Can someone please describe the cabin in The Sign of the Beaver?I have to explain what is in the cabin, what it looks like.

The log cabin is situated in the dense forest. The cabin itself is "a fair house;" it is made of carefully hewn logs of spruce, whose notched ends are fit together "as snugly as though they had grown that way." The roof is constructed from cedar splints fastened down with long poles; the whole covering is protected by a layer of pine boughs. Behind the cabin are a small cornfield, and pumpkin vines growing between stumps of trees.

The cabin has only one room at the beginning of the story; a loft would be added later for the children to sleep in. Inside the cabin are shelves along one wall, and the only piece of furniture is "a sturdy puncheon table with two stools." There are no windows in the cabin as yet. Later, Matt's father had promised he would cut one out and "fasten oiled paper to let in the light;" eventually, the paper itself would be replaced with real glass. Against one wall of the cabin there is a chimney made of logs, "daubed and lined with clay from the creek." The chimney, which is not as safe as a stone chimney, is only temporary. As with the loft and the window, a better one will be made later, but for now, as long as Matt is careful to watch out for flying sparks, the log chimney serves its purpose (Chapter 1).

What is ironic about Smiley’s losing?

Well, for one, it's ironic that Smiley looses because Dan'l Webster really IS the better jumping frog, but probably you are referring to the DRAMATIC IRONY element here.

One form of dramatic irony occurs when the reader knows something the characters do not.  We know that the stranger has cheated by filling up Dan'l Webster with birdshot so that he is too heavy to jump.  But Smiley doesn't realize this until he has lost and the stranger leaves with his money.

How does Athena help Telemachus prepare for Nestor and why is it important for the two to meet?

Athena helps Telemachus prepare for meeting Nestor in several ways.  First in her first meeting with Telemachus, she helps to give him the confidence and assertiveness to take action against the suitors and to begin a search for his father.  Secondly, she does obtain the ship, men, and supplies for him to use while making the suitors sleep.  Thirdly, she went with him disguised as Mentor giving him encouragement and advice along the way.  When they arrive at Pylos, Telemachus did not want to leave the ship, and Athena, as Mentor, gives him advice and nearly has to push him off the ship to overcome his diffidence in approaching Nestor.

I think he needs to see Mentor not only because he one of the last to see Odysseus alive, but also because Athena knows the experience of the search and of questioning Nestor as well as hearing his answers will help Telemachus grow and achieve manhood. 

What is the main plot of Beowulf (edited by M. A. Roberts)?

The plot of Beowulf is the heroic quest. In Beowulf's case, that quest is to claim his place in eternity. In Norse mythology, however, to gain admittance to "heaven" (Valhalla), the warrior must die in battle. Hrothgar should be the one to protect his own kingdom, but Beowulf, the outsider, has to do it for him. The fact that Beowulf fights the monster alone and unarmed makes his victory that much greater. You can think of Beowulf as the Viking equivalent of the Greek Heracles or the Roman Hercules.

In reference to Antigone, have the female and male spheres evolved over time?Are they still separate? Do they intersect? Or are they one and the...

I would certainly argue that at least in most Western cultures the female and male spheres have evolved and that they do intersect.  In Antigone, part of Creon's problem with Antigone's action (trying to bury her brother's corpse and, thus, defying Creon's order) is that a girl would dare defy him.  Because of his pride, which Teiresias the blind prophet notes, Creon would have been angry with anyone who went against his newly-gained authority, but because his own niece defied him publicly, turns his son against him, and plays on the sympathy of several of his advisers, Creon cannot find it in himself to change Antigone's sentence.  Moreover, if Antigone were a man, she would have been in line for the throne before Creon; so her gender determines her precarious position in Thebes from the play's beginning.

In today's world and in the recent past, we do see more female leaders of major nations and organizations (Margaret Thatcher, former prime minister of Britain; Angela Merkel, current chancellor of Germany, etc.); so Antigone would have enjoyed a more equal status in our society and most likely would have inherited the throne after her father and brothers' deaths.

However, even though female and male spheres have evolved and intersect, I don't believe that they are the same. In America, we see a vast difference in the way female candidates are treated versus their male counterparts.  They are critiqued for their appearance, their clothing, or even their role as mothers.  Male candidates are normally critiqued for germane attributes such as their voting records or past achievements.

In pop culture, there remains another type of dichotomy.  Males are often portrayed as simpletons (especially in sit-coms, comedic movies, and commercials), and females seem to be wise problem solvers.  Perhaps this is an extreme reaction to the past oppression of women, but we certainly have not completely merged the gender spheres.

In Chapter 37 of Great Expectations, what humorous touch concerning Wemmick is shown?"

As you probably remember, we have seen before that Wemmick has something of a castle where he lives.  It is not that big of a castle but it is made to look like one, has a moat, and a cannon and a drawbridge and things like that.  He lives there with his father (or Aged Parent or even Aged P).

What we find out in this chapter has to do with the castle.  We find out that he has rigged up a lever that he can pull outside the castle.  It will open a little wooden flap near where his father hangs out and it will say "John" on it.  When Aged P sees this, he knows that he has to let the drawbridge down to let Wemmick in.  There is one like it for Wemmick's lady friend, Miss Skiffins.

Explain the rise of the novel in the 18th century and say if Robinson Crusoe is a novel in theme and structure.

Industrial Capitalism, Individualism and the Rise of the Novel

1-The rise of the novel during the eighteenth century is greatly associated with the rise of individualism at that time.

2-  Individualism  stressed the fact that every individual was independent from other individuals,  and as a direct result of industrial capitalism, it emphasized that the individual had to choose and decide his future. Modern industrial capitalism, also, taught people how to earn money ,and how increase it. Thus it brought emphasis on the individual and his money.

3- In the past, characters in the romances stood for certain qualities(e.g. Mr. Greedy, Mr. Angry,…etc.) and not for themselves.

4-In the eighteenth -century novel, individual characters are drawn as independent regardless of their social status or personal capacity. They are  portrayed as complex characters, affected by social pressures.

5-Eighteenth –century novelists such as S. Richardson, H. Fielding, and D. Defoe studied the individual’s attitudes, feelings, and motivations. Defoe emphasized individualism by writing a novel that has one central character with independent individual characteristics. Likewise, Richardson and Fielding concentrated on the individual and named their novels after their main characters.

