In Shakespeare's Hamlet, is Hamlet’s behavior a function of his decisions or of his circumstances?

In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Hamlet’s behavior is a function of his circumstances and his related decisions.

At the start of the play, Hamlet (and the rest of Denmark) believes that Old Hamlet died when he was stung by a poisonous snake while sleeping. Hamlet is devastated by his father's death and his mother's hasty remarriage to Hamlet's uncle Claudius (Old Hamlet's brother). However, there is nothing to indicate that Hamlet is at all suspicious about his father's death. Old Hamlet made a habit of napping in the same place, at the same time each day, unattended.

Hamlet's decisions are the result of his circumstances. If the Ghost and Hamlet had never spoken, Hamlet (we can assume) would have continued on with his life. He had not been named king upon his father's death, ostensibly because he was young and did not have the experience with state matters that Claudius did. While Ophelia was not suitable to marry Hamlet (or so Polonius and Laertes believed), it is not impossible to imagine that Hamlet, having a strong will of his own, might have continued to woo Ophelia and marry her, becoming King of Denmark after his uncle's passing.

However, everything is changed with the appearance of the Ghost. When Hamlet speaks to the Ghost in Act One, scene five, the spirit informs him of his uncle's murderous actions. From this moment on, Hamlet's behavior is governed by the decisions he must make because of his new circumstances. Learning of Claudius' duplicity and the assassination of his brother, Hamlet is called upon by the Ghost to avenge Old Hamlet's death. Nearing the end of the scene, Hamlet recognizes the man his uncle truly is (a "villain"), and he declares that he will be faithful to the requests of his father's spirit.

O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain!
My tables—meet it is I set it down
That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain;
At least I am sure it may be so in Denmark.
So, uncle, there you are. Now to my word:
It is ‘Adieu, adieu! Remember me.’
I have sworn't. (111-117)

Hamlet, in order to carry out his father's command, must find a way to take Claudius' life. Claudius is a cunning and intelligent adversary. At the same time, however, Hamlet is now forewarned that Claudius hides the truth with a smile, a mask that covers up the man's true character. (This supports the theme of appearance vs. reality, something also seen in Hamlet's appearance of madness.)

Hamlet knows he must be cautious because (as the Elizabethans believed) killing a king was a mortal sin, damning the culprit's eternal soul. Hamlet's decisions will (from here, on) be the result of his newly revealed circumstances. One of Hamlet's primary concerns must first be to ascertain that the Ghost is "honest," and not sent by the devil to trick him into sacrificing his soul after death to an eternity of torment. Hamlet needs proof.

Hamlet begins to plan before he leaves the battlements. He tells Horatio not to be surprised when he sees Hamlet acting crazy, for while everyone will believe the young prince's grief over the loss of his father is the cause for his seeming insanity, Hamlet explains to his friend that his is the only way he can go about proving Claudius' guilt without raising the King's suspicions. This is Hamlet's second major preoccupation.

As I perchance hereafter shall think meet
To put an antic disposition on (191-192)

Hamlet's "antic disposition" (insane behavior) will be blamed on his grief. Claudius will, therefore, not be surprised as Hamlet travels about the castle, seemingly mad—while the entire time Hamlet is actually listening, watching and calculating his next move. In realizing he cannot trust Claudius, Hamlet realizes he must be extremely careful of almost everyone else. He had not suspected his uncle before: how many others in his uncle's court must he also be wary of?

Unfortunately, in all of his machinations, Hamlet will alienate Ophelia to the point of her madness, and will mistakenly kill Polonius. As a side note, Laertes is a character—much like Hamlet—whose circumstances drive his decisions: first with his father's death and then with Ophelia's death, thereby altering his usual behavior.

Hamlet's behavior is driven by his decisions, which come into play based upon his change in circumstances. His circumstances force Hamlet to make specific decisions in answer to what Claudius has done. In the long run, almost everyone Hamlet cares about (and he) will die because of Claudius' original crime. And with Claudius' decisions, Hamlet's behavior becomes the function of his changed circumstances and related decisions.

How are Joseph Stalin and Napoleon of Animal Farm by George Orwell alike?

In George Orwell's Animal Farm, the pig Napoleon was based on the U.S.S.R.'s brutal leader, Joseph Stalin. Both Stalin and Napoleon were power hungry and put power above everything else. Napoleon trained the farm's dogs in order to exterminate anyone who might go against him. The dogs were representative of Joseph Stalin's secret police--the KGB. Stalin was also a propaganda "king," who used all types of propaganda to control the people. Napoleon's henchman, Squealer, fulfilled this purpose in Animal Farm. Stalin had a five year plan for the purpose of getting agriculture and industry back up and running, and this plan was what the windmill on the farm symbolized. Furthermore, Stalin exiled Leon Trotsky, much like Snowball was chased off the farm by Napoleon and his dogs. 

`2x + 4y + z = 1, x - 2y - 3z = 2, x + y - z = -1` Solve the system of linear equations and check any solutions algebraically.

From the third equation `z=x+y+1.` Substitute it into the first two equations and obtain

`2x+4y+x+y+1=1,` or `3x+5y=0,`

and

`x-2y-3x-3y-3=2,` or `2x+5y=-5.`

Now subtract these two equations to eliminate `y:`

`x=5.`

Now `y=-3/5 x=-3` and `z=x+y+1=3.`

The answer: `x=5,` `y=-3,` `z=3.` Check the solution:

`2x+4y+z=10-12+3=1` (true),
`x-2y-3z=5+6-9=2` (true),
`x+y-z=5-3-3=-1` (true).

What are the effects of floods on different people?

Floods have a great impact on their surrounding ecosystem, including the plants, animals, and people who live there. Some people reap a benefit from flooding, while for others it can be catastrophic. For example, Ancient Egyptian peoples relied on flooding of the Nile river to grow their crops. In contrast, the flooding that resulting from an earthquake off the coast of Japan in 2011 destroyed miles of homes, schools, and public buildings.

In places where the only major source of natural water is rivers, annual river flooding was often celebrated. The Nile river floods yearly and deposits lots of nutrient-rich, damp soil as the water retreats. These flooded areas were cultivated for growing crops like sugarcane, millet, and barley. Mud from flooded areas could also be carried and deposited in areas where crops were beginning to dry out. Animals, too, would flock to the riverbed for water and to graze on small vegetation or prey on smaller creatures! Because of this, the river doubles as a source for both plant and animal foods. Because the Nile runs through a desert, it really served as a vital lifeline for Ancient Egyptian peoples. Today flooding still occurs, but Egyptian people no longer rely on it as the only source of hydration for crops.

In other parts of the world and throughout time, floods have a much worse reputation. Flooding occurs both as a regular, predictable circumstance (as with the Nile) and as a sudden, natural event. These sudden cases of flooding are usually more catastrophic as people are less likely to be prepared for possible damage. When people live near lakes, rivers, or oceans where flooding occurs, a lot of damage can be done. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the South coast of the United States, primarily affecting people living in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Many homes and public buildings were destroyed, some even with people trapped inside. Many people who were not able to flee before the damage began lost their lives. Parts of these states still suffer from the damage of this storm.

Humans adapt to living in flood prone areas in different ways. Some people build their homes on stilts to stay above flood level, while others avoid living within a flood zone entirely. Adaptation isn't just about avoiding negative consequences, but making the best of what nature throws at you. I think the Ancient Egyptian flood-agriculture really shows this to be true!

Sources:

http://www.history.com/topics/hurricane-katrina

http://www.livescience.com/39110-japan-2011-earthquake-tsunami-facts.html

Robert J. Wenke, The Ancient Egyptian State (2009)  ISBN: 0521574870

What are the similarities and differences between an outline and a paragraph?

An outline and a paragraph are similar in that both are components of writing. Both refer to ways in which written work is organized, and both should have a logical structure, one that readers can recognize.

However, they are different in important ways. An outline is like the skeleton or blueprint of an essay. It should be part of the planning and development process for an essay (or other written work). In an outline you provide the most important points you plan to cover, organized by sequence and priority.

A paragraph is a single unit of prose. It is made up of sentences, and often is a component of a larger piece of prose like an essay. If an outline was a blueprint for an essay, a paragraph is like a brick in a wall, or a floor in a building that is constructed.

Paragraphs should be polished and grammatical. Outlines should be clear, but are often rough, a kind of scaffolding or trellis for later finished prose.

What are the themes in the play Harvey?

Harvey, written by Mary Chase, is the story of Elwood P. Dowd and his friend Harvey. Harvey is a giant rabbit that only Elwood can see. Elwood’s sister and niece are embarrassed by him and attempt to have him committed to an insane asylum. But they realize that Elwood is happy as he is and decide to leave him be.

There are several themes explored in this play. One is the idea of reality vs. imagination and which is better to live with. Elwood has an imaginary friend and it makes him happy. His family wants him to live in the real world, but if he is happy, what is the advantage of living in the real world?

