Jan 17 – AP Lit O, What a Rogue (II:ii) Class reading Group work Questions Film HW: Log entry (this one’s different): WITHOUT LOOKING FOR HELP paraphrase all of the “To Be or Not to Be” soliloquy in your own words

Soliloquies Hamlet’s major soliloquies are debates, arguments, discussions and/or discoveries “between self” When you read them, you should look for: Inner argument Antithesis (the balancing of two contrasting ideas, words, phrases or sentences in parallel grammatical form)

O, What a Rogue Turn to Act II, Scene ii, lines 529-end Read the soliloquy as a class (in round) Paraphrase Answer questions: It’s obvious that Hamlet is standing alone. Why, then, does he begin with “Now I am alone”? Why does he refer to himself as a “rogue” and a “peasant slave”? Hamlet compares himself to the player. What does this show us about his self-perception? Hamlet uses a lot of theatrical terminology in the play. Why might he be thinking in theatrical terms? Find examples of why Hamlet might think himself a coward. Do you agree that he is a coward, or is there another reason for his behavior?