6-The modern industrial capitalism made people pay great attention to money: how to gain it and how to keep it. In the earlier prose fiction, the main character had moral ideas, and thought only of virtues and good deeds. The eighteenth-century writers became more realistic and dealt with the only interest of the individual at their time, i.e. money. All Defoe’s characters pursue money, and they pursue it very methodically according to the loss and profit of book-keeping. Thus Robinson Crusoe leaves his father’s house and the secure life of  the middle class to seek more money. This materialistic point of view began to have a tremendous influence to the extent that idealistic moral values were no longer the core of stories, but the individual and his struggle to gain money.

A Summary of John Mearshimer's Anarchy and the Struggle for Power.

In this chapter, Mearsheimer argues that great powers are in a constant struggle for more power.  All great powers are trying to achieve hegemony.

The author says that there are five assumptions that underlie his thinking.

1. The international order is anarchic.  This is the basic idea of the realists.


2. Great powers have the capacity to engage in offensive military actions -- they can attack others.


3. Countries are never able to know for sure what they other countries intend to do. This causes uncertainty.


4. Survival is the primary goal of great powers.  This includes wanting to keep other countries from being able to interfere in their domestic politics.


5. States are rational actors.

For these reasons, states are in constant competition.  Because of the state of technology and such, there is no way that any state can actually become a long-term world-wide hegemon.

What are two literary devices and their lines used in Dante's Inferno Canto 20?

In Dante's Inferno Canto XX, Dante uses many analogies, direct comparisons between two things. Because he is traveling in hell, Dante must make realistic, earthly connections so the reader can relate to the supernatural action of the poem.  Here is an example:

Even as the dolphins, when they make a sign
To mariners by arching of the back,
That they should counsel take to save their vessel,

Thus sometimes, to alleviate his pain,
One of the sinners would display his back,
And in less time conceal it than it lightens.

Here, Dante is comparing the way dolphins arch their backs to the way the sinners "display(s) his back" to ease the pain of suffering.

Dante also relies on much visual imagery to convey the supernatural sights he sees.  Remember, he is our tour guide into the abyss, and his visual imagery reminds us constantly of the suffering of others (in bold):

and both of them
Fell in the middle of the boiling pond.

A sudden intercessor was the heat;
But ne'ertheless of rising there was naught,
To such degree they had their wings belimed.

How is the couple's situation ironic? What type of irony is it?chapter 8

The irony of Joe and Janie's relationship at this point in the novel connected to the central theme of finding one's voice. Joe, who has always promoted himself as a "big voice" in Eatonville, has basically suppressed Janie's voice throughout their entire 20 year relationship. And now, on Joe's deathbed, the full weight of this implication is realized.

As Janie says:

"Dat's just whut Ah wants to say, Jody. You wouldn't listen. You done lived wid me for twenty years and you don't half know me atall. And you could have but you was so busy workhippin' de work of yo' own hands, and cuffin' folks around in their minds till you didn't see uh whole hep us things yuh could have."

"Leave heah, Janie. Don't come heah--"

"Ah knowed you wasn't goingtuh lissen tuh me. You changes everything but nothin' don't change you--not even death [...] Mah own mind had tuh be squeezed and crowed out tuh make room for yours in me."

In this scene, Janie finally raises her own voice and speaks her own mind, re-connecting with her soul and her sense of identity. Unfortunately for Joe, it takes death to silence him long enough to hear what Janie has wanted to say for all these years.

This is situational irony.

Name 3 important and intriguing quotes that refer to noses in Midnight's Children.

In describing his grandfather's nose, Rushdie uses vivid imagery.  This quote also is an example of simile and metaphor - "My grandfather's nose:  nostrils flaring, curvaceous as dancers.  Between them swells the nose's triumphal arch, first up and out, then down and under, sweeping in to his upper lip with a superb...flick".

Grandfather's nose is symbolic of his role as patriarch of a dynasty, and all his descendants bear this identifying mark as well - "Doctor Azia's nose...established incontrovertibly his right to be a patriarch...a nose to start a family on...there'd be no mistaking whose brood they were".

Rushdie also uses some delightful play on words in describing Grandfather's nose - "You could cross a river on that nose...its bridge was wide".

(All quotes from Chapter 1)

I have to write a chapter of a book describing my experiences with animals. Could anyone list any ideas on what I could write about? I have...

You could take your phobia of animals and turn that into a positive experience. You could write about a time when a new pet was brought home (or to a friend or relatives house) and how at first you were scared but then you learned how to interact with the animal. You could also interview family or friends to see what experiences they have had.

You could also write about about a time you were perhaps on a vacation or trip and watched birds in the sky or lightning bugs in the dark. You didn't actually interact with them but it was fun or fascinating to watch.

Children's books can be very whimsical so do not be afraid to put a little imagination and color in to it.

In act 4, scene 1 of Macbeth, what four things do the witches show Macbeth, and what does each say?

Macbeth was shown three apparitions by the Witches.

The first one was that of an 'armed head' that warned him to 'beware of the Thane of Fife! Macduff!'. The second was that of a 'bloody child' that told him to 'laugh at the powers of other men' since he had something noone else did. The child told him that no one born of a woman could ever hurt him. The third apparition was that of a crowned child holding a tree in one hand, that said Macbeth would not be defeated unless Birnam Wood comes marching to fight him at Dunsinane Hill.

On further probing regarding the future of Banquo's sceptre's as kings of Scotland, the Witches hesitatingly showed him a procession of 8 kings, the last one holding a mirror, in which were reflected several other king. The last king was also followed by the 'blood-clotted', and smiling Banquo who was 'pointing to' the kings 'as his'.

What news does May Belle share with Jess in the bean patch in the book Bridge to Terabithia?

May Belle comes to the bean patch to tell Jess that people are moving into "the old Perkins place down on the next farm." In Jess' opinion, the Perkins place is "one of those ratty old country houses you moved into because you had no decent place to go and moved out of as quickly as you could." For this reason, he does not get too excited about May Belle's announcement. Jess does take the time to pause in his bean picking and look over in the direction of the place, however, and notes that "one of those big jointed...U-Haul(s)" is parked right by the door of the neighboring house, which is visible from the bean patch. He notes that the people moving in have "a lot of junk," but dismisses them in his mind because he is convinced that "they wouldn't last."

