Standard Lesson
Analyzing Symbolism, Plot, and Theme in Death and the Miser
Grades
9 - 12
Lesson Plan Type
Standard Lesson
Estimated Time
Six 50-minute sessions
Author
Publisher
NCTE
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Overview
In this lesson, students apply analytical skills to an exploration of the early Renaissance painting Death and the Miser by Hieronymous Bosch. Students sketch and label the painting, use an interactive tool to explore its elements, apply literary analysis tools to their interpretation, predict the painting's plot, and conclude the unit by creating a project that identifies and explains their interpretation of the painting.
Featured Resources
The Literary Element of Theme: This printable sheet provides students with a concise definition of theme, as well as steps for identifying the theme of a literary work.
Comic Creator: This online tool allows students to easily create and print comic strips.
Plot Diagram (interactive): Students can use this open-ended online tool to graph the plot of any story.
From Theory to Practice
In the introduction of his book, Reading in the Dark, John Golden states, "Kids tend to be visually oriented, able to point out every significant image in a three-minute MTV music video, but when it comes to doing the same with a written text, they stare at it as if they are reading German." Golden goes on to state "the skills they use to decode the visual image are the same skills they use for a written text" (xiii). Golden's book outlines how to use film to help students practice their skills so they can then be transferred to written texts. The following lesson is based on the same principle but uses a painting instead of a film to reinforce the skills that students use to analyze a work of literature.
Further Reading
Common Core Standards
This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.
State Standards
This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.
NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts
- 1. Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
- 2. Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic) of human experience.
- 3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
- 5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
- 6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
- 7. Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and nonprint texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.
- 8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
- 11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
- 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).
Materials and Technology
General supplies for final projects
Printouts
- Death and the Miser by Hieronymous Bosch
- Reading A Work Of Art In Eight Steps
- Death and the Miser Deconstructed
- Identifying Plot graphic organizer
- The Literary Element of Theme handout
- Reading a Work of Art: Student Questions for Death and the Miser
- Projects for Death and the Miser
- Rubric for Projects for Death and the Miser
Websites
Preparation
- Preview the online tool (Reading a Work of Art: Student Questions for Death and the Miser) which offers students an opportunity to work with an interactive image of the painting on their home computer or in a computer lab. After reviewing the interactive, decide which of the two levels in the lesson plan is best suited to the needs of your students.
- Collect resources for the final project—art supplies, old magazines and newspapers, URLs for free clip art sites, materials for costumes and props, and so forth.
- Test the Comic Creator and Plot Diagram tools on your computers to familiarize yourself with the tools and ensure that you have the Flash plug-in installed. You can download the plug-in from the technical support page.
- Find background information on Hieronymous Bosch and Death and the Miser at the National Gallery of Art, WebMuseum, and Elements of Fiction Web pages.
Student Objectives
Students will
- use visual literacy skills to analyze, interpret, and explain how individual elements establish the overall meaning of a work of art.
- examine the details in a work of art by sketching and labeling its major elements.
- identify the protagonist, antagonist, and conflict of a work.
- use an analysis of symbolism and characterization to predict the exposition, rising action, falling action, and resolution of a work.
- apply an understanding of how a work of art uses diction, subject, symbolism, tone, and characterization to analyze and explain the tone and theme of the work.
- write an interpretation of a work through an explication of its individual elements.
Session One
- Introduce this lesson by sharing with students the following points:
- Like a work of literature, a work of art can have more than one interpretation.
- The ideal interpretation is one that can be supported and explained with specific evidence from within the work itself.
- The goal of this lesson is to state an original interpretation of a painting and explain how individual elements in the painting work together to support the interpretation.
- Like a work of literature, a work of art can have more than one interpretation.
- Use an overhead projector or a LCD projector to show students an image of Death and the Miser. If possible, use a tape measure or yardstick to measure out the size of the actual painting (12" by 36.5") so that students can gauge the true size of the images. Measuring out the size helps students visualize the proportions better than simply telling them the painting’s size.
