Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Historical Play Project: Day 3; Hamilton: Act 1

1st Period Lab:

Video Advice:
Use your time in the lab to work on your historical play script projects. Before the end of period 1, please read the following reviews for Hamilton: The Musical.

Review: All About the Hamiltons (New Yorker)
Review: "Why the show isn't as revolutionary as it seems"
Image result for hamilton

2nd Period: Hamilton, an American Musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda


As we read/listen to Hamilton, look for some of these Greek Tragedy elements in the libretto:
  • A story based on history or historical legends
  • Hubris (a tragic flaw or Hamartia of a character who feels he/she is too great, powerful, or perfect to make a mistake...this is usually taking the gods or fate for granted, or ignoring the natural reality of life, etc.)
  • A good (or powerful) character comes to a bad end (usually as a result of the character's hubris or hamartia)
  • peripety (turning point or change of fortune)
  • An anagnorisis (a discovery) (enlightenment)
  • A chorus representing the populus (the people)
  • Aristotle's 6 elements of a play: Character, Plot, Idea, Language, Music, Spectacle
  • Stasimon (choral singing together)
  • Stichomythia (alternating short lines of dialogue between 2 or more characters)
  • Parados/exodus (the entrance of the chorus (parados) and the exit of the chorus (exodus))
  • Deus Ex Machina (a contrived ending)
Find at least 1 example of each of the Greek Tragedy elements as we read/listen to Acts 1 & 2 of the play. You will turn in your notes at the end of the reading.

HOMEWORK: None. Bring your scripts back with you to our next class.

No comments:

The Murky Middle (Even More Advice)

Aristotle wrote that stories should have a beginning, middle, and end. Middles can be difficult. You might have a smashing opening to a stor...