This runs into the idea of living up to social expectations. The reason Elwood’s sister and niece want him to change is because they are embarrassed by him. They want to have a good place in society and feel he is hurting that by talking about Harvey in public. Would they feel the same way if they were not concerned with their standing in society?

How does Lyddie react when the bear enters the cabin?

Lyddie remains calm and helps her family get into the loft.

Lyddie lives with her mother and her three younger siblings: a brother and two sisters.  Their father left them alone on the farm to go west looking for work.  Since Lyddie’s mother had been mentally unstable from the time her youngest child was born, that made Lyddie the adult of the group.

One day, the door was not closed well enough and a bear walked into the cabin.  Lyddie immediately takes charge and does not panic.  She tells her mother and siblings not to yell because it might scare the bear.

"Just back up slow and quiet to the ladder and climb up to the loft. Charlie, you get Agnes, and Mama, you take Rachel." She heard her mother whimper. "Shhh," she continued, her voice absolutely even. "It's all right long as nobody gets upset. Just take it nice and gentle, ey? I'm watching him all the way, and I'll yank the ladder up after me." (Ch. 1)

Lyddie stares down the bear, and he acts as if under a charm.  The bear then starts looking around for food.  The butter churn and apple butter are unsatisfying, and the bear goes for the oatmeal.  Lyddie’s reaction is to hope he does not break anything.

 Lyddie held her breath, praying that he wouldn't break anything.  Charles and she would try to mend, but he was only ten and she thirteen.  They hadn't their father's skill or experience. /Don't break nothing, she begged silently. They couldn't afford to replace any of the household goods. (Ch. 1)

This is another example of how Lyddie keeps her head and focuses on the bigger picture.  She is more worried about the damage the bear does than she is afraid of it.

The bear eventually leaves because he drops the hot oatmeal on his head and runs off.  Lyddie, Charlie, and her sisters all think that the incident with the bear is very funny once the bear leaves.  Their mother gets upset though, and does not feel safe any longer.  She decides to go stay with Lyddie’s uncle.

Lyddie says that the bear is their undoing, because it broke up what was left of their family.  Their mother takes Agnes and Rachel, the two youngest, with her.  Lyddie and Charlie are on their own on the farm for awhile until their mother rents out the land and sends them both off to work.

A light rod has two m = 5 kg masses attached the distance d = .2 cm apart, each an equal distance from the center point P. The assembly is...

The kinetic energy of the assembly comes from the rotation of the masses around the central point P. The rotational energy of each mass can be found as

`(Iomega^2)/2` , where I is the moment of inertia the mass around P and `omega` is the angular velocity of rotation.

The moment of inertia for a point mass is `I = mr^2` , where r is the distance between the mass and the point around which it rotates. Since the masses are distance d apart, and are equal distance from the center point P, the distance between each mass and P is d/2. The moment of inertia of each mass is then

`I = m(d/2)^2 = (md^2)/4`

The angular velocity of rotation relates to the frequency of rotation as

`omega = 2pif` . For now, let's express the rotational energy of each mass in terms of `omega` . It will be

`(Iomega^2)/2 = (md^2omega^2)/8` .

The kinetic energy of the assembly is the sum of the rotational energy of each mass. Since they are identical, the kinetic energy equals twice the above expression:

`K = (md^2omega^2)/4` .

When the masses are released, the moment of inertia of each mass will become

`I' = m(L/2)^2 = (mL^2)/4` .

The angular velocity will also change, in a way so that the angular momentum of the system is conserved. The angular momentum before the masses are released has to equal the angular momentum after they slide to the end:

`2Iomega = 2I'omega'` .

From here, the angular velocity after the masses are at the end is

`omega' = (Iomega)/(I')`

or `omega' = d^2/L^2 omega` .

The new rotational energy of each mass therefore will be

`"(I'(omega')^2)/2`

Plugging in the expressions for the new moment of inertia and angular velocity results in

`1/2 (mL^2)/4*(d^2/L^2 omega)^2 = (md^4)/(8L^2) omega^2`

The final kinetic energy of the assembly will be twice the above expression:

`K' =(4L^2) omega^2 /(md^4)`

Now the ratio of the final and original kinetic energies can be found:

`(K')/K = (md^4omega^2)/(4L^2) / (md^2omega^2)/4`

`(K')/K = d^2/L^2`

`(K')/K = (0.2 cm)^2/(1 cm)^2 = 1/25`

The assembly's kinetic energy is multiplied by 1/25 as the result of this process.

In "A Sound of Thunder", what was the purpose of the path?

"A Sound of Thunder" concerns a group of hunters going into the past via a time machine, in order to hunt animals that are extinct in modern times.

A significant amount of exposition is devoted to explaining the possible problems arising from time travel, specifically the possibility of interfering with innocuous events that are in some way directly connected to the nature of the world as we know it. For example, accidentally killing even a single bacterium could alter the course of history, leading to changes that we cannot anticipate, and so the hunters make every effort to minimize their impact on the times that they travel to, with the exception of killing their intended targets.

One direct way of keeping a low profile is the use of an antigravity path (simply called "the Path", the capital denoting its importance) which allows the hunters to walk through the ancient environment without directly stepping on anything. It might also be inferred that the Path is also a metaphor for the path of history itself; staying on the Path is a means of ensuring that you, too, stay on the path of history from which you came. 

What page is this on from The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton? "You take up for your buddies, no matter what they do. When you're a gang, you stick up for...

Johnny is defending Dally in front of Cherry because greasers stick up for each other.

This incident occurs in Chapter 2.  Your quote is on page 26 of the 1989 Dell edition.

Cherry is a Soc, and Socs usually do not socialize with greasers.  When Johnny, Ponyboy, and Dally are at the movies, they run into Cherry.  Cherry is a nice girl, and she talks to the boys even though they are from the wrong neighborhood.  She likes Pony and Johnny, but not Dally. 

"You two are too sweet to scare anyone. First of all, you didn't join in Dallas's dirty talk, and you made him leave us alone. Aid when we asked you to sit up here with us, you didn't act like it was an invitation to make out for the night. …” (Ch. 2)

Dally was rude to the girls, and Cherry in particular thought he was a pig.  Johnny and Pony were polite and although they stood up for Dally, they did not excuse his actions.  This is Johnny’s point when he says that gang members stick up for each other.

The conflict between the greasers and Socs is the main conflict in the book.  It is the reason that Johnny kills Bob in the park.  However, both groups stick together because they look out for each other.

Pony tells Cherry that Dallas would be nice to her if he knew her better.

"He'd leave you alone if he knew you," I said, and that was true. When Steve's cousin from Kansas came down, Dally was decent to her and watched his swearing. We all did around nice girls who were the cousinly type. (Ch. 2)

The point is that Pony and Johnny look out for Dallas, and the greasers are a gang because they look out for each other.  Dallas has a bad reputation, but he seems to be worse than he is.  The others have to look out for him because that is what gangs do.

What are the physical descriptions of Asher in The Giver?

Asher looks like everyone else in the community.

Most of the citizens of the community look alike.  We are not sure exactly what they look like, but we know that they have dark eyes and pink skin tones.  They all also dress alike and have the same "neatly trimmed" hair in a "manly short style which exposed their ears."  There is no color, so they all wear the same nondescript tunics and jackets.  For older children, the jackets button down the front.  Asher’s number is Four, so he was one of the first children in their year to be born.  This means he might be a little bigger than the other kids his age.

Asher is playful and clumsy.  He stands out from his community not by his looks, but by his personality. He mixes up words, drops balls, and gets distracted.  Jonas is concerned about what assignment he will get in the Ceremony of Twelve, since he does not seem to have an adult bone in his body.

"I worry a little about Asher's Assignment," Jonas confessed.  "Asher's such fun. But he doesn't really have any serious interests.  He makes a game out of everything." (Ch. 2)

His parents tell him that the elders know Asher, and that they will figure out what to do with him.  The community’s goal is to provide each child with an assignment that fits his or her personality.

In a community that demands conformity, Asher stands out.  Jonas stands out for physical reasons, because of his light eyes.  Asher, on the other hand, stands out because of his goofy behavior.  The community prefers for everyone to act properly and in a state of complete control.  Asher was beaten when he was younger for using the wrong words.  The experience traumatized him so much that he actually stopped talking for a period of time.

Jonas considers Asher’s behavior “lively foolishness.”  He does not take it seriously. Asher is chosen to be the Assistant Director of Recreation, so he can continue to play all of the time.  The job is a good fit.  After the assignments, Jonas and Asher are not as close.  No one really knows what to think of Jonas’s assignment.

What did Douglass believe his ability to read had caused? What evidence shows why he felt that way?

In Chapter VII of his Narrative, Frederick Douglass enlists the children of Baltimore to teach him how to read.  As he recounts,

The plan which I adopted, and the one by which I was most successful, was that of making friends of all the little white boys whom I met in the street.  As many of these as I could, I converted into teachers.  With their kindly aid, obtained at different times and in different places, I finally succeeded in learning to read.

