TO INFINITY And ...

Let's reach beyond ourselves for a moment.  Let's imagine we could truly be anything we wanted and not just because our parents tell us we can or because we have an over-active ambition like Caesar.  Give your mind a break from midterms and turn on your imagination.  What would it be like if you were a superhero?  And I don't mean Wonder Woman (I already own that title), or Teacher of the Universe (mine as well).  I mean a new and improved superhero - one never before seen or heard.

Think about the classic superhero scenario: a hidden identity, a super power, a chance to save the world. We are all familiar with Batman, Spiderman, Superman, the Hulk, the Flash, Wolverine ... wait a minute! Where are all the female heroes? Ladies, we have histrorically been virtually shut out of this profession! This is your time to shine!  This is everyone's opportunity to create a new kind of superhero for a new day and age.

Unveil a secret identity and unique super-human power. The catch: your super-human power must be an original, never-before-used-by-any-other-superhero power.  Be as creative as you want with it.   What is your power? How do you use it? When do you use it? Why do you use it? *Be sure to comment on another classmate's superhero status.*

May the force be with you ...

IN HIS SHOES . . .

Gene is in a predicament.  He feels guilty, ashamed and as Brutus, indecisive about how to proceed with his friendship with Finny.  If you were in his place, what would you do?  How would you deal with the tree incident?  How would you feel about the war?  Take apart his internal and external conflicts so far and become Gene.

Parallel Lines

Great minds think alike and Shakespeare and John Knowles seem to share the same brain.  The issues of friendship, loyalty and betrayal are common themes throughout literature and extend all the way back to Caesar's rule.  Whether ancient Rome or the Devon campus, characters in both works are experiencing internal and external conflicts affecting their relationships with others.

Draw parallels between both works.  Think about the situations, conflicts, behaviors and relationships when making your connections.  There is a method to my madness and the thematic unit of Loyalty and Betrayal combines both The Tragedy of Julius Caesar and A Separate Peace under the same literary roof for a reason.  Explore how they relate to one another and on what levels.

"Nothing so fortifies a friendship as a belief on the part of one friend that he is superior to the other."

Honore de Balzac

VENI, VIDI, VICI

Translated as, "I came, I saw, I conquered," this famous quote from Julius Caesar has been referenced and adopted by many, including the best rapper around: Jay-Z ("... with record sales and sold out concerts" - "Encore," The Black Album).  

Using Alexander the Great as his inspiration and motivation, Caesar rose up through the ranks and became a popular, feared and powerful leader all at once.  Although criticized for his ambition, it was that very ambition that propelled him into his political position.  The question becomes: what is the value behind being ambitious?  Support your response with your view of the role ambition played in Caesar's rise to power, as well as using a modern day example to support your argument of whether or not ambition helps or hurts.

 

"A man without ambition is dead. A man with ambition but no love is dead. A man with ambition and love for his blessings here on earth is ever so alive. Having been alive, it won't be so hard in the end to lie down and rest." - Pearl Bailey