Thursday, 6 February 2014
Tuesday, 14 January 2014
King Lear - initial thoughts
Year 13,
Following our viewing of the RSC King Lear production these are you initial thoughts from the play. We will refer to these over the next few months to see whether we agree or disagree with them.
Below is a link to the article with actors discussing the character of Lear which helped inform our discussion and an image of the key points from this.
Ms Cook
Anastasia: King Lear is a representation of the sorrow of growing old and the feeling of losing power as you grow old and the realisation that he isn't who he used to be he's no longer all powerful. He seems to let his power go so that he can blame others for his loss of power rather than himself
Emel: In summary I think that King Lear as a whole is a characterwhich is quite lonely deep down which is why he wanted his children to tell him how much they loved him. I think that he perhaps knows that his children only love him because they have to rather than because they truly do and I know this from the hesitation of the girls when they were telling him how much they did love him.
Seth: Lear is a deeply sympathetic character - he is astutely aware of his own decline and, more recently, he has become aware of his immaturity and childishness, and so just wants to retreat and be served in solitude. He no longer feels he is morally capable of running a kingdom, and is constantly preoccupied with the idea of escape, whether through death or physical separation.
Amber: Lear's tragic flaw is egotism - this is first shown when he holds the competition between his daughters over who can flatter him the most (in this scene I was skeptical about whether or not he genuinely believed their words). Lear does not want the responsibility of being King, but he does want the respect and power that comes with the role. This shows him to be egotistical and also child-like.
Maya: My first thoughts were King Lear is just physically week, however after the class discussion I think he is mentally weak and realises that his time is ended and the fact he does need reassurance to flatter him is a sign he's unsure of himself and people just respect him because of his status.
Joe: Although I don't know the extent to how mad Lear acts, in the early acts of the play his actions don't seem that crazy or immature. Even if he steps down, which may be the right decision, he deserves a certain level of respect as former king, and even on the more basic level as a father. Lastly, any later madness only furthers the validity of the decision of stepping down.
http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2014/jan/12/actors-guide-king-lear-simon-russell-beale?CMP=twt_fd
Following our viewing of the RSC King Lear production these are you initial thoughts from the play. We will refer to these over the next few months to see whether we agree or disagree with them.
Below is a link to the article with actors discussing the character of Lear which helped inform our discussion and an image of the key points from this.
Ms Cook
Anastasia: King Lear is a representation of the sorrow of growing old and the feeling of losing power as you grow old and the realisation that he isn't who he used to be he's no longer all powerful. He seems to let his power go so that he can blame others for his loss of power rather than himself
Emel: In summary I think that King Lear as a whole is a characterwhich is quite lonely deep down which is why he wanted his children to tell him how much they loved him. I think that he perhaps knows that his children only love him because they have to rather than because they truly do and I know this from the hesitation of the girls when they were telling him how much they did love him.
Seth: Lear is a deeply sympathetic character - he is astutely aware of his own decline and, more recently, he has become aware of his immaturity and childishness, and so just wants to retreat and be served in solitude. He no longer feels he is morally capable of running a kingdom, and is constantly preoccupied with the idea of escape, whether through death or physical separation.
Amber: Lear's tragic flaw is egotism - this is first shown when he holds the competition between his daughters over who can flatter him the most (in this scene I was skeptical about whether or not he genuinely believed their words). Lear does not want the responsibility of being King, but he does want the respect and power that comes with the role. This shows him to be egotistical and also child-like.
Maya: My first thoughts were King Lear is just physically week, however after the class discussion I think he is mentally weak and realises that his time is ended and the fact he does need reassurance to flatter him is a sign he's unsure of himself and people just respect him because of his status.
Joe: Although I don't know the extent to how mad Lear acts, in the early acts of the play his actions don't seem that crazy or immature. Even if he steps down, which may be the right decision, he deserves a certain level of respect as former king, and even on the more basic level as a father. Lastly, any later madness only furthers the validity of the decision of stepping down.
Jade: King
Lear is a man who loves having power but does not like the responsibility that
comes with being king which gives the impression of him being lazy. However
King Lear is blinded by these flaws because his daughters have betrayed him.
Bill: King Lear is childlike in the fact that he's
incredibly naive, he doesn't know what he wants. To me it is
clear that he craves admiration, power and respect. Essentially he has a
massive ego which needs to be fed. However, when he abdicates he realises that
although he no longer has lots of responsibility, he doesn't have anyone's
respect any more.
