New Book

Please find another independent reading book.  It must be by an author listed on the handout I provided at the beginning of the year.

King Lear Progress

We have finished reading Act I of King Lear.  A good etext of the play can be found here. 

Reminder

Reminder: you must be finished reading your independent reading book by tomorrow!

Resources about Negative Capability and Abstraction

Here is the important part of John Keats's letter of 21 December 1817.

Also, here is an article about understanding abstract art.  The ideas here don't just apply to visual arts. 

Waiting for Godot Discussion Questions

We have finished reading the play; here are some questions to answer:

1. What do Vladimir and Estragon represent/symbolize?  Are they interchangeable, or are there important differences?
2. What does Pozzo represent/symbolize?  (the pipe, the chicken, the bones, the vaporizer, his eventual blindness)
3. What does Lucky represent/symbolize?  (the rope/leash, the picnic basket, the stool?)
4. What does Godot represent/symbolize?  What are they waiting for?  Why do they continue to wait?
5. Why do the boys appear?  What function do they serve?  (think about the things they say)
6. What does the tree represent/symbolize?  What about the few leaves that appear in the second act?
7. What do the hats represent/symbolize?
8. What do the boots represent/symbolize?
9. How is the play a “tragicomedy?”
10. What does the play mean?  What is Beckett trying to say?
11. Do you think this play would make more sense with subsequent readings?  What about a live viewing?
12. Did you like it?  Did you hate it?  Why?  Think about your answer.
13. Did you find it interesting?
14. Like it or not, what did you gain from reading it?
15. Imagine you had to write an essay about this play in which you had to address the theme.  What would you write?