As he tells us, this knowledge gives Douglass the desire for freedom through reading a book entitled "The Columbian Orator."  Through reading this book, its "dialogue between a master and his slave" and its "mighty speeches on and in behalf of Catholic emancipation," Douglass encounters both "a bold denunciation of slavery, and a powerful vindication of human rights."  After he learns how to read and encounters these arguments, he decides that he can no longer tolerate his condition as a slave:

Freedom now appeared, to disappear no more forever.  It was heard in every sound, and seen in every thing.  It was every present to torment me with a sense of my wretched condition.  I saw nothing without seeing it, I heard nothing without hearing it, and felt nothing without feeling it.  It looked from every star, it smiled in every calm, breathed in every wind, and moved in every storm.

From this quotation you see that Douglass' literacy is directly responsible for his desire for "Freedom" which leads to his eventual escape and emancipation.

In Calvino's "Invisible Cities," there are eleven categories which include different cities. What are the reasons for the names of the categories?

Italo Calvino's works are generally fabulist. Fabulism, broadly speaking, is a form of magical realism in which fantastical elements are placed in an everyday setting.

That being said, Invisible Cities is less a catalogue of cities than a reimagining of cities, or a conjuring of places which reflect and/or contort certain concepts. Marco Polo is not really giving Kublai Khan a detailed account of his own empire, and the great Emperor is quite aware of this ("'Your cities do not exist'" [pg. 59]). Rather, the two men are discussing ideas and possibilities; they are creating an imagined empire, and trying to formulate a rudimentary logic of cities and places ("'I have also thought of a model city...'" [pg. 69]). The dream-like quality of the conversations only adds to a general sense of confusion, reflection, and story-telling.

It follows, then, that the category names aren't explicitly tied to the stories and their subject matter. Rather, they are up for interpretation; depending on how you see it, they can contradict, enhance, or question the stories. They can also provide a framework by which to group stories. For example, the story of Baucis ("Cities & Eyes") tells the tale of a city whose inhabits live high up on "stilts" and look down on the world "with spyglasses and telescopes" (77). 

Does the story of Baucis speak, in some way, to human vision? Are the inhabitants of Baucis purposefully myopic? How come? It is also interesting to note that the city of Phyllis, which also occurs under "Cities & Eyes," is a place where "Millions of eyes loop up at windows, bridges, capers, and they might be scanning a blank page" (91). Are the stories of Baucis and Phyillis in agreement over their treatment of sight? Or are they in conflict? The possibilities are endless. 

I hope this helped!

What is the basis of the classification of algae?

Algae are regarded to be in the kingdom protoctista, which is a conglomeration of organisms that do not fit into the plant, animal, or fungi kingdoms. Most algae are unicellular or multicellular eukaryotes that contain chlorophyll that is used to make their own food via the process known as photosynthesis. Most algae live in aquatic or moist environments. Examples of algae include diatoms, kelp, and spirogyra. 

Because of the range of diversity amongst algae, a scientist by the name of Fritsch attempted to classify algae into eleven classes in 1935. He classified algae based on their types of pigments, the methods of locomotion that are used by the various algae, the various ways in which the algae reproduce, how algae reserve food, etc. The eleven classes of algae are:

1. Chlorophyceae


2. Xanthophycea,


3. Chrysophyceae


4. Bacillariophyceae


5. Cryptophyceae


6. Dinophyceae


7. Chloromonadineae


8. Euglinineae


9. Phaeophyceae


10. Rhodophyceae


11. Myxophyceae.

Characteristics for each of the eleven classes of algae can be found here.

Do the King and Queen believe that Hamlet is mad? Why or why not?

As of Act 3, Scene 1, the King does not believe Hamlet is mad. After Claudius and Polonius have been eavesdropping on Hamlet's quarrel with Ophelia, the King says:

Love? His affections do not that way tend;
Nor what he spake, though it lack'd form a little,
Was not like madness.There's something in his soul
O'er which his melancholy sits on brood;
And I do doubt the hatch and the disclose
Will be some danger;

Hamlet's behavior at the play-within-a-play in Act 3, Scene 2, causes the Queen to think her son must be mad. And when he comes to her chamber in Act 3, Scene 4, she is sure he is mad because she thinks he intends to murder her. She starts calling for the guards, and Polonius, who is hiding behind the arras and can't see anything, starts echoing her cries for help. This leads to Polonius' death.

But then in the tempestuous scene with his mother, Hamlet convinces her that he is 

not in madness but mad in craft

However, he persuades her not to reveal this truth to Claudius. When she goes to see her husband in Act 4, Scene 1, she tells him that Hamlet is

Mad as the sea and wind, when both contend
Which is the mightier. In his lawless fit,
Behind the arras hearing something stir,
Whips out his rapier, cries, "A rat, a ra t!"
And in this brainish apprehension kills
The unseen good old man.

Now Claudius begins to believe that his stepson must be mad, although, ironically, Gertrude no longer believes it but is lying when she says, "Mad as the sea and wind, etc." The Queen will not believe her son is mad for the rest of the play. The King will believe it after Hamlet puts on a show of madness for him in Act 4, Scene 3. Claudius says:

Alas, alas!

It is important to note that the King is now concerned about his own safety. If Hamlet can kill Polonius in a fit of madness, what is to keep him from doing the same thing to Claudius? The King decides to pack Hamlet off to England immediately, and at the end of Act 4, Scene 3, he reveals in a soliloquy that the letters he is sending with Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern call for

The present death of Hamlet.

So the Queen believes Hamlet is mad and then stops believing it after the big meeting with her son in her chamber. But she tells the King her son is mad to protect him from punishment for murdering Polonius. The King started believing Hamlet is mad because of what his wife tells him, and he is convinced of Hamlet's madness because of the act his stepson puts on when he appears before him, talking about how Polonius is in conference with worms and other bizarre things.

In truth, it would appear, Hamlet was never mad from the beginning to the end of the play. After his meeting with the Ghost in Act 1, Scene 5, he swears his friends to secrecy and tells them he 

perchance hereafter shall think meet
To put an antic disposition on...

He has been spied up relentlessly since returning from Wittenberg, and he foresees the possibility that the spying will be stepped up in the future because he knows he is a changed man after what he has been through with a ghost. Hamlet keeps everybody guessing. He is especially afraid of Claudius, who is very suspicious of him already. The play is largely charged by a battle of wits between these two clever men.

If lying was a necessity for Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, how was it also a bad thing?

It is often a necessity for Shakespeare's lovers to resort to lying or deception in order to be together. In Shakespeare's comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream, Lysander and his lover Hermia secretly run away together during the night, in spite of her father's disapproval. Lysander says, "The course of true love never did run smooth."

Romeo and Juliet is a perfect example of similarly "star-cross'd lovers," as the prologue says. The holy Friar Lawrence even participates in the deception by giving Juliet a sleeping potion. Romeo and Juliet lie for love, and the friar lies to unite their two families. The three have good motives in deceiving others. Also, even though the lies lead to the lovers' deaths, the warring Capulets and Montagues make “a glooming peace” and stop their senseless fighting.

However, lying also causes a lot of problems in the play. Juliet’s parents, nurse, and fiancé Paris are heartbroken, first over her fake death and then a second time when she actually dies. Juliet pretends to die so she can be with Romeo, but Romeo is also taken in by this lie before he can be contacted. At this news, Romeo commits suicide, and Juliet follows.

The reason why lying in Romeo and Juliet seems both necessary and bad is because of Shakespeare’s ability to create ambiguity. Ambiguity is a kind of uncertainty that can make fiction engrossing because it doesn’t give easy answers, just as we don’t usually have easy answers in real life. For example, Juliet’s desperate love for Romeo is understandable, but her nurse’s practical advice to make the best of her situation and marry Paris instead is also reasonable. It isn't easy to determine who's right. Thus, the lies told in Romeo and Juliet can be both well-intended and harmful.

What does the following quote by John Conway mean: “The Nazis victimized some people for what they did, some for what they refused to do, some...

The quote attributed to English mathematician John Horton Conway -- "The Nazis victimized some people for what they did, some for what they refused to do, some for what they were, and some for the fact that they were" -- can best be understood through a review of English historian John S. Conway's 1968 The Nazi Persecution of the Churches, 1939-1945, in which the latter Conway discussed the courageous decisions by many Churches to reject Nazi doctrine and to refuse to cooperate in activities that contributed to the genocide known as the Holocaust. In his book, Conway described in meticulous detail how the Jehovah's Witnesses, deemed a threat by the Nazi establishment because of this small but dedicated group's "reliance on Old Testament apocalyptic prophesies were taken together as 'proof' of their being disciples of the Jew Karl Marx and 'pacemakers of world Bolshevism'." The Jews, so John Horton Conway and others have contended, were victimized because they fell outside the parameters within which the Nazis, led by Adolf Hitler, defined the ideal human, or the model Aryan. Even descendants of Jews who had converted, usually under threat of death, to Christianity were targeted for persecution because of the impurity of their blood. Jews, in short, were victimized for what they were. Jehovah's Witnesses were victimized for what they refused to do, in effect, swear allegiance to the philosophy of hatred promulgated by the National Socialist Party of Germany.

