CSI assignment for Macbeth

A)Crime Scene Timeline 1. The Weird Sisters tell Macbeth about their prophecy predicting that he will become Thane of Cawdor and King. 2. The current Thane of Cawdor is found to be a traitor and he is captured and executed. His title is then given to Macbeth, thus fulfilling the first prophecy of the weird sisters.  3. Despite the witches prophecy that Macbeth will become king, King Duncan names his son Malcom heir to the throne. 4. Lady Macbeth receives and reads her husbands letter telling the news of the witches prophecies. She desperately wants these to come true. She vows to kill King Duncan. Upon Macbeth's arrival back home, Lady Macbeth and he begin to plot the King's demise, as they await the arrival of the King and his men.  5. King Duncan arrives at Macbeth's house. Macbeth and his wife pretend to be gracious hosts and make them feel welcome. 6. Lady Macbeth debates if she should just kill the King herself. Although she views her husband as ambitious, she doesn't think he has the mean streak to carry out the deed. Eventually, she convinces him to commit the murder and frame the guards for the crime. 7. The party at Macbeth's house takes place. The King and his guards become very drunk. Macbeth prepares to commit the murder. He hears his wife ring a bell, signaling the time to kill the King.  8. Macbeth meets with his wife in the courtyard after he has murdered the king. Lady Macbeth is relieved it is done but upset with Macbeth once she notices that he failed to leave the daggers used in the murder with the guards. She is angry that their plans to frame the guards has been ruined. She laments that she would have done the deed herself, but the King looked so much like her father that she could not bring herself to strike him. Lady Macbeth try's to convince her husband to return the daggers, but realizes that he is to cowardly. She takes the daggers back to the scene of the murder. She then rushes back to Macbeth and together they go to their bed chamber. They plan to avoid any blame by claiming to be asleep at the time of the murder.  9. The next morning, Macduff goes to wake the king but comes back reporting that he has been murdered. In a moment of over-whelming emotion, Macbeth admits to killing the guards. He defends his actions by  telling the others it was out of rage and loyalty to the king. Lady Macbeth faints in an attempt to distract Macduff from her husbands' outburst, and to prevent Macbeth from confessing too much and ruining their plans.  10. Malcom and Donalbain (King Duncan's sons) decide to flee the country for their own safety.  B) List of Likely Suspects: -Malcolm, the Kings son -The Kings guards -Lady Macbeth -Macbeth C) Crime Report       Initially our group felt overwhelmed by all of the possible suspects in King Duncan's murder.  After examine the details closely, we discovered that the murderer became quite obvious. Our first suspect was the King's son , Malcolm. We suspected him primarily  because he was recently named heir to his fathers throne. Thus, with his father dead, he would become the new king. This theory did not hold because as soon as Malcolm heard the news of the murder, he agreed with his brother to flee to separate countries. The brothers thought that anyone around them could be the murderer, perhaps after them next.       Our next suspects were the Kings guards. We thought perhaps they had became tired of the King and in an argument stabbed in. This would explain why they had blood smeared on them and the bloody daggers beside them. Their suicide disproves this theory because they could not gain any benefits from the King's death if they are also dead.      Our third suspect was Lady Macbeth. We thought perhaps she doubted her husband's courage to kill the King and decided to carry out the plan herself. She seemed to be the obvious  choice because of her great desire for the death of the King and her willingness to commit the crime. One line from the story proves that she could not have committed the murder. While arguing with her husband, she confesses that she was going to kill King Duncan but that his close resemblance to her father prevented her from finishing the deed.       After investigating all of these characters as suspects, we were eventually led to Macbeth. This is the character we believe to be guilty for murdering King Duncan. Macbeth  wanted to become King, and his wife convinced him that murdering King Duncan was the only way of achieving this. Macbeth and his wife devised a plan to murder the King after a party hosted in his honor, and let the blame fall on his guards. Macbeth made sure that the King and his entourage became drunk at the party, then crept into his room to stab him while he slept. Lady Macbeth left the murder weapons near the dead guards in order to frame them. Then both Macbeth and his wife went to their room, thinking that they had committed the perfect crime.

Of Mice and Men - Writing assignment #2

A journal from George's point of view about his and Lennies adventures.

Of Mice and Men - Theme

1. How does this story remind you of any other novels, short stories or poems you have read?
  
 This story reminds me of any movies that involve protecting the ones you love. Mostly I can compare it to the Hunger Games, because throughout the whole story Katniss is trying to protectPeeta, like how George is trying to protect Lennie. 

2. Now that you have read and analyzed the poem "To a Mouse," how do you think this poem relates to the novel? Do you think the title of the novel is appropriate? Why or why not?

    I think that the title is a good name for the book because, Lennie is the mouse, and George is the guy who kills the mouse. Not that George had intentions to do it, he knew he needed to kill him because if he didnt the other guys were going to kill both of them. i do agree that this title is appropriate.

3. What was your first reaction to George shooting Lennie? Were his actions appropriate? Was it necessary?

     My first reaction to when Lennie was killed was, George didnt have to kill him. But after I was done reading back when this book was made there wasnt anything else he could have done, its not like they had the kind of money to put Lennie into a mental hospital, or get the help that he needed. George did what he had to do. George was to the point that he could no longer help Lennie, and if he didnt do anything George could have been killed too. He could have let him get shot by someone else, or he could have gone to jail.

