Tales, Myths, Legends: Ovid’s Metamorphosis, “Pyramus n Thisbe”

This tale is not foreign to me because we have read it in the play Midsummer Night’s Dream that we learnt in a previous course. That day, Dr. Edwin had assigned En. Abu Bakar to assist us during class. Based on the text given in the compilation book, we were asked to develop a reading text of about 150-200 words and come out with a pre-reading task and two while reading tasks from it.

Throughout the two hours, my partner, Rhodhila and I had written down the simplified version of Pyramus and Thisbe and managed to complete the activities for the reading stages. For the pre-reading activity, we instruct students to underline the names of the characters that appear as teacher reads the story. We decided to ask students to read the story again and identify the plotline as the first while reading activity. They are expected to mark the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and the resolution. Later, for the second task, students are to draw the plotline and write down events that happen at each point.

Completing this short assignment was quite tiring as my partner and I had to crack our heads simplifying the story and design the tasks for the two reading stages. But we were so relieved that we managed to finish on time and later found ourselves smiling at each other, mutually thinking how we could complete such task in merely two hours and how we usually take more time doing it on our own at our cozy rooms. Well, it was quite fun sometimes, looking around the class and saw my friends put up a serious expression and immersed in thoughts with “I’m thinking hard” written on their foreheads. While walking out of the class, I knew what I am capable of doing. Speaking of which, I had learnt to write well, simplifying an archaic text trying not to water down its important events and message plus designing the reading activities. Truly, I grew to love literature more that day.