Conway's oft-cited quote is a reference to the fact that the German nation systematically persecuted and in most instances targeted for elimination all those who failed to live up to the Nazi ideal. That "failure" may have been physiological, it may have been theological or philosophical, but it amounted to the same thing: defilers of Aryan purity and/or proponents of alien ideologies intended to subvert the German nation. Not even religious conversion could protect someone if he or she had "Jewish blood" running through his or her veins. Racial "purity" was Hitler's goal, and he was astonishingly close to success, at least within the confines of those territories his armies controlled. 

What are the conflicts between John Proctor and the two women in his life—Elizabeth and Abigail? How do their personal conflicts contribute to...

The conflicts arose because John had been involved in an adulterous relationship with Abigail, who used to be their maid. When Elizabeth discovered the affair, she immediately dismissed Abigail. This obviously created tension between husband and wife and resulted in Abigail resenting first Elizabeth, for her humiliating dismissal, and second John, since he later rejected her advances.

Abigail believed that Elizabeth despised her and when they conversed in Reverend Parris' house, soon after rumors of witchcraft in Salem surfaced, she told John:

She is blackening my name in the village! She is telling lies about me! She is a cold, sniveling woman, and you bend to her! Let her turn you like a—

John threatened her with a whipping but Abigail was insistent. She desperately wished for a resumption of their relationship and passionately cried out:

I look for John Proctor that took me from my sleep and put knowledge in my heart! I never knew what pretense Salem was, I never knew the lying lessons I was taught by all these Christian women and their covenanted men! And now you bid me tear the light out of my eyes? I will not, I cannot! You loved me, John Proctor, and whatever sin it is, you love me yet! He turns abruptly to go out.She rushes to him. John, pity me, pity me!

John's abruptly cold rejection became a turning point for Abigail. She then decided to plot against Elizabeth, using the witch trials to exact her revenge and also to finally get rid of Elizabeth and perhaps reclaim John as a lover. When she witnessed Mary Warren fashioning a doll whilst they were in court, she saw that as an opportunity to perform her evil. She later cried out at supper, seemingly suffering terrible pain. On investigation, a needle was found stuck in her stomach. Abigail then accused Elizabeth of having sent out her spirit to hurt her and that she used a poppet to do so.

A search warrant was then issued to Ezekiel Cheever to look for the poppet and to arrest Elizabeth if the incriminating evidence was discovered. Indeed, the poppet, which Mary Warren gave to Elizabeth as a gift, was found in the Proctor house. More remarkably, a needle was seen protruding from its stomach. The evidence was damning and so convincing that even reverend Hale was persuaded. When Elizabeth learned about the true nature of Abigail's accusation that it was she who had sent her spirit to stab her with a needle, she ardently cried out:

Why - ! The girl is murder! She must be ripped out of the world!

Ezekiel Cheever saw this outburst as further proof of Elizabeth's guilt and wanted to proceed with her arrest. John tore up the warrant, but Elizabeth later calmed him down and said that she believed that she had to go with the arresting officers. She was then taken into custody and chained. This event signified a major turning point in the play, for John later implicated himself when he went to court to defend his wife. He confessed to lechery and was incarcerated. 

Evidence of the tension between Elizabeth and her husband arose from the fact that John believed that Elizabeth did not trust that he had completely broken with Abigail. Firstly, he lied about his meeting with Abigail claiming that they had been among others when they spoke, but later saying that they had been alone. Secondly, he seemed unwilling to go to court at his wife's insistence and testify that Abigail was a fraud. Elizabeth saw that as an indication that he still harbored a soft spot for Abigail, for she said:

John, if it were not Abigail that you must go to hurt, would you falter now? I think not.

John was clearly upset about Elizabeth's suspicions and at one point cried out in anger:

No more! I should have roared you down when first you told me your suspicion. But I wilted, and, like a Christian, I confessed. Confessed! Some dream I had must have mistaken you for God that day. But you're not, you're not, and let you remember it! Let you look sometimes for the goodness in me, and judge me not.

In the end though, John did his best to save his wife from the gallows and essentially put himself at great risk in the process. His actions eventually resulted in his execution. 

What happens to Fan in the story A Christmas Carol?

As part of his voyage with the Ghost of Christmas Past, Scrooge visits several of his old haunts.  He visits his old school, where he sees himself spending some of his Christmases alone.  He later revisits a scene from his past, where his sister, Fan, comes to the school to take Ebenezer home with her.  In the scene, young Ebenezer embraces his sister warmly.  As older Scrooge watches this scene, he sadly tells the Ghost of Christmas Past that his sister died many years ago, and that his nephew, Fred (the one that invited him to the party earlier in the evening) is actually her son.  From there, Scrooge moves on to a different scene, joining Fezziwig's party already in progress.

How many moons does Neptune have?

Moons are the natural satellites of a planet. For example, Earth has one and we simply call it the Moon. Many of the planets of our solar system have moons. Neptune has 14 moons. Their names are:

1. Triton


2. Nereid


3. Naiad


4. Thalassa


5. Despina


6. Galatea


7. Larissa


8. Proteus


9. Halimede


10. Psamathe


11. Sao


12. Laomedeia


13. Neso


14. S/2004 N1

The last one, S/2004 N1, is still designated as a provisional moon. These moons are named after lesser gods of the sea and nymphs in Greek mythology. They are thus named because Neptune was named after the Roman god of the sea. Triton, the largest of Neptune's moons, was discovered in 1846. The most recently discovered moon, S/2004 N1, was identified in 2004. 

In comparison, Jupiter has 67 moons, Mars has 2, Saturn has 62, Uranus has 27 and Earth has 1. Pluto, which is no longer a planet, has 5 moons.

Hope this helps. 

What are centripetal forces and centrifugal forces present in Belgium?

Belgium is a country that seems to be on the brink of falling apart.  This implies that the centripetal forces that serve to hold it together are having a hard time overcoming the centrifugal forces that threaten to tear it apart.  The centrifugal forces in Belgium have mainly to do with nationality while the centripetal forces have to do with history, modern political/social norms and, to some degree, with governmental structure.

The major centrifugal force that is tearing Belgium apart is nationality.  Belgium is made up of two main regions, each with its own national majority.  The north of Belgium is called Flanders and the people are Dutch speakers called Flemings.  The south of Belgium is called Wallonia and is made up of Walloons, who speak French.  These two nations never thought of themselves as one.  They were only put together into one state in the 1830s by other powers in Europe.  Today, with nationalist sentiment rising around Europe, this centrifugal force has become more powerful.

The main centripetal force that keeps Belgium together is history.  While Belgium has not been a country for very long, it has existed for over 100 years.  This means that people are used to thinking of the existence of Belgium and they feel it is at least somewhat natural.  Relatedly, people in Belgium are drawn together to some degree by the feeling that modern people should not split with one another over issues of language and culture.  This is particularly true as there is pressure within Europe for greater centralization and less nationalism.  In other words, as Europe has become tied together more closely through the EU, there is some amount of pressure on people to eschew nationalism.  The other centripetal force is the Belgian system of government.  By having a federal system, Belgium gave its two regions a great deal of autonomy and ability to remain distinct. This made it more possible for them to accept remaining together as one state.

Thus, Belgium is affected both by centripetal and centrifugal forces.  At this point, it appears that the centrifugal forces may overcome the centripetal forces at any time.

Farmer Bill has total of 30 animals, horses and chickens. There is a total of 80 legs. The chicken has two legs and the horse has four legs. How...

In order to solve the question, we need to rewrite the word problem into a mathematical equation: 

Let's Assume :

x = chickens

y = horses 

From the word problem we have two equations: 

`x + y = 30` (equation 1)

(we know the total number of animals between horses and chickens are 30 in total)

`2x + 4y = 80` (equation 2)

(we know the total number of legs are 80, a chicken has 2 legs and a horse has 4 legs)

Since we have two equations with the same two unknowns, we can use simultaneous equations:

We began by making 'x' the subject of the first equation:

`x = y-30`  

Now substitute the above equation into equation 2:

`2(30-y) +4y = 80`

`60 - 2y + 4y = 80`

`2y = 20`

`y = 10`

Since, y =10 there are 10 horses

Now substitute y = 10 in equation 1 to determine the amount of chickens: 

`x + 10 = 30`

`x = 30 - 10`

`x = 20`

Since, x = 20, there are 20 chickens. 

SUMMARY: 

Total number of horses = 10

Total number of chickens = 20

What are some themes of Charles Lamb's essays?

