"And that has made all the difference"

Do you notice the significance the title of this post? Yes, the last line of the Frost poem; The Road not taken. But, I am not going to discuss about the poem but the differences between lecture and tutorial.

As you notice, lectures had been controlled by our most significant lecturer, Dr. Edwin Malachi while tutorial is under Miss Kasthoori. The first differences that I have realize is the anxiety. When I enter class for lectures, the anxiety is a little high for me. It is because,it is the introduction to the each lesson that will be held. In other word, the anxiety is there because I am not clear with what the lecturer will teach and its really freak me out. In tutorial, I did feel a little at ease because I have grasped the idea on what the lesson is going to be. So, trough the tutorial, I will be able to understand the lesson better. Tutorial have serve me the reflection that I need in revising the lesson that I have get trough the lectures.

For example, the first play that I have studied this semester is Oedipus Rex. In lectures, my lecturer have discuss about the tragedy, reversal of fortune and many more. But, it is a little hard for me to get to the theme of the text. Later in tutorial, Miss Kasthoori had helped me to get to the theme of the play. How? She had provide us with a worksheet relate to the Oedipus Rex. She had instruct us to works in pair and answer the question with direct quotation from the text. This somehow helps me to identify one of the theme which is human versus fate. Later, all of us express the answer orally so that others can get hold of points.

Think about it

Yesterday, in my tutorial class, Miss Kasthoori had asked us some question related to King Lear.

The first question that she had asked is about the character that I had favour the most in King Lear. Those question had never cross my mind before. Then, when i start to think about which character that I favour the most, one character comes to my mind is EDMUND. Edmund is the illegitimate son of Gloucester and always be refer as UNNATURAL and BASTARD.

He is the antagonist in the story who betray his own father for his own good. Despite of that, I always prefer him as an interesting character. Edmund never refer himself as "good for nothing" although he is the child out of wedlock. I really like his courage to fight for what he wants. He always the shrewd one, that comes with interesting idea to twist the truth. For example, he had made use of his father curiosity to turn Edgar(the natural son), to a villain. He is also manipulative and the fastest one to take advantage of the others. Other than that, he is able to make the two sisters, Regan and Goneril, fight over him and later being murdered commit suicide. He is a brilliant character. In the end of the story, he died because of the wound inflict by Edgar.

The second question that have been asked by Miss Kasthoori is, Do you like Cordelia? My obvious answer is, NO!!!
Some of my friends have develop the fondness towards this character because she have the courage in telling the truth. I don't think so. As for me, Cordelia is being unwise in expressing her feeling towards his father. She somehow state that her feeling towards his father is the obligation and was there because of the ties between her and Lear. I think she should find a better idea to show her appreciation towards his father rather than use such insignificant mark that later ignites Lear's rage.

The List

~King Lear~

The first thing that comes to my mind is; the language. The most difficult use of language that I need to comprehend. When I first being force to read this text, it absorb all my spirit away. Why??? Because i can't understand half of the text.
Then, in order to make sense of the story, I try to find the summary of the story in the internet. It does help. But, the best thing is, my lecturer had explain further (and precise) about it in the class. He had been really patient with us since this is our first encounter with Shakepears' text. Thanks a lot. The first task that he had instruct us to do is: make a list of the characters who get killed in the play. It took me hours to figure it out then come out with this list.

Characters who get killed in King Lear.
1)Cornwall
2)Gloucester
3)Oswald
4)Regan
5)Goneril
6)Cordelia
7)Edmund
8)Lear

p/s: That's all I can find in the text. Is there any character that I've missed?

Time Travel

Back in school, I have a favourite teacher, my English teacher. Why? Because only in English period, all of us can breathe easily. Back there, English was my tension-free zone but not lately.

Enough with that memories, now i want to focus on how my teacher, back in school, had teach me. When I first introduced to the micro teaching, I was puzzle because none of my teachers have literally follow the stages in teaching.

For instant, when I was learning The Pearl, there was no such thing or activities that can be related to set induction stages. When the teacher walks into the class, all that he do is "Class, take out your text book and read the summary of the story." We have focused on the part which is important and turn out in the exam.

