Adapt Augustine’s ‘City of God’ (Two Cities passage) with medieval punctuation — Year 12 / 18‑year‑old theatre practice (ACARA v9 aligned)

Overview

This lesson adapts a passage from Augustine’s City of God (the two cities — earthly and heavenly) into a short theatre exercise for 18‑year‑old (Year 12) students. The adapted text uses medieval‑style punctuation to emphasise rhetorical pauses and phrasing, and is scaffolded for close reading, punctuation practice, rehearsal and performance. The activity is aligned with the aims of ACARA v9 for senior English and Drama strands (reading, analysis, interpretation, performance).

Learning intentions

• Understand and explain Augustine’s argument about the two cities and how hope differs when founded on God vs human reasoning.
• Read and perform prose with attention to medieval punctuation and rhetorical cadence.
• Develop dramatic skills: vocal control, controlled pauses, gesture, and ensemble listening.
• Analyse the text’s argumentative structure and present a theatrical interpretation.

Success criteria

• Performer demonstrates clear sense of rhetorical structure (introduction, explanation, comparison, conclusion) through timing and emphasis.
• Use of medieval punctuation (interpuncts/high pauses, virgules) influences delivery and creates distinct beats.
• Performance shows interpretive choice: one clear conception of ‘hope’ and ‘reason’ (e.g. hopeful, sceptical, ironic) and consistent acting choices.
• Peer feedback uses textual evidence to justify comments.

Adapted passage (medieval‑punctuated) — for performance

Because the subject is the two Cities — the earthly and the heavenly — I see that next I must argue about them· First I must explain, so far as the Plan for finishing this Work allows, the arguments offered by humane thinkers· By these they essayed to make themselves blessed in the miseries of this Life; that thereby it may be made clear, how our Hope, founded upon God’s free Gift, differs from their vain hopes· And the thing itself — true blessedness — which God will give, shall be shown not only by Divine Authority, but likewise by Reason; which Reason we may the more freely use, especially against unbelievers·

Notes on punctuation used: the raised dot (·) marks a strong medieval pause (similar to punctus elevatus) — stronger than a comma, softer than a full stop. The long dash/parenthetical marks are kept to show Augustine’s rhetorical asides. Virgules (/) can be added for optional minor pauses when rehearsing.

Lesson plan (60–75 minutes)

1. Warm up (8–10 min)
   • Breath & articulation exercises (3 min): long vowel sustain, resonant 'ah'/'oh'.
   • Ritualised pause practice (5 min): teacher says a neutral sentence and inserts · at various points; students echo and hold the pause.
2. Close reading (10–12 min)
   • Read the adapted passage silently; underline the rhetorical clauses: claim, explanation, contrast, proof.
   • As a class, map argumentative beats (e.g. 'Because…' — claim; 'First…' — explanation; 'And the thing itself…' — proof).
3. Punctuation & voice rehearsal (12–15 min)
   • Teacher reads line by line, showing how the · is a held breath/pause and how long dashes indicate an aside.
   • Students practise lines in pairs, switching delivery styles: earnest, ironic, contemplative.
4. Staging & character choices (10 min)
   • Decide roles: Narrator/Speaker (Augustine voice), Reason (physicalised), Hope (gesture), Human Thinker (contrasting stance), Chorus (optional).
   • Simple blocking: speaker centre, Reason to stage left (calm, measured), Human Thinker stage right (agitated), Hope slightly elevated (on step).
5. Performances (10–15 min)
   • Each pair/group performs 60–90 second reading/mini‑scene of the passage.
   • Peers provide quick targeted feedback (2 stars + 1 wish), using the success criteria.
6. Reflection & consolidation (5 min)
   • Class records two things learned about medieval punctuation and two acting choices that supported argumentation.

Staging & performance notes

• Use the · as an invitation for an internal reaction or a small physical beat (step, head tilt, pause).
• Keep gestures economical. Augustine’s prose is argumentative — gestures should underline logic rather than melodrama.
• Vocal textures: Augustine voice — steady, measured; Reason — clear, almost pedagogic; Human Thinker — striving, rhetorical questions.
• Lighting: single warm wash for the Speaker; a cool side light to isolate Reason when speaking; a soft spotlight for Hope’s short phrases.

Assessment & formative checks

Use a simple rubric aligned to the success criteria. For example:

• Clarity of argument structure (1–4)
• Effective use of medieval punctuation in delivery (1–4)
• Vocal control and presence (1–4)
• Interpretation and embodiment (1–4)

Provide 2 stars + 1 wish peer feedback after each performance.

ACARA v9 alignment (classroom language)

Below is a clear mapping of the lesson objectives to ACARA v9 curriculum aims across English and The Arts (Drama). (If you use official codes in your LMS, map these statements to the specific content descriptions for senior secondary English and Drama in ACARA v9.)

• English — Language & Literature strands
  • Analyse how language features and rhetorical structures position readers and convey argument (interpreting Augustine’s argumentative moves).
  • Use close reading to explain how textual features (punctuation, syntax, rhetorical markers) create meaning and affect tone.
  • Create spoken/adapted texts that shape audience response through vocal and structural choices.
• Drama — The Arts
  • Explore and apply performance conventions (medieval punctuation as a performative tool) to communicate ideas.
  • Develop ensemble skills: listening, responding, maintaining focus while others speak.
  • Experiment with characterisation and staging to present interpretive readings of historical texts.
• General capabilities
  • Critical and creative thinking — analysing assumptions and generating interpretive choices.
  • Literacy — close reading, academic vocabulary (rhetoric, argument, authority), expressive oral language.

Extension tasks

• Write a 200–300 word director’s note explaining your interpretation of Augustinian ‘hope’ and how medieval punctuation guided acting choices.
• Compare Augustine’s argumentative moves with a modern short editorial — identify similarities in structure and differences in rhetorical strategy.

Ally McBeal‑style teacher feedback on an exemplary outcome

Deliver these as quick, energetic, personality‑filled comments (Ally McBeal is witty, immediate, a little heartfelt):

• "Oh my God, that pause — you made the audience catch their breath. Brilliant. You sold Augustine as a thinker who actually feels things."
• "I loved the clarity of your logic — you weren’t just declaiming, you were convincing. That stage left glance when you said ‘our Hope’ — cinematic."
• "The medieval dot? You turned it into a tiny emotional beat every time. That’s theatre intelligence — small choices, big effect."
• "Your Reason character had a luminous stillness. Not a boring lecture — more like a scalpel. Awesome control."
• "If I had one wish: soften the final line one notch. Let the last word hang a fraction longer — then exit clean. Perfection with a tiny tweak."
• "You asked a question with your body — not with your voice. That silent question made the audience do the thinking for you. Dangerous and delicious."
• "Connect the rhetorical beats to physical beats — a small step, a hand to the heart — just another way to make that medieval punctuation sing."

Teacher tips

• Model the lines several times before students perform. Medieval punctuation often requires teachers to demonstrate an unfamiliar rhythm.
• Encourage risk: historical texts can feel stiff, so reward imaginative but text‑centred choices.
• Record performances — students learn a lot from watching themselves focus on pauses and pacing.

If you want, I can: produce a two‑minute staged script variation for three actors from this passage, or supply a printable one‑page handout with the medieval punctuation symbols explained and rehearsal prompts.