Renaissance Man starring Danny DeVito
“This above all: To thine own self be true.”Polonius to his son Laertes, Hamlet, I, iii
Name these Characters:
1. Main character__Bill Rago, from New York City, moved to Detroit___________
2. His daughter___Emily, wants to be an astronomer_____________________
3. His Girlfriend___SSG Marie Layton, U.S. Army, Personnel Office___________
4. Redneck from the trailer park_Tommy Lee Haywood from Willacoochee, GA_____
5. Football player__Jackson Leroy, Detroit_______________________________
6. Wise guy from the big city __Jamaal Montgomery, Detroit___________________
7. The kid from New York___Donald Benitez, New York City___________________
8. The redhead who sleeps ___Melvin Melvin from the South___________________
9. The girl from everywhere __Miranda Meyers_____________________________
10. The kid who wanted to be like his daddy _Brian Davis, Jr., Grand Forks, ND______
11. The Captain_Tom Murdock, U.S. Army______________________________
12. The Sergeant__SSG “Lew” Cass____________________________________
What is the main characters job before the Army?
13._____Advertising, Marketing_________________________________________
In the Army?
14.______Teacher____________________________________________________
Setting:
15. What city is the Army post near?__Detroit, MI___________________
16. Across the border from what other country? ___Canada________________
17. When is it set? Before or after (circle one) cell phones?
18. When did everyone start carrying cell phones? __1990s_______________
(Extra credit:)
Tonight at home, Google the camp motto. It was on the water tower; the Captain stated it; the Double Ds quoted it.
19. What is it?“__Victory Starts Here________________________________”
20. Therefore, where was this movie filmed? Fort _Jackson____________________
Character Dynamics: What changed for:
22. Main characterlearned to care for others; __found a job that was more important
than any other he had ever had_______________________________
23. His daughter__learned her daddy was not a jerk after all________________
24. Redneck from the trailer park___got to “see more of the world than the woods behind
his trailer park_________________________________________________
25. Football player_learned he could be a “smart jock”; that it wasn’t really an oxymoron_
26. Wise guy from the big city __Learned it was alright to think and speak about deeper
things, that not everything required a disrespectful remark.________________
27. The kid from New York_Learned the joys of reading literature (Shakespeare) instead
of only Archie comic books. Found that Shakespeare’s plays were relevant to today._
28. The redhead who sleeps __found ways to cope intelligently with adversity; had other
avenues of coping rather than simply the escape of unconsciousness____________
29. The girl from everywhere _(a) found the home in the Army that her mother was unable
to provide (b) discovered that she did not have to grow up to be like her mother,
that she could respect herself and command that respect from her peers. (c) that
she could make it; that suicide wasn’t the answer._____________________
30. The kid who wanted to be like his daddy ___had his belief that his father was,
indeed, a hero (Silver Star), vindicated; now he was free to become a hero
like his daddy._______
31. The Captain __saw personal growth in Bill Rago; has his decision to hire him validated._
32. The Sergeant_grew to respect Bill Rago as an individual with valid, though
completely different values and views who actually did care for the men in his charge;
accepted that the work done in the academic disciplines in the classroom had practical
application in preparing men for the battlefield.___________________________
Shakespeare’s Plays:
33.Which play did the soldiers study in their school?
______Hamlet____________________________________________
34.Which play did they go across the border to see?
______Henry V____________________________________________
35.The line quoted at the top of the first page is from the play
______Hamlet, I, iii________________________________________
36.The kid from New York quoted the bold section below from the play __Henry V_______
What's he that wishes so?
My cousin Westmoreland? No, my fair cousin:
If we are mark'd to die, we are enow
To do our country loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share of honour.
God's will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.
By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,
Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;
It yearns me not if men my garments wear;
Such outward things dwell not in my desires:
But if it be a sin to covet honour,
I am the most offending soul alive.
No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from
God's peace! I would not lose so great
As one man more, methinks, would share
For the best hope I have. O, do not wish
Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made
And crowns for convoy put into his purse:
We would not die in that man's company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is called the feast of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian:'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispin's day.'
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day: then shall our names.
Familiar in his mouth as household words
Harry the king, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,
Be in their flowing cups freshly remember'd.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember'd;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
37. Was that enough for the Sergeant?YesNo
Moral Questions:
38. Did the main character do the right thing recommending the young man for officer candidate school? Support your answer with a quote or paraphrase from the movie. Twenty-five words, complete sentences).
39. Did the main character do the right thing requiring the recruits take the test, even though the Army had determined they did not need to. Again, Support your answer with a quote or paraphrase from the movie. Twenty-five words, complete sentences).
40.What did you learn from this movie Support your answer with a quote or paraphrase from the movie. Twenty-five words, complete sentences).
Extra Credit Opportunities:
A.10 points on test – find correct spelling of SSG Cass’s first name. Is it “Lou”, “Lew”, “Lu”? Document your answer by stapling a copy of your supporting evidence from your internet research to the test paper.
B.5 points on test – Where was the military post where this video was filmed. Again, document like (A) above.
C.Where in Canada did Rago take the “Double Ds” to see Henry V?
Below are, in my opinion, the most probable options. You decide
(a)Detroit to Windsor, Ontario, Canada
(b)Detroit to London, Ontario, Canada
