Extra Credit for Second Semester
English 4H Mrs. Tan
Here is an opportunity to earn extra credit for second semester. It is optional but must be completed thoroughly for credit to be given. Partial credit is not given for partial work. Partial credit can be given for less than optimal work. It is wise to take advantage of extra credit now, as it will be the only chance this semester.
Choose from one of the choices below. You can only choose ONE extra credit assignment. Each choice is worth 15 points.
Choice 1: School Musical Review DUE: Monday, March 30, 2015
Watch the school spring musical, Oliver!. Write a 1 ½ to 2 page review on the play, beginning with a BRIEF summary and then noting things such as the portrayal of characters, the costumes, the set design, musical numbers, and any other aspects worth discussing. Typed and double-spaced.
Include your ticket stub with the DRAMA PERFORMANCE stamp at the END of the play. Staple your ticket stub to your review.
Choice 2: Macbeth DUE: Friday, April 24, 2015
Read Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth. Then, choose one of the essay prompts below and write a 4-5 paragraph essay addressing the prompt.
a. What causes Macbeth’s tragic end: Fate or Free Will? Write an argument essay takes a clear position and gives convincing reasons and evidence from the play.
b. Defend of challenge the idea that “vaulting ambition” can lead to one’s downfall. Whether you defend or challenge the claim, use Macbeth as one of your examples. Then, use two other examples from history, other literature, or contemporary society to support your claim.
Choice 3: Pygmalion DUE: Friday, April 24, 2015
Read the play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw. Then, write an essay in response to the topic of appearances and reality.
Writing Situation:
Pygmalion examines this theme primarily through the character of Liza, and the issue of personal identity (as perceived by oneself or by others). Social roles in the Victorian era were viewed as natural and largely fixed: there was perceived to be something inherently, fundamentally unique about a noble versus an unskilled laborer and vice versa. Liza's ability to fool society about her "real" identity raises questions about
appearances. The importance of appearance and reality to the theme of Pygmalion is suggested by Liza's famous observation: "You see, really and truly, apart from the things anyone can pick up (the dressing and the proper way of speaking, and so on), the difference between a lady and a flower girl is not how she behaves, but how she's treated."
Writing Directions:
Write an essay that discusses and explains Liza’s quote above in relationship to the theme of appearances and reality in Pygmalion. How do appearances influence people? How does one’s own perception of oneself affect how s/he sees him/herself? Also, how do the perceptions of others affect how one sees him/herself?