In Chapter 8 of Animal Farm, how many direct contradictions are there in what Napoleon says and does?

1.In Ch.5, Squealer remarks "no one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal." But in Ch.8 we read of Napoleon's privileged lifestyle: "Napoleon inhabited separate apartments from the others. He took his meals alone, with two dogs to wait upon him, and always ate from the Crown Derby dinner service which had been in the glass cupboard in the drawing-room."

2.In Ch.5, we read of Boxer's maxim, "Napoleon is always right." But in Ch.8 Napoleon makes the mistake of selling the timber to Frederick for forged bank notes.

3.In Ch.6, he contradicts himself by trading with humans through Mr. Whymper.

4.Initially he strongly opposed Snowball's plan of building the windmill, but after having driven out Snowball, he led the effort in successfully building it.

5.To the surprise of  all the animals, he sold the timber to Frederick even though initially he had wanted to sell the timber to Pilkington and not to Frederick: "They were struck dumb with surprise when Napoleon announced that he had sold the pile of timber to Frederick. Tomorrow Frederick's wagons would arrive and begin carting it away. Throughout the whole period of his seeming friendship with Pilkington, Napoleon had really been in secret agreement with Frederick."

6.Napoleon had decreed that drinking alcohol was to be punished by death, but he himself starts brewing whiskey on the farm and the decree is changed to, "No animal shall drink alcohol TO EXCESS."

At what age did Oscar die? And how did he die?

The answer to your first question is not specifically stated in the novel, but it can be deduced by observing the chapter titles as well as their content.  The first chapter is entitled "GhettoNerd at the End of the World 1974-1987" and reveals Wao's "Golden Age" which was when he was seven years old.  Wao was, therefore, born in 1967.  Furthermore, the sixth chapter is entitled "Land of the Lost 1992-1995" and ends right before Wao travels back to Santo Domingo for the last time.  We can deduce that Wao, then, died in 1995 which makes him 28 when he died.  Considering our knowledge of Wao's young life (high school days, college days, teaching days, etc.), that age seems appropriate.

The answer to your second question is also not explicitly stated in the novel.  Oscar dies after being beaten (and/or shot) by Grod and Grundy (minions of "Capitan") in a cane field in Santo Domingo.  The book does not reveal the actual method of death.  However, we know Oscar was pistol whipped the first time he entered the cane field earlier and suffered so severely that it took him a long time to heal.  This time, Grod and Grundy allow Oscar his "last words," and then take his life fairly quickly.  We don't know if he is knocked out first and then beaten, or if he is simply shot.  Either way, Oscar dies bravely in that he returns to Santo Domingo in order to be with Ybon and fully understands the risks involved.

In the novel, does the town of Maycomb change its ways after Atticus' efforts?

There is no real way of knowing whether "the town of Maycomb" changes its ways as a result, but we can certainly look at the actions of a few of its members after the trial to get some idea of the answer. First, the women at the ladies' meetings can, perhaps, be considered good representatives of the town. As Scout helps at the party in Chapter 24, she observes the facade of the women pretending to be concerned with Africa while talking down to their own servants and saying things like "there's nothing more distracting than a sulky darky" and "we can educate 'em till we're blue in the face . . . but there's no lady safe in her bed these nights" (232). Then there are the prison guards who kill Tom Robinson. "They fired a few shots in the air, then to kill. . . . Seventeen bullet holes in him. They didn't have to shoot him that much" (235). Their reactions can be taken to show that they most certainly have not changed. But on the flip side, there is a real change in Boo Radley who leaves his home to save Jem and Scout from a murderous Ewell. I'm afraid that aside from Atticus and family (as well as a few select others), Lee doesn't leave us with a very positive image of the world. Suddenly we hear the voice of Jem echo, "I think I'm beginning to understand why Boo Radley's stayed shut up in the house all this time . . . it's because he wants to stay inside" (227). But then again, perhaps the change of a few is just enough to save our world.

In Chapter 7 of "The Great Gatsby", what was so significant about Nick's 30th birthday?

There are many things that Nick says in the novel that seem to be for no reason but, at the same time, have great significance – this happens to be one of them.  Chapter 7 brings about a small get-together at the Biltmore Hotel including Tom, Daisy, Nick, Jordan, and Gatsby.  During this party, Gatsby and Tom get into a huge argument in which Tom reveals many of Gatsby’s shady secrets to Daisy, Jordan, and Nick.  Nick realizes after the entire fight is over that this was his 30th birthday.  The major significance is that Nick is so involved in the lives of the people around him that he does not even recognize such a major milestone in his own life.  Throughout the novel it is evident that Nick does not count himself as important as he does his relationship with the other characters and trying to be involved in the lives of those characters.  It is Nick’s statement about remembering his birthday that allows the reader to be aware of this.   

What does "Winter Dreams" say about the American Dream?

For Dexter, Judy is the personification of the "American Dream". Like the "American Dream" Judy is very fickle. Dexter is hooked because just as he thinks he is about to capture Judy's attention, she cancels a date with him to go out with someone else. Like the American Dream, her power over Dexter is based on her charm to make herself seem so desirable. However, at the end of the story, Dexter learns she has married unhappily and has lost her good looks. Like the American Dream, her allure becomes tarnished over time. Dexter is very disappointed but, if he really looks at his life, he accomplished a better life than his supposed "American Dream".

What do "The Open Window" and "The Monkey's Paw" have in common? How are they different?

"The Open Window" and "The Monkey's Paw" both deal with death and supernatural events, and both stories reach very unexpected surprise endings. However, they do so in very different ways to achieve very different literary purposes.

"The Monkey's Paw" is a horror story in which the shriveled paw can be wished upon to control fate. Making wishes on the monkey's paw causes Herbert White's grisly death, brings him forth from his grave, and then sends him back again in the story's surprising and suspenseful conclusion. These events are presented as the facts of the plot and are developed to increase the horror when Herbert, out of his grave, tries to come home again.

"The Open Window" also deals with death and a supernatural event, but with a major difference. They are not real or factual. Instead, death becomes a part of the story only as part of Vera's devilish plot to scare the already nervous Mr. Nuttel. Although she details the deaths of Mrs. Sappington's husband and brother while hunting, they never happened. The two men are at that very moment quite healthy and out hunting together, which Vera knows very well. In the story's surprising conclusion, the two hunters return, just as Vera knows they will, walking through the open window into the room where Mr. Nuttel sits, transfixed by their "supernatural" presence. He bolts from the room, terrified, while Vera begins to spin another wild story, continuing to amusing herself.

"The Monkey's Paw" is a serious story meant to build suspense and create a sense of growing horror. "The Open Window" amuses and entertains readers at poor Mr. Nuttel's expense.

Does anyone have a good quote from Huckleberry Finn about Widow Douglass's or Miss Watson's of superstitious/religious beliefs?

Revealed in Chapter 1 of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is the hypocrisy of the seemingly “sivilized” Miss Watson. Huck describes Miss Watson’s constant critique and says, “…they fetched the niggers in and had prayers, and then everybody was off to bed”(3). Presented, is the idea that slaves will reach a state of salvation through prayer. However, revealed is an issue of morality on part of the slave owner. Twain’s invective against slavery is shown because he motions towards a hypocritical claim of slave owners being good people because they simply have their “property” participate in Christian prayer.

Also, in Chapter 1, Miss Watson’s perception of religion being an active role in her life is presented. While being scolded about smoking, Huck says, “Here she was a-bothering about Moses, which was no kin to her, and no use to anybody…yet finding a power of fault with me for doing a thing that had some good in it”(2). Miss Watson is a faithful Christian who uses pages of the Bible to guide her life. This is the opposite of Huck who, unknowingly, sees only practical applications of religion. Again, a sense of hypocrisy is revealed because Miss Watson’s knowledge of biblical references acts as an excuse for her own actions – she takes snuff but scolds Huck for smoking.

Why does Monsieur Defarge show Dr. Manette to selected visitors in A Tale of Two Cities?

Monsieur Defarge shows Dr. Manette to the "Jacques" to inspire them to revolution.

As a former prisoner of the nobility, Dr. Manette is a ruined man, a pathetic figure.  Eighteen years of captivity have left him a shadow of a man, thin, spectral, and unsound of mind.  Dr. Manette in his present state is a stark example of the ruthless cruelty and injustice of the ruling class.

Dr. Manette in his debilitated state is such that Mr. Lorry is incredulous when he sees him.  In utter disbelief, he asks Monsieur Defarge, "Is it possible?", to which Monsieur Defarge responds bitterly,

"Is it possible?...Yes. And a beautiful world we live in, when it is possible, and when many other such things are possible, and not only possible, but done...done, see you...under that sky there, every day".

When Mr. Lorry realizes that Monsieur Defarge "make(s) a show of Monsieur Manette", he is at first angered by the thought that Defarge is exploiting the old doctor.  Monsieur Defarge explains that he only shows him to "a chosen few...real men, of my name...to whom the sight is likely to do good".  In solidarity with the common people, Monsieur Defarge and his fellow revolutionaries call themselves simply "Jacques".  Defarge believes that the pitiable sight of Dr. Manette, reduced to this state by the barbarous aristocracy, will remind them of their mission and galvanize them to action (Book I, Chapter 5).

In chp 6 of "Animal Farm", what is the attitude of the animals to work in harsh conditions and setbacks?

The opening line of the chapter gives us an idea of this.  It says, "All that year the animals worked like slaves.  But they were happy in their work; they grudged no effort or sacrifice, well aware that everything that they did was for the benefit of themselves and those of their kind...".

Toward the early parts of the chapter, the animals seem willing enough to work harder to get their windmill built.  Despite the lowering of rations and the increase in working hours, they maintain the state of mind that they are working now in order to make life easier in the future. 

Then, when Napoleon plans to trade with humans, some of the animals are less confident.  They remember that in the early days of the revolution, they had all agreed never to have any dealings with humans.  They begin to doubt Napoleon's loyalty to the cause after this.  Of course, they become more complacent when the dogs growl at them and Squealer convinces them they had never agreed to a ban on trade with humans in the first place.  This same scenario plays out again when the pigs start sleeping in the beds in the farmhouse.

When the biggest setback of all happens and the windmill is destroyed, the animals are devastated. Of course, Napoleon's explanation that Snowball is to blame is readily accepted, and he urges them once again to continue their work.

Throughout the chapter, animals work grudgingly but willingly.

In "The Crucible" what reasons does Abigail give Parris for her discharge as the Proctor's servant? What might be another reason?

