El Cid, Alfonso X, and Early Spanish Language Insights
The Song of El Cid: Summary
First Song
- The Exile of the Cid: Unfairly destined for exile. Imagine a war-torn, sad hero going into exile.
- Pain in Burgos: The pain comes to Burgos; his men and the people he appreciates watch from the balconies with heavy hearts.
- The Cid’s Farewell to His Family: He goes to San Pedro de Cardeña to say goodbye to his wife and daughters.
- The Fame of the Cid: He gains reputation as he travels.
Second Song
- Proposal of the Heirs of Carrión: The noble families (Infantes de Carrión)
Hamlet: Key Questions and Answers for Understanding the Play
Hamlet: Key Questions and Answers
- Where does the play take place? Denmark
- Where does Claudius send Cornelius and Voltimand? He has written a letter to the King of Norway, which he wants Cornelius and Voltimand to deliver. The King of Norway is Fortinbras’ uncle. He is an old man who doesn’t know what Fortinbras is planning. The King of Norway has the power to stop Fortinbras from going to war.
- Where did Shakespeare live? Stratford-upon-Avon, England
- Where is King Hamlet? He’s a ghost at night and
Critical Perspectives on Shakespeare: Hamlet & Macbeth
Unit 1: Critical Approaches to Shakespeare
1. Neoclassical Criticism (17th Century)
Key Critics
- Ben Jonson, John Dryden, Thomas Rymer
Key Ideas
- Emphasis on Aristotelian unities (time, action, place).
- Focus on decorum, order, and moral instruction.
- Shakespeare criticized for violating classical dramatic rules.
Jonson
Admired Shakespeare’s talent but criticized his disregard for dramatic structure. Defined him as a poet of “Nature” but careless in style.
Dryden
Praised Shakespeare’s “images of nature”
Read MoreMastering Argumentation: Text Structure, Pronouns, and Verb Forms
Argumentation Essentials: Text Structure and Grammatical Elements
No Verbal Predicate
Its nucleus is an adjective or adverb.
Rating
Trick or adjective.
Adverbial
Adverb.
Arguments in Text
The purpose is to persuade the reader about an idea or point of view. This unfolds by presenting a number of reasons, called arguments, that support the hypothesis. The aim is to make the hypothesis seem consistent and acceptable, convincing the receiver of its truth.
Resources Used in Argumentation
- Analogy: A comparison
Shakespeare’s Hamlet: Plot Summary of Revenge and Tragedy
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
A Kingdom in Turmoil
When Hamlet’s father, the old King of Denmark, died, his brother Claudius became the new king. After only a few weeks, Claudius married Gertrude, the old king’s wife. Hamlet was angry with his mother because she remarried so quickly. He also hated Claudius, his stepfather.
The Ghost’s Revelation
One cold, dark night on the walls of Elsinore Castle, a friend of Hamlet’s saw the ghost of Hamlet’s father. The friend told Hamlet about the ghost,
Read MoreInfant Language Acquisition: Key Stages and Processes
UNIT 2
U2B1 Questions
1. Usage-Based Accounts: Definition and Proposals
Usage-Based Accounts are theories proposed by Tomasello. According to this account, language is an inventory of constructions, each with a specific function in communication. One key concept in usage-based accounts is that of construction learning. These theories propose that language learning begins with the recognition of patterns in linguistic input.
Instead of focusing solely on individual words or grammatical rules, usage-based
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