Charles Lamb's Essays of Elia were essays written about himself and his sister, Mary. By using the pseudonym Elia, he was able to examine his life at some distance, and many of his essays are Romantic in nature and deal with the whimsical nature of childhood and childhood memories. For example, in the essay "Old China," Elia and his cousin Bridget (who was really his mentally ill sister, Mary) discuss the set of china they purchased when they were little. Bridget thinks they enjoyed the china more when they were young and poor, and now that they are more comfortable financially, they don't enjoy these small pleasures as much. This essay is Romantic in nature, as it celebrates the virtues of innocence, childhood, and simplicity. In "Dream-Children: A Reverie," Lamb, as Elia, tells his children a story about his great-grandmother. He wakes up to realize that the children are only fragments of his imagination, as he is a bachelor. This essay also touches on the magical and fleeting nature of childhood. 

Lamb also wrote about the arts. For example, his essay "On the Artificial Comedy of the Last Century" reignited interest in Restoration comedies, such as those by Congreve. In "On the Acting of Munden," Lamb reviews a performance by Joseph Shepherd Munden, an actor of his day. 

Lamb wrote about personal experiences. In The Last Essays of Elia, in essays such as "Blakesmoor in H---shire," for example, he writes about touring an abandoned family mansion. The tour elicits a feeling of mystery in him and provokes memories of the way the mansion stood intact and imposing during his childhood. The themes in this essay are also Romantic in nature, as this essay deals with the recollections of childhood, the mystery of life, and the contemplation of decay. 

Why was the Magna Carta drawn up?

The Magna Carta, drafted in 1215, was the solution to a political crisis between King John and those opposed to tax policies and disagreement with the Pope. The medieval feudal system essentially established the king as the creator, distributor, and mediator of laws in the land. Likewise, the laws were unclear and could change often. English barons rose up against King John and recruited allies in France and Scotland who were loyal to the Pope, who had excommunicated King James. A civil war broke out and after much fighting, John met with the rebels at Runnymede and there they negotiated and signed the Magna Carta. John later protested that he was coerced into signing the document, which was partly true, as he had to concede some power to stay on the throne.

The document itself enshrined protections and liberties for the Church, towns, and the individual. The document, for example, protected individuals form having their property seized and gave them the right to justice in a court. The document also stated that no one was above the law, not even the king.

So the Magna Carta, in essence, can be understood as the first major step in limiting the power of the feudal system by enshrining in law protections of religion, property, and individual liberty.

Explain a simile from the poem "The Bight" by Elizabeth Bishop.

The following is an explanation of a simile from the poem "The Bight" by Elizabeth Bishop:

The lines I’m highlighting from this 36-line poem are lines 11 to 13:

The birds are outsize. Pelicans crash

into this peculiar gas unnecessarily hard,

it seems to me, like pickaxes,

 

First we have to define a simile, which is a literary/poetic device. In essence, a simile compares two things that are unalike. The comparison of these two disparate things lends clarity to both things.

Therefore, in the poem “The Bight”, Elizabeth Bishop compares the pelicans to pickaxes. She is comparing living creatures to inanimate (non-living) objects. The word ‘like’ in line 13 is the comparison word that’s a bridge between the two separate things.

The poet is saying that the pelicans crashing (with their large beaks) are like pickaxes when they are pounded into something, such as wood. So the reader of this poem can visualize the pelicans crashing and their beaks hitting something, while at the same time visualizing a pickaxe striking something very forcefully.

As a result, the reader has a better understanding and picture in their mind of pelicans and what they are doing because of the comparison to pickaxes. This gives the poem more clarity for the reader. Vice-versa, the reader can now look upon pickaxes in a different light – comparing them to fleshly pelicans with big beaks whenever they see a pickaxe.

Another example of a simile in “The Bight” is this line (line 3 from the poem):

and the boats are dry, the pilings dry as matches.

 

The pilings in the harbor area, which are wooden posts wrapped with rope at dockside, are so dry that they resemble matchsticks. So, again, two different things are compared by way of the poetic device of simile. The comparison word here is ‘as’.

How do you rewrite the following sentence without using figurative language? "Lana eats books for breakfast."

Figurative language can be defined as language that is not meant to be understood literally.  Instead, it is language where you are saying things that are not literally true in order to get a point across more effectively.  If you write something that has no figurative language in it, you are writing something that is literally true.  So, in this question, you need to figure out how to change the sentence from one that uses figurative language to one that is literally true.

To do this, you need to figure out what this figurative language means.  We can infer that it means that Lana reads books so voraciously that she seems to be eating them for breakfast.  So, we need to change the sentence to say something like that.

For example, your sentence might say, “Lana enjoys reading books very much.”  Alternatively, it might say “Lana reads a large number of books because she is very fond of reading.”  Either way, you are getting the same point across without using any figurative language.

In Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, what are three ways that Holden lies to himself?

Holden is certainly an interesting character who does lie to himself. He openly admits it by saying, "I'm the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life. It's awful" (16). If he lies to everyone else, why not himself? Of course, liars don't believe that they actually would lie to themselves. When a person lies to him or herself, it's usually done by way of deceit, denial, or avoiding responsibility for something.

One example of Holden lying to himself is when he avoids taking responsibility for leaving the fencing team's foils on the subway. We read about it as he is standing on a hill watching the school's game of the night alone rather than down in the audience participating. He says that the team "ostracized" him, so we infer that is the reason why he didn't go to the game. In his defense he says,

". . .we didn't have the meet. I left all the foils and equipment and stuff on the goddam subway. It wasn't all my fault. I had to keep getting up to look at this map, so we'd know where to get off"(3).

Another way Holden lies to himself is when it comes to getting kicked out of schools. He gets kicked out of Whooton, Elkton Hills, and Pencey. He explains it to Mr. Spencer this way:

"I didn't have too much difficulty at Elkton Hills . . . I didn't exactly flunk out or anything. I just quit, sort of" (13).

It's as if he deals in half-truths because that may have been part of the reason he left Elkton Hills. But then he goes on to say that he left because he was "surrounded by phonies"(13). This isn't taking responsibility, either. He isn't facing facts. What might have been the main reason for him quitting at Elkton Hills was that bullies indirectly forced James Castle into committing suicide. Rather than facing that the suicide freaked him out, he indirectly blames leaving that school on "phonies."

Finally, Holden lies to himself about his relationships with girls--specifically with Jane. Mostly, he's confused, inconsistent, and lives in a fantasy world about this girl; but that's not unlike lying. For example, he believes he had a real connection with Jane and therefore gets jealous when he finds out she's going out on a date with his roommate Stradlater. Then he obsesses over her for most of the book. He even says,

"Then she really started to cry, and the next thing I knew, I was kissing her all over-anywhere-her eyes, her nose, her forehead, her eyebrows and all, her ears-her whole face except her mouth and all. She sort of wouldn't let me get to her mouth" (79).

What he isn't doing here is reading Jane's body language. She doesn't want to kiss him, yet he's all over her. He thinks he's comforting her and that they have this great connection, but she will only hold his hands in the movies. She won't let the relationship move forward. Deep down, he must know he doesn't have a chance with Jane because he never gets up the nerve to actually call her.

What is a topic in The Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass that I can compare and contrast? The topic needs to be in the book only as well.

There are several topics in this classic work which you could compare and contrast.

The two biggest are also fairly obvious. First, you could compare the experience of African Americans and Caucasians during the period of slavery (as shown in this book). Second, you could compare the life Douglass led as a slave to the life he led once he was free. These would address a number of the book's major themes, and you would have a lot of examples to work with.

A more subtle compare and contrast approach would be to compare the different owners or slaveholders Douglass encounters. That way you could look at a very complex issue: how did the attitudes of whites, specifically slave owners, differ from one another? And where do they differ (that's the contrast)? You could then make an argument about what these similarities and differences mean.

How long have Atticus and Calpurnia known each other?

By all accounts, it looks like Calpurnia has worked for Atticus for around 10 years.  She comes to work for them shortly after Jem is born.   Scout has known Calpurnia all her life. The novel doesn’t mention why Calpurnia comes to work for the Finches because she starts when Atticus' wife is still alive. However, after his wife’s death, Atticus still needs her to take care of the household and be there for the children when he is at work.  Calpurnia becomes a “surrogate” mother in a way although she is a strict disciplinarian compared to Atticus.  Scout describes the arguments she has with Calpurnia as “epic battles” with Calpurnia always winning.  She is a strong protector of the children and loves them very much although Scout doesn’t always seem to think so.  Scout learns about Calpurnia’s love for her when one day Calpurnia kisses her.  Scout finds this odd because Scout feels Calpurnia is always hard on her.

Calpurnia is an important character in the book because she gives the children a view of the black culture prominent in Maycomb. 

Where does the vote stand at the beginning of Act 3 in the drama Twelve Angry Men?

At the beginning of Act III of Twelve Angry Men, the men take an open vote. The split is even, with six voting guilty and six voting for acquittal. 

The first juror to vote for not guilty, Juror 8, finds himself alone against all the other jurors. The first juror to join him is the elderly gentleman, Juror 9, who is not necessarily convinced yet about the boy's innocence but wants to discuss it further. He also doesn't want to leave Juror 8 alone on one side of the fence. During Act II, one additional Juror comes over to the "not guilty" side. Juror 5, the young man who grew up in the slums, becomes convinced that the old man's testimony was inaccurate because he could not have heard the boy shout "I'm going to kill you" over the sounds of a passing el train. 

