Much Ado About thing Final Writing Assignment Who said it? Persuasive paper Purpose: When Shakespeare s plays were published, occasionally lines were printed without reference to who spoke it. Scholars today often try to make educated conclusions about Shakespeare s original intention with these dangling lines. Editors have to assign the lines to a particular speaker in order for the play to make sense. Changing the speaker often changes the meaning of the line and can even change themes in the play. Some lines in Shakespeare have a different speaker depending on the publisher of the text. Much Ado About thing is one of those plays that have several unknown lines. The speaker of the line in act 5 sc 4 Peace, I will stop your mouth is unknown. The purpose of this assignment is to help students to critically analyze text, form an educated opinion, and write a persuasive paper defending their position. This is high level writing assignment which needs proper scaffolding in order for the students to be successful. This assignment should be used with upper level students who already have experience in persuasive writing. Step one: Have students thoroughly read the entire play Much Ado About thing. The teacher might also want to reinforce the text (because it can be difficult to understand) with the film Much Ado About thing by Kenneth Branaugh. Day 1 Step two: Re read the final scene of the play in Act 5 Scene 4. Draw attention to the line peace, I will stop your mouth. Explain that when Shakespeare s plays were published for the first time, they often had several errors. Sometimes lines were published without a speaker. (An in depth discussion about the misprinting of lines can be found in the Bedford Companion to Shakespeare.) Explain that this line was originally published without a speaker. Explain that since the first publication, many scholars have studied and argued about the original speaker Shakespeare intended. Most often the lines are given to Benedick (as in the movie) but it is very likely that the lines could have been spoken by Beatrice or any other member of the cast. Give each student a worksheet like the one included below. Step Three
Discuss with students the various possibilities of who could have said the line. Help students begin to think about what changes in the text and meaning of the overall play if the lines are assigned to different characters. Have them make notes about the class discussion on the worksheet provided. An example of the discussion could be: If Leonato says the line how does that change the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick? Will they always need a father figure to help them solve their problems in their relationship? If one of the central themes is relationships, how does the theme change if Benedick and Beatrice always need a third party to resolve their conflicts? Is it still a happy ending? After the class has come up with several ideas for each character, divide the students up into small groups and have them discuss who they think is the original speaker. Day 2: Step Four: After the students have formed a personal opinion about who said the lines, they need to find evidence within the text to help defend their opinion. Model for the students the idea of finding support. An example would be: Beatrice said the line because earlier in the play she tells Hero to stop the mouth of Claudio with a kiss. Have students review key passages from the text to look for evidence to support their opinion. Depending on the class, this part of the assignment could be assigned as homework. If the teacher feels that the students are struggling to come up with valid support, divide the students up into groups according to the position they are defending and have them find supporting details together. Each student needs at least two to other passages that support the position they are defending. Step Five: Review the heuristics of a persuasive paper. This will vary depending on the class previous experience with persuasive writing. Assign students to write a Who said it? persuasive paper. Have students defend their personal conclusion of who Shakespeare intended to say the line and how it affects the overall meaning of the play. Explain to students that their audience is all the future generations that will read the play. They will be writing as if their paper would be included at the end of the play defending why the editor (which would be the student) decided to assign the lines to that particular character. The paper should be two pages double spaced and should include all the elements of good writing such as a strong introduction, supporting ideas, a variety of sentence structures, and good word choice. Give each student a copy of the rubric included so they clearly understand the expectations of the writing assignment. Days 3 8 Step Six: Drafting. Drafting could take 3 to five days, depending on the class. The teacher can decide if the drafting portion of the assignment should be done during class, or as a homework assignment. After an initial draft has been completed, students will engage in peer editing. Peer editing can be instigated according to normal classroom procedures. Included below is a six trait peer revision guide that aids students in effective peer revision. Day 9 or 10
Step Seven: Students will turn in a complete portfolio which will include their first draft with peer revisions, the final draft, but also a reflection on the assignment and what they liked or didn t like about it. The teacher can also have the students present their ideas to the class in creative and fun ways. Students can have a class debate where two students with differing positions read their papers in front of the class and then have time for a rebuttal to defend their argument. Have the class take a vote on who is the real speaker of the lines.
Name Who Said It? Peace, I will stop thy mouth? In each column on the left write how the meaning of the text changes depending on the speaker of the line. Be specific and creative in your analysis. Characters: Leonato What changes? Ex: If Leonato says the line then Beatrice and Benedick will always need a father figure to help them solve their problems in their relationship. They can t do it alone. Hero Claudio Beatrice Benedick Prince Minister Don John
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Who Said it? Persuasive Paper You are the editor of a new edition of the play Much Ado About thing. You must defend your reasoning for the character you have assigned to speak the lines Peace, I will stop your mouth. Write a two page persuasive paper defending your position, explaining to the future generations who will read your edition why you made the assignment. Explain why it is crucial that your character is the assigned speaker and what influence that has on the overall meaning and themes of the play. The paper should be two pages double spaced and should include all the elements of good writing such as a strong introduction, supporting ideas, a variety of sentence structures, and good word choice. (See rubric for further details) Rough Draft Due Date:_ Final Draft Due Date:
Who Said it? Persuasive Paper Rubric Voice (10) able to properly portray a persuasive argument as an editor/publisher Ideas (15) original and interesting ideas appropriate to topic clear and focused position includes relevant details from the text to defend the position (at least two passages) forms a clear and thoughtful conclusion based on evidence Organization (15) unique introduction that introduces position ideas are well organized and presented clearly Sentence Fluency (10) sentences vary in length and structure sentences form a continuous and fluid sense of natural voice transitions are logical and smooth Word Choice (5) use of vocabulary relevant to persuasive writing Conventions (5) use spelling and punctuation appropriately 2 pages in length Portfolio in Process (20) paper is turned in on time final assignment includes rough draft, peer revision, and reflection Total
SIX TRAIT PEER SCORING SHEET Directions: Read this piece out loud. After you have read the piece, HONESTLY evaluate it using the six traits. Mark YES if you agree with the statement; mark NO if you disagree. Then on the rough draft, underline those things which you felt were particularly good about the piece. If you marked NO on any item, list ideas that would help to strengthen this area. Ideas and Content The piece has a clear purpose and makes a point. The writer uses clear, relevant details and examples to help the reader understand the message. The author sticks to the main idea. He/she leaves out details that do not matter. It is obvious that the writer has thought about his/her topic carefully and feels as if he/she knows what he/she is talking about. Organization The beginning of the piece is effective; it makes the reader want to keep reading. The author has told things in an order that makes sense and makes it easy to follow what is being said. The details in the piece go together or lead up to some bigger idea, main point, or conclusion. The piece ends well; it does not just stop suddenly, but it does not drag on too long either. Voice The writer has written in a way that shows how he/she really thinks and feels about this topic. The writer has put something of him/herself into the piece and it sounds like him/her not like someone else.
It is obvious that the writer has given some thought to what the reader will think and feel when reading this. Word Choice The writer did not use words or phrases which have been heard many times before; instead he/she has tried to find new ways to say things. The writing sounds natural. It is obvious that the writer has tried to have fun with language. Sentence Fluency The sentences make sense; the meaning of each one is clear, and there are not words left out. The sentences have variety; some are longer than others, and they do not all begin the same way. When the piece is read orally, it is smooth and easy to read. Conventions The piece has been proofread; errors in spelling, punctuation and/or grammar have been corrected. The paragraphs begin in the right spots. The piece is EASY to read because correct spelling, grammar, capitalization, punctuation and paragraphing have been done.