A Reflection on Unstructured Learning

The story seems to be about a man, a police officer who isn't as ordinary as he seems to be. The words "costumed adventurer", justice, and just the fact that he was trying to come up with a name to probably keep his identity safe made me think this guy is probably a superhero like Spider man. The theme seems to me uncertainty of who he really is and lack of self-confidence when it comes to his purpose in life.

This ties in with the lack of confidence many of us might feel going into not only taking the AP Exam but also going into all these new changes in life, revolving with this new chapter in education we are going to take in our lives, each one different from the other. 

Update on Getting Ready for the AP Exam

I've tried working through the 2004 release questions over the weekend and that worked well for about twenty minutes. But since I've been sick I have been working on getting rest. This upcoming week, hopefully feeling better, I will definitely be getting a move on studying the rest of the literary techniques and the release questions.

My Plan for the AP Exam

Using the resources Dr. Preston gave us is the what I'm using to prepare myself for the AP Exam. I will focus on understanding the literary terms. I will also practice writing the essays and multiple choice with the resources offered.

Macbeth Quiz Answers

Part I

1. A
2. B
3. C
4. A
5. A
6. B
7. B
8. C
9. C
10. A
11. Macbeth, to begin with, is very indecisive of what to do about the king. But once his wife begins to "persuade" him, Macbeth ends up killing the king and becomes a power-hungry murderer.
12. Macbeth is motivated to take the evil path by his ambition to become king and protect his crown. 
13. The prophecies of the witches influence Macbeth's actions. 
14. Banquo is definitely skeptical at first of the prophecy told of his children but then consumes his mind. Macbeth tries to ignore but then it is realized that he is following the prophecies without even knowing.
15. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth seem as equals throughout the beginning of the story. But then she begins to try and "persuade" Macbeth by offenses. Once Macbeth obtains the crown, he is seen as the more powerful  figure between the two.              

Part II

1. B
2. B
3. C
4. A
5. A
6. A
7. A
8. C
9. B
10. B
11. The line explains not everything is what it seems. Macbeth becomes King which leads to his death. 
12.  The difference between good and evil are seen in this play when Macbeth goes from being a hero of honor to a power-hungry tyrant. 
13. Duncan and his party arrive at Macbeth's Castle thinking they are to enjoy themselves but are really heading into their own death. 
14. Lady Macbeth questions Macbeth's manhood and on how he should kill Duncan. She finally persuades him to go through the act. 
15. Madcuff is deeply grieves for the loss of his wife and children. Macbeth on the other hand is too focused on protecting his crown to care or really show emotion about the death of his wife.  

Macbeth Notes

Macbeth: Act 1 Macbeth proves himself a hero at Scot's battle. The king then decides to give Macbeth a promotion. The prophecy: The witches come across Macbeth and tell him that the king has given him a promotion (thane) and that he will later become king. They tell his friend Banquo that he will not amount to much but that his children will. Banquo seems doubtful of the witches. Macbeth ponders about it.  King Duncan=father of Malcom Duncan shares with everyone that his son Malcom will be the heir to the throne. Macbeth wonders about this because the witches said he would be king.  Ominous weather = tragedy or disaster ahead.  Since he heard of the prophecy he yearns to become king....it may be a self-fulfilling prophecy Lady Macbeth is ambitious and wants to have Macbeth seize the thrown my any means necessary.  The king will join Macbeth and his wife for dinner. Lady Macbeth says they should kill the king then.  Macbeth: thinks things over and "chickens out" and decides not to kill Duncan. His wife is angered and disappointed. She convinces Macbeth to kill the king She is somewhat Macbeth's driving force....makes him appear somewhat weak. She is kind of like his "back bone"

 Macbeth: Act 2 Macbeth is feeling paranoid and guilty over killing Duncan....this is unusual. One of the only Shakespeare characters to feel this way. Macbeth finally kills the king but does not fully carry out their plan. He was frightened as he killed the king.  Lady Macbeth is again frustrated with Macbeths' cowardice and finishes off the plan herself (puts the daggers in chamberlains room so it seems like they killed the king). Macduff and Lennox come to visit the king and discover him dead. Macbeth claims he killed the chamberlains because they killed the king.  Malcom feels he is not safe since his father was murdered.  Foreshadowing: weather, animals behaving strangely. Macbeth is now to be crowned king. Malcom is suspect because he has fled. 

 Macbeth: Act 3 Macbeth still feels extremely guilty. His wife as well Macbeth fears Banquo because he knows of the prophecy....he has hired some men to kill him.  The murderers kill Banquo but fail to kill his son Fleance. Fleance is now another threat to Macbeth...he is a potential heir to the throne. The prophecy said that Banquo's children would be king or something of that extent. During a dinner with their court, Banquo's ghost appears to Macbeth and Macbeth  talks to him and makes himself look crazy. Hecta the goddess of mischief and witchcraft tells the witches to keep Macbeth in confusion. Malcom has now sought help from King Edward.

 Macbeth: Act 4 Macbeth goes to see the witches and they tell him that Macduff is a threat. Macbeth sends murderers to kill him and his family. Macduff and Malcom become allies and together want to overthrow Macbeth. Macduff now swears to take revenge on Macbeth since he has murdered his family. 

Macbeth: Act 5 The English and Scottish army will now fight against each other. The English army is led by Malcom. Lady Macbeth kills herself from guilt.  Malcom's army are carrying pieces of tree to disguise the size of the army. Malcom sees this and remembers that this type of wood will mean his death. Macduff shows up with Macbeths head. Malcom is crowned king.

Macbeth Background Notes

• written by Shakespeare
• tone: dark
• first performed at Hampton Court Palace before James 1
• based on real facts
• witchcraft 
• Even though he murdered Duncan, Macbeth is still made king.
• "Macbeth"= "son of life"
• three witches= the three Fates of Greek mythology and the three Norns of Norse mythology
• 1950: decided that Macbeth was written to please King James
• Lady Macbeth= misogynist
• play full of ambiguity, double meanings, and prophecies
• deeper meaning of Macbeth: to show us our own lives and make us think
• Shakespeare used and twisted history to better the play and further please King James 1 
• main historical source used to create Macbeth: Holinshed's Chronicles of Scottish History
• during Dark Ages
• most spectacular elements: witches and ghost of Banquo
• Shakespeare invented to make play more dramatic and intense
• dramatic alterations serve three main purposes: 
• the dramatic purpose of producing a more exciting story than is found in sources
• the thematic purpose of creating a more complex characterization of Macbeth
• the political purpose of catering to the beliefs of the reigning monarch, King James the First

Top Three Video Remixes

1. Jessica Parra http://jpdrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com
2.Rebecca Patterson http://rprhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/
3.Kelli Carillo http://krcrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/