According to Reverend Parris, Elizabeth Proctor has said that "she comes so rarely to the church this year for she will not sit so close to something soiled."  It is clear that Elizabeth's bad feelings toward Abigail run deep: she doesn't just dislike her on a personal level; she also finds her to be immoral and unscrupulous.  Unable to defend herself with evidence against such a charge, Abigail becomes defensive, and she doesn't ever even acknowledge the fact that it was Elizabeth who dismissed her.  Instead, she tells her uncle, "[...] I will not work for such a woman!," implying that it was actually her decision to leave the Proctors' employ.

Parris responds that he thinks it is odd that, in seven months, not another family in the village has called for Abigail's service.  She responds to this charge, saying, "They want slaves, not such as I.  Let them send to Barbados for that.  I will not black my face for any of them!"  In other words, she accuses all the goodwives in Salem of wanting a slave, and since she refuses to be one they find her unsuitable.  Such a defense is designed to secure her uncle's favor and sympathy.  He would not want her to lower herself either, and since he already has personal disagreements with half the village, it is conceivable that he would believe they might treat his niece with a contempt similar to what they show him.

Certainly, as the other commenter stated, the real reason Abigail was dismissed is that she was having an affair with John Proctor, an affair they allude to in their conversation, also in this act.

Where exactly is the rising action in the story "Thank You, Ma'm" by Langston Hughes?

That depends--if you think that the climax is where Luella drags the boy home instead of calling the police on him, then the rising action would be all of the events leading up to that time. For example, Luella walks home from work, the boy tries to snatch her pocketbook, they fall down, she snatches him up and drags him home.

The climax is the part of the story that has the most intense action (internal or external) and this story has several plot points that you can interpret and support as being the climax.

The rising action is everything that comes before that point.

The link below will help you sort out the "pieces" of the plot.

Define the literary term "foil" and give two examples of foil characters from Macbeth.

A foil is a character who provides a contrast to another character, thus intensifying the impact of that other character.  In "Macbeth" Banquo and Macduff are foils for the ambitious and tyrannical Macbeth.

For instance, in Act I, scene iii, the witches appear to Banquo and Macbeth, but while Macbeth seems fascinated by the predictions of the witches, Banquo expresses doubt:

But 'tis strange:/And oftentimes, to win us to our harm/ The instruments of darkness tell us truths,/Win us with honest trifles to betray 's/In deepest consequence. (ll.122-126)

Banquo's skepticism about the predictions of the witches shows him to be a virtuous man, while Macbeth believes  the witches so much that he takes action to effect these predictions.  While Banquo displays valor in battle, the murderous Macbeth has none.

Another foil to Macbeth, Macduff expresses suspicion of Macbeth's ascension to the throne. In Act II, scene iv, he tells Ross that he will not attend the coronation:

No, cousin, I'll to Fife [his castle]...may you see things well done there./Adieu, Lest our old robes sit easier than our new! (ll.36-39)

And, unlike the murderous Macbeth, who has killed Macduff's family, Macduff seeks vengeance only if he can "feel it like a man"; he refuses to strike down Macbeth's forces, only slaying Macbeth himself that Malcolm's heir may become king:

O, I could play the woman with mine eyes [like Macbeth]And braggart with my tongue!  But, gentle heavens,/Cut short all intermission; front to front/Bring thou this fiend of Scotland and myself;/Within my sword's length set him.  If he 'scape,/Heaven forgive him too! (ll.230-236)

What is a classical muse?

In Greek mythology, there are 9 muses, or goddesses, who presided over the arts and sciences and who were said to be the inspiration for such works. Their names and the areas they represent are:

Calliope--she is the chief muse and is the inspiration for writers of epic and heroic poetry, like Homer and Virgil.

Clio--she is the muse of history writers.

Erato--she inspires writers of love poems and songs.

Euterpe--she is the muse of music and lyric poetry.

Melpomene--the muse of tragedy

Polyhymnia--she inspires sacred songs, oratory, and rhetoric

Terpsichore--the muse who inspires dancers and choral music

Thalia--she is the muse of comedy

Urania--she serves to inspire astronomers.

I hope this helps. Visit the links below for more information.

Can you think of 5 characteristics to describe Heathcliff, as well as 3 quotes to explain each characteristic?

I am not going to answer your question completely, but one of the central debates within Wuthering Heights is the nature of Heathcliffe as a character. In particular, there is a dichotomy between descriptions of him presenting him as a monster, and descriptions that suggest he is a man just like one of us.

A few quotes you may wish to use in this regard:

1. Catherine herself urges Nelly to tell Isabella what kind of person Heathcliffe really is: ‘Tell her what Heathcliff is – an unreclaimed creature, without refinement – with out cultivation: and arid wilderness of furze and whinstone… he’s a fierce, pitiless, wolfish man.’

2. Nelly comments on the degradation occurring at Wuthering Heights: "I felt that God had forsaken the stray sheep there to its own wicked wanderings, and an evil beast prowled between it and the fold, waiting his time to spring and destroy."

3. When Heathcliffe bursts in on Catherine and Nelly, he is imbued with almost supernatural strength: "…the casement behind me was banged on the floor by a blow from (Heathcliff), and his black countenance looked blightingly through…His hair and clothes were whitened with snow, and his sharp cannibal teeth, revealed by cold and wrath, gleamed through the dark."

In addition to these specific quotes you may wish to look at the various supernatural adjectives that are applied to the characther of Heathcliffe: "vampire" and "beast" to name but a few.

However, despite these comments on Heathcliffe's monster-like qualities, he is also described as a human.

1. An excellent quote to use is Nelly's reflection on Heathcliffe's misery at Catherine's death: "‘Poor wretch!’ I thought; ‘you have a heart and nerves the same as your brother men!’"

2. Although Lockwood is, undeniably, an unrealiable narrator, he still believes that Heathcliffe is in form at least a gentlemen: "Heathcliff forms a singular contrast to his abode and style of living. He is a dark-skinned gypsy is aspects in dress and manners a gentleman – that is, as much a gentleman as many a country squire…"

Any character study of Heathcliffe needs to investigate this disparity between his human qualities and his monster-qualities.

How does Holden come to learn the true nature of his feelings in The Catcher in the Rye?

Holden is brought to a realization of his true feelings through his experiences alone in New York City after he leaves Pencey Prep early, ahead of the scheduled holiday vacation.  Left to roam, on his own, Holden is stripped of his glib exterior, and literally brought to his knees by exhaustion, both physical and emotional, resulting in his hospitalization.

When Holden arrives in New York City, he is vulnerable and scared.  He cannot go home, he does not want to face his parents.  He can't stay in a nice hotel in the better part of town for fear of running into his parents or their friends.  He decides to hide in a seedy hotel that is filled with undesirable people. 

Holden's experiences at this hotel, including getting beat up by Maurice, the pimp/elevator operator, cause him to get closer and closer to an emotional breakdown.  His escape from the hotel after his encounter with Maurice adds to his anxiety because now he is faced with the need to wander physically as well as emotionally.  

Left to wander in the city, with few options, he ends up getting into more trouble and being exposed to unreliable, untrustworthy people who do not have his best interests at heart.  For example, when he arranges to meet Carl Luce at the Wicker Bar, Holden is desperate to talk to someone about failing out of Pencey Prep.  Instead, Carl is not interested in listening to Holden's sad story of failure. Feeling rejected, Holden instigates Luce into abandoning him at the bar, with the advice that he should see a shrink.

Sally Hayes, another supposed friend, has no interest in listening to Holden or discussing his crazy idea of running away, instead, she accuses him of being irrational and he gets mad and calls her names.  She gets so insulted that she walks out on their date, leaving him rejected and alone once more.

Feeling the need to see someone who really cares about him, Holden sneaks into his apartment and has a brief visit with his sister Phoebe.  His parents are out of the house at the time, and he goes through a host of emotions with Phoebe, who tells him that he will get in big trouble if their father finds out he was kicked out again.  He can't stay home, even though I think that he wants to, because he is not ready to accept responsibility for his failure.

Desperate for human companionship and a sympathetic ear, he goes to Mr. Antolini's apartment only to find unstable behavior, drinking and veiled sexual advances which cause him to flee the apartment in panicked terror.  By the time Holden runs from the Antolini apartment, he is so exhausted, physically and emotionally, that he cannot bear his life, in its present state, any longer.

By the time Holden meets Phoebe in the park and she comes with the suitcase saying that she will runaway with him, he realizes that it was a bad idea.  What happens next Salinger leaves to the reader's imagination, but Holden gets the help he needs and is put in a mental institution for both physical and mental exhaustion. 

What would be considered the major events in Treasure Island?

This is a great book, which means that there are a lot of twists and turns in the novel. Let me give you two examples to show you what a major event would be. 

First, Jim Hawkins and his mother find a treasure map in their inn. This discovery starts the novel. Without it there would be no mystery, no adventure, and no antagonists or protagonists. Immediately after this, Livesey and Squire Trelawney charter a ship to get the famous treasure of pirate Flint. 

Second, another significant event is when Long John Silver is able to find a way onto the Hispaniola. Later on he is found to be a duplicitous person. He poses as a chef but he is actually a pirate who is also looking for the treasure. In the end, he becomes the main adversary and gains the respect of the reader. Finally, he leaves with a portion of the treasure. 

In To Kill a Mockingbird, how does Atticus Finch resist gender stereotypes?

Atticus' lack of gender stereotyping is obvious in how he raises his children. He treats Jem and Scout as equals; when he asks Jem to look after Scout, he does so not because Scout is female but because she is considerably younger than Jem. He never expects Scout to defer to Jem because he is a male member of the household. Also, Atticus cares about Scout's education as much as he cares about Jem's, teaching her to read long before she started school.

Atticus knows Scout is in a tomboy stage of her life and it bothers him not at all. Aunt Alexandra, however, harps constantly that "Jean Louise" (never "Scout"), must be taught to dress and comport herself as a little lady. Atticus listens but does not change Scout's daily lifestyle. Scout recalls that when Alexandra would call her into the living room to meet the ladies of Maycomb, Scout's appearance always caused consternation:

When I appeared in the doorway, Aunty would look as if she regretted her request; I was usually mud-splashed or covered with sand.

Atticus is not concerned with Scout's dress or daintiness; he cares instead that she, like Jem, grows into a strong, compassionate, just, and responsible adult. 

Atticus does not force gender stereotypes upon his son, either. During the terrible events of Tom Robinson's trial, Jem was often upset and sometimes heartbroken. He sometimes shed tears of anger, frustration, and pain when witnessing the racism and injustice that surrounded him. Atticus was sensitive to Jem's feelings, never scolding him for his tears or telling him to "act like a man." Atticus treated each of his children as individuals deserving of respect, as well as love.