At the beginning of Act III, the jurors who have swung to the "not guilty" side are Jurors 2, 6, and 11--making the jury evenly divided regarding their verdict.

What is the importance of the scientific method?

The scientific method, in the simplest terms, involves hypothesis formulation, controlled experimentation, data analysis and hypothesis confirmation, modification or rejection. In other words, scientists formulate a hypothesis to explain an observation, carry out tests to verify this hypothesis and based on the experimental results, confirm, modify or reject the hypothesis. Thus, scientific methods provide an objective assessment of any possible reason or description of an observation. This removes any bias on the part of the scientist and provides an objective answer. The results are testable and repeatable by any other scientist. This is a much better approach than intuition or belief-based explanations. For example, it was very easy to believe that earth is the center of the universe. However, scientific evidence proved it otherwise and it can be tested and checked again and again as needed.

Scientific methods help us innovate and provide solutions and explanations for a given issue or observation. 

Hope this helps. 

What is the problem in Firegirl by Tony Abbott?

In Tony Abbott’s young adult novel, Firegirl, there is both internal and external conflict or problems. Jessica, a young girl who is badly burned in a car fire, faces many medical procedures, location moves for treatment, but most of all, she faces the lack of acceptance for her medical condition by classmates. As she moves from school to school to be near treatment hospitals, she faces scrutiny from the other students. The Catholic school that she enters for this school year is no different. Students, especially Jeff, refuse to hold her hand or sit near her during classroom activities. This is trying for many of her classmates as they struggle to decide how to deal with the situation while they conjure up stories about what happened in the fire.

One character, Tom, experiences much inner conflict as he deals with situations that arise. He realizes that his best friend, Jeff, is not dealing with Jessica in an acceptable manner and it bothers him deeply. Tom lives near Jessica. The teacher asks him to bring homework to her after she misses a number of days. He has to decide whether to spend the afternoon with his friend Jeff or to deliver the homework. He makes the right choice in delivering the homework and learns the truth about the fire. He remains conflicted because the other students are less accepting than he is. He and Jessica have a quiet friendship and when she announces that she will be moving again for more treatment, he finds himself actually feeling sad knowing that he will miss her and that he will never see his best friend in the same way.

Where did Jesse take Winnie? Why?

The sequence that your question is asking about is the start to chapter six.  Earlier, in chapter 5, Winnie discovered Jesse Tuck in the woods, and she saw him take a drink from the spring.  As they are talking, Winnie decides that she too is thirsty and attempts to take a drink from the spring.  Jesse tries to convince her otherwise.  

"Why not?" said Winnie. She stood up. "It's mine, anyway, if it's in the wood. I want some. I'm about dry as dust." And she went to where he sat, and knelt down beside the pile of pebbles.

"Believe me, Winnie Foster," said Jesse, "it would be terrible for you if you drank any of this water. Just terrible. I can't let you."

Just as it seems that Winnie is going to get her way and drink the water, Mae Tuck shows up.  Jesse is relieved, because he doesn't know what to do with Winnie.  Mae, however, swings into action.  She forcibly picks up Winnie and puts her on the old horse.  Together she and Jesse lead the horse out of the wood and back to their cottage.  

First she was kneeling on the ground, insisting on a drink from the spring, and the next thing she knew, she was seized and swung through the air, open-mouthed, and found herself straddling the bouncing back of the fat old horse, with Miles and Jesse trotting along on either side, while Mae ran puffing ahead, dragging on the bridle.

Winnie believes that she is being kidnapped, but that is the farthest thing from Jesse's and Mae's minds.  They want to take Winnie back to their house so they can explain who they are and what the water does.  

Comment on The Emperor Jones as an Expressionistic play.

Expressionism is a literary and artistic movement that resisted the principles of Impressionism and Realism by rejecting representations of an external reality and focusing instead on the inner emotional experience of humanity. Drawing on the work of Sigmund Freud, Expressionism explored the intensity and complexity of the human subconscious.

In The Emperor Jones, the protagonist experiences intense feelings of fear and guilt combined with vivid hallucinations. He hears the beating drums of the natives he has oppressed, and the tempo of the drums increases in time with his accelerating heartbeat as he fears for his life. He also encounters visions of people he has swindled and killed. However, his inner emotional turmoil is also an expression of his racial inheritance. As an African-American who has declared himself emperor of a West Indian island, he is a member of an oppressed class who has, in turn, reenacted that oppression on others. He imagines being held aboard a slave ship and auctioned off as his ancestors once were.

Eugene O'Neil's Expressionistic technique allows for a multilayered, more nuanced approach to issues of race.

What is the character Antonio's occupation in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice?

In the conversation between Antonio and Salarino at the beginning of Act One, we can infer what Antonio does for a living from what is said:

Your mind is tossing on the ocean;
There, where your argosies with portly sail...

Antonio has just informed Salarino that he feels depressed, but does not know why. In his response, Salarino mentions that he might be worried about his trade ships (argosies) at sea. This obviously suggests that Antonio is a merchant and probably the owner of a fleet of ships which he uses to transport his goods.

This is further confirmed by Antonio's later statement: 

My ventures are not in one bottom trusted,
Nor to one place; nor is my whole estate
Upon the fortune of this present year:
Therefore my merchandise makes me not sad.

It is apparent that Antonio is a shrewd entrepreneur who does not place all his eggs in one basket and undertakes a variety of ventures to ensure success. He clearly does not gamble all his money on one enterprise in one particular year alone, as suggested above.

It also becomes apparent later, that because of his business successes, Antonio has built a secure reputation in Venice, a major business and trading centre, for he tells Bassanio to use his name as security to obtain a loan there.

Furthermore, Shylock's later references make it clear that Antonio is also a moneylender. He, unlike Shylock, does not charge any interest though, which makes Shylock resent him for it hampers his business as a loan shark.

He lends out money gratis and brings down
The rate of usance here with us in Venice.

Shylock means that because Antonio does not charge his borrowers any interest, he brings down the lending rate for others, such as him. It is clear that Antonio is a generous and fraternal philanthropist. Ironically, it is this beneficence which later puts his life at risk.

What are some ways to help students avoid plagiarism?

In my experience, plagiarism is very rarely done on purpose. Most students who plagiarize do so by failing to cite all their sources, or citing incorrectly. This is 'accidental' plagiarism.

To help students avoid accidental plagiarism it is important to teach them what plagiarism is, in all of its forms and degrees. This includes teaching students when and how to properly cite sources. It is especially important to make sure students understand that paraphrasing also requires citation, as this is a common point of confusion. 

As far as willful plagiarism is concerned, it is important for students to know that plagiarism will not be tolerated. Going over the academic policies and disciplinary actions that can result in response to plagiarism can help set expectations.

What are the common themes of Eliot, Joyce, and Beckett?

These three post-modern writers were, as Beckett puts it, “trying to eff the ineffable.” In this period of literature, writers were past the realistic, socially-oriented, plot-driven prose of previous eras. Eliot, in “The Love-Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” abandoned any pretense of order or form, choosing instead to give images to the reader’s imagination of the very state of human existence, its triviality, its convoluted self-importance, its limitations built into our self-consciousness, its “Time for you and time for me,/And time yet for a hundred indecisions,/And for a hundred visions and revisions.”

Joyce did roughly the same thing – dismissal of the real, the now, the meaningful -- by reexamining the limitations of language, by inventing new combinations, new possibilities, outside the “historical” dictionary that merely recorded “frozen” signifiers. Finnegan’s Wake thumbed its nose at all the normative expectations of plot, character, development, etc. that had taken the life out of prose.

Beckett’s work, especially his plays, broke apart the connection between motive and action, between purpose and existence. In his short stories, too, he re-examined the nature of the first-person narrator and the reader; for example in “How It Is” (in French a clever play on words – Comment C’est – (Commencer”, “to commence”), he omits the traditional punctuation, so that the reader can supply it without “rules.”

So the common theme among these three writers is: “What has been done is done, and now it is time for literature/language to free itself from all the artificial, history-imposed limitations, because Man himself has moved from “essence precedes existence” to “existence precedes essence.” Which is essentially the definition of “post-modern.”

In To Kill a Mockingbird, what were the symbols and deeper meaning of the items in the tree?

When confronted with symbolism, consider the source of the object, its history, and its function. The objects that the kids find in the tree are as follows: "Wrigley's Double-Mint gum" (33); "two scrubbed and polished pennies" from "Nineteen-six" and "nineteen-hundred" (34); "two small images carved in soap. One was the figure of a boy, the other wore a crude dress" (59); "a tarnished medal"; "a pocket watch that wouldn't run, on a chain with an aluminum knife" (60). The kids also receive a whole pack of gum, not just a couple of pieces like the first time.

