Shakespeare Paraphrase – Julius Caesar Acts 2&3 Due Mon 11/15

WHISL – Bell p.1/6

Goals for this Activity:

·  Learn how to paraphrase (and the difference between paraphrasing and summarizing); recognize that putting difficult language into your own words helps you better understand it.

·  Practice reading/interpreting difficult texts through group work, script writing, and staging of the play.

·  Explore and appreciate Shakespeare’s language, tragedy, and dramatic nuances.

Final Product:

As a group, you will be reading a designated scene. You will need to paraphrase the scene and develop a script – the new script will be annotated with stage directions for puppets or acting. You will be individually graded on the quality of the new script and graded as a group on the performance (4 pts). See rubric on the back.

Groups: Acting out from Tues 11/16 – Mon 11/22

Group 1 - Tues / Act 1, sc 3
(169 lines÷4) / Nick, Buck, JR, Allie D.
Group 2 - Tues / Act 2, sc 1, lines 1-247
(247 lines÷7) / Hannah, Sydney, Ellen, Luke, Aleck G, Emily, Katie H.
Group 3 - Wed / Act 2, sc 1, lines 248-363
(115 lines÷3) / Callie, Tom, Jake M
Group 4 - Wed / Act 2, sc 2 & 3
(153 line÷5) / Alec S., Michael, Sam H, Sam K, Stephen
Group 5 - Wed / Act 2, sc 4
(53 lines÷2) / Sawyer, Courtney
Group 6 - Thur / Act 3, sc1, lines 1-136
(136 lines÷5) / Lance, Christi, Ben, Eric, Jacob L
Group 7 - Thur / Act 3, sc 1, lines 137-324
(187 lines÷4) / Haley, Wilbur, Kai, John
Group 8 - Thur / Act 3, sc2, lines 1-180
(180 lines÷6) / Katie R, Lucas, Danni, Tyler, Kate, Alli L
Group 9 - Mon / Act 3, sc 2 lines 181-287 and sc 3
(146 lines÷5) / Murphy, Mary, Natalie, Max, Jamey

·  Instructions for the activity:

·  After you get into your groups, read through the entire assigned section aloud and make sure everyone understands what is happening (answer questions along the way). You may want to read the summaries of previous Acts or Scenes if your section falls later on in the story.

·  Next, divide the lines equally among your group members (for the math challenged: take the total number of lines I assigned to your group and divide it by the number of members in your group). For example, one person will take lines 1-42, the next person will take lines 43-85…You are not dividing it up by character. You will be paraphrasing these lines in class; make sure your handwriting is clear and readable. You may ask your group or a teacher to help you if you get stuck.

·  Paraphrasing means restating a text in your own words. You will be simplifying and modernizing the language. You may shorten it some, but try to keep it close to the same length and just reword it, so it makes more sense to us.

·  Example of paraphrasing (Original text)

o  Friar: The roses in thy lips and cheeks shall fade to wanny ashes, thy eyes’ windows fall like death when he shuts up the day of life.

o  (Paraphrased text) Friar: Your rosey complexion will become pale, and your eyelids will close - you will appear dead.

·  Read one or two sentences at a time then translate them into your own words. If you don’t understand what is being said, ask your group, use the dictionary, read the side notes/commentary, then make the best guess you can.

·  Your script is due on Mon; I will make copies for your group so you can practice together. You may choose to act out the scene (in this case, you will need to have costumes, props, name tags), or you can develop puppets to play the characters (lunch bags, old socks, popsicle sticks with cutouts glued to them).

·  On Tuesday, you will have time to read through the new script as a group to make sure it flows and is translated to the best of your ability. Then assign characters to your group members – everyone must participate (some groups will have more characters than members, so some will have to take two parts).

o  You may also need to add or clarify stage directions, movement, actions, entrances and exits, props tone of voice/expression. Write these things in the far right hand column.

Example of a paraphrased script:

Your Name: Billy Bob Act#_3_Scene #_3_ Lines ___1__ through ___23_

Characters / Paraphrase / Stage Directions
Friar
Juliet
Friar / Your rosey complexion will fade.
I don’t care! Romeo means more to me than my own life.
Alright, I’ll give you the potion to make you appear to be dead. / Touch Juliet’s face as this is said.
Pulls out a small bottle.

Rubric for the Paraphrase and Acting

Advanced Proficient Partially Proficient Unsatisfactory

Paraphrase is clear, readable, understandable, accurate, flows well and is stylish – used time wisely in class. / Paraphrase is clear, understandable and accurate / Paraphrase is a little confusing, somewhat inaccurate, hard to read – did not always use time wisely in class. / Paraphrase is confusing, unclear, and inaccurate – did not use time wisely in class.
Participated in the acting:
Great costumes/props, strong/clear voice, great expression in voice and face and movement. / Participated in the acting: had costumes/props, clear voice (may stumble some), some expression in voice or face / Participated in the acting: no costumes or doesn’t make sense, pauses and stumbles in reading, little expression in face/voice / Does not participate in acting or doesn’t put any effort into this.
*If you are absent, you will not be graded in this section.
Was an attentive audience member that did not talk to others during a performance, was appropriate to the actors, and took notes. / Was sometimes distracted as an audience member (talking/not paying complete attention), was not always taking notes / Was not a good audience member because of distractions, talking, not being appropriate to actors, not taking notes.