The family that is moving in is, of course, Mr. and Mrs. Burke and their daughter Leslie. The family, which hails from the city, have come to live at the Perkins place because they want to give themselves a chance to experience a simpler style of living, and to "reassess their value system." Mrs. Burke is a writer, and Mr. Burke spends a lot of time working on the house, making it more appealing and personal. Leslie, who is in Jess's class at school, at first irritates him, but soon becomes the best friend he has ever had, the one person who affects his life in a way that will never be forgotten. In looking back later, Jess reflects on how "peculiar it was" that the Burkes' moving in, which "was probably the biggest thing in his life," should have been something which he initially "had shrugged...off as nothing" (Chapter 1).

How might Walter Mitty's personality trigger his last daydream?

Mitty's last daydream is one where he is shot before a firing squad while he is smoking a cigarette. In this daydream he has the ultimate escape from his domineering wife-through his death.  The smoking of the cigarette, which seems to make this death somehow more casual and more macho, underscores Mitty's desire to "be a real man" - an idea which shows up in all of his previous daydreams as well.  It is important to note that his other daydreams are interrupted - only this one where the end is his death, goes all the way to the end. In his imaginary life, Mitty is all those things he cannot be in reality - brave, courageous and the stereotypical male.

Evaluate the impact of the labor movement and radicalism on the 1930s.How did they influence American political and cultural life?

A long believed facet of American life was in some ways under seige as the huge numbers of poor and unemployed in the 1930s rebelled against the groups they felt responsible, and in part to combat those groups formed labor groups that were sometimes political and sometimes more mob-ish.  These groups rioted in many cities and eventually gained such political power that they were in some ways co-opted by the democratic party and served to bring a very large democrat majority to Congress and eventually into the White House in 1933.

One of the short term effects of this upheaval was the passage of the New Deal legislation which basically meant more money for relief of poverty and efforts to create jobs.  The real turnaround economically did not come until the build up to WWII and the huge increase in production during and after the war, but the impetus began in the early 30's with these labor movements.

One of the long term social effects was the idea that the government was willing to help those who couldn't find jobs, etc., but it created an idea that has been bandied about politically since then which is the redistribution of wealth, taxing the rich to help the poor.  Even today this is a hot topic and is almost always held up in that fashion but rarely is it discussed in the way it was in the 30's which was that the government had in so many ways helped to prop up the great industries and their rulers that they now owed some of that money back to the little people upon whose backs the industry was built.

This was such a radical idea at the time, and one that was even radical to some of those it benefited who for years prior to the early 30's had been completely willing to accept their fate as the American ideal was strong in them which suggested that if you couldn't find work or a way to get by it was your own fault.

Describe Gregor’s attitude about and his reaction to his new predicament. What is funny about his reaction?

Gregor's attitude and his reaction are all rooted in his insecurity about his job. Because he is the sole breadwinner for the family, and he is working to pay off his parents' debts to the head of the company for which he works, the pressure is on him to perform and support his parents and sister. Thus, when he wakes up and realizes something is wrong, his first thoughts are that he is late to work, and that he must get out of bed as soon as possible.

The next train left at seven o’clock. To catch that one, he would have to go in a mad rush. The sample collection was not packed up yet, and he really did not feel particularly fresh and active. And even if he caught the train, there was no avoiding a blow-up with the boss, because the firm’s errand boy would have waited for the five o’clock train and reported the news of his absence long ago. He was the boss’s minion, without backbone and intelligence. Well then, what if he reported in sick? But that would be extremely embarrassing and suspicious, because during his five years’ service Gregor had not been sick even once. The boss would certainly come with the doctor from the health insurance company and would reproach his parents for their lazy son and cut short all objections with the insurance doctor’s comments; for him everyone was completely healthy but really lazy about work.

So there it is. Not one mention of how to actually go about doing these things, and seemingly no reaction to the fact that he is now a giant bug. Instead, his first concerns are how to get to work, or failing that, how to postpone returning to work long enough to escape his current situation but still keep his job. This is where the humor lies, as the issues of the novel are revealed. Anyone else, upon waking and discovering themselves a "monstrous vermin", would most likely panic and struggle to determine why they changed, and how to change back. But the pressures of work, and his insecurity in his family cause Gregor to first question how this situation will affect his job.

how is miss emily dysfunctional?i am writing a literary analysis comparing a rose for emily with a present for a good girl and one of my...

In addition to Rene's answer, I would say that Emily probably suffers from some parental anxiety issues.  Her father, the famous Confederate war hero, has left his daughter with a legacy to which few can live up to, for which his offspring are resented and for which Emily arguably does not deserve. 

Further contributing to her "dysfunction" is the alienation she experiences as a refult of her father's legacy.  Emily, from birth, is identified as "the other" as "not us."  This distinction makes it nearly impossible for Emily to develop real friendships; it is an "us" and "them" mentality over which poor Emily really has no control.

The one way she dysfunctionally tries to gain control is through her captivation (quite literally) of Homer.  Rat poison and sleeping with your lover's corpse is not generally considered the picture of mental health...but nothing in Emily's existence has allowed her to experience life as her townspeople do...

What one animal makes the connection between squealer's acts and the commandments?

After Squealer is found near the barn with paint everywhere, obviously drunk, the animals wonder about the commandment forbidding alcohol. But when they check it, it has been amended to say that animals cannot drink to excess.

Benjamin is the only animal to realize that the commandments change whenever Squealer has an "incident".

He refused to read the sixth commandment at the beginning of this chapter because he did not think it was any of his business and not his place.

But it is apparent that Benjamin has known all along what is really happening on Animal Farm, and has just made the decision to not say anything.

How does Lady Capulet's view of early marriage differ from her husband?

This contrast is most clearly seen in their speeches concerning Paris' request to marry Juliet. When Paris first asks, Capulet responds

My child is yet a stranger in the world,
She hath not seen the change of fourteen years;
Let two more summers wither in their pride(10)
Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.

So he tells Paris to wait a bit, until Juliet is two years older. When Paris tells him that young girls make happy mothers, he's foreshadowing the argument that Lady Capulet will make later. Capulet does not budge, however. He retorts that women essentially lose their childhoods and happiness if they become mothers too early, by saying "And too soon marr'd are those so early made."

Lady Capulet is excited by Juliet's possible marriage. She encourages juliet to marry, essentially before it's too late.

Younger than you,
Here in Verona, ladies of esteem,
Are made already mothers. By my count,(75)
I was your mother much upon these years
That you are now a maid.

What narrative perspective is found in Orwell's Animal Farm?

