Week 6X-MEN // MERCHANT OF VENICE

1. X-MENRECAP AND CONCLUDING DISCUSSION

X-Men1. What interested you most about the film?

2. Do you think it’s a successful work of science fiction? Why/why not?

3. What are the social issues and themes that the film discusses? How are these tied to its sci-fi elements?

4. Do you think the film takes a stand on the ‘mutants vs. humans’ issue? What stand would you take on ideas of compulsory registration for mutants? Why?

Implications for your narratives…

• You must consider how the world you create affects, and is affected by, the theme or technology you are focusing on.

• If your worldbuilding isn’t seamless or complete, your narrative will be that much less believable. You cannot consider the ‘science’ and the ‘society’ of your narrative as two separate entities.

2. Portia, Power and PatriarchyCURRENT AFFAIRS CONNECTIONS

Some of your classmates’ responses:

“Women are still looked down upon and treated as second-class citizens, in contrast with most other nations where gender inequality is much less of an issue. I believe that women in India should definitely be treated with more respect and dignity, and that the authorities should step in and be more actively involved in law enforcement when necessary. Full gender equality is a difficult issue even the most developed countries struggle in, and corruption and people's mindsets in India do not help. While we are under the impression that women globally are getting better standards of living, in reality there is a long road ahead of humanity for gender inequality to be finally eradicated.”

“Although there has been gradual improvements since the start of civilisation until now, some men cannot accept the fact that they are of equal status as women. But how does one define equality when it is a word that has no model answer, only a never-ending path to there? I feel that no matter how much we try to work on, humans will never see women as their equal and the two lines (referring to males and females) will never intersect, as there definitely will be people to disagree of gender equality.”

“In this article, Pulitzer Prize winning author, Sheryl WuDunn, and her husband speak out against the oppression women are facing around the world in this day and age, though focusing mainly on how women are prejudiced in the United States. Certainly, while women in the U.S suffer less discrimination than in developing countries, it is still a major problem, as evidenced by the unequal pay for equal work, the high number of rape cases and much more. […]I find this article enlightening as unlike hearing and learning about discrimination of the female gender in developing, third-world countries like Afghanistan or Syria, I get to understand these problems in the context of developed powerhouses like the U.S. I certainly did not expect the levels of oppression in the United States to be so dire and distressing.”

“This article is about the views of Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He believes that women and men cannot be put on an equal footing as it was said to be against nature. I find that his views seem to be more conservative at a time when more people are starting to have more liberal and secular views. I found that this article was interesting as people are becoming more open-minded about such issues, yet, in some parts of the world, such anti-feminist sentiments still run strong. I feel that women and men can be compared as equals, as women have the capability to do anything that man can do.”

“Therefore there still remains some deep-seated gender inequality, evident simply by considering the simple fact of women’s roles in modern corporations. Most do not work on the production line, which is simply too labour-intensive. They also do not get to climb to the very top of the corporate ladder. Women simply exist to fill the middle class. This poses a few problems. First is that women do not get as recognised as they did for their role in bearing children compared to historical times. […] And most women don’t manage to make it back to the workforce after giving birth. Therefore how promising is this trend? I believe that feminists movements should reconsider their position. An individual who is neither here nor there in the 21st century society will soon become obsolete as the generations are moving toward specialist roles and jobs. Being in the centre is being in a worrisome state for today’s women.”

2. ShylockSTEREOTYPES, PREJUDICE, DISCRIMINATION

Key Concepts and Ideas

1. What is a stereotype?

2. What is prejudice?

3. What is discrimination?

4. Are there different forms of stereotyps/prejudice/discrimination?

5. What forms do you think we see in MoV?

Act 3, Scene 1

Read pages 63-67 in your groups, annotating as you go along.

Try to read the passage aloud in your groups, with as much dramatic effect as possible. (Note: ‘dramatic’ doesn’t mean ‘loud’!)

When you have read the passage, discuss in your groups:

1. Do you think Shylock’s speech is effective? Why? (Try to remember some of the rhetorical devices we studied last year.)

2. What is your impression of Shylock?

3. Do you think Antonio and Bassanio are polite to Shylock? Are they just in their behaviour to him?

Act 3 Scene 1

Signior Antonio, many a time and oftIn the Rialto you have rated meAbout my moneys and my usances:Still have I borne it with a patient shrug,For sufferance is the badge of all our tribe.You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog,And spit upon my Jewish gaberdine,And all for use of that which is mine own.Well then, it now appears you need my help:Go to, then; you come to me, and you say'Shylock, we would have moneys:' you say so;You, that did void your rheum upon my beardAnd foot me as you spurn a stranger curOver your threshold: moneys is your suitWhat should I say to you? Should I not say'Hath a dog money? is it possibleA cur can lend three thousand ducats?' OrShall I bend low and in a bondman's key,With bated breath and whispering humbleness, Say this;'Fair sir, you spit on me on Wednesday last;You spurn'd me such a day; another timeYou call'd me dog; and for these courtesiesI'll lend you thus much moneys'?

Look at:

-the use of iambic pentameter

-Shylock’s use of language and rhetoric

Act 3 Scene 1: Pg 171In this scene, Shylock explains why he is so insistent on demanding the pound of flesh from Antonio.

SALARINO Why, I am sure, if he forfeit, thou wilt not takehis flesh: what's that good for?

SHYLOCK To bait fish withal: if it will feed nothing else,it will feed my revenge. He hath disgraced me, andhindered me half a million; laughed at my losses,mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted mybargains, cooled my friends, heated mineenemies; and what's his reason? I am a Jew. Hathnot a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs,dimensions, senses, affections, passions? fed withthe same food, hurt with the same weapons, subjectto the same diseases, healed by the same means,warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, asa Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed?if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poisonus, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we notrevenge? If we are like you in the rest, we willresemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian,what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christianwrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be byChristian example? Why, revenge. The villany youteach me, I will execute, and it shall go hard but Iwill better the instruction.