing. Explain the reasoning that is being used here. (5 marks) 3. Claudius does not tell Laertes that Hamlet is to be executed when he arrives in England. What reasons might Claudius have for keeping his thwarted plot from Laertes? (5 marks)

12 MODULE 5 ENGLISH Section 5.1 Death of a Salesman: Act 1 Section Overview Death of a Salesman tells the story of Willy Loman, a travelling salesman for a New York clothing firm, and of his family. The Lomans are a middle-class family in Brooklyn in the late 1940s, after the end of the Second World War. The setting is their home. In the opening scene of the video, with Willy driving home in his car, the camera focuses on the 1948 license plate. To prepare yourself to study of the play, read it completely before beginning the lessons. Read it quickly, just to get a sense of the characters, the action, and the time sequences. You will see that time shifts between the present and the past as Willy recalls scenes from his earlier life and characters who are important to him.

13 12 MODULE 5 ENGLISH 12 While you read the play, you should also watch the video and get used to the idea of the play as a play, not just as a text to be read. At the same time, you will become familiar with the setting. The Loman family home is the main setting and all the other scenes, from the present and the past, are set around the house. This allows the actors to move about freely and scene changes to occur rapidly.

14 116 MODULE 5 ENGLISH 12 Ben Although Ben appears only in Willy s memory interludes, he is important. How would you play Ben, who has to epitomize Willy s version of the American Dream? Ben appears at moments of crisis, when Willy needs reassurance. Ben has to be fatherly and larger than life. An actor must play him as an effective model for Willy and as a man who creates fear and anger in Linda. How do you reveal the extent to which Ben shapes Willy s life and aspirations? The Interview Process: Creative Project for Section 5.3 In your creative project for this section, you will be asked to interview a central character. This project involves designing a list of questions, finding answers that come from the play itself, creating a transcript of the interview, and making an oral recording of the interview, in which you will alter your voice to reflect two distinct personalities. To burrow into the innermost life of a character and get the most useful answers, you ll need to ask the right questions. To help shape your interview, you could pretend to be writing for a particular magazine or newspaper. Here are a few pointers about the interview process:

15 MODULE 5 ENGLISH Interview Pointers Choose the character you believe to be the most interesting or provocative the character you hope will reveal a rich amount of detail about his or her life. As you think about your character, think of questions that will elicit interesting details. Do your homework first. Gather evidence from the play to help and use it to create a range of questions. Interviewers say it s important to put the person you re interviewing at ease. Ask a few chatty questions to get him or her to relax before you ask more significant questions. These can be questions about interests or simple factual questions about the character s life. Since your interview will not be conducted with a real person, where will you get your answers? You will have to go to the text or the video to find them. When you write up your interview, quote some of the more provocative statements the character makes in the play. A quotation, especially at the end of the interview, can make it come to life. If you use a quotation, it s best to start the sentence with it. For example: I spent three months in jail, Biff said, for stealing a suit, as opposed to, Biff said, I spent three months in jail for stealing a suit. When you write up your interview, find a balance between the character s answers and your explanatory details. When you report on an interview, you don t just put down a question and follow it with an answer. You are explain the character to your audience.