Mary Shelley’s parents were both writers and a. scientists b. politicians c. philosophers
Shelley got the idea for Frankenstein a. while visiting her mother’s grave b. while on vacation in Geneva c. while eloping with Percy Shelley
She began writing Frankenstein when she was a. sixteen b. eighteen c. twenty
Discussion/essay questions
In the past 200 years, Frankenstein has inspired plays, movies, and TV shows. Frankenstein’s monster has become an iconic character. Why do you think Frankenstein is such a long-lasting story?
Transcript
Mary Shelley was an English novelist. She is best known for her novel Frankenstein, which she began writing when she was eighteen years old. Shelley was born Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin in London in 1797. Her parents were both famous writers and radical philosophers during the French Revolution. Shelley’s mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, died less than two weeks after giving birth to her. Shelley had a chaotic childhood. She grew up with five step-siblings and half-siblings. When she was only sixteen, she eloped with the poet Percy Shelley. She had and lost her first child the next year. Shelley got the idea for Frankenstein on vacation in Geneva, when she was challenged to write a “ghost story.” She published it in 1818. Four years later, Percy drowned in a storm. She saved his heart and kept it in her desk drawer until her death in 1851. Shelley wrote seven novels in her life. Her work contains some of the earliest examples of science fiction.
Her first novel was a. Sense and Sensibility b. Pride and Prejudice c. Persuasion
The name Austen originally published under was simply a. “a writer” b. “a gentleman” c. “a lady”
Discussion/essay questions
Why do you think Jane Austen published her novels anonymously? Why might a writer not want to be known?
Transcript
Jane Austen was an English writer. She was born in 1775 in Steventon, Hampshire, to a middle-class family. She began writing when she was only eleven years old. In 1797, she started her first novel, Sense and Sensibility. When she published it in 1811, she didn’t use her own name. The first edition of the book simply claimed to be written “by a lady“. Austen wrote six novels, all of which used satire to criticize social expectations. She earned very little money for her work. Although many of her stories are about love and marriage, Austen never married, which was very unusual for a woman in her time. Her brother, Henry, revealed that Austen was the author of her novels after her death in 1817. Many people credit her with helping to shape the way modern novels are written.
Paradise Lost is a. a play b. a novel c. an epic poem
The biblical story that Paradise Lost tells is a. the banishment of Satan and fall of mankind b. the birth and crucifixion of Jesus Christ c. the story of Noah and the flood
The form and style of Paradise Lost take inspiration from a. medieval romances b. classical epics c. parables from the Bible
Discussion/essay questions
Do you think that humans have free will? Why or why not?
What can literature teach us about morality? Are there any important lessons you have learned from stories?
Transcript
Paradise Lost is an epic poem by English writer John Milton. It is viewed as one of the most important works of Christian theological literature. Paradise Lost was originally published in ten books in 1667. Milton, who was blind, wrote the work by dictating to a scribe. The epic retells the biblical story of Satan’s banishment from heaven, as well as mankind’s fall and salvation. Paradise Lost is famous for its mastery of the form and style of classical epics, but also for raising interesting questions about free will. Although it was intended as a Christian work, the complex morality of Paradise Lost has led to many different interpretations of its meaning.
Joan of Arc grew up during a war between France and a. England b. Germany c. Spain
Joan started having visions when she was a. 12 b. 13 c. 17
She was put on trial for a. spying b. witchcraft c. war crimes
Discussion/essay questions
It is uncertain how much of Joan of Arc’s story is true. There are many common myths about Joan and her life. Have you heard the story before? What do you believe?
Transcript
Joan of Arc was a French military leader. She was born in 1412 and grew up as a peasant during the Hundred Years’ War, a conflict between France and England. When she was 13 years old, Joan began to have visions of religious figures. She eventually came to believe that God had given her a mission to save France. At age 17, Joan persuaded the king to let her accompany the French army into Orléans, where the English had invaded. The mission succeeded, but Joan was captured soon after. She faced trial for witchcraft and was burned at the stake. 25 years after her death, Joan of Arc was declared innocent. The Catholic church recognized her as a saint in 1920.