I would say that the narration in this story is third person and is unobtrusive, objective, and limited.

The narration is third person because the narrator is not a character.  The narrator does not say "I saw this..." or "I heard that."

The narration is unobtrusive, objective and limited because it is just looking at the characters from outside of themselves, not really knowing what they are thinking, necessarily.  The narration reports mainly just actions, not thoughts.  It does not claim to know what the charcters are thinking.  Finally, it does not take the point of view of any of the characters.

What does Mrs.Dubose say about the children's mother? How does Jem feel about this ?chapter 11 of To Kill a Mockingbird

She insults the Finches. On page 102 as Jem and Scout are walking home, Mrs. Dubose begins hurling commentary at them. Lee observes, " . . . we were followed up the sidewalk by a philippic on our family's moral degeneration, the major premise of which was that half the Finches were in the asylum anyway, but if our mother were living we would not have to come to such a state" (102). This is just too much for Jem, who has already put up with Mrs. Dubose telling him that his father is no better than the black people he defends. When Mrs. Dubose implies that Atticus is doing a poor job as a parent and that his mother would never let him defend Tom Robinson, Jem loses it.

What is a good essay topic that will explain the heroic story of Beowulf?

Consider as well, instead of identifying the details of an epic hero, identifying the details of an epic and developing an essay in which you explain how Beowulf fits the definition of an epic.

The definition of an epic can be found here: 

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_poetry

You could make a critical essay in which you explain why Beowulf is a good epic hero or why he is an unsuccessful hero.

How does Nick know Daisy and Tom?

As the answer above indicates, Nick knew Tom when they were in college together at Yale, and he identifies Daisy as his second cousin, once removed. Shortly after the war (World War I), he says, he had spent two days with them in Chicago.

While Nick both explains that he comes from money and discounts his own wealth against Tom's "enormous" wealth and his "string of polo ponies," and while Nick also discounts his relationship with this couple as one with people he hasn't seen in years, it is clear they all come from the same social set. Tom includes Nick as a fellow "Nordic" without any hesitation and consistently approaches him with an insider bonhomie. Tom, on the other hand, looks through lower caste (to his mind) people like Gatsby as if they don't exist.

Further, chapter one makes it clear that Tom and Daisy are informed about what is going on in Nick's life, insisting they have heard he is engaged. He denies the engagement, but their knowledge of his doings, whether right or wrong, again reinforces the idea that they run in similar circles.

what's your definiton of a hero? do you think the three boys prove themselves heros accodring to your defintionthe three boys are dally ponyboy and...

In my mind, a hero is someone who is willing to sacrifice himself with no hesitation for the good of someone else.  I do believe that each of the three characters named qualifies as a hero.

Even despite any other events that take place in the book, the boys' reactions to the fire at the church near Windrixville qualifies each of them as heroes.  Ponyboy charges into the burning church based on the sheer knowledge that there are children inside, which is heroic even if he feels responsible for the disaster.  Johnny follows Ponyboy into the fire, then shoves him toward the window, putting himself last, when the building begins to collapse.  Dally first puts out the fire on Ponyboy's back, then goes into a collapsing, burning building to save Johnny, and gives no thought to his own well-being.  Those three individual acts make each of the boys a hero.

There are other examples throughout the novel that provide more material upon which to base the belief that Dally, Johnny, and Ponyboy are heroes.

In Nixon's efforts to end the Vietnam War, he followed some policies that seemed to lessen&some seemed to increase U.S. involvement.Give examples...

Nixon was elected on a policy idea of getting us out of Vietnam, while still winning the war - no easy trick.  So he lessened our involvement almost immediately after taking office by beginning to phase out our troop strength there.  In his first term Nixon reduced the total number of American troops in Vietnam by nearly two thirds, at the same time as those troops were heavily engaged in offensive operations.

He did widen the war into Cambodia at one point, and he also authorized vastly increased bombing missions over North Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos - essentially all of French Indochina.  His idea was to "bomb them to the peace table" so they would cut a deal with the US.  In part this worked, but it was definitely an escalation in the war.

How many murders were committed in Macbeth, and were all of them Macbeth's fault?

*Macbeth kills King Duncan

*Macbeth kills Duncan's two doormen

*Macbeth hires three murderers to kill Banquo

*Macbeth hires the murderers to kill Lady Macduff

*Macbeth hires the murderers to kill Macduff's son along with his other children (unknown how many he had)  (this can be determined because Macduff asks if all his pretty chickens were killed which indicates the presence of more than one child)

*Macbeth also killed Young Siward

*Lady Macbeth killed herself (committed suicide)

*Last but not least Macduff kills Macbeth

So more than 9 murders were committed in Macbeth

and all but two of them were Macbeth's fault (Lady Macbeth's death and Macbeth's own death)

1.What mistake do Fili and Kili make when finding a cave for shelter? 2.What is Gollum's birthday presents?3.Why were the Wargs and goblins...

First, the mistake that Fili and Kili make is that the cave in which they seek shelter when a storm approaches has a passage that opens in the back and through the passage, goblins capture the dwarves.

Second, Gollum's birthday present, as he calls it, is the ring - the ring the renders the wearer invisible.  Bilbo stumbles upon the ring when he is in Gollum's lair and he isn't aware, at first, of the ring's power.

Third, the goblins and the Wargs meet before they join forces in the battle of 5 armies.  They are in opposition to the dwarves, the men and the elves.

Verify: (cosx/1 + sinx) + (cosx/1-sinx) = 2secx

The brackets in the problem should be edited as below:

cosx/(1+sinx) + cosx/(1-sinx) = secx.

Solution:

We use sin^2x+cos^2x = 1. Or 1-sin^2x = cos^2x.

LHS: The commmon denominator is the LCM, (1+sinx)(1-sinx) = 1-sin^2x =  as (a+b)(a-b) = a^2-b^2. So, the LHS is,

cosx{(1-sinx) + 1+sinx}/ (1-sin^2x)

=cosx{2}/cos^2x = 2/cosx = 2secx  which is RHS.

What happens at the end of "The Most Dangerous Game"?

At the end of "The Most Dangerous Game", Rainsford wins the game.  Although the hunt was the initial challenge, when the two men come face to face in Zaroff's bedroom, he issues another challenge to Rainsford.  This time, the winner gets to Zaroff's comfy bed, while the loser will be fed to Zaroff's hungry dogs.  At the very end of the story, Rainsford is obviously sleeping in Zaroff's bed.