- Read the following description of the painting while pointing to the elements described in the painting:
Painted in 1485 by Hieronymous Bosch, Death and the Miser is an allegorical work of art that reflects the impact of religion and disease on European society during the Middle Ages. The painting focuses on an old miser dying in his bed and staring at a shrouded skeleton walking through the door. The same miser is depicted again at the bottom of the painting as a younger and healthier man placing coins into a lockbox.
- Ask students to sketch and label the major elements in the painting. Remind them to examine the details in the painting more closely, but not to worry about creating a “copy” of the painting.
- Encourage students to use stick figures, primitive shapes, and simple symbols to represent the elements of the work that they identify in their sketches.
- Ask students to use short, concrete phrases when labeling the individual elements in the work.
- Once they have completed their sketches, ask students to write a three to five sentence “Pre-Analysis” paragraph description of what is happening in the painting.
Session Two
- Ask students to use the Death and the Miser interactive to identify the different elements in the painting, and answer all of the questions in the pop-up menus If Internet access is limited use the Death and the Miser Deconstructed handout and the complete list of questions from the tool.
- Remind students to print a copy of the responses.
- Have students use their responses to the questions to complete the assignment Reading a Work of Art in Eight Steps.
Session Three
- Using the Comic Creator tool, ask students to draw six-panel cartoons depicting what they think happened before and after the events depicted in Bosch’s Death and the Miser. The cartoon panels should correspond to the following areas of plot: exposition, conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
- Arrange students in pairs and have them present their cartoons to each other, identifying the following points about their cartoons and the painting:
- The main conflict of the painting.
- How each cartoon panel relates to one of the elements of plot.
- How each cartoon panel connects to the main conflict of the painting.
- The main conflict of the painting.
- Ask student to write a six-sentence summary of the plot depicted in their Death and the Miser cartoon panels.
- Have students record their conclusions by completing the Identifying Plot handout or using the online Plot Diagram tool.
Session Four
- Pass out copies of the Literary Element of Theme handout or display an overhead transparency of the information.
- Go over the literary element, using the theme of a piece of literature that the class is familiar with.
- Divide students into small groups, which will analyze the theme of the painting a prepare a related presentation.
- Using the notes they completed in the previous activities and the Literary Element of Theme handout, ask groups to answer the following questions:
- What is the theme of the painting Death and the Miser?
- What specific elements in the painting establish this theme?
- What is the theme of the painting Death and the Miser?
- Once students have had a chance to work through the Theme Handout, pass out the Projects for Death and the Miser and the Project Rubric.
- Go over the options on the project sheet and the goals outlined in the rubric and explain the amount of time that students will have to compose on their project and to present it to the class.
- Point students to the resources available to them (e.g., collected magazines, paper, markers, and so forth).
- Give students the rest of the session to explore the project options and decide which project their group will work on.
- Explain that students can bring additional resources from home, as needed to work on their projects.
Session Five
- Answer any questions that students have about the projects and the rubric. Be sure to give students details on the time constraints for their presentations.
- Remind students of the resources available to them (e.g., collected magazines, paper, markers, and so forth).
- Give students the entire session to work on their projects.
- If students need more than one session to complete work on their projects, allow additional sessions for their group work.
- At the end of the session, ask any questions and ask students to be prepared to present their projects during the next session.
Session Six
- Give students a few minutes at the beginning of the session to make last minute preparations for their presentations.
- Have each group share their project with the class, keeping strict watch of time to ensure that all groups have adequate time to share their work.
- Between presentations, invite students to discuss what they've seen. This activity should be enjoyable for students; place the emphasis on positive feedback and reinforcement.
Extensions
- Connections to Literary Works
- Allegory: The simple and straightforward presentation of characters and actions in this painting help students move beyond the literal level to the allegorical level. For example, an analysis of the denotative and connotative meanings of “Death” and “Miser” will quickly reveal the allegorical meaning of the work’s two main characters. Additionally, a comparison of the elements in the painting with the images depicting the past and present state of the miser will help students see both the literal and figurative levels of the miser’s journey through life.
