Hi guys. Long time no blog. Anyway I hope you are all doing the Heartland assignment which I gave you (which is basically all the tasks from the learning journey on 28 Nov). For those of you who didn't go, you had better get the assignment from me ASAP so you can complete it. =) It's due T1W2 and it's going to be worth 20% of your CA. Surprise! You actually had to go for the learning journey! Ha.
Anyway the rest of the photos will be up on my Facebook; let me know if you want to be added. =)
In case you are looking for info on our trip tomorrow (28/11), we're meeting at JE MRT at 11am outside Popular. Bring your novel, lit journal, writing material and a camera or camera phone. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Oh and leave your hatred of Wing at home. =)
I hope you guys had fun last night, those of you who came. Zaki you owe me money. Here's a nice picture for you to enjoy:
Okay, I'm kidding. That's not really a nice picture, though I did want to share it lol. Here's another one:
Thanks to Minnie and Cedric from 4E5 for taking the group shot!
Anyway, I have settled your tasks for our class play. There are discussion threads in the Asknlearn Forum "Othello" for actors (A), sound+lighting (SL), marketing+publicity (MP), makeup+costume (MC) and props+set (PS). The people in charge are marked with -IC.
Here are your tasks as follows:
1. Linda - MP, Ushering-IC
2. Celine - MC, Ushering
3. Nur Shahirah - MC, Ushering
4. Patsy - PS, stage crew
5. Quraisha - A
6. Michelle - MC, stage crew
7. Siti Shahirah - MP-IC, Ushering
8. Kelvin - PS-IC, stage crew
9. Danial - scriptwriter, MC-IC, SL
10. Syazwan - A
11. Amanda - A (Emilia)
12. Shu Juan - MP, Ushering
13. Sarah - A (Desdemona)
14. Greta - MP, SL
15. Fatin - PS, stage crew
16. Khairiyah - MP, ushering
17. Devi - PS, stage crew
18. Zoey - A
19. Hong Yang - A (Cassio)
20. Mervvyn - scriptwriter, A (Othello)
21. Ashik - PS, stage crew-IC
22. Zaki - SL
23. Zhi Wei - SL-IC
24. Zane - scriptwriter, A (Iago)
Deadlines!
Scriptwriters: 5th June, 2359 Singapore time, the script has to be in my inbox. You have my email, msstraatenrocks at g mail dot com. The time is recorded so don't try and be funny. Once I have approved and sent back the script, you need to disseminate to your classmates so they can get to work.
Marketing and Publicity: You don't need the script to start brainstorming for ideas. Think especially how we can solve the problem of the budget. Costumes can be borrowed, set and props can be loaned to some extent, but there will be things that need to be bought. Do look into it. Think also abt the ticketing and how you intend to push the play to the rest of our school. Remember, no one knows shit about Shakespeare (hey, that actually sounds kinda interesting), plus everybody hates Lit for some bizarre reason. So you really have to work.
Okay, I have to vamooze now. Leaving for airport in 1.5 hours. Bye people, have fun. See you on the 18th!
I'm going to give you a list of detailed instructions.
1. Log in to Asknlearn. 2. Go to the Lesson tab. It's on the right of the page, somewhere in the middle. 3. Under 'Latest Lesson' you should see something called 'Unseen Prose' with my name there. 4. Click on it. 5. There should be a document attached to this lesson, called 'draculaexcerpt1'. Download it. 6. Click on the 'Unseen Prose Quiz'. If you cannot find it in the lesson, or worse, you cannot find the lesson, go to the Quiz tab and look for something with my name on it. Take the quiz and submit your answers. 7. Next, click on the 'Unseen Prose Forum'. Again, if you cannot find it in the lesson, you can find it under the Forum tab. Read the document that you downloaded and answer the questions that I have posed in my post. Answer the questions as a forum reply. 8. Now you need to go to the Homework tab (cos bloody ^Y#UI&*(#&^@ Asknlearn won't let me upload the homework to the lesson) and look under Latest Homework. There will be another 'Unseen Prose' thing there with my name on it. Click on this. 9. The homework comes with a second downloadable document - 'draculaexcerpt2'. Read it and answer the homework questions. You need to submit your answer through Asknlearn, not type as a Word doc and attach (because that way I cannot mark using the function in Asknlearn).
If you have any problems, you have my number and my MSN. Good luck.
P.S. I'm counting the marks for this, so please make sure you and your friends all do it. Thanks.
Alright, tomorrow's Lit supplementary will be in the form of ELEARNING. Yay!
Anyway, the lesson will be available on Asknlearn between 9am and 11am tomorrow morning. I will set permissions for you all to view and take the quiz and homework, so you can take the two whole hours to do it, although I think you will need only one.