What is an example of Amir being kind to Hassan in The Kite Runner?

In the beginning of The Kite Runner, Amir and Hassan are walking to see a movie. A group of soldiers, seeing Hassan (who is a member of the lower-class Hazara), begin to mock him and his mother, who left his father when he was a baby. After they insult her with obscenities and gestures, Amir comforts Hassan:

Later, in the dark, after the movie had started, I heard Hassan next to me, croaking. Tears were sliding down his cheeks. I reached across my seat, slung my arm around him, pulled him close. He rested his head on my shoulder. "He took you for someone else," I whispered.
(Hosseini, The Kite Runner, Google Books)

This comes before Amir's betrayal of their friendship, and long before Amir discovers that Hassan is actually his half-brother. With his words, Amir shows that he was capable of love for family above class structure and popularity, but as an emotional and selfish child, Amir proves unable to sacrifice his own safety to help Hassan when he needed it the most.

In "The Open Window," why is Framton Nuttel taking a trip?

Mr. Nuttel’s peculiar name is very descriptive of the “nervous condition” from which he suffers. He seems to have some sort of mental disorder that keeps him anxious and unable to handle stress. When he describes his illness, he says, "The doctors agree in ordering me complete rest, an absence of mental excitement, and avoidance of anything in the nature of violent physical exercise.” Mr. Nuttel’s sister suggests that he go to the country home of Mrs. Sappleton and soak in the fresh air to relax his nerves. Unfortunately, the “nerve cure” he has come to the country to receive is made worse by the pranks of fifteen-year-old Vera, who tells him a sad and eerie story about the death of her aunt’s husband and brothers while hunting. Mr. Nuttel is enthralled with the story when Mrs. Sappleton, Vera’s aunt, comes in the room to finally greet him. At that moment, Mr. Sappleton and the brothers walk home across the lawn from hunting. Mr. Nuttel truly goes “nuts," thinking he is seeing ghosts, and he leaves the estate scared and more nervous than ever.

Compare and contrast between the film and the book of Great Expectations.

Though there are countless media adaptions of Charles Dickens's Great Expectations, I've found that the BBC's 1989 miniseries is the adaptation that is most true to the novel.  Though this miniseries is divided into "Chapters" that aren't numbered according to those in the novel (instead, they were composed to fit the three 2-hour time slots in which the miniseries originally aired), there is very little that is left out of this film (it's over 300 minutes).  Anthony Hopkins plays Abel Magwitch, and Jean Simmons, who played Estella in a previous film, plays Miss Havisham. 

Though I don't show the entire film because of issues with time, I find that this film is the best when it comes to showing excerpts after reading particular sections.  It is painstakingly complete, with regard to the novel's content, so teachers have the luxury of showing just about any scene they feel is important. 

I tell my students that  because the most important passages in the novel are those of Pip's narration, no film (unless it has a narrator to read these passages, which the BBC series doesn't) can truly capture the brilliance of this novel--not even one that's 300 minutes long and includes virtually every episode in the novel. 

What unexpected action does Abigail take in act four?

Abigail doesn't actually show up in Act IV, but it is because she has run away.  Parris admits to Danforth and Hathorne that Abigail and Mercy Lewis have disappeared along with all the savings he had stored away.  Parris is left penniless and in tears.  Although the flight of the girls serves as evidence that their condemnation of townspeople was simply a hoax, Parris states that they must have left because they were afraid of rebellion.  The judges are disturbed by the revelation of the girls' flight, but not enough to stop the proceedings.  They have killed too many people under the charge of witchcraft for them to stop moving forward.  They refuse to even consider that fact that they could have been wrong in all that they had done.  There arrogance is the cause of Proctor's death in the end.  Elizabeth is saved, however, by her pregnancy.  By the time the baby is born, the hysteria has finally ended.

In Hamlet, who played the part of Julius Caesar when acting at the university?

In Act III, scene 2, Hamlet has a brief conversation with Polonius just after everyone comes in to watch the play Hamlet has arranged.  Hamlet is in a good mood and feeling witty, since he expects to find out whether Claudius is guilty of killing his father.

Hamlet: [To Polonius] My lord, you played once i' the university, you say?

Polonius: That did I, my lord, and was accounted a good actor.

Hamlet: What did you enact?

Polonius: I did enact Julius Caesar: I was killed i' the Capitol; Brutus killed me.

Hamlet: It was a brute part of him to kill so capital a calf there.

So, Polonius is the one who played Julius Caesar.

Who is Matt in "Gathering Blue"?no

Kira, the main character in the story, is an orphan and has a twisted leg.  In this setting (future) those with any weaknesses are left to fend for themselves and/or to die.  One of the friends whom she meets is Matt.  He is from Fen, which is a very poor area.  He is unkempt and scruffy looking.  He helps her move into Edifice.  He has a dog named Branch and another friend by the name of Thomas who is also staying at Edifice.  Matt gives her two gifts as the story goes on, and the second gift ends up to be her father.  He was assumed to be dead after he was attacked from behind and left for dead.  Matt is the reason she comes back into contact with her father and decides to help others in Edifice before joining with her father again.

What's the significance of the nature in "A Midsummer Night's Dream"?

The woods represent nature and the natural state. The characters let their passions get the better of them when they are in the woods (Lysander wants to *sleep* with Hermia, Demetrius threatens violence against Helena, Titania copulates with a helf-donkey, etc.). They do things in the woods that they would not even consider in a more civilized state. They have to navigate the wildness of the woods to finally settle into a tame state of love and civilization at the end.

Is Pearl's behavior really unnatural for a child, or does Hester just imagine that it is? Explain.

Pearl's behavior is very different, although I don't know if I would say "unnatural." This is because she is a symbol as much as she is a person, the living incarnation of the Scarlet Letter.  Part of her behavior might be attributed to "nurture" --- she is always treated as different and perhaps she is changed by that experience.  But she clearly IS the letter, so much so that when her mother takes off the letter in the forest, Pearl refuses to come near her.  Factually this might be because she has never seen her mother without it and she actually does not recognize her without it; symbolically she and the letter are so much a part of her mother, that one does not exist without the other.

The most unnatural thing that happens in the story takes place when Dimmesdale "ownes" her at the end of the story and she becomes a changed child.  Again, acceptance could make a real difference in her life, but this is a bit much.  However, for Pearl as symbol, it's perfect.

What comparisons do you think the narrator would make between her life and her mothers?

The first comparison that the narrator would make between herself and her mother is that at this point in their lives, neither of them are strong enough to be on their own.  The narrator makes a point of telling the reader that she moved back in with her mother not only because her mother could not see and needed her help but also because she, the narrator, was not doing very well in her life either. 

A second comparison would be that both of these women seem to have faced a great deal of adversity in their lives and had to deal with death and near death experiences.  The narrator’s mother obviously had to deal with the death of her husband and her unborn child and the fact that she almost died herself.  Additionally, she almost lost her daughter in the fire but was able to save her instead.  Similarly, the narrator had to deal with a near death experience when the firemen could not save her from the burning house and her mother had to come to her rescue.

How is Lennie's name an incongruity in Chapter 1?

Lennie's name certainly does not match in one way:  He is a large man.  However, it can be argued that it fits his mental capabilities.  Certainly. the bulk and size of Lennie seem incongruous to his allowing himself to be ordered by such a little man as George.  Yet, George definitely dominates Lennie, ordering him to do things.

As George lies on the sand with his hands crossed under his head, he complains that Lennie is

a lot of trouble....I could get along so easy and so nice if I didn't have you on my tail

Earlier he scolds Lennie and calls him "a crazy bastard" and other derogatory epithets.  Yet, while Lennie is sent to fetch dead willow sticks, George hears splashings where Lennie has gone.  "'Poor bastard,'" he said softly...," a comment that indicates sympathy rather than ridicule. Shortly after this, George goes into a long tirade about all the trouble Lennie is, complaining that he always wants what he cannot have.  George says that he wishes he could put Lennie into a cage.  Then, when he looks at Lennie, George's anger leaves him and he feels ashamed for what he has said.

Also in contrast to what George has said about how much better off he would be by himself, George explains to Lennie, "Guys like us...are the loneliest guys in the world....With us it anin't like that.  we got a future.  We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us."

Define classical management.

Classical management is the original "school" of management to develop during the Industrial Revolution.  As businesses were expanding, company owners and managers were looking at hiring in large numbers of employees, many of them unskilled in the trade and even a large number who could not speak English.  Some method had to be developed to train all these workers - hence, classical managment.

This system of management deals with the task itself.  Classical managers seek to outline exactly how work is done in step-by-step increments.  They then provide employees with the procedure and expect the procedure to mimicked exactly.  This is very much a "micro-managerial" style, with the head of the organization (company, branch, etc.) telling workers exactly what to do and how to do it.

Many argue that classical management de humanized the workplace.  Rather than treating workers as individuals, the theory treats them more like machines designed to complete a particular function.  Other theories that developed included behavioral management, which sought to leave the procedure to the worker.  Managers in this area ask for a particular product, but allow for individuality in the completion of the project.

Here is the broader definition of "classical management":

"Classical management emphasized the identification of universal principles of management which, if adhered to, would lead to organizational success. Universal principles encompassed two broad areas. The first was identifying business functions and the second was structuring organizations and managing workers.

In essence, classical theory holds that management is a process consisting of several related functions, such as planning and organizing. Thus, by identifying specific business functions—including marketing, finance, production, and subfunctions within those and other major categories—companies can efficiently divide an organization into departments that work as a process. Furthermore, by carefully structuring chains of authority and responsibility, an entity can successfully facilitate the performance of individuals within departments to achieve company goals."

In One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, how are Ratched and Mrs. Harding similar and how has Mack changed? What are two examples of foreshadowing?

Dale Harding calls the patients "victims of the matriarchy," or victims of feminine power.  Both Nurse Ratched and Vera Harding rob men of their power.  Vera indicates that Dale isn't enough of a man for her and calls into question his sexuality, making reference to his companions who flick their wrists.  She also undercuts his masculinity by flirting with McMurphy and one of the black boy's in Dale's presence.  Nurse Ratched is referred to as a "ball-cutter." This is a metaphor for her castration of the patients as she controls every hour of their day, and forces them to be submissive lest they fall victim to electroshock therapy or lobotomy.