Take each item and consider that the source is Boo Radley. What would he be communicating with the children by giving them each item?

1. Gum - It's a treat and Boo is making friends with the children.

2. Indian-head Pennies - Boo might have a coin collection and he wants to share a couple of pennies he has from it with the kids. They are very old, which may signify the time period that he was born, too (1900 and 1906). Jem also says that they represent good luck, a long life, and good health.

3. Carved soaps of a boy and a girl - Boo is sharing his talent and interest in carving; but also, he is letting Jem and Scout know that he knows who they are and he likes them. He probably wishes he could go outside and play with them.

4. Tarnished medal - Atticus says it's a spelling award so Boo is sharing his childhood with the kids. With each object, Boo is sharing his life and talents with the children he watches play each day.

5. Old pocket-watch, chain, knife - The watch is probably an object that Boo had when he was a child and he's sharing it again. The broken watch might also symbolize the long time Boo has been behind closed doors. His life has stopped and it stopped a long time ago. The knife might be one of his first, which he used to carve things when he was young.

Many of these objects have to do with time and talents. What would it be like to be a shut-in for most of your life? What does a shut-in do? He watches the time go by. It's as if time stopped for Boo the day he became a shut-in and he wants to go back to his childhood and play like he sees Jem and Scout playing in their yard. Boo identifies with the childlike qualities that he sees in the children and wants to share the sense of innocence he feels.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, what did Atticus say in his closing argument that helped his case and what did he say that didn't?

The worst about the Tom Robinson case overall is that it is based on hearsay and racsim. A case like that should never have gone to trial because there were no secondary witnesses or evidence to support the Ewell claims. The only reason it did go to trial is because a white man accused a black man in Alabama in 1935. Atticus does his best to provide the best defense for Tom, but even he knows the odds are stacked against him from the get-go. After a grueling trial, Atticus gets up for closing arguments and does a fabulous job reviewing the findings of the case. The best argument that supports the defense goes as follows:

"The state has not produced one iota of medical evidence to the effect that the crime Tom Robinson is charged with ever took place. It has relied instead upon the testimony of two witnesses whose evidence has not only been called into serious question on cross-examination, but has been flatly contradicted by the defendant" (203).

During the trial, Atticus proves that Mayella was mostly beat up on the right side of her body, which would have been done by a left-handed man. Atticus proves that Mr. Ewell is left-handed and Tom's left arm is mangled; therefore, Tom couldn't have beat her up. That alone should have ended the trial. 

What didn't help Tom's case, though, is when Atticus points the finger at Mayella Ewell and calls her the guilty one. However true this may be, this is irrelevant because Mayella isn't on trial. All Atticus needed to do what cite the evidence and prove his client innocent. If he wanted to go after Mayella, he would have had to file a counterclaim. Atticus says the following:

"The defendant is not guilty, but somebody in this courtroom is. . . I have nothing but pity in my heart for the chief witness for the state, but my pity does not extend so far as to her putting a man's life at stake, which she has done in an effort to get rid of her own guilt" (203).

Clearly, Atticus is taking this chance to teach a long-delayed lesson to the people in his community, and to the Ewells, but it is unnecessary and does not help the case. He is appealing to the Jury's sense of right and wrong, though. He is trying to get them to think a little bit deeper into the real issues at hand. Sadly, when talking to an all-white-male jury in twentieth-century Alabama, it's not going to do much good for a black man's case.

How can this line from Romeo and Juliet be rephrased? "For naught so vile that on the earth doth live. But to the earth some special good doth...

In the opening soliloquy/monologue (labeled such because the first part is spoken alone on stage and the second is addressed to Romeo) of Act II, Scene 3, the audience is introduced to Friar Lawrence. The speech provides three purposes. First, it sets the scene of early morning outside of the Friar's "cell." Shakespeare used very few props in the original staging of his plays so the setting was often described by a character.

Second, the Friar elaborates on his philosophy of life. He is gathering "weeds" and "flowers" to make both poisons and medicines. He believes that everything in the earth is useful and that things that are dangerous are also important and give the earth its special qualities. He says,

For naught so vile that on the earth doth live

But to the earth some special good doth give.

Nor aught so good but, strained from that fair use

Revolts from true birth, stumbling on abuse.

He's also saying that sometimes things that are good or virtuous can be applied for evil and abused. This applies to medicines which can sometimes heal and sometimes cause further illness (see any modern pharmaceutical advertisement which is touting some drug, yet warning of debilitating side effects).

His philosophy of plants and herbs also applies to people. A person may have a great ability to be benevolent, but a streak of cruelty and hatred may also reside. This carries over to the plot of the play, as seemingly good people perform evil acts. Mercutio can't control his arrogance, Tybalt gives in to violent reaction, Lord Capulet flies into a rage when disobeyed by his daughter and Romeo commits murder to fulfill his death wish.

Finally, the Friar's speech provides foreshadowing. Because he is picking plants and herbs for medicines and poisons, we know that he is capable of mixing the potion which allows Juliet to fake her death in Act IV.     

Why does Nick return to the Midwest in chapter 9?

At the end of The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald), Nick is completely disheartened by his experiences in New York.  He says that after Gatsby dies, "the East was haunted for me..."(185). He believes that he is best-suited to the mid-west.  He muses over the happy times he has there, the family, the traditions, houses that remain in one family for generations, the stability, and even the bracing air of the long winters.  He says that Gatsby, Jordan, Daisy, and Tom, too, were ill-suited for life in the east, possessing "some deficiency in common which made us subtly unadaptable to Eastern life" (184). They were all unfit for the frenzies of the New York Jazz age, the frenetic pace, the lack of loyalties, the disregard for tradition, the anonymity. 

It is important, I think, to be aware that F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul, Minnesota.  He lived in many places throughout his life, New York, Delaware, California, and France, to name a just a few.  But reading The Great Gatsby, one cannot help but think that Nick Carraway is expressing Fitzgerald's longing for the mid-west he himself had begun in, a mid-west that remained just a dream, since he died in Hollywood, California, writing screenplays.  Fitzgerald is kind of literary equivalent to Hoagy Carmichael, whose songs have the same plaintive longing for the same part of America.  There is good reason to call the mid-west the heartland of the country. 

How many grams of oxygen and gasoline must be burned by a car engine in order to generate 6831.5 J of energy which will be needed to pass a...

Here's the equation for the combustion of octane:

The moles of C8H18 needed to produce 6831.5 J of energy is:

(6831.5 J)(5225.0 J/mol) = 1.3075 moles

grams of C8H18 needed = (1.3075 mol)(115.0g/mol) = 150.4 g C8H18

Grams of O2 needed can be found from the mole ratio of O2 to C8H18 in the balanced equation, 11/2:

(1.3705 mol C8H18)(11 mol O2/2 mol C8H18)(32.0 g/mol) =

230.1 g O2 needed

This assumes complete combustion of octane. When insufficient oxygen is available hydrocarbons will combust incompletely, producing some CO and sometimes even C in place of some of the CO2.

The heat generated by burning octane in the cylinders of an internal combustion engine causes the exhaust gases to expand and exert pressure on the pistons in the cylinder. The pistons move up and down as gas is expanded and exhausted. This motion is transferred to the drive shaft which turns the wheels of the vehicle.

Why does Winston think he "killed" his mother in the book 1984?

The key words are: indoctrination and manipulation. Indoctrination and manipulation, as every reader of 1984 knows, are the key strategies of the Party to maintain control of the population.

This manipulation is evident in the story of Winston. Main character Winston has an issue regarding his memory and the possibility that he was responsible for the death of his mother. This doubt, and its eventual realization, occur in chapter 7, book 2 of the novel. As readers, we are led to consider that he is more than likely not guilty at all of her death, but the system needs for him to second guess himself so that guilt and weakness can take over him. In the Party, power is about dividing and weakening the citizen.

Yet, in chapter 7 we find that Winston may be shifting his thoughts regarding his mother, when he tells Julia that he "had thought until then" that he was guilty.

until this moment I believed I had murdered my mother...

Notice that this chapter gives us insight as to the inner thoughts of society under the control of the Party versus the independent and individual thoughts and emotions that Winston is starting to foster through dreams and memories.

Like the prole, he has the ability to establish emotional attachments and, deep inside, he knows that he wants to establish them openly.

All this being said, the easy answer to the question as to why Winston thinks that he killed his mother is because he is falsely associating two separate events, one involving a theft of chocolate, and the eventual killing of his mother and his sister, as sequential events.

The fact is that the taking and killing of his mother and sister had nothing to do with Winston. However, the Party needs for him to continue to be confused, guilty, and feeling weak, in order to maintain the control of Winston and everyone who dares question the "order" of things.

Why is the setting important to the story The Giver?

