In the next exercises you are to represent characters with whom you have become acquainted in books.  You will therefore know something about their dispositions, their appearance, and their actions.  Your task will be to give life-like portraits which others will recognize as true to their opinions of these same people.  For all who have read the books the general outlines will be identical.  The added details must not contradict any of the traits depicted by the authors.  Otherwise they may be as original as you can imagine.

In the Odyssey, the great old Greek poem by Homer, the wandering hero, Odysseus (also called Ulysses), is cast up by the sea upon a strange shore.  Here he meets Nausicaa (pronounced Nau-si’-ca-a) who offers to show him the way to the palace of her father, the Bang.  But as she is betrothed she fears that if she is seen in the company of an unknown man some scandalous gossip may be carried to her sweetheart.  So she directs that when they near the town Odysseus shall tarry behind, allowing her to enter alone.  In this naive incident this much is told in detail by the poet.  We are not told whether any gossip does reach the lover’s ears.  He does not appear in the story.  We are not told even his name.  Nor are we told how either she or he behaved when they first met, after she had conducted the stranger to the palace.

If you enact this scene of their meeting you will first have to find a name for him.  You are free to create all the details of their behavior and conversation.  Was he angry?  Was he cool towards her?  Had he heard a false account?

Before attempting any of the following exercises decide all the matters of interpretation as already indicated in this chapter.

EXERCISES

1.  Molly Farren tries to get news of Godfrey Cass from a Stable-boy. Silas Marner.

2.  The two Miss Gunns talk about Priscilla Lammeter. Silas Marner.

3.  The Wedding Guest meets one of his companions. The Ancient Mariner.

4.  Nausicaa tells her betrothed about Odysseus. Odyssey.

5.  Reynaldo in Paris tries to get information about Laertes. Hamlet.

6.  Fred tells his wife about Scrooge and Crachit. A Christmas Carol.

7.  Jupiter tells a friend of the finding of the treasure. The Gold Bug.

8.  Two women who know David Copperfield talk about his second marriage. David Copperfield.

Memorized Conversations.  You can approach still more closely to the material of a play if you offer in speech before your class certain suitable portions from books you are reading or have read.  These selections may be made from the regular class texts or from supplementary reading assignments.  In studying these passages with the intention of offering them before the class you will have to think about two things.  First of all, the author has in all