Mack has changed in that he is no longer challenging Big Nurse.  He now knows that she determines the length of his stay at the ward, and he doesn't want to jeopardize himself by giving her a hard time.

We are also clued into the question of Harding's sexual preference.  It also reveals the men's need for McMurphy (specifically Harding's and Martini's).

How does the relationship between Juliet and her nurse change throughout Romeo and Juliet?

Juliet's nurse transforms from guardian to friend in the course of Romeo and Juliet.  At the beginning of the play, the nurse acts as guardian of Juliet.  She hopes for Juliet to wed Paris, telling Juliet, "Go,girl, seek happy nights to happy days" (1.3.110).  Looking closely, the reader will see that it is the nurse who informs both Juliet and Romeo of their respective families in order to discourage their love.  First, without being at all rude, the nurse responds to Romeo's request as to the identity of Juliet's mother.  In regards to Juliet, the nurse tries to name all the other gentlemen going out the door in order to avoid the truth about the man she fears Juliet loves.  However, as the nurse learns the true nature of Juliet's feelings, the nurse's heart weeps for her sweet Juliet.  She willingly goes to seek out the information requested, even by going into the midst of teenage boys and saying, "If you be he, sir, I desire some confidence with you" (2.4.124).  Upon returning to Juliet, and seeing how Juliet hangs on her every word, hoping to hear about her future marriage to Romeo, the nurse does what any good friend would do:  she teases Juliet.

I am aweary, give me leave awhile. / Fie, how my bones ache!  What a jaunce have I had! / . . . / Lord, how my head aches!  What a head have I!  It beats as it would fall in twenty pieces. (2.5.28-29,49-50)

Juliet is beside herself, longing for the news.  Juliet tries to get her friend, her "sweet nurse" to talk more plainly by asking her to be more specific only to be met with, "Where is your mother?" (2.5.58).  Only when Juliet is at her wits end does the nurse say:

Then hie you hence to Friar Laurence' cell; / There stays a husband to make you a wife.  (2.5.70-71)

From this moment on, the nurse does nothing but help the two be together.  Even in the very next line she vows to get a ladder so that Romeo can come to Juliet's room that night and consummate the marriage.  What a friend!

Why is the story called "The Gift of the Magi"?

The Magi were the three wise men who brought gifts to the baby Jesus. They had travelled many miles and gave unselfishly to a child. This act of love is mirrored in the story "The Gift of the Magi". Both Delia and Jim sell their most precious possession in order to give the other person a gift. The irony is that by selling their most prized possession, both Delia and Jim make each other's gift worthless. However, as the narrator reveals, this young couple's love and sacrifice is the greatest gift anyone could possess. The narrator even compares their gifts to those of the magi by saying,"''let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest ... They are the magi."

In "Fahrenheit 451" contrast Montag's attitude towards burning Mrs Blake's house with his initial attitude towards burning. I need 3 reasons for...

If you look at the opening words, it says, "It was a pleasure to burn."  Bradbury goes on to describe the sheer delight Montag gets from burning:  "Montag grinned the fierce grin of all men singed and driven back by flame."  He derives great pleasure from burning, and even in  his sleep "the fiery smile still gripped...his face muscles."  Later however, he quakes to burn Mrs. Blake's house.  Montag feels the woman's "quietness a condemnation" instead of mocking it as he might have done before.  Montag is so afffected by this that he stays home "sick" the next day, and in essence, is never really the same again.

Reasons for this change?  1.  Clarisse McClellan asking, "Are you happy?".  He realizes he is NOT happy, not even close, so sets about figuring out why.  2.  Mildred's suicide only emphasizes his unhappiness because he realizes that no one is happy at all; he wonders how many more times she will try to kill herself, and why she is so disturbed.  3.  Clarisse and the dandelion trick about being in love. He tries defending it, "I am, very much in love!" but goes home and realizes the empty shell his relationship with Mildred has become.  These events get him thinking about what went wrong.  Mrs. Blake's house is one of the final things that pushes him over the edge, to Faber, to reading books, to rebellion and redemption.

In "Fahrenheit 451", what are some adjectives that describe Montag, Beatty, Faber, Mildred, Clarisse and the model society?

It is significant that Ray Bradbury's exposition juxtaposes the character of Montag with Clarisse because the marked contrast alerts the reader to the conditions of the society of Farenheit 451. In this contrast and the awakening of Montag as a result of his encounter with Clarisse, the opening line becomes quite ironic: "It was a pleasure to burn." 

After Montag completes his day of burning, he yet wears "the fierce grin of all men singed and driven back by flame" as he walks home whistling, "thinking little at all about nothing in particular." However, after he happens upon Clarisse, his "inner mind" is awakened. For, in the dark eyes of Clarisse, Montag perceives himself, "dark and tiny, in fine detail, the lines about his mouth...." He later wonders at how rarely people's faces "throw back to you your own expression, your own innermost trembling thought?" Most of all, Clarisse awakens Montag to the fact that he is unhappy, disastified with his life.

Indeed, it is this disastifaction with his life that causes Montag to perceive the shallowness and lack of true humanity in Mildred and her friends. Hoping to escape this void, Montag recalls an encounter in the past with a professor; he contacts this man, steals some books from a fire, and renews his humanity.

*Adjectives to describe him: unhappy, unfulfilled, disastified, alert, revolutionary, courageous, and later re-humanized.

Clarisse is young, slender with a "milk-white" face that possesses a "gentle hunger that touched over everything with tireless curiosity." Whiteness predominates in her person: her face is white, her clothing is white. There is an intellectually hungry appearance to her face, as well, with her eyes "so dark and shining and alive."

*Adjectives to describe her: pure, innocent, eager, curious, human, introspective, pensive.

Although he is intelligent and knowledgeable of much literature, Captain Beatty is an expedient man who uses his knowledge to his personal advantage as he quotes from works in order to refute Montag's defense of literature.

*Adjectives to describe Beatty:  expedient, unconscionable, self-serving, treacherous, unfeeling, dangerous 

Completely indoctrinated by her society, Mildred is but a mannequin of a wife. She is unaware of that she has lost her true humanity, filling her empty life with shows from the giant screen in the living room and conversing hollowly with her equally-idiotic friends. After having nearly killed herself, Mildred denies any awareness of what has happened; furthermore, when Montag tries to awaken her anesthetized mind by reading to her, she becomes angry and later turns her husband in to the authorities.

*Adjectives to describe Mildred:  shallow, empty, devoid of true humanity, tragic, traitorous

Professor Faber is an anachronism in the society of Fahrenheit 451, but he is admittedly too cowardly to act against the censorship of thought. However, he does aid Montag by communicating with him with a two-way radio, and he fosters Montag's interest in books and what they can inspire. After he and Montag escape the Mechanical Hounds and they go to live in the secret retreat of book-lovers, Faber finally feels alive again.

*Adjectives to describe Faber: defeated, intelligent, learned, solicitous, re-awakened to a life of meaning

• The model society

Certainly, the society of Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopia as people are either discontent or dehumanized. It is totalitarian society that dictates people's lives.

*Adjectives to describe the society: dystopian, totalitarian, dangerous, dehumanizing, void, joyless

What is the climax of the story in My Side of the Mountain?I always thought climax was the ending however the school teaches climax as being...

The climax of the novel comes when Sam is faced with a decision at the end of the novel. He must choose either to heed his father's call and join his family or run off and continue to live in isolation in the wild. 

Many exciting episodes have occurred prior to this point in the novel from Sam's stressful survival conflicts (claiming Frightful; gathering wood for winter; the first big snow storm, etc.) to his social conflicts (Sam's encounters with Bando, with the young reporter and with professional journalists). 

It is the social conflict, however, which is thematically central to the novel and to Sam's character.

The book develops the theme of independence versus the need for relationships...

Sam initially goes into the woods to be alone, having lived in a very crowded house with his family in New York City. As he spends more time in the woods, Sam is surprised to find his strong desire to be alone fading. This desire is actually replaced by a conflicted sense that he may actually be happier around people. 

His new sense is put directly to the test when his father calls out to him near the end of the novel. 

One day Sam’s father arrives at his camp with the whole family, including Sam’s mother and eight siblings.

Sam's internal conflict regarding his preferred mode of living comes to its breaking point. He must decide to continue living alone or to greet his family. 

This decision is dramatized in the narrative as Sam's thoughts on the matter are directly related to the reader. Sam even begins to run away, thinking that he is capable of living indefinitely in the woods using the skills he has attained in the past year. 

In the end, Sam realizes that he does desire companionship and he turns around, running to meet his entire family as they make their way up the mountain.

What does the storm at the end of "The Fall of the House of Usher" symbolize?

There are a few critical explanations that shed light on what the storm may symbolize in "The Fall of the House of Usher." The storm begins when Roderick becomes agitated over the noises he hears after interring his sister, Madeline, and becomes worse as the story develops.  Roderick and the narrator soon realize Madeline may not be dead, indicating that the storm may symbolize the growing tension that eventually kills both Roderick and Madeline and drives the narrator from the house. Storms are often used in Gothic texts to evoke feelings of fear, but more importantly, also suggest that something important is happening in the story.  Poe was particularly keen on evoking both emotion, especially melancholy, and helping readers quickly come to the end of the story after a climax had been reached--what he respectively calls the sublime and denoument. Important to note also is that the storm helps the reader realize the end of the House of Usher. Just as storms can often be devastating in nature, the lightening from the storm destroys the house, representing the end of the incestuous and perverse family Usher. Poe also participated in the "gothic explique" which is a technique used in Gothic texts to explain the supernatural.  Given that the lightening occurs when Madeline begins making noises, could rationally explain why she comes back to life.  Poe would certainly have been aware of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1831) which uses the same technique.

In Lord of the Flies, what logic does Jack use to assure the others that there are no large beasts on the island?

In chapter 2 Jack listens to the littlun who is scared.  What he tells Jack, Jack then repeats aloud to the group.  When the littlun says that there's a beastie on the island, Ralph denies it 5 times.  "But there isn't a beastie" is his phrase each time.

Jack, however, uses a different type of logic.  He says, "Ralph's right of course.  there isn't a snake-thing.  But if there was a snake we'd hunt it and kill it."  Jack uses hunting and violence to show that they are in control and will protect the group of boys.  Ralph gets frustrated because he's the only one denying the beast at all.  Jack keeps saying that they will look for it when they're hunting to make sure.  That makes the littluns feel better knowing that Jack and the boys will fight back and kill it.

Compare George Wilson and Tom. What did each man learn about his wife, and how did they each react?

