Sunday, September 30, 2012

Hamlet "Pre-Will" questions

a) What do you know about Hamlet, the "Melancholy Dane"?
From spoofs, parodies, references etc. all i have really gleaned about Hamlet (which is probably inaccurate) is that Hamlet is a prince on a quest for vengeance, ultimately dying from what I've heard by the conclusion of the story.

b) What do you know about Shakespeare?
A pillar of English writing, not just limited to poetry, Shakespeare is one of the (if not the most) single most influential writers of the English language, founding iambic pentameter, mastering and expanding the foundations of our language as a whole, i appreciate Shakespeare's impact but I'm not the biggest "fan" per say.

 c) Why do so many students involuntarily frown when they hear the name "Shakespeare"?
Dated language combined with a complex structure, rife with antiquated colloquialisms that prevent simple read once and know everything comprehension, its not surprising why students (including myself to a certain extent) involuntarily cringe at when encountering anything Shakespearean.

 d) What can we do to make studying this play an amazing experience we'll never forget?
Active involvement, activities and reading to which we students participate is probably the greatest tool to correct answer C. As well as in-depth cooperative analysis while in class to fully comprehend the play would be welcomed of course :).

Monday, September 24, 2012

Vocabulary list 7



List 7

Aberration: an optical phenomenon resulting from the failure of a lens or mirror to produce a good image; a disorder in one's mental state; a state or condition markedly different from the norm; The mutant was a biological aberration.

Ad hoc: for the special purpose or end presently under consideration; The psp function of Wi-Fi was ad-hoc for multiplayer connections.

Bane: something causes misery or death; Busy work is not just the bĂȘte noire of my existence, but the bane.

Bathos: triteness or triviality of style; a change from a serious subject to a disappointing one; insincere pathos; Bathetic stereotypes/stable characters are common in “Urban Fantasy” novels.

Cantankerous: having a difficult and contrary disposition; stubbornly obstructive and unwilling to cooperate; The old spy was cantankerous on his last mission.

Casuistry: moral philosophy based on the application of general ethical principles to resolve moral dilemmas; argumentation that is specious or excessively subtle and intended to be misleading; Fickle casuistry is prominent in schools of thought.

De facto: in fact; in reality; Detroit used to be the defacto heart of US industrial endeavors.

Depredation: an act of plundering and pillaging and marauding; (usually plural) a destructive action; The bandits acts of depredation knew no bounds.

Empathy: understanding and entering into another's feelings; Empathy is crucial to human relationships.

Harbinger: an indication of the approach of something or someone; verb foreshadow or presage; Grey clouds are the harbinger of a storm.

Hedonism: an ethical system that evaluates the pursuit of pleasure as the highest good; the pursuit of pleasure as a matter of ethical principle; Many were persecuted for their deemed “hedonistic” ways.

Lackluster: lacking luster or shine; lacking brilliance or vitality; The fireworks display was lackluster to say the least.

Malcontent: discontented as toward authority; noun a person who is discontented or disgusted; With a low brow, frowning lips, the man’s malcontent was evident.

Mellifluous: pleasing to the ear; sweetly or smoothly flowing; sweet-sounding; Her perfume was mellifluous.

Nepotism: favoritism shown to relatives or close friends by those in power (as by giving them jobs); Nepotism is common in economically unsound regions of the world.

Pander: give satisfaction to; The politician pandered to the people with false promises.

Peccadillo: petty misdeed; Stealing is no little peccadillo.

Piece de resistance: the most noteworthy or prized feature, aspect, event, article, etc., of a series or group; special item or attraction; Snow is the piece de resistance for any Christmas.

Remand: the act of sending an accused person back into custody to await trial (or the continuation of the trial); verb refer (a matter or legal case) to another committee or authority or court for decision; lock up or confine, in or as in a jail; The court remanded the civilian.

Syndrome: a complex of concurrent things; a pattern of symptoms indicative of some disease; PTSD syndrome is prevalent in war veterans.