The setting in The Giver is an important aspect of its dystopian themes of isolation and conformity.  We are not told a great deal about the physical features of the community, but those we are told about are carefully selected to enhance these themes. The community experiences what seems to be absolute climate control and isolation from Elsewhere.  The people in the community do not see the sun or feel the wind.  The landscape must be completely flat, since Jonas' first experience of a hill is when he gets the memory of sledding from the Giver. There are no mountains or valleys to provide any geographic variety or interest.  Thus the weather reflects the Sameness of the community, as does the featureless landscape, and the people of the community are isolated from Elsewhere. 

Who do you think is the main character in the story?

The main character of a story is the protagonist, the central character around whom the entire story revolves and with whom all the supporting characters have interactions.

Though the mother in the story “Charles” has a major role and narrates the story, it is the character of Charles/Laurie around whom the plot revolves. Though the title of the story is “Charles”, he is an imaginary character made up by Laurie and meant to take the blame for all of Laurie’s negative behaviors. Therefore, Laurie is the main character of the story.

Without Laurie, the plot of the story would not move forward. Laurie, even when through his imaginary counterpart Charles, drives each action that occurs throughout the plot of the story. The climbing action with the mounting examples of Charles’ misbehavior, the problem of finding out which of Laurie’s classmates Charles is and finally the resolution where the reader realizes that Charles does not exist, are all tied to Laurie’s actions.  

Why does Scout cry after returning home from the jail?

Atticus goes to sit outside the jail in Maycomb to make sure no one bothers Tom Robinson.  Scout, Jem, and Dill sneak out of the house to go see him there.  They spot a mob of men approaching.  Scout sees Mr. Cunningham in the mob and she speaks to him.  She is friends with his son, Walter, Jr.  At first, Mr. Cunningham does not acknowledge her.  She continues to compliment his son, and eventually he bends down to speak kindly to her.  Mr. Cunningham tells the rest of the mob to leave.

After the mob leaves, Atticus takes the children home.  Scout realizes how serious the events that happened in front of the jail were.  She understands that the mob could have hurt Tom Robinson or Atticus if they had not left.  She begins to cry:

The full meaning of the night's events hit me and I began crying (To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapter 16).

Why does Scout feel uncomfortable about playing the game called "One Man's Family"? Please provide three reasons for full credit.

In Chapter 4, the children play the game "One Man's Family," which Scout describes as a "melancholy little drama." When Jem tells Scout that she will be playing the part of Mrs. Radley, Scout hesitates and says she won't do it. Dill laughs at her and says, "Still scared?" (Lee 51) Scout thinks that Boo will see them playing and "get out at night." Scout fears Boo Radley will harm them if he catches them imitating his life, which is the first reason she doesn't want to play. Jem assures her that Boo is dead, and his body has been stuffed up a chimney. Although Scout does not believe her brother, she reluctantly continues to play. One day, Atticus is watching the children play "One Man's Family" when he asks, "What are you all playing?" (Lee 53) Jem says, "Nothing," and Atticus asks if their game has anything to do with the Radleys. Jem tells Atticus that it does not, and Dill asks Jem if they should continue to play. Jem concludes that they can still play because Atticus never said they couldn't. Scout does not want to play anymore because she fears that Atticus will punish them if he finds out their game has to do with the Radleys. Jem tells her stop being a girl, and Scout walks away. At the end of the chapter, Scout mentions that another reason she does not want to play is because she heard laughing coming from inside the Radley house earlier that day when she wrecked the tire into their porch.

`int_0^1(2pi(3 - y)(1 - y^2))dy` Each integral represents the volume of a solid. Describe the solid.

Take out the constant `2Pi` , and rewrite the integral.

`int_0^1(2 pi (3-y)(1-y^2)dy`

= 2`pi` `int_0^1(3-y)(1-y^2) dy`

`=2pi int_0^1 (3(1-y^2) -y(1-y^2)dy= 2pi int_0^1(3-3y^2-y+y^3)dy`

`=2pi(3y-3y^3/3-y^2/2+y^4/4)|(0,1)`

`2pi(3y-y^3-y^2/2+y^4/4)|(0,1)`

`=2pi(3-1-1/2+1/4 - 0)`

`=2pi(2-1/2+1/4)`

`=2pi((2*4 -2+1)) / 4`

`=2pi(8-1)/4 = 2pi(7/4) = 7pi/2`

Thus the volume of the required solid is 7`pi/2`

Why don't most of the gases in the earth's atmosphere Contribute to the greenhouse effect

 Before explaining this lets understand what happens in green house effect.

Earth is constantly bombarded with enormous amounts of radiation, primarily from the sun. These radiations come on to our Earth in different forms  mostly like visible light, ultraviolet (UV), infrared (IR) that are invisible to the human eye.

 It is said that about 30 % of the radiation striking Earth's atmosphere is immediately reflected back out to space by clouds, ice, snow, sand and other reflective surfaces.

The remaining 70 % of incoming solar radiation is absorbed by the oceans, the land and the atmosphere and this process  make them heat up.

As they heat up, the oceans, land and atmosphere release heat in the form of IR thermal radiation, which passes out of the atmosphere and into space.

There is an equilibrium existing between the incoming and outgoing radiation and this equilibrium helps to have an average temperature which is suitable for the existing of  living beings.

Certain gases in the atmosphere have the property of absorbing infrared radiation. The infrared radiation strikes a molecule such as carbon dioxide and causes the bonds to bend and vibrate - this is called the absorption of IR energy. The molecule gains kinetic energy by this absorption of IR radiation. This extra kinetic energy may then be transmitted to other molecules  and causes a general heating of the atmosphere. this is what happens at green house effect.

In order for molecular vibrations(molecular vibrations mainly of two ways as stretching and bending) to absorb IR energy, the vibrational motions must change the dipole moment of the molecule. All molecules with three or more atoms meet this criterion and are IR absorbents.

eg;CH4,

What is Lord Capulet like?

The audience may have a positive impression of Lord Capulet through the first two Acts of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. In Act III, he reveals a more malevolent personality after Juliet rebuffs his offer of marriage to Count Paris. 

When we first meet Lord Capulet we admire his love and good sense regarding his daughter. Paris, a wealthy man of Verona, wants to marry Juliet. Because of his title and social status Paris is a good match for Juliet. Capulet, however, worries more about his very young daughter's well-being than any social or political expedience. He urges Paris to woo Juliet and win her love. He says, in Act I, Scene 2,

She’s the hopeful lady of my earth.
But woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart;
My will to her consent is but a part.
And, she agreed, within her scope of choice
Lies my consent and fair according voice.

The audience also may appreciate Lord Capulet's behavior during the party at his house. When Tybalt overhears Romeo and wants to fight, Capulet stops him. In fact, he even speaks well of Romeo, something we don't expect because of the bitter rivalry between the Capulets and Romeo's family. Capulet says, in Act I, Scene 5, 

Content thee, gentle coz. Let him alone.
He bears him like a portly gentleman,
And, to say truth, Verona brags of him
To be a virtuous and well-governed youth.
I would not for the wealth of all this town
Here in my house do him disparagement.

Capulet, however, also has a fierce temper and when Juliet refuses to marry Paris in Act III, Scene 5, he berates the girl, levying a litany of Shakespearean insults on the girl. He calls her "green-sickness carrion," "tallow face," "disobedient wretch" and "Mistress Minion." He also threatens to disown the girl. He says,

An you be mine, I’ll give you to my friend.
An you be not, hang, beg, starve, die in the streets,
For, by my soul, I’ll ne’er acknowledge thee,
Nor what is mine shall never do thee good.
Trust to ’t; bethink you. I’ll not be forsworn.

In defense of Lord Capulet, we may think he is just doing what he feels is right for his daughter and the family after the death of Tybalt. When the Nurse discovers Juliet in her bed, after the girl takes the potion to fake her death, we witness the softer side of Capulet when he believes he has lost his daughter. In Act IV, Scene 5, he says,

O child! O child! My soul and not my child!
Dead art thou! Alack, my child is dead,
And with my child my joys are burièd.

The final verdict on Capulet's behavior may ultimately be negative. His attitude toward the feud and his obstinate behavior about the marriage to Paris heavily contribute to the final outcome of the play as he pushes his daughter to make a decision which leads directly to tragedy.

What did the Emancipation Proclamation do? Who wrote it?

One of the more famous documents in American history is the Emancipation Proclamation. Abraham Lincoln wrote it and issued it on January 1, 1863.

This document stated that the slaves were freed in the Confederacy. While it had no immediate effect on the states in the Confederacy since they didn’t recognize actions by Abraham Lincoln, it was a very symbolic action. It showed the world that the United States was committed to ending slavery. This was important because European countries were ending slavery or had ended slavery. It gave Europe another reason to support the United States and not to support the Confederacy. The Emancipation Proclamation didn’t affect those states in the Union that had slavery. Since slaves were considered property, President Lincoln was not able to free them. He was able to free them in the South, at least in theory, because the Emancipation Proclamation was considered a military action against the South that would weaken the South.

The issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation made it clear that the United States was committed to ending slavery after the Civil War had ended. Eventually, the 13th amendment to the Constitution was ratified, ending slavery.