George Wilson is a pitiful character who evokes much sympathy. He is obviously desperate to make his wife happy, but unfortunately lacks the means to do so. He clearly loves Myrtle but has been unable to afford her the life she so much desires - a life of comfort and wealth. They live in poverty in The Valley of Ashes, surrounded by grey, grimy decay - all symbolic of their miserable existence.

When George suspects that Myrtle is having an affair, he decides to hole her up in the room above the garage. His discovery, “I just got wised up to something funny the last two days,” has made him physically ill and he has decided that he and Myrtle would be moving West, "whether she wants to or not." He obviously believes that this would put an end to his wife's affair.

Tom Buchanan, on the other hand, is exceedingly rich. He is conceited and spoilt by wealth. His haughtiness makes him boorish and racist. He believes that women are mere playthings and he continuously indulges in extra-marital liaisons. When he discovers that Daisy is involved in an affair with Jay Gatsby, he is shocked:

"She had told him that she loved him, and Tom Buchanan saw. He was astounded. His mouth opened a little, and he looked at Gatsby, and then back at Daisy as if he had just recognized her as some one he knew a long time ago."

Tom later confronts Jay about the affair and reminds Daisy about some of the tender moments they had shared on their honeymoon and other occasions. The altercation between Tom and Jay frightens Daisy until she eventually relents and declares to Jay:

"Oh, you want too much!”

These words spawn the unravelling of all that Jay had planned for himself and Daisy and gives Tom the upper hand, so much so that he later confidently instructs his wife:

“You two start on home, Daisy,” “In Mr. Gatsby’s car.” 

What is Brutus's internal conflict / inner conflict in Julius Caesar?

In "Julius Caesar" Brutus has internal struggles about his feelings for Caesar.  Part of the problem within Brutus is the fact that he can be influenced, a fact that Cassius is aware of:  "Who is so firm that cannot be seduced?" (I,ii,312) Thus, Cassius persuades Brutus that Caesar is "ambitious" and desires to be crowned as a king and become a tyrant.  In the second act,scene i, Brutus in soliloquy ponders the idea that Caesar seeks power.  He reasons

I have not known when his affections swayed/More than his reason.  But 'tis a common proof/That lowliness is young ambition's ladder/Wereto the climber upward turns his face;/But when he once attains the upmost round,/He then unto the ladder turns his back,/Looks in the clouds, scorning the base degrees/By which he did ascend.  So Caesar may(ll.22-27)

Brutus worries that once Caesar is given so much power, he may forget "the base degrees," the events and people who helped him ascend. So, he decides that Caesar is like "a serpent's egg"(l.32) and the senators must "kill him in the shell" (l.34).  Once Brutus reaches this decision, he is still troubled because he does love Caesar.  Finally, he decides to put the welfare of the state above his personal feelings.  The irony to this is that Brutus is unsuccessful in his leadership and dies tragically himself.

What is a good example of a literary device in Cormac McCarthy's book All the Pretty Horses?

Of course, every novel is full of examples of literary devices, and so what you need to do is go back over the novel and carefully re-read it, paying attention to aspects that could be considered literary devices. Here is a paragraph that contains many from the first couple of pages:

As he turned to go he heard the train. He stopped and waited for it. He could feel it under his feet. It came boring out of the east like some ribald satellite of the coming sun howling and bellowing in the distance and the long light of the headlamp running through the tangled mesquite brakes and creating out of the night the endless fenceline down the dead straight right of way and sucking it back again wire and post mile on mile into the darkness after where the boilersmoke disbanded slowly along the faint new horizon and the sound came laggins and he stood still holding his hat in his hands  the passing groundshudder watching it till it was gone. Then he turned and went back to the house.

Obviously a number of literary devices you can identify in this one paragraph. Consider the simile that is used to describe the train: "like some ribald satellite of the coming sun". Also note the onomoatopoeia in "howling and bellowing". Also note the hyperbole in "endless fenceline". What others can you spot in this paragraph? And also, think about what effect these literary devices are creating. How do they make the train appear? Hope this helps - good luck as you try to spot others and comment on their significance!

What is a description of King Alcinous?

King Alcinous is the King of the Phaecians.  He is a very gracious man to Odysseus.  He is honorable to Odysseus because he is hospitable, just as he's supposed to be to beggars and strangers (in case they may be gods in disguise).  He gives him a large feast with much to eat and drink after getting him all cleaned up.  Then he provides entertainment to everyone in the court with the bard who sings of the Trojan War. This brings tears to Odyseus' eyes and Alcinous then asks his name and where he is from.  So he is an intelligent man because he sensed that Odyseus was someone respected. He is also gracious because he is eager to help Odysseus--both to get him food and drink and because he has his fast ship (for which he is known) that takes Odysseus home swiftly and safely. He even offers his daughter's hand to him in marriage.

In "Death of a Salesman", what were some of the things Willy tried to teach Biff as a boy?

Willie taught Biff a lot of things that didn't serve him well in life.  He taught him that being "well liked" was the most important thing, more important than real skills (like algebra).  When Biff's scholarship was on the line because his teacher dared fail him just because he couldn't pass the test, he went to Boston to find his father because he knew that the teacher would not be able to say no to a man like his Dad.  Unfortunately, what he found in Boston brought both their lives crashing down around them.

In Lord of the Flies, what makes Jack powerful?

Many things make Jack powerful. First is that he is hungry for power. Second in that he is physically big. But ultimately Jack is powerful because he is prepared to use the wild power of the uncivilised tyrant.

Jack is Saddam Hussein gassing the Kurdish villages that may contain rebels. He is Stalin starving millions of Ukrainians as a warning to others. He is Pol Pot killing the middle class Cambodians because they are a threat to his rule.

Jack is powerful because he doesn't care about 'the rules' of society and is determined to be absolute ruler, at any cost.

What metaphor is used to describe Miss Emily in the first paragraph of "A Rose for Emily"?

Using a metaphor, the narrator describes Emily as a "fallen monument". After the narrator says, "the whole town went to her funeral" the metaphor of a fallen monument adds additional stature to Miss Emily and shows the importance of her to the town. However, the idea that she is a "fallen" monument foreshadows some of the more sinister events that will follow in the story. Faulkner then adds more suspense by saying that no one had seen the inside of her house "in at least ten years." Thus, in one paragraph, the author has sparked our curiosity about the true character of this woman.

Who killed Shakespeare? Did he die on his birthday?

There's a conspiracy theory right there! No-one really knows how Shakespeare died, but, as there's nothing in the civil and legal documents telling us it was a murder, it seems unlikely that he was killed. He probably just died of old age.

Some scholars think that the signatures on his will, which he signed on March, 25, 1616, tell us he was sick. That seems a little bit of a stretch to me, though it's not been entirely discredited by scholars. John Ward - a Stratford vicar - wrote in his diary some fifty years after Shakespeare's death that "Shakspear Drayton and Ben Jhonson had a merry meeting and it seems drank too hard for Shakespear died of a feavour there contracted." This is just a rumour though - and written after, long after, the event.

 But most likely is that he just died of old age.

Shakespeare was buried on April 25, 1616 in Holy Trinity Church, in Stratford (you can visit his grave, even today!) which is where had been baptised some 52 years earlier. Shakespeare was baptised on April 26th 1564, and entered into the register. It was common to baptise children three days after birth, so it seems likely that Shakespeare was born on April 23rd. And that is also the date he died.

Hope it helps!

In Act 1, Scene 3 of Macbeth, what does Macbeth's aside reveal about his thinking?how does Banquo's comment support the "Fair is foul, foul is...

In Act I, scene 3, Banquo and Macbeth encounter the three witches who in Act I have stated,

Fair is foul, and foul is fair,/Hover through the fog and filthy air (I, i, ll.10-11)

Upon the request of Macbeth to speak, the witches pronounce their predictions:  Macbeth will be Thane of Cawdor and later King.  To Banquo they say that he will beget kings without ever being one, but he will be "Lesser than Macbeth, and greater."  Puzzled by these words Macbeth and Banquo, speaking in asides, wonder about the predictions made about them.  When Macbeth says in an aside

Blamis, and Thane of Cawdor:/The greatest is behind

he entertains the idea that he will become king, an idea that seems "fair," or good.  He then asks Banquo if he does not hope that the witches's prediction that his children will become kings will come true.  To this Banquo remarks upon Macbeth's eagerness for power:

That [news], trusted home,/Might yet enkindle you unto the crown

Banquo warns Macbeth that what appears "fair" could be "foul," knowing the evil nature of the witches; in other words, the outcomes of Macbeth's actions could be disastrous if he is "won to the harm" of these predictions.  Of course, the irony is that Macbeth does not heed Banquo's warning, and, while the predictions do come true, they are effected by extremely evil and "foul" methods. 

Can someone please explain the Duchess of York's speech "Dead life, blind sight..." from "Richard III"?

DUCHESS.
So many miseries have craz'd my voice
That my woe-wearied tongue is still and mute.--
Edward Plantagenet, why art thou dead?

QUEEN MARGARET.
Plantagenet doth quit Plantagenet,
Edward for Edward pays a dying debt.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
Wilt thou, O God, fly from such gentle lambs,
And throw them in the entrails of the wolf?
When didst Thou sleep when such a deed was done?

QUEEN MARGARET.
When holy Harry died, and my sweet son.

The women in "Richard III" act a lot like the women in Greek Tragedy, which basically means a lot of wailing and a lot of mourning. In this scene, the women all get together to mourn the way that the Wars of the Roses - and particularly Richard himself - has put the men in their lives into the ground. Sons, fathers, husbands, brothers have all gone missing - are all dead. And the women are exhausted with it.

DUCHESS.
Dead life, blind sight, poor mortal living ghost,
Woe's scene, world's shame, grave's due by life usurp'd,
Brief abstract and record of tedious days,
Rest thy unrest on England's lawful earth,
[Sitting down.]
Unlawfully made drunk with innocent blood.

So the Duchess of York is talking about herself and how miserable her life is, in a series of antitheses. Her life is like being dead, her seeing is like being blind... she is like a poor ghost, though she is mortal and living... why? Because her world is a scene full of woe and shame, and she feels that she is the "due" (the thing owed to) the grave, because her life has been usurped by sorrows: by the death of all of her family (except Richard, her son).

She is the brief abstract and record (a written version of something) of a horrible family history. Her life, in short, has been ruined, and is a misery. And at the end, she decides to rest her unrested (i.e. troubled) soul on the earth.

Hope it helps!

Why doesn’t Simon believe in the beast?

