Activity: For this activity, you will be required to write a short play. It only has to be one scene, and it must follow the rules of Aristotle’s Poetics. Go back and review this material to ensure that you have a grasp of it.
Your job is to pick a person in history that is admired for standing up to authority. You could look into Jim Crow Laws, Civil Rights Movement, Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, etc. There are so many options here!
In your play, you need to describe the situation and motivation for this person to take such action. What gave this person the courage to stand up for what he/she believed? Was it religious, political, etc? WHY did this person oppose some type of authority? What were the short and long term effects of this eventual opposition for this person and society?
This is my answer:The person I chose it Rosa Parks. She was tired when she got on the bus and didn’t want to get up from her seat when a white man needed a seat. I guess she was just tired of the difference there was at that time.
What gave this person the courage to stand up for what he/she believed? The courage probably came from frustration and anger that nothing was right. She wanted to be treated fairly and equal.
Was it religious, political? This was political because it was all segregated. Blacks and whites were separate. And whites had more power no matter what age they were.
WHY did this person oppose some type of authority? She hated the situation that her people were going through. She opposed the authority whites had and she was frustrated and was done with the whole racist segregation thing.
What were short/ long term effects of this eventual opposition for this person and society? This called for segregation to stop and blacks were given privileges.
*white Man enters the bus, Rosa park is coming from her job is tired and weary. *
White man- Ma’am I have the right to sit here.
Rosa Park- Sorry sir. I refuse to get up.
White man- you have no right to talk to me like that.
Rosa Park- Are we not equal?
White Man- No we are not equal and we never will be.
Rosa Park- well I still will not move because we are equal whether you like it or not.
White man- driver, thus stubborn back lady won’t move!
driver- Ma’am get up and let the man sit down.
Rosa parks- I am weary and tired, I will not move.
Driver- Ma’am, if you don’t get up I will call the police.
Rosa park- I am tired, I will not move, he can sit elsewhere.
Driver- alright ma’am but I warned you.
*police come and take away Rosa Parks*
Judge- Rosa Parks are you or are you not guilty of not giving up your seat?
Rosa Parks- I am.
Judge- why didn’t you get up?
Rosa parks- I was weary and tired and I have had enough that us blacks don’t get the same privileges as the white. What are we animals? If we are then the white are as well.
Judge- For that you are sentence to jail time, maybe you have time to think of what you have done.
Rosa Parks- I will think and I will think, how hateful this world is, how unfair you people are and how these times need to change!
*word reaches Martin Luther King Jr. of what Rosa Parks did*
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