Character Autopsy – Much Ado About Nothing

Task: Your group is to dissect a major character from the playl. The group will then present its autopsy to the class.

Process: You must answer the questions and then find quotations or passages to illustrate the following body parts in the autopsy of the character.

  • HEAD—Intellectual side: What are the character’s dreams? Visions? Philosophies?
  • HEART—Emotional side: What does he love? Whom? How?
  • TORSO—Instinctive side: What doesn’t he like about himself? What does he hide? What brings him pain? What does he fear?
  • LEGS—Playful side: What does he do for fun? What are his hobbies?
  • FEET—Mobile side: Where has he been (literally and figuratively)? How has he been affected?
  • WINGS—Future: Where is he going?
  • ARMS—Working side: What is his relationship to work in general? To specific work?
  • HANDS—Practical side: What conflicts does he deal with? How?
  • EARS—Hearing: What does he notice and remember others saying to him? How is he affected?
  • NOSE—Sensitive side: What smells affect him? How?
  • MOUTH—Communication: What philosophy does he share/espouse? What arguments/debates? What song would symbolize his philosophy of life?
  • EYES—Seeing: What memorable sights affect him? How?

You will write these strategically on the outline of the body. You do not need to answer all of the questions. Answer at least one of the questions for each body part.

Grade: Your grade will be assess as follows:

  • 90 – Autopsies that earn a 90 are neat and informative. The quotations used are relevant and insightful. The symbols are creative and meaningful. The explanations of the various body parts and quotations demonstrate a deeper understanding of the character and his/her role in the novel. The group presentation is informative and demonstrates prior planning.
  • 80 – Autopsies that earn an 80 are fairly neat and informative. The quotations used are, for the most part, relevant and insightful; however, one or two seem to be stretches. The symbols are fairly creative and meaningful. For the most part, the explanations of the various body parts and quotations demonstrate a fairly deep understanding of the character and his/her role in the novel, though some explanations seem to be somewhat superficial. The group presentation is informative and demonstrates prior planning.
  • 75 – Autopsies that earn a 75 are somewhat neat and informative. The quotations used tend to be irrelevant. The symbols often lack creativity and meaning. For the most part, the explanations of the various body parts and quotations demonstrate only a superficial understanding of the character and his/her role in the novel. The group presentation is not very informative and doesn’t demonstrate much prior planning.
  • 70 – Autopsies that earn a 70 are not very neat or informative. The majority of the quotations are irrelevant. The symbols lack creativity and meaning. The explanations of the various body parts and quotations are extremely superficial and sometimes don’t make sense. The group presentation is fairly unorganized and not very informative.
  • 50 – Autopsies that earn a 50 are incomplete or make very little sense. It is evident that little or no thought went into this project. The symbols have no meaning and the quotations are irrelevant.

***As you can see, a 90 is the highest grade listed. In order to get the remaining points, your project must go above and beyond. When I see it and hear your group present, I should say “WOW! That’s awesome!” ***