"When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
[It] must give us pause."
~ William Shakespeare,
Hamlet Act III, Scene i
Shakespeare's most famous melancholic-protagonist, Hamlet, once mused that "ay, there’s the rub; / For in that sleep of death what dreams may come / When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, / Must give us pause: there’s the respect / That makes calamity of so long life" (Act III, Scene i). But what exactly did he mean?
English Language Arts is about more than reading and writing alone, but about discovering one's place in the universe. Through the exploration of the diverse literary canon the Greats---Shakespeare, Arthur Miller, Edgar Allen Poe, John Steinbeck, Walt Whitman, Tennessee Williams, etc---left behind, one can begin to see that every piece of fiction is an extension of one's own dreams, fears, and aspirations. Our goal, as English Language Learners, is to give in to this journey and worry not about may lie beyond our mortal coil but embrace the moments of vivacity as they present themselves to us. Nathan Crosby BA, BEd, MSEd
English Teacher / Learning Coach Foothills Composite High School / Alberta High School of Fine Arts 229 Woodhaven Drive Okotoks, AB T1S 2A7 E: [email protected] P: (403) 938-6116 |
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