In chapter 5, it has become apparent that order is vanishing among the boys on the island.  A meeting is held to, among other things, determine what is the problem.  Piggy suggests that fear among the boys, especially the littluns, is part of the problem.  The boys talk about whether or not there is a beast on the island.  Simon is asked his opinion and he tentatively says that he isn't sure; that maybe it's only them. He means that he doesn't think there is a beast with claws and fangs; something living and breathing outside of them. He thinks that the beast is the evil inside of each of them. Simon is the mystical thinker among the boys and he has been quietly watching them and their interactions.  He seems to understand things on a higher level than the other boys.  He, like the other bigger boys, hasn't seen a physical beast and common sense makes him doubt the existence of such a thing. He has seen, however, the way the boys act and the personalities of the boys, and he understands that there is an inner evilness at work among the boys.  When he sees the parachutist in chapter 9 after his chapter 8 conversation with the Lord of the Flies where he's come to fully understand that he was right about the source of evil on the island, Simon frees the parachutist from his strings and runs to tell the others of his discovery.  They kill him in their frenzy before he can tell them.

What kind of closure does the Requiem provide to the play in "Death of the Salesman"?

The setting of the brief Requiem at the play's conclusion is the cemetery following Willy's funeral. Through this scene, we experience dramatic closure in that we see the various characters' emotional reactions to Willy's death. In their concluding words and actions, several of the play's themes are finalized, with sad irony. 

Happy shows no moral growth or increased self-awareness as a result of his father's death. He continues to make the same unrealistic, empty promises that have characterized his adult life. We leave Happy with no hope that he will ever grow up or behave responsibly or unselfishly.

Linda remains the same loyal, loving wife she has always been, still lost in denial--or not. Linda truly may be unable to grasp the reasons behind Willy's self-destruction, or she may be continuing to live as she has always lived, denying truths she cannot face. Linda's words are steeped in irony: "I can't understand it," she says. Her final words are equally sad and ironic: "We're free . . . We're free . . ." 

A final thematic irony in the play is made complete in the Requiem. Biff continues to insist that Willy did not know who he was, implying, of course, that Biff knew who Willy was. It seems clear, however, that only Charley knew who Willy had been:

You don't understand: Willy was a salesman. And for a salesman, there is no rock bottom to the life . . . . He's a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back--that's an earthquake . . . . A salesman is [sic] got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory.

Biff may have come to understand himself and his own life in some negative and self-defeating way, but he never achieved a real understanding of his father, even though he believed that he had. Thus, at the play's conclusion, no one in Willy's family truly can appreciate his life--or his death.

In Chapter 4 of "To Kill a Mockingbird," in what way does Jem unintentionally get even with Scout?

ON page 43-44 of chapter 4 Dill has just arrived from Mississippi and the children are trying to decide what to play.  Dill says that he "smells death" and the kids start talking about "hot steam."  Jem explains the theory of how to avoid death by the "hot steam" while walking down a road at night, but Scout contradicts him and tells Dill not to believe him.  The children decide to play roll the tire and Jem lets Scout go first.  Ms. Lee writes from this point from Scout's point of view:

"Until it happened I did not realize that Jem was offended by my contradicting him on Hot Steams, and that he was patiently awaiting an opportunity to reward me.  He did, by pushing the tire down the sidewalk with all the force in his body.  Ground, sky and houses melted into a mad palette, my ears throbbed, I was suffocation.  I could not put out my hands to stop, they were wedged between my chest and knees.  I could only hope that Jem would outrun the tire and me, or that I would be stopped by a bump in the sidewalk.  I heard him behind me, chasing and shouting."

In Chapter 14 of "To Kill a Mockingbird", what do we learn from Dill's account of his running away?

Once Dill gives up his wild tale of being left to die in a basement in Meridian by his step-father who chained him to the wall, the sad truth emerges. Dill ran away from home because he felt so unloved and unwanted. He said, "[T]hey just wasn't interested in me." Dill was neglected and ignored at home by his mother and her new husband who effectively excluded him from their lives. They bought him whatever he wanted, but soon shuffled him out of their way. Lip service was paid to their love for Dill, but little else, and he recognized the difference.

Furthermore, Dill felt their basic disapproval of him as a person: "You're not a boy. Boys get out and play baseball with other boys . . . ." The saddest part of Dill's situation is that it has made him feel so worthless. He confides to Scout, "The thing is . . . they do get on a lot better without me, I can't help them any." Dill ran away to Maycomb because Jem, Scout, and Atticus are the only real family he has.

In "The Scarlet Letter" what information does the narrator give about a Puritan's willingness to show excitment, friendliness, or joy?

In Chapter 21, "The New England Holiday," Hawthorne  writes that the townspeople have an "unwonted jollity" upon their normally stern Puritan faces.  Hawthorne remarks that the Puritans

compressed whatever mirth and public joy they deemed allowable to human infirmity...that, for the space of a single holiday, they appeared scarcely more grave than most other communities at a period of general affliction.

Hawthorne cannot but reflect on the irony of such a stern people who have come from England where people lived in

the sunny richness of the Elizabethan epoch; a time when the life of England...would appear to have been as stately, magnificent, and joyous, as the world has ever witness.

These grim Puritans have turned from the joyousness of "bonfires, banquets, pageantries, and processions."  Now there is only is only a "dim reflection" of a lively and happy people. Nevertheless, the colonists do participate in sports, wrestling matches, fencing, and some other activities.  But, Hawthorne continues, there are no theatrical acts, no juggling, no jesters.   Puritanism, writes Hawthorne, wears the "blackest shade" and "darkened the national visage with it," so much so that all the years afterwards have not "cleared" this gloom:  "We have yet to learn again the forgotten art of gayety," writes Hawthorne.

In "The Crucible", why do Tituba, Abigail and Betty name certain people who they claim accompanied the devil?

In the beginning of the play, Tituba, Abigail Adams, and Betty all name Sarah Good and Goody Osburn as being associated with the devil. They do so, first and foremost for self preservation. Secondly, they specifically named Sarah Good and Goody Osburn for one main reason: they both had poor reputations amongst the town of Salem. An outcast and an alcoholic, respectively, are named by these three young females because it would not be regarded as unbelievable if these two women were accompanied by the devil. However, Abigail and Betty eventually begin to name certain people only for their own benefit. This, in reality not in the play, leads to Abigail's ultimate demise because she eventually names the wife of a high up judge which leads her to flee.

What is the primary source for the quote "the pun is the lowest tipe of wit"? How is it connected with the names: Dr. Samuel Johnson & John Dryden?

Actually, the quote "The pun is the lowest form of wit" is attributed to the English dramatist John Dennis who wrote this opinion about 300 years ago. However, the pun, which is also known by the term "paraonomasia" has been around much longer than Dennis. Homer's Odyssey has one of the earliest known literary puns. "In the epic, Odysseus identifies himself as “Nobody” when he’s captured by a one-eyed giant. Later, when Odysseus puts out the giant’s eye, the giant cries for help, yelling, “Nobody is killing me!” Shakespeare plays are full of puns. In fact, books have been written simply on the puns of Shakespeare.

Why did Arthur Miller choose to name the play "The Crucible"?

One definition for "crucible" is a severe test or trial.  This is the definition most often attributed to the play.  There is a direction connection:  within the play, the witch trials were very severe.  Also, many characters underwent severe trials, specifically John Proctor, who not only was put on literal trial, but his integrity, morals, honesty, and convictions were tested. 

Other definitions refer to a container where metals are melted down and fused; the high heats melt most metals, but not all.  In this definition, we can see that many characters (Mary Warren, Goody Good and Osburne) "melted" under the severe heat and pressure of the witchcraft accusation.  But not John Proctor.  He was made of tougher metal.  He signs a confession at first, but in the end "tears the paper and crumples it" and then says, "You have made your magic now, for now I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor".  Being under the severe heat and pressure of this trial, the "magic" he refers to, he is transformed into a stronger man who has withstood what so many others were not able to. 

Because of the various definitions of the word, and its applicability not only to the events, but also the characters within the play itself, "crucible" is an apt word to choose for the play.

What is the book summary of Matilda by Roald Dahl?What is the beginning, middle, and end about in Matilda?

At the beginning of Dahl's book the reader is made to believe the following very quickly:  Matilda Wormwood is misunderstood by her parents since the day of her birth.  Matilda is an exceptional, gifted, and almost supernatural child born to very average, unintelligent, and unimaginative parents. During her toddlerhood, Matilda asks her dad for a book and is pressured to watch television instead.  When she learns about the library, Matilda makes it a goal to get there and learn to read on her own (under the watchful eye of the neighborly librarian).  Matilda reads the classics, not just simple children's books, and is chastised by her parents for her intelligence.  Matilda always finds ingenius ways to get back at them, though, either by putting peroxide in her father's hair dye or superglue in his favorite hat. 

The middle of the novel greatly concerns Matilda's Kindergarten teacher, Miss Honey.  Miss Honey has discovered Matilda's genius as well, but when Miss Honey tries to suggest higher education to the parents, she is met with mega-resistance.  Meanwhile, the horrible headmistress at Matilda's school (who is also Miss Honey's aunt) abuses the children in all of her classes to no end.  Even though "The Trunchbull" is often seen hurling children out of windows and forcing kids to scarf down a class-size chocolate cakes, the worst torturous punishment the children can endure is to be slammed in "the Chokey." 

The end of Dahl's book revolves around Matilda's special powers.  Matilda's supernatural powers stem from the fact that she is psychokinetic (and can manipulate objects at will).  Matilda uses this to her full advantage both with her parents and with Trunchbull.  The climax of the book is when Matilda uses her powers to draw on the chalkboard in the name of "Magnus" in order to scare Trunchbull into leaving the school for good and giving Miss Honey her right inheritance.  Just as Matilda's parents are caught in their cheating business schemes and decide to move to Spain, Miss Honey asks if she can adopt Matilda.  The horrible Wormwoods drive away never to be seen again while Miss Honey and Matilda are left to a beautiful and happy life together.

What are the mixed emotions that Juliet feels when she learns of Tybalt’s death?

At first she feels deceived by Romeo. Her first words in reaction to the news of him killing Tybalt is

“O serpent heart, hid with a flow’ring face!/ Did ever dragon keep so fair a cave?/ Beautiful tyrant! fiend angelical!"

Then the Nurse joins in on blaming Romeo, and Juliet jumps to Romeo's defense.  After all, that is her husband.  She immediately feels ashamed for having called him those names and she scold the nurse for her negative comments about Romeo. 