What type of literary devices are used in "Arise fair sun and kill the envious moon" and "Parting is such sweet sorrow"?They are both in Act II.

Personification is used in "Arise fair sun and kill the envious moon" as Shakespeare was giving human actions to inanimate objects, the sun and the moon.  "Parting is such sweet sorrow" is antithesis - "sweet" and "sorrow" are antithetical, or opposite to one another, which was a common literary device used by Shakespeare to give more emphasis to the words he is contrasting.

Check the links below for more information on both personification and antithesis, as well as other literary devices.

What is becoming somebody like? and What is a bog?Emily Dickinson's "I am nobody, who are you?"

Emily Dickinson's poem, "I'm nobody, who are you?" is delightful verse about the bombastic:

PART I - LIFE

       XVII

I'm nobody, who are you?

Are you nobody, too?

Then, there's a pair of us--Don't tell!

They'd banish us, you know.

How dreary to be somebody!

How public like a frog

To tell your name the livelong day

To an admiring bog!

_________________________

The reclusive Emily Dickinson declares with pride that she is a nobody, but cautions her listener that he/she must be quiet since they will be "banished" is found out.  How bothersome, she states, it must be to be a "somebody," a person who is well-known and in the public eye; this is someone who must announce him/herself and be vocal constantly--like a croaking frog in a swamp (bog).  [in shallow places of water like swamps, wet-weather frogs and bull frogs croak all night in a cacophony of sound.]  The word bog is a better choice than swamp since its connotation adds to the meaning of the poem.  For, the suggestion of becoming stuck--being "bogged down"--in one's egotism underscores the meaning of this poem.

As in many of her poems, Dickinson uses nature to reflect her spiritual life.  The humble and quiet worshipper is often the better Christian than the Pharisee who praises his good deeds along with praising his Lord.

The reader is reminded of Stryver and Sydney Carton of Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities.  Carton who is the genius of the law partnership allows his fellow barrister, Stryver, to be the vociferous and vocal one in the courtroom and in the public places.  Content to do the reasoning and observations necessary to win cases, Carton retires from life to work as "the jackal" for the "becoming" of Stryver, "the lion, who is a man of prestige and reputation.

What is a summary of the book Sarny: A Life Remembered?

Sarny is a sequel to Nightjohn (please see separate entry), also narrated by Sarny. In Nightjohn, Sarny is a twelve-year-old girl who is taught to read and write by an imposing man named Nightjohn. According to Paulsen, he has been asked many times about what happens to Sarny after the ending of Nightjohn, and Sarny is an answer to the questions.

Sarny is an historical novel about the end of slavery in America and the years in the South thereafter, and it is narrated by Sarny, who is ninety-four years old and living in a convalescent hospital to which she committed herself several years before when she realized she could no longer take care of herself. Her story is about the horrors of slavery and the Civil War, yet also fortitude, determination, and intelligence. She is a memorable figure, devoted to her friends, as well as to Nightjohn's mission to bring literacy to African Americans.

How and why did Flavius and Marullus die in Rome, and at what time did they die?This is for a school obituary.

It is assumed that they were executed for having the decorations for Caesar's victory taken down from the statues of Caesar. This is mentioned in Act I, scene ii, when Casca reports:

"I could tell you more news too. Marullus and Flavius, for pulling scarves off Caesar's images, are put to silence."

Some scholars believe that "put to silence" means they were imprisoned or forced out of office, including the notes for David Bevington's The Necessary Shakespeare.

The time of day this occurred is unclear. If it was an execution, it would have to have been during the day sometime as it was public enough for Casca to be reporting the news alongside the news of Caesar's thrice refusal of the crown. If it was imprisonment or removal from office, it probably could have occurred at anytime.

Check the links below for more information, and good luck!

I read "Lamb to the Slaughter,"and now I need help to create a static image for it. What should I do for my static image?

A good image would be a lamb bone, as inside the joint of meat itself would be the actual bone which gives the 'weapon' it's strength and weight. In the short story 'Lamb to the Slaughter' by Roald Dahl, the author presents a murder weapon which can actually be eaten! However, it is important to remember that the bone remains afterwards. It is probably this which makes the weapon effective - although the weight of extra water in a frozen joint would be considerable. So, I would go for the image of the bone itself. A joint of meat without a bone inside would not make a very good murder weapon - although we should always note the black humor of the police eating the meat!

When and why does Goodman Brown abandon all faith?

In my own opinion, I believe that through out the story Brown starts to give up on faith. There are many symbolic themes in this story involving religion, the inner self, and death. Each category expands itself in the story. Faith is a symbol in itself. Not only is Faith his wife, but faith is also his belief in good. His name in general young Goodman Brown is also a symbol. One is his innocence because of his youth, but also that he is good natured. Faith is the same. One symbol that must not be overlooked is Faiths pink ribbon. I quote, "My Faith is gone!" cried he, after one stupefied moment. "There is no good on earth; and sin is but a name." This quote shows that in giving up what he loved or desired most, he had lost all faith in himself, while caring only for his love. Thus, his dying hour is truly gloom, because he was never himself again. He had given up on himself, and realized he couldn't change the world and its dangers. He couldn't save his love, and he lost himself. It wouldn't matter what happened after this point, because he had changed. There was no going back to faith, because he had lost his will to resist urges, the devil, and his sanity. This is a sad but powerful realization, that dooms him.

How did the First Great Awakening exhibit Enlightenment qualities?

In a lot of ways, the Great Awakening was opposed to Enlightenment values.  Where the Enlightenment stressed scientific thought and reason, the Great Awakening believed in faith in God.  But there was one important aspect to Great Awakening thought that was in line with Enlightenment ideas -- the idea that all people were equal.

In the Great Awakening, there was the idea that people should have a direct relationship with God.  This said that they did not need to listen to hierarchies placed above them (to ministers or priests).  Instead, they should all be equal before God.

This was very much in line with Enlightenment thinking that opposed hierarchy and believed all men were created equal.

Film "Scotland, PA" interprets Macbeth. How do the devices of cinema limit/enhance the meaning of the play, or the adaptation of tragedy into...