If you have problems with Asknlearn, I will be online and you can contact me through MSN (fangsgiving at catholic dot org).
The play opens with Roderigo, a rich and dissolute gentleman, complaining to Iago, a high-ranking soldier, that Iago has not told him about the secret marriage between Desdemona, the daughter of a Senator named Brabantio, and Othello, a Moorish general in the Venetian army. He is upset by this development because he lusts for Desdemona and has previously asked her father for her hand in marriage. Iago is upset with Othello for promoting a younger man named Michael Cassio above him, and tells Roderigo that he (Iago) is simply using Othello for his own advantage. Iago's argument against Cassio is that he is a scholarly tactician and has no real battle experience from which he can draw strategy. By emphasizing this point, and his dissatisfaction with serving under Othello, Iago convinces Roderigo to wake Brabantio and tell him about his daughter's affair. After Roderigo rouses Brabantio, Iago says aside that he has heard rumors that Othello has had an affair with his wife, Emilia. Later, Iago tells Othello that he overheard Roderigo telling Brabantio about the marriage and that he (Iago) was angry because the development was meant to be secret.
News arrives in Venice that the Turks are going to attack Cyprus; therefore Othello is summoned to advise. Brabantio arrives and accuses Othello of seducing Desdemona by witchcraft, but Othello defends himself successfully before an assembly that includes the Duke of Venice, Brabantio's kinsman Lodovico and Gratiano, and various senators, explaining that Desdemona became enamored of him for the stories he told of his early life.
By order of the Duke, Othello leaves Venice to command the Venetian armies against invading Turks on the island of Cyprus, accompanied by his new wife, his new lieutenant Cassio, his ensign Iago, and Emilia as Desdemona's attendant.
The party arrives in Cyprus to find that a storm has destroyed the Turkish fleet. Othello orders a general celebration. Iago schemes to use Cassio to ruin Othello and takes the opportunity of Othello's absence at the celebration to persuade Roderigo to engage the drunken Cassio in a fight. The brawl greatly alarms the citizenry, and Othello is forced to quell the disturbance. Othello then strips Cassio of his rank. After Cassio sobers, Iago persuades him to importune Desdemona to act as an intermediary between himself and Othello, hoping that she will persuade the Moor to reinstate Cassio.
Iago now persuades Othello to be suspicious of Desdemona and Cassio. As it happens, Cassio is courting a woman named Bianca, who is a seamstress and, allegedly, a prostitute. Desdemona drops a handkerchief that was Othello's first gift to her and which he has stated holds great significance to him in the context of their relationship; Emilia obtains this for Iago, who has asked her to steal it, having decided to plant it in Cassio's lodgings as evidence of Cassio and Desdemona's affair. Emilia is unaware of what Iago plans to do with the handkerchief. After he has planted the handkerchief, Iago tells Othello to stand apart and watch Cassio's reactions while Iago questions him about the handkerchief. He goads Cassio on to talk about his affair with Bianca; because Othello cannot hear what they are saying, Othello thinks that Cassio is referring to Desdemona. Bianca, on discovering the handkerchief, chastises Cassio. Enraged and hurt, Othello decides he is going to kill his wife and Iago suggests Othello to let him kill Cassio. Iago convinces Roderigo to kill Cassio because Cassio has just been appointed in Othello's place, whereas if Cassio lives to take office, Othello and Desdemona will leave Cyprus, thwarting Roderigo's plans to win Desdemona. Roderigo attacks Cassio in the street after Cassio leaves Bianca's lodgings and they fight. Both are wounded. Passers-by arrive to help; Iago joins them, pretending to help Cassio. Iago secretly stabs Roderigo to stop him from talking and accuses Bianca of conspiracy to kill Cassio.
In the night, the main character Othello confronts Desdemona, and then kills her by smothering her in bed, before Emilia arrives. At Emilia's distress, Othello tries to explain himself, justifying his actions by accusing Desdemona of adultery. Emilia calls for help. The Governor arrives, with Iago and others, and Emilia begins to explain the situation. When Othello mentions the handkerchief (distinctively embroidered) as proof, Emilia realizes what Iago has done; she exposes him, whereupon Iago kills her. Othello, realizing Desdemona's innocence, attacks Iago but does not kill him, saying that he would rather have Iago live the rest of his life in pain. Lodovico, a Venetian nobleman, apprehends both Iago and Othello, but Othello commits suicide with a dagger before they can take him into custody. At the end, it can be assumed, Iago is taken off to be tortured and possibly executed.
(Lovely!)
Plus an added gem from this cool theatre group called the Reduced Shakespeare Company, who performs all of Shakespeare's works in 90 minutes!
