Madame Butterfly Lesson Plan

Exploring the Controversy

Kind of Activity:

Classwide Discussion

Objective:

In this activity, students will read two articles and discuss the problematic aspects of Madame Butterfly.

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.6

Structure:

Part 1: Preparation

First, students should read the following articles from The Guardian:

Sex, betrayal, suicide: is Madama Butterfly too sordid to stage today?

One Fine Obscenity

As they read, students should consider the following guiding questions:

1. What are the problematic aspects of Madame Butterfly?

2. What role does the music play in this discussion?

3. How do the author's differ in their assessment of the opera?

They...