English 4 Shakespeare
Summer Reading – Something Rotten
Directions: Over the course of the summer, read Something Rotten by Alan Gratz. It’s a murder mystery set in modern day. Answer the following problems and type a response to each in sentence/paragraph form. This will be due in the beginning of the semester. Please note: This is not just a book to read during the summer – it is a prerequisite for the class and is used during the course. Questions about this book are on the final exam.
Take any 3 events in Something Rotten and write a narrative where the event takes place in the Middle Ages or Renaissance. What would it look like? For example, instead of corporations and businesses it might be feudal properties.
Give a brief character sketch (1-2 sentences minimum) of the main characters: Hamilton, Horatio, Claude, Trudy, Olivia, Pops, and Lawrence.
Look up the term Film Noir. Summarize the definition. Give 3 examples of how Something Rotten is a parody of Film Noir.
Rubric:
Examples/Specifics from story – 25
Proper Format & Structure – 15
Grammar/syntax – 10
You don’t have to watch and read. Just find some material from online then you can do it. There is no word minimum.
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