First, I just want to tell you that I love the movie, "Scotland, PA".  My biggest complaint is the quite liberal use of foul language.   The devices of cinema - camera tricks and cinematic effects - lend themselves very well to this play since the play deals with witches and spectral visitations.  In the play, the witches appear and disappear, Banquo's ghost is seen only by Macbeth, the witches conjure images for Macbeth to see and hear.  Obviously, a stage play will have problems showing those things that a movie can do so easily.  Also, it isn't difficult for a movie to show simultaneous action with quick segways from one scene to the next.  Act 5 of the play is a constant change from inside Macbeth's castle to outside the castle showing action as it occurs at the same time in both places.  Again, stage plays have more difficulty with this rapid and frequent change of scenes.  In "Scotland, PA", the witches (3 60's era hippies) do very little magic.  They do appear and disappear and show themselves only to Mac McBeth.  There are no visitations as dramatized in Act 4, sc. 1 of the play, though I wish the screen writers would have put those in there somehow.  There is the rapid switching of scenes in the final act and that is done well.  As far as changing "Macbeth" the bloody tragedy into a comedy, the film makers succeeded quite well.  The devices of cinema allowed for subtle expressions on faces that a stage play could not employ.  One particularly good example of the subtle expression is the look of relief on Pat's face when she cuts off her hand.  "Scotland, PA" is a black comedy because it bases its comedy on the horrific acts of Pat and Mac McBeth, from accidentally pushing Norm into the fryer (even though they were going to kill him anyway) to showing the hole left by the shotgun blast that killed Banquo, to the deaths of Mac and Pat.  The film does an excellent job of capturing some stereotypes which also adds to the comedy (the blundering small town deputy, the boozing guy pals, etc.).  The play is about unchecked ambition and what happens when a person does not let his sense rule over his base desires.  The theme is timeless and the movie helps to show that.  The movie also does a very good job of showing how the McBeths (the Lady Macbeth character, in particular) justified what they did.  In the play, Lady Macbeth justifies the killing of Duncan by claiming that her husband deserved to be king.  In the movie, Pat McBeth says that she and her husband aren't bad people, they are just underachievers.

What did the October manifesto accomplish?

In my opinion, the most you can say for this manifesto is that it bought the Tsar a few more years of power and of life.  By October of 1905, Russians were severely dissatisfied with their government.  They had lost a war to Japan, there were strike and protests and brutal suppression of some of these demonstrations.

In this atmosphere, the Tsar issued the manifesto, which set up the Duma and seemed to give some amount of rights and power to the people.  However, it was a sham.  The Tsar could veto the Duma's laws and he could (and did) dissolve it if he wanted to.

So no real change came, and the people continued to be upset.

What is the theme, moral, or lesson of Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince?

There are lots of themes and lessons in this book.

To me, perhaps the biggest lesson is that murdering people in cold blood tears your soul apart (at least in Rowling's opinion.)  This is the book where we learn about Horcruxes, and I think that is the message of the Horcruxes.

I think there are some other themes.  First, I think we see the theme of self-sacrifice.  Both Harry and Dumbledore are doing a lot of stuff that they would rather not have to do, but they are going to do it because it is necessary.  Dumbledore, for example, drinks the potion at the lake to get the locket.  And then he allows himself to be killed.  Harry sacrifices time with his friends and his fun to go through this all with Dumbledore.

You can also see the importance of true trust and friendship with the whole deal between Lavender and Ron and Hermione.  And we see Harry being a friend by backing off of doing anything about liking Ginny for a long time because he doesn't want to hurt his relationship with Ron.

In Into the Wild, how does Chris McCandless feel about his family, and how does Chris' family feel about him? Are there any differences?

In the book, “Into the Wild”, by American writer Jon Krakauer, it is shown that Chris McCandless is essentially indifferent to his family, except possibly for his sister, Carine, one of nine children in the family. His parents were Walt and Billie McCandless.

What is notable, concerning his feelings for his family, is that Chris never really spoke of them. In addition, it is an indication of his thoughts on his family that he concocted a new moniker for himself, “Alexander Supertramp”, deciding to no longer go with the family name as he traveled.

As stated in the first answer above, it is revealed in the book that Chris believed his parents were too controlling. Chris, like his father, had a stubborn streak in him and a penchant for losing his temper. Quite revealing, regarding his feelings about his family is that they held to and practiced middle-class traditional values, while Chris became increasingly antagonistic to these values his family held dear. This is a prime example of a major difference between him and his family. Chris McCandless began to put away materialism and eventually virtually dispensed with it altogetherwhen he hitchhiked to Alaska and walked unaccompanied into its vast wilderness.

Walt and Billie McCandless had high hopes for their son. They believed he would further his life ambitions through enrolling in law school. They wanted the best for their son and no doubt were positive about this hope. Eventually, as Chris’ journey went on and he was not heard of, or to be found, Walt and Billie did engage the services of a private investigator to find Chris. They loved him. Chris, deep down, may have loved them, but did not ascribe to their traditional way of life any longer.

The major difference between Chris and his family was philosophical and based on different world views of what one needs to do to be happy in life.

In "The Duchess and the Jeweller," is the jeweller someone you would like to know?

I guess this depends on which aspect of his character you look at.

On the one hand, he is appealing because of his past.  He was born poor and he has made it to the point where he can buy all these beautiful jewels.  You have to respect that.

But as far as liking him?  I can't see wanting to hang out with a guy who is so into his jewels but is not really all that nice to people.  I think he's gotten too obsessed with wealth and power and so I don't think I'd like him in person.

What is Jefferson's last name?

I don't think Gaines gives the character Jefferson a last name in A Lesson Before Dying. His godmother is named Emma Glenn, but she is not a blood relative. I've read the book and several critical essays, but I cannot find a last name. Perhaps that was intentional. One of the things Grant uses as an argument against teaching Jefferson to read is that he has no relationship to Jefferson; he has no obligation to him. By not having a last name, perhaps Jefferson could be said to "belong" to everyone and is everyone's responsibility. Just a thought.

How do I cite a Psychology textbook if I use a direct quote? Do I list it with the quote, or at the end under my references?

Psychology uses the APA style of citations.  How you are going to reference your direct quote depends on how long the quote is.  If it is shorter than 40 words, it is considered a short quote; if 40 words or longer, it is a long quote.  I'll include examples of both.

For short quotes, you can follow one of two different formats.  If you mention the author in your sentence itself, then follow this example:  Meyers (2005) indicated that "most modern dream interpretations stem from Freud's original analysis" (p. 223).  So, mention the author's last name, then the year the book was published in parentheses, and after the quote, put "p." and the numbr of the page of the quote.  If you don't mention the author, follow this format:  "Most modern dream interpretations stem from Freud's original analysis" (Meyers, 2005, p. 223). Note in both cases that the end period of the sentence comes after the quotations, not before.