Comparing those memories with what I've learn here, here is much better. With the stages in learning, you can organize your teaching accordingly, attract student's attention and also increase student's comprehension. But, I am not putting the blame on the teachers. Maybe those lack of skills in teaching caused by the time constrains since our education system is exam-oriented. Other than that, it also cause by the school atmosphere and also lack of facilities.

Read versus Watch

Oedipus Rex is the first play that I have read. This play is really an interesting play to read so that i can't stop reading until I finish it. In this play, I really experiencing the feeling of fear and pity towards the main character, King Oedipus. The element of Moira(fate) that had been cast upon him since the day he was born really make me pity him. His ignorant, as a seer human, leads him to his downfall. Although he is a great king towards the Thebans, he was fated to lead a dark, lonely day at the end of his life.




While watching the movie on Oedipus Rex, i found it quite similar to the story. Throughout the story, chorus had played the important role in telling the audience about the current situation. in the movie, the chorus is represent by a group of man wearing black robe, wanders around and telling the people about what had happened. It is completely different from what I have imagine while I am reading the text. In my own opinion, the colour of the robe is one of the way to emphasize the dark fate that Oedipus will later experience.

The movie watching session somehow helps me to understand the play especially about the plague.

GET READY

For past two weeks, I have evaluated my fellow course mates on their simulated teaching. it is fun to watch them teach and struggle to prepare the best material for each stages in teaching. Some of them were really creative in preparing their lesson.

For example, Hafiza had come up with a very interesting lesson that surely will capture her student's attention. For the set induction stage, she provide the students with the pictures of beautiful barbie dolls and map. She instructs the students to match the picture with the place that suit them and later explains about the characters. Her lessons is well connected later congratulate by Miss Kastoori.

The nervousness really get to me when i started to realize that my turn to take over the class for 15 minutes will actually come. I've tried to list out the important aspects that I have to overcome which is my fluency and voice projection. In my previous simulated teaching, I hardly can control my class so I will try to make it better on 2nd of April.

Soliloquies

Tragedy is a form of art based on human suffering that offers its audience pleasure. HAMLET is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare and it is most powerful and influential tragedies in the English language.

On 3rd March, my course mates and I have watched HAMLET. From the movie, i tried to identified the famous soliloquies by all the actors. The first one "to be or not to be" really captured my attention. Mel Gibson, as the main actor in Hamlet, plays the role of young Hamlet (prince of Denmark). he also explain that he does not like his mother to marry the next king of Denmark so quickly after his father's death.

Other than this character, King Claudius also takes part in the soliloquy. he reveals his own knowledge of the crime he committed and realizes he cannot escape divine justice.

Different interpretation

"Elizabeth The Golden Age" is the interpretation of the movie that my classmate and i have watched. My first impression when i heard about the title is "this movie going to drive me to a long, deep, sleep". But, surprisingly, I LOVE this story.


This story is about the unmarried Queen Elizabeth and her obstacles in becoming a great Queen of England. Let me provide you with some summary of this movie. Because of her status as unmarried and childless, some people start to say start she is not suitable for the thrown and want her cousin Mary Stuart to become the Queen. So, a function is held in order to find her a suitable husband and a produce a child.

There, she had encountered with a pirate named Raleigh who later betrayed her with her the other Elizabeth@Bess.Queen Elizabeth endures multiple crises late in her reign including court intrigues, an assassination plot, the Spanish Armada, and romantic disappointments.


From my observation, the setting for this movie is like the prop in theater. For example, Elizabeth castle's is like a stage that have been prepared for performances. My favourite qoute for the movie is "I am who I am" which explain she had discovered who she is and saying that "I am your Queen".

Blind prophet

Do you know about a blind prophet named Teiresias? Well, i have come across this character when i read Oedipus King. In that story, Teiresias serves as an antagonist who go against king Oedipus. Oedipus has seeks him in order to find the murderer of the deceased king. However, Teiresias didn't want to reveal the truth because the real murderer is the king himself. Oedipus later provokes Teiresias to speak and then he spat out the truth about the incident.

Lets leave the story behind and focus on Teiresias himself. Why is he blind? Is he being born with the blindness or it is caused by someone. Actually, Teiresias ACCIDENTLY came across Athena while she was bathing, so she blinded him. At his mother pleading, Athena gave Teiresias the gift of prophecy as a compensation. Then, he started to gives the important prophecy and that made him the famous prophet of Thebes.