Wednesday, 8 January 2014
Y9 Richard III - historical context and interesting infromation
Hi Year 9
This documentary would be very interesting to help your understand the 'Richard III'. It looks at some of the reasons he was unpopular and why some people think he has been falsely villified.
Enjoy!
Ms Cook
Richard III: The King in the Car Park on Channel 4 OD
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/richard-iii-the-king-in-the-car-park/4od
This documentary would be very interesting to help your understand the 'Richard III'. It looks at some of the reasons he was unpopular and why some people think he has been falsely villified.
Enjoy!
Ms Cook
Richard III: The King in the Car Park on Channel 4 OD
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/richard-iii-the-king-in-the-car-park/4od
Friday, 13 December 2013
Y10 Homework Due: Monday 16th December
Controlled Assessment Task
Use a still image from the film ‘Touching the Void’ as
the inspiration from your own writing.
1. Pick one of these images to use as the inspiration
for your account.
2. Start to mindmap ideas about what you will write about:
-What events will
occur?
-What atmosphere/mood
will you try to create?
You should create your mindmap on a piece of A4 paper (or the side of your book). You
must bring it to Monday’s lesson.
Monday, 11 November 2013
Y10 Recommended Reading - Creative Writing
Year 10 suggested reading list:
Writing Controlled Assessments
Below
are some suggestions for reading which may help with your work this half term.
In order to write well, you must be well-read. Many of the books listed below
are available in the school library.
Short
stories
Author/Editor
|
Title
|
Clive King
|
Adventure Stories
|
Tony Bradman
|
Amazing Adventure Stories
|
Saul Bellow
|
Collected Stories of Saul Bellow
|
Edgar Allen Poe
|
The Complete Stories
|
David Almond
|
Counting Stars
|
Philip Pullman
|
Detective stories
|
Steven King
|
Different Seasons
|
Miriam Hodgson
|
Family Tree
|
Tom Watt
|
Football shorts
|
Tony Bradman
|
Give me shelter
|
Sonia Nimr
|
Ghaddar the Ghoul and Other
Palestinian Stories
|
Selim Ileri
|
Ilkgenclik Cagina
Oykuler
|
Ernest Hemingway
|
Men Without Women
|
Kemal Ozer
|
Kaleidoscope
|
Guy de Maupassant
|
The Necklace and Other Short
Stories
|
Roald Dahl
|
Roald Dahl Collected Short
Stories
|
Kevin Crossley-Holland
|
Short! A book of very short
stories
|
Michael Morpurgo
|
The White Horse of Zennor and
Other Stories from Below the Eagle's Nest
|
Rehana Ahmed
|
Walking A Tightrope: New
Writing from Asian Britain
|
Travel writing
Author/editor
|
Title
|
Bill Bryson
|
Down Under
Made in America
Notes from a Big Country
Notes from a Small Island
|
Orhan Pamuk
|
Istanbul: Memories of a City
|
Graham Green
|
Journey without Maps
|
Benjamin Zepheniah
|
Kung Fu Trip
|
Tony Hawks
|
Playing the Moldovans at Tennis
|
Roger Deakin
|
Waterlog: A Swimmer's Journey
Through Britain
|
Writing guides
Author/Editor
|
Title
|
Shaun McCarthy
|
Write That Story
|
Tony Bradman
|
So you want to write fiction
|
Robyn Gee
|
The Usborne Guide to Better
English - Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation
|
Simon Basher
|
Basher Basics: Grammar
|
Don Shiach
|
Basic Grammar
|
Bahire Serif
|
English Grammar (for Turkish Speakers)
|
CGP
|
GCSE English Grammar
|
Angela Burt
|
Grammar Repair Kit
|
Carolyn Humphries
|
Really Simple English Grammar
|
Useful websites:
Monday, 30 September 2013
Of Mice and Men - extra reading and research
Hi Year 10,
As well as the additional reading list I spoke about in class the other day (it's also on this post), I would recommend listening to this Radio programme about Steinbeck's life.
BBC Radio 4 - Great Lives, John Steinbeck
As well as the additional reading list I spoke about in class the other day (it's also on this post), I would recommend listening to this Radio programme about Steinbeck's life.
BBC Radio 4 - Great Lives, John Steinbeck
There are some useful (and challenging) things to read on Google Scholar:
(Conversations with Steinbeck)
(Contemporary Reviews of the Novel)
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