4. From what you have read in this novel, what do you think Steinbeck is trying to say about the nature of human beings?
  
     Our nature is to protect the ones we love and care about. George was protecting Lennie the best he could giving the way Lennie was.

Of Mice And Men - Poem

Burns Original			Standard English Translation
Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beastie, O, what a panic's in thy breastie! Thou need na start awa sae hasty Wi bickering brattle! I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee, Wi' murdering pattle. I'm truly sorry man's dominion Has broken Nature's social union, An' justifies that ill opinion Which makes thee startle At me, thy poor, earth born companion An' fellow mortal! I doubt na, whyles, but thou may thieve; What then? poor beastie, thou maun live! A daimen icker in a thrave 'S a sma' request; I'll get a blessin wi' the lave, An' never miss't. Thy wee-bit housie, too, in ruin! It's silly wa's the win's are strewin! An' naething, now, to big a new ane, O' foggage green! An' bleak December's win's ensuin, Baith snell an' keen! Thou saw the fields laid bare an' waste, An' weary winter comin fast, An' cozie here, beneath the blast, Thou thought to dwell, Till crash! the cruel coulter past Out thro' thy cell. That wee bit heap o' leaves an' stibble, Has cost thee monie a weary nibble! Now thou's turned out, for a' thy trouble, But house or hald, To thole the winter's sleety dribble, An' cranreuch cauld. But Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving foresight may be vain: The best laid schemes o' mice an' men Gang aft agley, An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain, For promis'd joy! Still thou are blest, compared wi' me! The present only toucheth thee: But och! I backward cast my e'e, On prospects drear! An' forward, tho' I canna see, I guess an' fear!			Small, sleek, cowering, timorous beast, O, what a panic is in your breast! You need not start away so hasty With hurrying scamper! I would be loath to run and chase you, With murdering plough-staff. I'm truly sorry man's dominion Has broken Nature's social union, And justifies that ill opinion Which makes thee startle At me, thy poor, earth born companion And fellow mortal! I doubt not, sometimes, but you may steal; What then? Poor beast, you must live! An odd ear in twenty-four sheaves Is a small request; I will get a blessing with what is left, And never miss it. Your small house, too, in ruin! It's feeble walls the winds are scattering! And nothing now, to build a new one, Of coarse grass green! And bleak December's winds coming, Both bitter and keen! You saw the fields laid bare and wasted, And weary winter coming fast, And cozy here, beneath the blast, You thought to dwell, Till crash! the cruel plough past Out through your cell. That small bit heap of leaves and stubble, Has cost you many a weary nibble! Now you are turned out, for all your trouble, Without house or holding, To endure the winter's sleety dribble, And hoar-frost cold. But Mouse, you are not alone, In proving foresight may be vain: The best laid schemes of mice and men Go often askew, And leaves us nothing but grief and pain, For promised joy! Still you are blest, compared with me! The present only touches you: But oh! I backward cast my eye, On prospects dreary! And forward, though I cannot see, I guess and fear!

http://www.worldburnsclub.com/poems/translations/554.htm

1. The author's attitude toward the mouse is best described as:
     a. sympathetic                          c. apathetic
     b. sceptical                              d. unattached

2. Which statement best describes the theme of this poem?
     a. Men are superior to mice and other small creatures.
     b. Life is made up of the simpler moments.
     c. Nature may not always be around, so we should appreciate it while we can.
     d. Even the most well-constructed plans can fail.

3. Why do you think Burns wrote this poem? What do you think is the purpose of the poem?
   
    I think that Burns wrote this poem because he was feeling sympathetic to killing the mouse. The purpose  of the poem is, it was the mouses plan to build its house for the winter, and cold months. When his house was stepped on and wrecked it was plan of the mouses that failed. It was something that couldn't have been prevented. Even though the mouse thought that it was a well-constructed plan, to a human, it was something in the way of their walking.

4. Many of us look back on our lives and, although we may not have had the best intentions or plans, things did not work out the way we wanted them to, for one reason or another. Think about a time that you had planned for something to turn out one way, and it ended up another. what was your reaction? How did you adapt to the situation? How are you dealing with the situation now? Would you have done anything differently, knowing what you know now?
    
   I have always wanted what happens in all the movies, to have that one bestfriend who knows everything about you and you do everything together, and you pretty much are sisters. And for awhile I had that. I thought that we would be the kind of friends that nothing could get in the way of our friendship, and would be friends until the end. It only took too long to realise that going to a small school, you make friends, not because you have so much in common, but because you have been in the same classes for 5 years and you don't really know the truth about everyone, and your just trying to make it the last two years of high school with someone beside you. When I realised that someone who called me their bestfriend, really wasn't mine anymore, it was clear to me that none of the people in my grade can really be considered my BESTFRIEND until the end. There are so many people who don't even go to the same school as me who I can say fill this part in my life as my true friends, who I don't even get to see everyday or go to class with. It's hard having to go to school everyday with people who you have hardly anything in common with, and who you will probably honestly never talk to after school! My reaction from realising all of this hurt me so bad, and thats when I new who my friends were. They were the only people who asked me if I was okay, and told me that they had my back if i ever needed anything. Sadly to say none of those people who even cared even go to my school. If going in to grade 10, even 11 I would have know what was going to happen, I probably would have made lots of different choices. I probably would have done correspondents over the summer, and move schools so I would have been able to graduate this year with all my friends, and I would have never haven even put myself in the situation to be burned by the girls here.