“Blister’d be thy tongue/ For such a wish! He was not born to shame. / Upon his brow shame is asham’d to sit"

So Juliet's first reaction was to feel betrayed by her husband.  She felt grief for the loss of her cousin.  However, after hearing another person say negative things about him, she felt guilt for badmouthing him, too.  Her emotions are all over the place because she has to take in many different emotions all at once.  She lost her cousin.  Her secret husband is to blame, and then he will have to run from the law, which will add more complexity to the situation.  This poor, young (child) girl has to go through many emotions in a short period of time.

In The Devil's Arithmetic, what lessons did Hannah learn from her experiences in the concentration camp?

To answer this question you might find it helpful to compare Hannah at the beginning of the story with Hannah at the end, after she has had her experience of what the reality of concentration camps was all about. Note how the very first words of the novel are "I'm tired of remembering." We are presented with a Hannah who doesn't want to go and celebrate Passover and complains endlessly about being forced to go and remember what to her is a meaningless historical event that time prevents her from understanding. However, at the end of the novel, when she comes back and "decodes" the tattoo on her Aunt Rivka's arm, she truly learns the importance of remembering and why forgetting will never be an option again:

Hannah nodded and took her aunt's fingers from her lips. She said, in a voice much louder than she had intended, so loud that the entire table hushed at its sound, "I remember. Oh, I remember."

Hannah has learnt how the Holocaust still impacts on her today and why it is so important to go through the same rituals every year to remember the horrific loss of life. She understands more about her roots and heritage, and will never be the same again.

Summarize the last dream of Mitty where he says "Mitty the undefeated, inscrutable to the last." answer with introduction

Walter can only dream of being "undefeated, inscrutable to the last."  Only in his dreams is he strong, courageous and formidable.  On their way home, Walter's wife must make one more stop at the drug store.  There she orders him to wait right there outside the store for her.  She'd "only be a minute." Walter's life has been one nag after another from his wife.  People in society make fun of him.  The ladies at the store, the parking attendant, just people he encounters in every day life laugh at him and find him incapable.  As a man that's hard to accept. So in his dreams, he is the hero.  He always comes out on top.  As his dreams continue through the story, they lead up to the most elaborate dream of all.  He is imagining himself in front of a firing squad, smoking his last cigarette.  If it were real life, this would be his last moment alive, yet in his dream he is calm and confident--right down to the last moment.  So in this last dream he says, "To hell with the handkerchief." Then he takes one last puff on his cigarette and casually yet confidently flicks it to the ground.  He turns and faces a squad that should be terrifying to him.  Yet, he smugly smiles at them showing off his heroic qualities.  This is important because in this dream he is facing death.  He is not afraid.  His "dream-self" will not falter or go down.  He feels invincible.

What is the summary for Act 2 of The Man of Mode?

Townley and Emilia discuss their secret:  Old Bellair is in love with Emilia and has no idea that his son is in love with her as well.  Even though Lady Townley tries to dissuade Old Bellair from loving Emilia becasue she is "melancholy," he refuses.  He tells his son not to fret about marrying Harriet because she's rich.  Young Bellair admits that he has written a letter of obedience to his father that will deceive him. 

Medley appears, and Emilia is excited to listen to his gossip.  Townley admits that Medley exaggerates and speaks of Loveit's jealous rage.  Meanwhile, Medley jokingly mocks the newest examples of literature until Townley demands to hear only gossip.  They exit in order to discuss.

Loveit is in a jealous rage over Dorimant who is paying her no attention.  Pert tries to convince Loveit to stop, admitting Dorimant is in love with someone new.  Bellinda enters and tells Loveit that Dorimant has been entertaining a "tall and slender" masked woman.  They conspire to ruin her.  When Dorimant enters, he admits that men can't be faithful, accuses them of spying, reveals that even he doesn't know who the masked woman was, and tells the audience that his plan is working.  Dorimant then accuses Loveit of flirting with Flutter.  She denies it.  Belinda admits that Dorimant has given proof of his love, but wonders if he will someday use her in the same way.

In "Fahrenheit 451" do Mildred’s friends fit “society’s illusions of happiness” or “conformity and following society’s...

They both could fit under both categories; however, I am going to say that Mildred fits under "conformity" and her friends under "illusions of happiness."  If we take a look at the best glimpse we have of her friends, they seem simply incabable of dealing with any kind of stress, worry, or sadness; they appear to be happy, but it is just an illusion.  They brush negativity off instantly.  When Montag brings up the war, Mrs. Phelps optimistically says of her hubby that just got called to fight, "He'll be back next week...I'm not worried...I'll let Pete do all the worrying." and then she giggles.  She says that her and Pete promised not to shed a tear if something happened, but to go right ahead and get married again.  So, cover up any misery with more activity; cover unhappiness with the illusion of happiness.

When Montag reads them the poem, it wipes their illusions away; Mrs. Phelps is left "sobbing uncontrollably" and Mrs. Bowles gets angry at Montag for reading "hurting words".  They can't stand the thought of anything unhappy; when forced to think of it, they get angry, break down, and try to distract themselves, all to promote the illusion of happiness.

Mildred, as she recoils at the reading of books and eventually calls Montag in to the fire station, can fit under conformity; she tells on her husband just like a good citizen would.

In Much Ado About Nothing, what do Leonato and Antonio say to Beatrice to tease her?

LEONATO:
You must not, my lord, mistake my niece. There is
a kind of merry war betwixt Signior Benedick and her. They never meet but there's a skirmish of wit between them.

This is Leonato, in the very first scene, teasing Beatrice but also explaining to the messenger that his niece and Signor Benedick always have this sort of "merry war": they're always swapping insults, and causing trouble with and for each other. It's an interesting one, because, like the play itself, it's half-bitterly serious and half-comic: it can be quite difficult to tell which.

Here's Antonio and Leonato teasing Beatrice at the party scene, Act 2, Scene 1, and teasing her along the theme which she is most usually teased about:

LEONATO:
By my troth, niece, thou wilt never get thee a husband if thou be so shrewd of thy tongue.

ANTONIO:
In faith, she's too curst.

Beatrice is older than Hero (sometimes, even, played as being middle-aged!) and remains unmarried. Leonato and Antonio wind her up for being too "curst" - quick-tempered and quick to insult - and tell her that she'll never get a husband. It's a joke, but it also has a serious side: Beatrice really is quite vulnerable and upset about the fact that she doesn't have a husband - and equally touchy about the relationship she has previously had (clued at by the text, but never explicitly explained) with Benedick. It's tears behind the smile sort of thing.

But the answer to your question - she's teased because she is unmarried.

What is the meaning of a "Sabbath lull" in the short story The Outcasts of Poker Flats?

This quote is used in the very first paragraph of the story.  It states,

“There was a Sabbath lull in the air, which, in a settlement unused to Sabbath influences, looked ominous.”

In this part of the story, the narrator is describing the setting and explaining how quiet the town was on this particular day.  The term “Sabbath lull” refers to the fact that the Sabbath, usually a Sunday, would be a day of rest, when most people would be home with their families or at church and everything would be much quieter than on any other day. 

This term is also significant because most of the people in Poker Flat would not be the type to go to church or keep the Sabbath day holy.

In The Miracle Worker, what is Captain Keller's job?

Captain Keller, a loyal Southerner who served in the Civil War, is a cotton plantation owner and editor of a local weekly newspaper who wields power both in the business world and in the domestic world. No domestic decisions are made without his approval. 

Perhaps it is his jounalistic background which causes him to be skeptical about the possibilities of his daughter Helen being able to learn from her new tutor, Anne Sullivan.  In the play "The Miracle Worker" Captain Keller acts as the antagonist to Anne, whom he first considers rude because of her candor and with whom he comes into conflict regarding the tutoring of Helen.  It is not until Anne brings Helen to the pump to make her fill the pitcher that Helen has emptied upon her, an experience that causes Helen to make connections between the hand-spelling and the person or thing, that Captain Keller gives Anne respect.

I need three personality traits for Johnny Cade and a supporting detail for each trait.

Johnny Cade is practical; he uses common sense in crisis situations.  After recovering from the initial shock of stabbing the Soc in self-defense, he begins to plan, "We gotta get outa here...We'll need money...a plan...Dally...Dally'll get us outa here" (Chapter 4).  When he is hiding in Windrixville with Ponyboy, it is his idea to have Ponyboy cut and bleach his hair (Chapter 5).  And when he realizes how worried Soda and Darry are about Ponyboy, he decides to turn himself in, reasoning the he "got a good chance of bein' let off easy...(he) ain't got no record with the fuzz and it was self-defense" (Chapter 6).

Johnny is also unselfish.  He overlooks danger to himself to save the children from the burning church (Chapter 6).  He decides to turn himself in when he sees how worried Soda and Darry are about Ponyboy (Chapter 6).  And when he realizes he is going to die, his last thought is for Ponyboy, when he tells him to "Stay gold" (Chapter 9).

Of all the Greasers, Johnny is arguably the most sensitive.  He appreciates literature and poetry, sharing Gone With the Wind and Nothing Gold Can Stay with Ponyboy while they are hiding out (Chapter 5).  He is perceptive enough to recognize the quality of "gold" in Ponyboy, and to realize it is something of rare value (Chapter 9). And Ponyboy himself observes, "Johnny was a good fighter and could play it cool, but he was sensitive and that isn't a good way to be when you're a Greaser" (Chapter 6).

In Alice Walker's "Everyday Use," what are the quilts?

The quilts in the story symbolize Maggie and Dee's family heritage. Made by their mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, each quilt was made from scraps of clothing once worn by the girls' ancestors, including pieces of their great-grandfather's Civil War uniform. The girls view these quilts quite differently. To Maggie, they represent her family; she still remembers with love her grandmother who made one of them. To Dee, however, the quilts have no emotional value. She regards them as a type of folk art that will look impressive hanging upon her walls. (Dee embraces her African heritage while rejecting her personal family history.) Their differing attitudes toward the quilts capture the sisters' conflicting values. 

What is the plot of "The Gift of The Magi"?

The story is about Della and Jim, a young couple that does not have very much money.  So, with Christmas coming Della is worried about buying a gift for Jim.  She has been saving and saving, but only has $1.87, not enough to buy anything with.  So, she decides to sell her hair-beautiful, long hair that is her pride and joy.  She does, and with the money is able to buy a chain for the gold watch that Jim loves so much.  Jim gets home and she presents her gift, only to discover that Jim has sold his gold watch to get her hair clips.  It is a sweet story about the love this couple has for each other, and what they are willing to sacrifice to show that love.

