Bellringer: April 30 Complete the Attitude Survey. Be sure to defend one of your AGREE positions on the back of the survey.

Merchant Of Venice IN YOUR NOTES, list as many ideas as possible which you gleaned from the videos and the context website

Notes Shylock – Jewish moneylender (credit card company) USURY Venice – Italy. Canals Antonio – borrowed money from Shylock – pound of flesh Lorenzo? Jessica? Portia? (Porsche?) – cross-dressing lawyer – sexist patriarchal society?

Context Website with some contextual information WHY do we need to know contextual information for when SHAKESPEARE was writing the plays? How are the issues similar to our time Political leaders Persecution of religious minorities Strict moral/religious attitudes and disapproval with entertainment industry Patriarchal attitudes Popular stories told in exotic locations (you know, places most don’t go, so the story is a little more believable)

Interconnection of ideas In your partnerships, create a visual showing the interconnection of the ideas listed on the page. Bonus for not just drawing a web.

FOUR PLOTS WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHY The “Pound of Flesh” The Casket The Elopement The Ring Take notes as you come across each of these plot lines. We will be developing a theme about KNOWING YOUR FATE based on this play, so keep that topic in mind.

Reading Act I In your partnerships, square up. You will be reading Act I today. Take note of Shakespeare’s language and why memorizing his language would be easier (because it is) than memorizing our language. Heads up – you are so totally incorrect if you call Shakespeare “Old English.” Old English looks more like German and Norwegian than English. Middle English slightly resembles our English. Shakespeare’s English and ours are considered the same English. No, people on the street didn’t speak like Shakespeare. His was the language of art and poetry. Do you speak like you write formal English essays?

Old, Middle, Modern English

Ticket out Homework Name, date, period Which plot line begins in Act I, scene 1. What is the topic or issue here? How might this topic or issue be applicably to someone in 2015? Homework Finish reading Act I. It ends on page 53. That’s only 17 pages of actual text and it’s a play, so don’t complain. Make notes so you can actually talk about what’s going on meaningfully. (and pass the probable pop-quiz on Monday)