- The Divine Comedy by Dante: The allegorical presentation of the Miser’s spiritual journey in this work of art is similar to Dante’s journey through The Inferno, Purgatory, and Paradise. Bosch’s painting also contains many comments on the intuitional corruption of the church during the Middle Ages.
- The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer: The symbolism in this work of art illustrates the impact of disease and religion on Middle Age society in a way similar to that portrayed by the various characters in Chaucer’s work. Compare the miser to the characters in “The Pardoner’s Tale.”
- The Divine Comedy by Dante: The allegorical presentation of the Miser’s spiritual journey in this work of art is similar to Dante’s journey through The Inferno, Purgatory, and Paradise. Bosch’s painting also contains many comments on the intuitional corruption of the church during the Middle Ages.
- Allegory: The simple and straightforward presentation of characters and actions in this painting help students move beyond the literal level to the allegorical level. For example, an analysis of the denotative and connotative meanings of “Death” and “Miser” will quickly reveal the allegorical meaning of the work’s two main characters. Additionally, a comparison of the elements in the painting with the images depicting the past and present state of the miser will help students see both the literal and figurative levels of the miser’s journey through life.
- Connections to Literary Elements
- Plot: Like most works of art, this painting presents the viewer with the climax of the story. This work includes images presenting the miser in both the past and present. This depiction demonstrates the importance of identifying the connection between the conflict and climax when analyzing the plot of a work. Students will easily identify and explain how the earlier image of the miser placing a coin in a lockbox illustrates the character’s conflict with greed and how the later image of the miser dying in bed illustrates the miser’s climatic choice that will resolve this conflict.
- Symbolism: Easily identifiable symbols such as death, represented by a shrouded skeleton, and greed, represented by a demon offering a bag of gold, make this work of art a good tool to help students who are experiencing difficulty interpreting symbols in written text. This work will also help students move to the next step of comprehending the meaning of symbol in relation to other symbols within the same work.
- Plot: Like most works of art, this painting presents the viewer with the climax of the story. This work includes images presenting the miser in both the past and present. This depiction demonstrates the importance of identifying the connection between the conflict and climax when analyzing the plot of a work. Students will easily identify and explain how the earlier image of the miser placing a coin in a lockbox illustrates the character’s conflict with greed and how the later image of the miser dying in bed illustrates the miser’s climatic choice that will resolve this conflict.
Student Assessment / Reflections
- The Rubric for Projects for Death and the Miser provides feedback categories for the presentations. The best feedback on this lesson, however, will come from students themselves. The reaction to projects and accompanying discussion should provide students with information on their success.
- If desired, ask students to write personal reflective pieces on the project their group created. Encourage students to reflect on the kind of project they chose, the relationship between their project and the painting, their use of available resources to create the project, and the connections between literary analysis and the analysis of other texts.
Thanks in advance, Mel Miller
Some of ReadWriteThink.org's lessons contain answer keys, but some do not. In this case, we chose not to publish an answer key for this worksheet to allow teachers the opportunity to treat it as an inquiry projects. If a particular answer is hard to find, the teacher and student can research it together.
Please let us know if we can be of further assistance - lisa
Thanks in advance, Mel Miller
Some of ReadWriteThink.org's lessons contain answer keys, but some do not. In this case, we chose not to publish an answer key for this worksheet to allow teachers the opportunity to treat it as an inquiry projects. If a particular answer is hard to find, the teacher and student can research it together.
Please let us know if we can be of further assistance - lisa
Thanks in advance, Mel Miller
Some of ReadWriteThink.org's lessons contain answer keys, but some do not. In this case, we chose not to publish an answer key for this worksheet to allow teachers the opportunity to treat it as an inquiry projects. If a particular answer is hard to find, the teacher and student can research it together.
Please let us know if we can be of further assistance - lisa
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