Alina Geng 7-9 4/30/19

Aim: What value does society place on "honor?"

Do Now: Come up with a definition for honor
My group came up with:
(n.) Respect through benevolent actions
Some words associated with honor:
- Respect
- Morals
- Virtue

Whole Class Discussion:
What is honor and why is it valued?
Honor is created by having others regard you as worthy, giving you reputability and allowing you to move up the ranks. Honor can is subjective as a deed may be positively seen by one group but negatively by another.

How can honor be destroyed?
It can be lost if a person does what society deems wrong. As an example, war crimes and betrayals tend to be negatively perceived.

Who are some honorable people?
Soldiers since they risk their lives to protect the country
In general, anyone who stood up in the face of adversity to do the moral thing.

How easy is it to regain power?
Glass vase problem: You can rebuild a vase from its broken shards but cracks will still show.
As an example, Macbeth was regarded with honor for his noble actions during war. However, he lost and never regained honor after his killings and erratic behavior.

Common Features of a Shakespeare Comedy
Comedy through language: There are multiple meanings of the title Much Ado About Nothing.
1. In old English, the "Nothing" in Much Ado About Nothing sounded like "noting." This is another way to describe a women's parts.
2. In today's English, the title suggests there is a lot about something with no significance.

Love: This is a recurrent theme where characters overcome obstacles in their relationship and unite.

Complex Plots: His comedies usually contained more twists. However, there is a reoccurring pattern  of the climax being in the third act and the final scene being where the lovers declare their love.

Mistake Identities: Characters put on disguises of sometimes even the opposite gender.


Cuckold: A man whose wife has been unfaithful to everyone's knowledge but his.
This word originated from the Cuckoo bird who lays eggs in other egg's next so it don't have to take care of its own eggs.
There isn't a word for a woman whose husband has been unfaithful to everyone's knowledge but hers. During Shakespeare's time, there was a great importance on marriage and the legitimacy of children.