What are the eight steps to relieve suffering according to Hindus?

The eight steps to relieve suffering according to Hindus is actually known as the Eightfold path.  The Eightfold path was created in response to the Four Noble Truths set in place by Siddhartha Gautama, Buddha.  The Fourth installment of the Four Noble Truths was "The way to overcome desire is to follow the eightfold path."

Now the Eightfold path is as follows:

Right views, Right aspirations, Right speech, Right conduct, Right livelihood, Right effort, Right mindfulness, and Right contemplation.

To understand the Four Noble Truths there were two key steps:

1. Commit oneself to the Eightfold Path

2. Live a moral life, avoiding evil words and actions.

What was Dally's biggest fear in S.E. Hinton's "The Outsiders"?Chapters 6-8

Dally's biggest fear is that something will happen to Johnny.

Dally is "of the breed that (can) take anything, because he (is) hard and tough, and when he (isn't), he could turn hard and tough".  He grew up in the streets and was in jail the first time at the age of twelve; he is a hardened character who has learned that by not letting himself care about anyone or anything, he will not get hurt.  Dally has a soft spot for Johnny, however.  Recognizing that the younger boy has had a life every bit as hard as his own, Dally is uncharacteristically touched by the sensitivity Johnny still retains.  Dally cares about what happens to Johnny.

When Johnny tells Dally that he wants to turn himself in, Dally is concerned.  He tells Johnny, "I just don't want you to get hurt.  You don't know what a few months in jail can do to you...you get hardened in jail.  I don't want that to happen to you.  Like it happened to me".

Dally ordinarily doesn't "give a Yankee dime about anyone but himself...he (is) cold and hard and mean".  He has put down his guard only where Johnny is concerned, and his greatest fear is that something bad might happen to the only person he cares about in the world (Chapter 6).

What is the concept of hell in Dr Faustus?

The concept of hell in Faustus contradicts the traditional idea that hell is a physical place where suffering occurs. Instead, hell is constructed as a mental state of suffering which arises from a lack of opportunity to interact with God and heaven.

Mephostophilis appears to Faustus to be on earth with him and therefore, in his mind, ‘out’ of hell. The protagonist asks: “How comes it then that thou art out of hell?” Mephostophilis’ answer clearly dismisses the idea of hell as a place which ‘bad’ individuals are constricted to:

Why, this is hell, nor am I out of it
Think’st thou that I, who saw the face of God
And tasted the eternal joys of heaven
Am not tormented with ten thousand hells
In being depriv’d of everlasting bliss?

Firstly, Mephostophilis explodes any notion of a ‘local’ hell, defining hell instead as a state of mind. The ‘hell’ that he endures on a daily basis is being deprived of ‘everlasting bliss’ and the ‘eternal joys’ that being in heaven brings.

Secondly, Mephostophilis makes it very clear that he suffers and that Faustus will too: "O Faustus, leave these frivolous demands!". Whilst Faustus disputes with Mephostophilis the metaphysics of hell, he declines to accept that he will suffer if he sells his soul to Lucifer. He exercises his fatal flaw – arrogance – and the declarative “I think hell’s a fable” epitomises his naïve nature. He underestimates the effect that the deprivation of the divine will have on him and his repeated ignorance of the good angel and, eventually, the Old Man will culminate in his demise. Faustus’ spiritual decline sees his descent into hell, as he realises the opportunity he has given up – “Damn’d art thou, Faustus, damn’d; despair and die!” – in bequeathing his soul to Lucifer for “four and twenty years” of mischief he has "lost eternal joy and felicity".

In such a way, the concept of hell is used by Marlowe to explore following the wrong path. It is also a critique of the Elizabethan attitude that hell was a physical place filled with brimstone where damned souls were banished to after death. Arguably the idea of the suffering the psyche may endure from deprivation of the divine - especially if you don't believe in the divine whilst alive - is far more chilling than any physical suffering one could be subjected to in a physical hell. 

In Julius Caesar, what are the similarities and differences between Brutus and Caesar? Who is the protagonist?

To find out the similarities and dissimilarities among Caesar and Brutus, we should first focus on the points that divide them in two characters and also classify them individually:

JULIUS CAESAR

============================================

Character Overview: Julius Caesar is the central figure of this play. Yet he doesn’t play any important role that affects or influences the play in any way. Caesar is a character who is sometimes reasonable, sometimes superstitious, sometimes compassionate, and sometimes arrogantly unfriendly. Caesar openly displays a tendency to ignore superstitious warnings and signs that should alert a man of his beliefs. Caesar thinks himself a demigod. He even comes to think of himself older and more terrible even than "danger." His sense of superiority to his fellow humans, as well as his ambition to be a king, ultimately prevents him from observing and reasoning clearly. Caesar is a practicable character in the play who continues to be a role in the play even after his assassination as a warning spirit.

Some points(as questions) focusing on his character:

1 His strengths

(a) What were his achievements as a soldier, general, dictator, patrician, and a nobleman?

(b) How did most of the common folks of Rome look upon him?

2 His ambition

(a) What evidences are there to show that Caesar desired to become King of the Romans?

3 His weaknesses

(a)What physical illness did Caesar suffer from?

(b) How did Caesar allow himself to be persuaded by Decius to go to the capitol where he was murdered? Observe the points, below–

(i) He(Decius) dismissed his superstitious fears by interpreting Calphurnia’s dream in a flattering way.

(ii) He(Decius) appealed to his feelings by saying that he had heard about the Senate’s decision.

(iii) He(Decius) appealed to his pride by suggesting that Caesar would be called a coward.

BRUTUS

==============================================

Character Overview: Brutus is the most complex character in the play “Julius Caesar”. He is proud of his reputation for honor and nobleness, but he is not practical. He made his behavior to fit a strict moral and ethical code, but he took actions that are unconsciously hypocritical. While he loved Caesar, he opposed the ascension of any single man to the position of a dictator. He was a supporter of the republic who strongly believed in a government guided by the votes of senators. While all the other conspirators acted out of envy and rivalry, only Brutus truly believed that Caesar’s death would truly benefit Rome. Torn between his loyalty to Caesar and his obedience to the state, he became the tragic hero of this story.

Some points focusing on his character:

1 His strengths

(a) Brutus was thought to be a noble character by friends and enemies alike. Consider the following areas:

(i) How he treated his friends

(ii) Why the conspirators needed him

(iii) What Brutus himself wanted

(iv) How Caesar looked upon him

(v) What Antonio said of him at his death

2 His weaknesses

Though, still having some positive sides; however, he had serious weaknesses which brought about his downfall and also affected the outcome of the conspiracy. His idealism made him blind to political realities and he made many mistakes of judgement. His lack of political acumen caused him to make unfateful decisions. He overrode Cassius on many occasions although Cassius had a better sense of political reality. Observe some of more of his weak points, given below-

(a) A proud man in some areas like….

(i) When Casius compared him with Caesar, then he said that …..

(ii) He believed in his own judgements even when Cassius had better ones regarding Mark Antony as well as their battle strategy

(b) Too idealistic like….

(i) He saw the killing of Caesar as carving a dish for the gods.

(ii) He explained to the crowd that he killed Caesar because he was ambitious, without giving any supportive proofs.

(iii) He explained to his friends that killing Mark Antony is not necessary because he said that Mark Antony was only a limb of Caesar’s and when they have cut the head off then why cut limbs off, as well.

(c) Too honest – Thatswhy could be easily influenced by others

(d) Too trusty – for that he revealed his negative thoughts to Cassius and he on the other hand, betrayed him and played on his fears and weaknesses

==================================================

So, after observing their individual characters and some points focusing on their characteristics, I can summarize the similarities and dissimilarities among them

- -> Similarities between Brutus and Caesar

• Both are popular and influential - Brutus and Caesar both were similarly honored by the people of Rome. Though, Caesar was more popular and honored by the Romans. They had numerous loyal followers. They were enough powerful and were great politicians.

• Both have the disability of making correct decisions – Both Caesar and Brutus died in the last because of making unfateful decisions. Though; Caesar really was a very sensible person and usually made accurate decisions but, because of being a too realistic, he did not care much for superstitions and thus decides to disobey Calphurnia’s pleas; which resulted in his death. But, Brutus as we see from the beginning of the play, always keeps taking wrong decisions, in which resulted on his death.

• Both were deceived and manipulated by their trusted friends – This is one of their greatest similarities in the story that happens to them in the same degree (amount). Caesar is betrayed by Brutus-his trusty friend and other trusted ones (though, Antonio and his nephew-Octavius remain at his side). Brutus is betrayed by his much-loved wife’s brother-Cassius. Cassius destroyed his life by fooling him. He made him think that the people did not want Caesar as their leader and that he was ambitious and would make Rome miserable. In this way, he made him kill Caesar by making a conspiracy (against him) and also made him betray Caesar. At the end, when Brutus realizes it, however he fell into despair and after losing the battle with Antonio and Octavius; he took the choice of suicide. Really, Cassius is the main pulp (referring to the main cause) for these unwanted events to take place.

-> Dissimilarities between Brutus and Caesar

• Had different characteristics and mentality

• Had different interests

• Had different motives

How has the relationship between Macbeth and his wife changed since the death of Duncan? Why aren't they happy?

Actually, their relationship changes before King Duncan's murder. When Macbeth becomes Thane of Cawdor and begins to believe in the witches' prophecy, he writes to Lady Macbeth telling her his amazing news. The audience does not see Macbeth write the letter, but Scene Five begins with Lady Macbeth's reading it aloud. Macbeth's words make it clear he has embraced the prophecy. He calls her "my dearest partner of greatness" and speaks of their "rejoicing." Lady Macbeth's reaction to the letter shows that she and Macbeth share a strong desire for the crown. This is the last time they commune in harmony.

When Macbeth learns of his wife's murderous plans, he first puts them aside, telling her "We will speak further." When he tells her planning to murder Duncan will stop, she attacks him vehemently, even questioning his manhood. She grabs power in their relationship at that point and maintains it until her own emotional unraveling in Act Five. Thus, Macbeth's most tender feelings for his wife are destroyed early in the drama. He sees her as both incredibly cruel and unwomanly. Ironically, his tenderness toward her revives when her guilt destroys her.

Once crowned, Macbeth and his wife cannot enjoy their power; they guard it jealously. Macbeth kills Banquo to prevent Banquo's portion of the witches' prophecy from coming true, that his heirs would rule. Fleance's escape, however, makes Banquo's murder pointless. Murder follows murder until the final destruction of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.