For long quotations, you first have to start off the reference in a new paragraph, and indent it, and the entire quote, 5 spaces.  Then, don't use quotation marks.  Instead, introduce the quote using a colon, and omit the quotations marks.  For example--Meyers (2005) wrote of dream interpretation:  Most modern dream interpretations stem from Freud's original analysis. (p. 223)  Note that in this example, the end period comes before the last page citation.

In either case, in your end reference page, you will need to include a full citation of the Psychology book that you referenced earlier in the text.  I hope that those examples helped a bit; I also provided a link below that outlines APA formatting in more detail, in case my examples didn't cover the type of quote that you are going to use.  Good luck!

What happens to the threat of a turkish invation of cyprus?

The Turks are defeated by a storm before the battle even begins.  It's one of the great Deus ex Machina (ghost out of the machine: an unexpected plot device that saves characters from a hopeless situation) moments in all of literature.  The seeming threat of the Turks, so menacing to the Venitians in Act I, is over and done with before Act II even begins:

News, lads! our wars are done.
The desperate tempest hath so bang'd the Turks,
That their designment halts: a noble ship of Venice
Hath seen a grievous wreck and sufferance
On most part of their fleet.

Othello is victorious.  However, a greater threat looms on Cyprus: Iago and Roderigo plan to destroy Othello and Desdemona's marriage.

The storm is a pathetic fallacy, as it foreshadows the storm that is to come, the storm of jealousy that stirs in Othello.

The storm is also a red herring, as it is misleading threat that never materializes.  Could Othello be the Turk that all of Venice feared in Act I?

Explain to me why management is considered to be a science as well as an art? whyit is as a science as well as an art

There are fundamental principles of management that involve labor costs, profit margins, quarterly reports, etc.  These elements of management have formulas and procedures that are consistent and reliable and must be applied with a scientific precision.

On the other hand, management involves, most times, the coordination of a team of human beings and their efforts.  The human factor is not scientific.  Managers deal with personalities, personal strengths and weaknesses, illnesses, family stresses and demands for their workers, and all sorts of other things that can't be predicted or measured with a scientific formula or procedure. 

The most effective managers, therefore, are able to find a balance between applying the science while never forgetting that you are managing humans and not machines.

What is Kurt Vonnegut's tone throughout Slaughterhouse Five?

Concerning your question about Vonnegut's Slaughter-House Five, I suggest that the speaker's tone is detached understatement. 

You are certainly correct about sympathy being revealed by the tone, as well as by the content.  The result of reading a scene is that the reader feels sympathy for Billy, etc., but I think this is achieved with detached understatement.

Notice the "So it goes" refrain.  Somebody dies, a catastrophe happens--oh well, so it goes, that's life. 

Importantly, it's not that the speaker doesn't care, it's that there's nothing he can do about any of it.    How does one fight a fire-bombing? 

Understatement is an often-used, often highly effective literary device.  If a writer tries to write a death, for instance, by demonstrating how horrible and meaningful, etc., the death is, he/she can overwrite and be caught in the trap of trying to convince the reader of something, like in an argument essay.  Understatement lets the reader figure out the meaning, and the reader often fights for the meaningfulness of the death, instead of resisting it. 

The speaker distances himself from events, then, he does not get emotional.  He can't change anything, anyway.  He just tells it in a straightforward manner.  So it goes. 

What does Scout see clearly for the first time when she reads Underwood's claim that Tom's death was senseless killing?Chapter 23

The quote you are referring to is at the end of Chapter 25 -

""Mr. Underwood's meaning became clear: Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men's hearts, Atticus had no case.  Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed."

Scout understands how deeply the roots of prejudice run.  She sees that you can change the laws and courts and go by all the rules, but unless there is change in the hearts of men, racism and stereotypical behavior will continue.  Tom Robinson outwardly had a fair trial, and Atticus did all he could for him, but because of deeply-ingrained attitudes of inequality in Maycomb, Tom Robinson was doomed from the start.

Explore the symbolic importance of the songbird in the golden cage to both Siddhartha and Kamala from Siddhartha.

You have put your finger on one of my very favorite parts (and favorite symbols) in Siddhartha. You are correct to suspect that this cage has amazing symbolic significance.  The songbird represents Siddhartha while the  cage represents his life (at this point) that traps him.  Let's learn why while looking at the text.

The songbird in question rests in a cage for the entire day while he sings and sings and sings (apparently wishing to be set free). Siddhartha has a revelation while looking at this songbird whom Siddhartha both feeds and watches.  You see, Siddhartha is in a cage of his own:  his current place in life.  Just like the songbird can't be happy, Siddhartha can't be happy either.  Siddhartha finds himself wishing for the death of the songbird out of compassion. In fact, he has a dream that this songbird of Kamala's dies.  Siddhartha promptly takes the bird out and throws it on the road, but he immediately feels regretful. This makes Siddhartha realize that he is oppressed in his current life station and needs to escape somehow.  Siddhartha realizes that obtaining money and material wealth doesn't lead to happiness.  Siddhartha realizes that he is not able to truly love another person, so he can't find happiness that way, either.  This leads Siddhartha to wish for escape from his current life in order to find his innocence again. 

For much longer, he could have stayed with Kamaswami, made money, wasted money, filled his stomach, and let his soul die of thirst; for much longer he could have lived in this soft, well upholstered hell, if this had not happened: the moment of complete hopelessness and despair, that most extreme moment, when he hang over the rushing waters and was ready to destroy himself. That he had felt this despair, this deep disgust, and that he had not succumbed to it, that the bird, the joyful source and voice in him was still alive after all, this was why he felt joy, this was why he laughed, this was why his face was smiling brightly under his hair which had turned gray.

In conclusion, let's talk about Kamala.  In regards to Kamala, even though the songbird still symbolizes a trapped Siddhartha, she takes a different approach to freedom.  Where Siddhartha wishes for the bird's death for it to obtain freedom. Kamala realizes that she can be part of the process by setting the bird free.  Kamala sets Siddhartha free as well.  He needs to follow a different path and will not return. 

What are the characteristics of Obama in Dreams from My Father?