Turing was a a. mathematician b. physicist c. military leader
The purpose of the Turing test is a. to determine how fast a machine can work b. to determine how well a machine can follow instructions c. to determine if a machine can think like a human
During World War II, Turing helped the Allies by a. inventing new technology for weapons b. creating a machine that could break Nazi codes c. analyzing Nazi military plans
Discussion/essay questions
Alan Turing’s accomplishments were disregarded for many years. Do you know any other important historical figures who were dismissed in their time?
Do you think it is possible for a machine to think like a human?
Transcript
Alan Turing was a British mathematician. He was born in 1912 in London, England. His ideas are considered to be the early foundations for modern computers. In 1936, he described a hypothetical device that could read and follow written instructions. He also developed the Turing test, which was meant to determine if a machine could think like a human. During World War II, Turing built a machine that helped the Allied forces decode Nazi messages. His work helped Britain and the Allies win the war. However, the government later arrested and shunned him for being gay, which was illegal at the time. Turing died in 1954, two years after his conviction. The Queen officially pardoned him in 2013.
One of Newton’s most famous quotes is “if I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants”. What do you think he meant by this?
Transcript
Isaac Newton was an English physicist and mathematician. He was born in 1643 in Woolsthorpe, England. In 1661, he moved to Cambridge to study at Trinity College. During his studies, Newton went into quarantine because of an outbreak of the plague. He made some of his most important scientific discoveries while working from home. Newton is best known for developing the theory of gravity and writing the three laws of motion. However, he made many other contributions to math and science, including the invention of calculus. He also published multiple books about his discoveries. Newton died in 1727, at the age of 84. He is still considered one of the greatest scientists of all time.
Because it is illegal, graffiti is a very controversial subject. Some people believe it is a legitimate art form, while others believe it is wrong. What do you think about graffiti?
Transcript
Banksy is an anonymous British street artist. He is known for creating art with political messages. He first became famous in the 1990s for making freehand graffiti around Bristol, England. In the early 2000s, he started to use stencils for his art. Banksy has made paintings in many major cities, including London, New York, and Paris. It is difficult to be famous and anonymous at the same time, and many people have theories about Banksy’s identity. Some people think that Banksy is really a team of artists instead of one. Others believe that Banksy is secretly a woman. The most common theory is that Banksy is Robin Gunningham, an artist from Bristol who has been photographed with stencils and spray paint.
When Princess Diana was alive, she received lots of media attention. The public wanted to know everything about her life. Why do you think people are so interested in the lives of celebrities? How can this be harmful?
Transcript
Princess Diana was a member of the British royal family. She was born in Norfolk, England in 1961. She became royalty at age 20 when she married Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne. The royal wedding had over 2000 guests. Diana was known for her fashion sense, but also for her activism. Throughout her life, Diana helped to raise awareness for people living with AIDS. Sometimes she even brought her sons with her when she went to visit patients. For this reason, she gained the nickname “The People’s Princess”. Even after she and Charles separated in 1992, the British media continued to pay attention to Diana. In 1997, she died in an accident after paparazzi tried to chase her car. Over two billion people around the world watched her funeral live on television, and her family created a charity in her memory.
Do you know of any modern books, movies, or plays that are based on Shakespeare’s plays?
Why do you think that so much modern entertainment is inspired by these plays?
Transcript
William Shakespeare was an English dramatist and poet, currently considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. He was born in 1564 in Stratford, where he would spend the rest of his childhood. At age 18, he married a woman named Anne Hathaway, and the couple had three children together. After the birth of his youngest two children, Shakespeare travelled to London and helped to found an acting company known as the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. While working as an actor, Shakespeare began to write scripts. One of the first plays to be officially credited to Shakespeare was the iconic Romeo and Juliet, a story of two young lovers who come from rival families. During his life, Shakespeare wrote at least 38 plays: 14 comedies, 12 tragedies, and 12 histories. Shakespeare died in 1616 – over 400 years ago – but his plays are still relevant today because of their influence on modern stories. In fact, many of today’s books, movies, and plays are based on concepts from Shakespeare’s work.
