"The Emperor's Club" Director Michael Hoffman

2002 - Based on Ethan Canin's The Palace Thief

Setting:

  • Private School - "St. Benedict's School for Boys"
  • 1972 - Northeastern USA

Main Characters:

  • Mr. Hundert: teacher, assistant headmaster
  • Louis Masoudi: student
  • Deepak Mehta: student
  • Martin Blythe: student
  • Sedgewick Bell: student and son of Seantor Bell
  • Senator Bell: father of Sedgewick Bell, West Virginia Senator
  • Mr. Woodbridge: Principal/Headmaster
  • James Ellerby: teaching colleague
  • Elizabeth: teaching colleague

Plot:"The Emperor's Club" is a movie starring Kevin Kline who portrays Mr. Hundert, a Western Civilization teacher at a private school for boys. He educates his students in the classical studies of Greek and Roman scholars, but he also believes that it is his ultimate responsibility as an educator to mold the characters of his students. Consequently, he asks his students, "How will history remember you?" and teaches his students that "Great ambition and conquest without contribution is without significance." Mr. Hundert encourages his students to walk with the great men who have walked before them.

However, the son of a powerful politician, Sedgewick Bell, pointedly runs against the current of Hundert's example, questioning the importance of the material, flouting the school's rules, talking out of turn in class, and devoting as much time to his interest in girls as in his studies. However, Hundert notes the possibility of greatness in Bell, and encourages him to take part in the annual academic competition for the title of "Mr. Julius Caesar." Thus begins a study of these boys as to their virtues and weaknesses -- Mr. Hundert's as well.

Mrs. Tweed's Students' Job:

  • take notes on the major characters
  • keep track of their virtues and weaknesses
  • answer questions when film is over
  • interpret quotations
  • how does film relate to Shakespeare's "JC"?
  • who is Cassius in this film?
  • who is JC in this film?
  • who is Brutus in this film?
  • who is Antony in this film?
  • who was Shutruk Nuhante of 1158 BC?

Name______Per.___ Mrs. Tweed's Pre-AP English 10

"The Emperor's Club" - Character Analysis

Main Characters:

  • Mr. Hundert: teacher, assistant headmaster

StrengthsWeaknesses

  • Louis Masoudi: student

StrengthsWeaknesses

  • Deepak Mehta: student

StrengthsWeaknesses

  • Martin Blythe: student

StrengthsWeaknesses

  • Sedgewick Bell: student and son of Senator Bell

StrengthsWeaknesses

  • Senator Bell: father of Sedgewick Bell, West Virginia Senator

StrengthsWeaknesses

  • Mr. Woodbridge: Principal/Headmaster

StrengthsWeaknesses

  • James Ellerby: teaching colleague

StrengthsWeaknesses

Design a Poster– Guidelines – Due 3/27/2013 – Wed. before Spring Break

  • computer-generated or hand-drawn
  • standard-size 8 1/2 by 11 " OR legal size too
  • colorful, original, fun, entertaining, memorable, visual, multi-sensory, aesthetically pleasing, quirky
  • printed in color
  • Choose one Commonly Used Technique for Analyzing Advertisements pg. 52 (identify on back poster)
  • Images off Google are fine
  • Choose one theme: 1. A man's character is his fate; 2. The die is cast; he crosses the Rubicon; 3. Great ambition and conquest are nothing without contribution; 4. The end depends upon the beginning. 5. It is not living that is important but living well; 6. How will history remember you? 7. Is it a teacher's job to teach or to mold/form?
  • Title of film - 2002 - Directed by Michael Hoffman
  • Two figures of speech employed in your ad – identify on the back of your poster
  • Pictures/objects that support your theme.

RUBRIC for Poster

  • Category - Poster only
/ Exceptional / Fine Work / Proficient / Developing / Inadequate
Notes on strengths/weaknesses / 15 / 13 / 11 / 9 / 1
Poster creative / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Printed/drawn in color / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Title, director, etc. / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
AP Ad Technique clear (place on back of poster) / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Pictures, objects / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Pictures, objects support theme / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Theme clear on poster / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Two figures of speech on poster + Identify types on back poster / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Spelling/Punctuation / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Neatness / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
MLA Heading on left on back of poster / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1

______/ Score out of 70 Points. Teacher's Comments: