The Oval Portrait:

Language and Themes

Learning objectives:

• Identify Gothic themes in The Oval Portrait.

• Understand how language is used to present Gothic themes.

6th December 2011

Task: Read the text in groups, and pick out two key words that reflect a common theme.

Skilled work will:1. Identify words or phrases that reflect Gothic conventions

and explain the choice of word.

Excellent work will:1. Give extended explanations for choice of Gothic words or

phrases.

First of all…team quiz!!!If you know the answer, make your team noise.

On which night did the narrator in TTTH kill the Old Man?

To which disgusting, menacing animal does he liken the Old Man’s eye?

What is a Deathwatch Beetle?

At the beginning of the unit, you thought of these Gothic conventions:• Supernatural • Mysterious • Cruel • Horrific • Gloomy • Melodramatic • Suspenseful • Unconventional • Violent • Savage • Old fashioned • Psychologically warped • Extreme states of mind

• Fascinated with the past• Shocking • Gory• Disgusted• Unnatural• Appalling• Sinister• Damsels in distress• Distorted• Isolated settings• Spooky places• Abandoned buildings

Which Gothic conventions can you recognise in The Oval Portrait?

Listen carefully...

Can you recognise any Gothic themes?

Underline examples.

How does language communicate themes?

• In groups, read your section. Take it in turns to read – line by line!

• Pick out two words or phrases that represent a theme, and write them in your book.

• Write an explanation for how each word or phrase is effective.

Skilled: Turret - This word raises images of old, scary buildings.

Excellent: The word turret makes me think of a princess locked away in an isolated tower. It reminds me of fairytales where the damsel in distress is being imprisoned by cruel characters. This is a significant symbol in The Oval Portrait, because women as victims is a key theme.

Share your ideas with the class

• Which theme did you identify?

• Which word or phrase did you pick to communicate the theme?

• How is the word or phrase effective?

Comparing Poe’s short stories.

Learning objectives:

• To identify similarities and differences between Poe’s short stories.

• To use Gothic language to compare the stories through writing.

7th December 2011

First of all...Dictionary work!!! Find the following definitions:

Turret = Small tower on a castleDevoutly = Deeply religious, devoted

Slumbering = lightly sleepingVehemently = feeling strongly about something

Agitated = Restless, uneasyDelirium = State of mental confusion due to illness.

Pined = An intense longing for someone or something.Meek = Weak, docile

Task: Write a paragraph comparing The Oval Portrait to The Tell Tale Heart.

Skilled work will:1. Identify how The Oval Portrait is different to The Tell Tale

Heart.

2. Give a brief explanation of those differences.

Excellent work will:1. Identify how The Oval Portrait is both similar and different

to The Tell Tale Heart.

2. Use P.E.E. to structure a clear and detailed explanation of those differences.

At the beginning of the unit, you thought of these Gothic conventions:

• Supernatural • Mysterious • Cruel • Horrific • Gloomy • Melodramatic • Suspenseful • Unconventional • Violent • Savage • Old fashioned • Psychologically warped • Extreme states of mind

• Fascinated with the past• Shocking • Gory• Disgusted• Unnatural• Appalling• Sinister• Damsels in distress• Distorted• Isolated settings• Spooky places• Abandoned buildings

Think, pair, share

Which conventions appear in The Oval

Portrait AND The Tell Tale Heart?

Which conventions ONLY appear in The

Oval Portrait?

Putting your ideas into writingYou can either…

1. Write a paragraph explaining how The Oval Portrait is different to The Tell Tale Heart.

OR2. Write a paragraph explaining the similarities

and differences between The Oval Portrait and The Tell Tale Heart.

1. Write a paragraph explaining how The Oval Portrait is different to The Tell Tale Heart.

Sentence starters: • The atmosphere in The Oval Portrait is…• Whereas in The Tell Tale Heart…• Some obvious differences are…• Although both stories follow typical Gothic conventions…• On first impressions…

Example: Although The Oval Portrait and The Tell Tale Heart are both typical Gothic stories, they have many differences. For example, in The Tell Tale Heart , we are never told about the setting, so the identity of each character is a mystery. In The Oval Portrait, we are given more information on people and places, “She was a maiden of rarest beauty.” This makes us focus less on horrific events, and feel more attached to the characters in the story.

2. Write a paragraph explaining some similarities and differences between The Oval Portrait and The Tell Tale Heart.

Sentence starters:• Both stories…• There are a number of similarities, such as…• Certain Gothic conventions…• A different mood…• However…• Whereas one story…

Example: Although The Oval Portrait and The Tell Tale Heart are quite different, there are some similarities too. Whereas one features violent thoughts and bloody events, the other focuses more on spooky settings and the ‘Damsel in Distress.’ Both stories, however, build suspense to grip the reader. In The Tell Tale Heart, we learn about the narrator’s eight-day journey towards approaching the sleeping man, “you cannot imagine how stealthily.” In The Oval Portrait, we hear a lot about the portrait’s disturbing qualities before understanding the story behind it, “I remained for an hour perhaps, half sitting, half reclining, with my vision riveted upon the subject.” Both stories fill us with anticipation, and make us wonder what disturbing ideas are yet to unfold.

Did you...

• Identify similarities and differences between Poe’s short stories?

• Use Gothic language to compare the stories through writing?

Use your traffic light system!

Exit cards

On a post-it note, write down one similarity and one difference between The Oval Portrait and The Tell Tale Heart.