By Charles Dickens Dramatized by Israel Horovitz A Christmas Carol By Charles Dickens Dramatized by Israel Horovitz

How important is money? There are many sayings involving money: “Show me the money” “Time is money” But there are also saying such as “You can’t buy happiness” In A Christmas Carol, the main character’s opinion about what it means to be wealthy changes drastically by the end of the play.

How important is money? Discuss what money can and cannot do. Journal: How important is money? What does it mean to be wealthy?

Charles Dickens ~ 1812-1870 His childhood in England provided material for many of his stories. When he was 12 in London, his father was put in prison for not paying his debts. Charles had to leave school to work in a rat-infested factory The hopelessness and shame he felt affected him deeply. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unKuZ2wlNdw

London 1843 Israel Horovitz based his play off of Dickens’ novel first published in 1843. 1/3 of the people in London were living in poverty and hunger The city was dirty and overcrowded Jobs and houses in short supply Children forced to work The novel was to be a “plea for the poor”

Drama Dramas also communicate theme Methods to identify drama: read closely, think about the larger meaning, pay attention to: Descriptions of setting, events, and characters through stage directions Dialogue between characters Ask yourself how and why the characters say and do the things they do

Drama Actor/actress – the people who take on the roles of the characters in a play Adaptation – the result when an author takes a literary work and changes it, usually into another form (ex. Novel to play form) Audience – the people who watch the play Costumes – the clothes worn by the characters in the play

Drama Dialogue – the conversation between characters in a play Director – the person charged with mapping the actions of the characters, movements, effects, as well as casting, and seeing to the overall performance Lights – the effects of day, night, special attention, or especial effects that draw attention

Drama Narrator – a character from the play or, most often, an additional voice that will read the stage directions when the play is being read aloud Playwright – the author of the play Script – the actual written version of the play that is memorized Stage directions – the part of the script that tells the characters where to walk, how to move, or speak, etc. Stage hands – the people whose job it is to move furniture, change the scenes of the play, etc.

Drama Set – the walls, rooms, streets, etc. on the stage that are needed to perform the play Stage – the platform on which the play is performed

Drama

Drama A play is divided into acts and scenes: Act – one of the major divisions of a play/drama Scene – a subdivision of an act in drama Setting is fixed Time is continuous A Christmas Carol has 2 Acts, each with 5 scenes.

Sequence The order of events in a work of literature Are not always presented in the order in which they happen The reader may be taken backward or forward in time Clues about the order often appear in the stage directions or the titles of the scenes. May use words such as first, next, then, and after. How will you know that the setting has changed to an earlier time when watching a movie?

Vocabulary – Act I, Scene 1 Covetous - marked by an eager desire, especially for another’s possessions Gait – a manner of moving on foot Implored – asked or begged earnestly

Vocabulary – Act I, Scene 2 Replenish – to make full or complete once more Morose – gloomy, ill-tempered Resolute – marked by a firm determination Destitute – living in complete poverty Misanthrope – a person who hates or distrusts everyone

Vocabulary – Act I, Scene 3 Void – total emptiness Ponderous – very heavy, bulky Procure – to get possession of Shun – to avoid purposefully or by habit

Vocabulary – Act I, Scene 4 Miser – a mean grasping person; especially : one who lives poorly in order to store away money Obliged – to earn the gratitude of

Vocabulary – Act I, Scene 5 Aspiration – a strong desire to achieve something high or great Repentance – the act or process of showing sorrow for one's actions and make up one's mind to do what is right

Vocabulary – Act II, Scene 1 Astonish – amaze Scabbard – a protective case for a sword, dagger, or bayonet Sheath – a case for a blade Compulsion – a driving irresistible force

Vocabulary – Act II, Scene 2 Revelers – those who take part in a celebration : be noisy in a festive manner Severe – harsh

Vocabulary – Act II, Scene 3 Meager – of poor quality, small in amount Threadbare – worn, shabby Unaltered – to remain unchanged Odious – causing hatred or strong dislike : worthy of hatred

Vocabulary – Act II, Scene 4 Wizened – to become shrunken or wrinkled often as a result of aging Rail – to scold or complain in harsh or bitter language Audible – loud enough to be heard Gnarled – knotty and twisted

Vocabulary – Act II, Scene 5 Dispelled – scattered and driven away, made to vanish Endeavor – to work or make an effort towards a particular goal or result