I think that you can find many different answers to this particular question.  In the book, one can make the argument that one of Obama's characteristics is being pensive.  He displays a great deal of understanding and reflection about the issues of race and ethnicity and the role they play in the modern nation and social order.  Even if one were to disagree with his findings, one cannot debate the manner in which the questions are raised in the book are done so in a manner to inspire discussion, generating future thought.  Examine the passages where he discusses his own relationship with race, being of a Black father and a White mother, living with White grandparents, competing in a predominantly White professional setting, community organizing in a predominantly Black community, marrying a Black woman, and travelling back to Africa.  In each of these dynamics, the President offers a great deal within which to think and reflect, demonstrating his pensive nature.

What is the plot of "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe?

Edgar Allan Poe's poem The Raven is considered a classic of gothic literature.  A man, probably of middle age, sits alone in his well-adorned library one cold, "bleak December" evening, and contemplates the dissolution of his relationship with "the lost Lenore."  He is clearly heartbroken, but becomes uneasy when a mysterious tapping on his chamber door captures his attention.  Attempting to ignore it, the unidentified source of the unwelcome noise continues to distract him.  As he focuses on the possible nature of this disturbance, his mind goes back to the source of his sorrow, "the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore."  Poe's poem continues with its haunting theme, the narrator unable to grasp the meaning of this persistent intruder:

"Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing, Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before; But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token, And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, “Lenore!” This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, “Lenore!”— Merely this and nothing more."

The intruder, of course, is a large black raven, which moves about the library, responding to the narrator's queries regarding its purpose with the phrase "Nevermore."  The raven's continued presence and repetitive use of that phrase proves increasingly maddening to the narrator, who only wants the large bird to leave.  As the bird perches atop a bust of the mythological figure of Pallas, the reader is left to conclude that this bizarre interloper signifies the narrator's emotional demise.

In the poem A child said, what is the grass? from Leaves of Grass, What are examples of metaphor and imagery ?Is there any relation to the...

The speaker’s answer to the child is replete with metaphor and imagery for the speaker finds the question too complex, too philosophical, and yet too simple for a straightforward answer. An example of metaphor: he says a leaf of grass is “the flag of my disposition, out of hopeful green stuff woven.”  Here he compares the grass to himself in that he is part of nature; in being the “flag of his disposition,” it represents who he is, and woven “out of hopeful green stuff” refers to the vitality of nature that always continues through its courses as we see it in life and death as well as the seasons of the year. “Sprouting alike in broad zones and narrow zones, / Growing among black folks as among white” provides a beautiful image of color and equality, allowing us to “see” the green growing naturally, spontaneously, and without effort among black people and white people (and then he goes on to mention other groups of people). Here he uses the blade of grass to create a visual image of equality.

The following is a specific question about the seasons in regards to axis vs. orbit:If the earth's perihelion in orbit is on January 2 (the closest...

The distance of earth from sun due to elliptical orbit of the earth affects the difference in heating and cooling, or the temperature, of the whole earth to almost same degree. Therefor it does not explain the types of weather on the earth at the same time. For example, countries in northern hemisphere experience winter at Christmas time while those in southern hemisphere experience summer. On the other hand when countries in northern hemisphere have summer, those in southern hemispheres experience summer.  Also this variation in distance of earth from sun is just about 1.7 percent  of the average distance.which is  not significant enough to account for the extent of variation in temperature actually experienced during different seasons.

The tilt of the earth does affect the distance from sun of places at different altitudes on earth, and this does have some effect on temperature of the place. But much more than the distance, it is the angle at which the sun rays fall on a place on earth determine the amount of heat in form of sun rays received per unit area of the earth. When the sun rays fall directly at right angles to surface of earth, the area covered by same amount of sun rays is minimum, resulting in maximum heat received per unit are. As the angle of incidence of sun rays deviates from the perpendicular to surface of earth the area covered by the sun rays increases, and with that heat received per unit area decreases. The effect of the angle of incidence of sun rays on heat of sun received a a place is also affects the intensity of sunlight at a place during the day. The intensity of sunlight is maximum at noon when sun is at the highest point in the sky, and therefor closest to the perpendicular direction. As we move away from the noon time, either before it towards sunrise, or after it towards sunset, the intensity of sunlight decreases. This intensity is minimum at sunrise and sun set when the sun rays fall almost parallel to the earth's surface.

The spherical shape of the earth causes the sun rays to fall at different latitudes on earth at different angles. Thus when the sun rays are falling at right angles at the equator, these are almost parallel at the two poles. The tilt of the earth, combined with its orbit round the sun, cause the place at which the sun rays fall at right angles to keep on shifting between 23.5 north (Tropic of Cancer) and 23.5 south (Tropic of Capricorn) latitudes. This is the reason why we experience changes in weather in an annual cycle.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, what is unusual about how long it takes the jury to reach a verdict? Is the verdict predictable or not?

It is very unusual how long it took the jury to reach a verdict because the case involved a black man. Even more, the case involved an attack by a black man of a white woman. The fact that it took as long as it did shows that Atticus scored a few points and made the jury consider all the evidence.

While the jury does convict Tom, in some ways it can be seen as at least promising that they considered the evidence that Atticus presented during the trial.

The conviction  itself is not surprising, because even Atticus knew that he would most likely lose the case. Racial inequality was a theme in this novel, and Tom really never had a chance at a fair trial.

What happens to Macbeth in Act 3 and why?

In Act 3 of Macbeth, a change happens which affects the whole course of the play and leads to Macbeth’s downfall.  The couple begin to drift apart. Together they have achieved a result:

“Nought’s had, all’s spent.” mourns lady Macbeth.

Macbeth invites Banquo to attend his banquet and elicits the information that Fleance will accompany Banquo on his ride that day. He hides his murderous intentions towards them in pleasantries and tells his wife to pay special attention to Banquo, hinting at bloody deeds to come. Now troubled that things are going too far, she tries to soothe him......

“You must leave this...”

But Macbeth is beginning to slide away from her sphere of influence. The banquet displays, for all to see, the divide between them--and Macbeth’s outer representation of madness. Up until now, the couple have worked as a team albeit with one partner more dominant than the other as Lady Macbeth has been the power behind the throne.

Macbeth’s peace of mind is now destroyed however, and guilt-ridden nightmares have stolen his ability to sleep. The restorative properties of a good night’s sleep can soothe a troubled mind but a person who lacks sleep for long enough will surely lose his sanity: he will lose the power of rational judgement.