To Be or Not to Be

PART A: Which of the following best states a theme of the soliloquy?

• Suicide is not only tragic but morally wrong, and should be discouraged.

• When life is full of pain and struggle, it is worthwhile to end one’s life rather than suffer.

• It is better to take one’s own life rather than take another’s in the name of revenge.

• Life is full of struggle, but the great unknown of death is far more fearsome. Life is full of struggle, but the great unknown of death is far more fearsome.

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.2

PART B: Which of the following quotes best supports the answer to Part A?

• “To die, to sleep — / No more — and by a sleep to say we end / The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks / That flesh is heir to. ‘Tis a consummation / Devoutly to be wished.” (Lines 5-9)

• “For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, / Th’ oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely / The pangs of despised love, the law’s delay, / The insolence of office, and the spurns / That patient merit of th’ unworthy takes, / When he himself might his quietus make” (Lines 15-20)

• “The undiscovered country, from whose bourn / No traveller returns, puzzles the will, / And makes us rather bear those ills we have / Than fly to others that we know not of?” (Lines 24-27)

• “And thus the native hue of resolution / Is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought, / And enterprise of great pitch and moment / With this regard their currents turn awry / And lose the name of action.” (Lines 29-33)

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.W.7.9A

PART A: How does Shakespeare use figurative language to talk about death?

• Shakespeare compares life to a nightmare and death to peaceful sleep.

• Shakespeare compares life to crossing into new countries and death to being in a fixed state.

• Shakespeare compares life and death to battles in which one has the choice of fighting.

• Shakespeare compares death to sleep and dreams to the afterlife.

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CCSS.RL.7.4

PART B: Which TWO quotes from the text support the answer to Part A?

• “‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer / The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” (Lines 2-3)

• “take arms against a sea of troubles / And by opposing end them.” (Lines 4-5)

• “and by a sleep to say we end / The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks / That flesh is heir to.” (Lines 6-8)

• “For in that sleep of death what dreams may come / When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, / Must give us pause.” (Lines 11-13)

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.W.7.9A

What type of poem is "To be or Not to Be?"

• soliloquy

• Free Verse

• Ballad

• Sonnet

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CCSS.RL.7.5

Who wrote "To Be or Not to Be?'

• Tolstoy

• Jane Austin

• Shakespeare

• Robert Frost

PART A: Reread paragraph 2. What is the host’s likely purpose for beginning the interview segment in this way?

• By using rhetorical questions, the host is highlighting the ubiquity of Shakespeare.

• By asking listeners to recall their associations with Shakespeare, the host is making the interview seem more relevant to the audience.

• By bringing to mind more common associations with Shakespeare, the host is emphasizing the remarkableness of Bates’ story.

• By asking Bates about her own memories of Shakespeare, the host is attempting to learn more about the origins of her interest in Shakespeare.

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CCSS.SL.7.3

PART B: Which quotation best supports the answer to Part A?

• "a deep connection with the playwright’s words”

• "Maybe you think about struggling to get through sophomore English”

• "well-trained actors performing in beautifully appointed theaters”

• "what probably does not come to mind are convicted murderers”

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.1

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.W.7.9A

PART A: Which statement best explains why Bates teaches maximum-security prisoners?

• She strongly believes all people deserve a quality education.

• She felt a personal connection to the prisoners.

• She felt a sense of duty to take on the challenge despite reservations.

• She enjoys learning about and exposing herself to dangerous and risky environments.

PART B: Which piece of evidence provides the best support for the answer to Part A?

• “…one of my students got in trouble and he was taken out of class and I started to ask around… And my prisoner-students told me about this unit” (Paragraph 8)

• “No teacher has ever gone into this unit. So, of course, that made me want to get into that unit.” (Paragraph 9)

• “these inmates that not only are the worst of the worst, at least in the eyes of the public, but more importantly, in my own eyes…” (Paragraph 9)

• “so here comes somebody from the street knocking on their cell door and saying, hi, would you like to read some Shakespeare?” (Paragraph 10)

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.1

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.W.7.1B

CCSS.W.7.9A