Hamlet-Mousetrap-Does Hamlets play the mousetrap work?
- LANGUAGE ARTS
Teaching Classic LiteratureI am an independent literature tutor and have started developing units…
Penguin Readers, high-interest/low-vocabulary condensed versions of classic literature, make great resources for trying to teach traditional lit to lower-level students. Earlier this year in one of…
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- HAMLET
Hamlet-Mousetrap-Does Hamlets play the mousetrap work?
I think it does. Gertrude ironically responds, “The lady doth protest too much.” Claudius leaves abruptly, made uncomfortable by his own guilt. Right after this is when 1)Claudius starts plotting…
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- MATH
A serving tray of brass weighs 21 oz. The brass is an alloy of 70 percent copper & 30 percent…
You know that the brass is 70% copper and 30% tin. You also know the tray weighs 21 oz. So, you just need to find 70% of that 21 oz weight. Remember that 70% is the same as 70/100. You can write…
2 educator answers
- STATE STANDARDS
State or Private School Standards — which is better?At the school where I teach, we are given…
I would go with the McREL standards, only because they seem easier to use. One of the turn offs I have when discussing the SSS is that as a Florida educator, I am already giving up half my…
1 educator answer
- OF MICE AND MEN
What does George’s conversation with Slim reveal about George’s past treatment of Lennie in Of…
In this conversation, George reveals that he hasn’t always treated Lennie well, but that one near-tragic incident taught him a valuable lesson. Early in their friendship, George explains, he used…
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- THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN
How does Huck grow as a person? What life lessons does he learn from his encounters on the river?
Huck learns responsibility: He is immature at first, playing practical jokes on Jim, treating him the way Tom Sawyer would–as an inferior toy. However, Jim teaches him to be responsible and to…
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- A SEPARATE PEACE
In A Separate Peace, describe the dramatic setting and tell what it symbolizes.Specifically,…
The marble staircase is significant because of several things. First of all, the marble itself is old, but not overly worn in; this symbolizes the age of the school and the traditions, but also…
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- EVERYDAY USE
In “Everyday Use,” why is the mother reluctant to let Dee have the quilts?
The mother is reluctant to let Dee have the quilts because they have been promised to Maggie who is about to be married. Also, she knows that Maggie cherishes the quilts as part of her family…
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- 1984
How can we compare 1984 with the movie Wag the Dog?The question is:- With regard to !984 and Wag…
Wonderful question! I have never thought of comparing these two texts before, but obviously there is a lot you can say about them. Clearly, however, you need to recognise that while they both do…
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- A SEPARATE PEACE
In A Separate Peace, how does the snowball fight mirror events at the trial?
Gene sees the fight and is reluctant to join it; he even goes so far as to pretend that he has just remembered something else he has to do in order to get out of it. As with most other events at…
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- MANIAC MAGEE
Why were Finsterwald’s front steps “the only un-sat-on front steps in town” in Maniac Magee?
All the kids in the neighborhood are afraid to tread on Finsterwald’s property. Finsterwald is known as a menacing character, and although tales of what happens to those who dare venture close to…
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- THE BLACK CAT
What is the setting of “The Black Cat” by Edgar Allan Poe?
That is almost a trick question. The story has the classic trope of a narrator you can not trust, but from his words we can infer that he lives in a major city. Since Poe lived for much of his life…
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- THE CRUCIBLE
In Act IV of The Crucible, what had happened in Andover?
When the witch trials began, those first accused were powerless people who occupied the lowest level in their Puritan society. They were not recognized as being worthy or respectable, which…
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- A SEPARATE PEACE
In A Separate Peace, why did Phineas shout, “Here’s my contribution to the war effort” as he…
Actually, Finny did not swing from a line. He jumped into the river. The passage refers to the first time during the Summer Session that Finny and the others challenged the tree that plays such a…
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- BEOWULF
What does the poem Beowulf teach us about Anglo saxon culture?
Anglo Saxon culture was going through changes in religion. They had a mixture of both Pagan beliefs (which they began with) and of Christianity (which is new to them). That is seen in many…
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- JOHN DONNE’S HOLY SONNETS
In writing an essay on John Donne’s “Holy Sonnet XIV,” what would be a good thesis statement?In…
Are you feeling a bit controversial? How about this one: In his “Holy Sonnet 14,” John Donne uses sexual imagery to portray his seduction by both heaven and hell. Obviously, it’s hard to ignore…
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- MATH
How would I simplify the expression 3 over “a” to the -4 power?It looks kind of looks like this:…
When you have the situation of 3/a all raised to the negative 4, you need to apply the –4 exponent to both the 3 and the “a”. Applying the exponent will make both the numerator and…
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- FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON
In “Flowers for Algernon”, why do you think it is important for Charlie to write down every thing…
In the novel “Flowers For Algernon,” Charlie Gordon is a science experiment. Algernon is a mouse that is involved with Charlie as another part of the same experiment. Charlie has an IQ of 68 and…
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- THE LOVE SONG OF J. ALFRED PRUFROCK
In “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” what feelings about the other guests at the party does…
In these lines, he is painting a picture of the polite, structured, expected routine that many of the gatherings that he attends has. His expressions indicate a bit of frustration with his guests…
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- OF MICE AND MEN
How did Curley’s wife’s dream of being an actress affect her in Of Mice and Men, and what change…
Her dream of being an actress didn’t really change her behavior. It was the thought that her dreams had been shattered that caused her to rush into marriage with Curley. Just before she met Curley,…
4 educator answers
- JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL
What is the point of view in Jonathan Livingston Seagull?
The point of view is third-person limited omniscient. The omniscient view extends to all events and the novel’s exposition, but it is only into Jonathan’s heart and mind that we are taken. The…
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- HISTORY
Who was the guessed most cruel leader in ancient Rome?
Caligula AD 37-41 was probably the most cruel of the Roman Emperors. Caligula was greedy and bloodthirsty. He frequently insisted on being worshipped as a god. He was murdered on the capitol…
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- HAMLET
In Scene II of “Hamlet”, Claudius takes two actions to show he is an able administrator. What are…
Yes, he does. They’re to do with the Norweigans, who there have been political problems with since before Claudius was on the throne. Here’s what Claudius says Now follows, that you know, young…
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- WILLIAM BLAKE
Paraphrase Tyger Tygerplease assist in paraphrase the rythm of The Tyger by William Blake
This is an experience poem. It is paired with The Lamb. Both ask the question “Who made thee?” The speaker wants to know if the same maker who made the innocent lamb (representing Jesus) also…
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- MATH
Of the first graders who were asked, 1/6 like Math best, 2/3 like Reading, and 12 like Science…
72 first graders were surveyed. To figure this problem out, you have to first find the least common denominator for the two fractions, 1/6 and 2/3. The least common denominator for these two would…
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- MACBETH
In “Macbeth”, what might the witches’ predictions about Banquo mean?
They’re elliptical, weirdly-worded prophecies, aren’t they? The witches say that Banquo will be FIRST WITCH: Lesser than Macbeth, and greater. SECOND WITCH: Not so happy, yet much happier. THIRD…
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- A TALE OF TWO CITIES
What are some examples of paradoxes of character in A Tale of Two Cities?A Tale of Two Cities by…
Paradoxes are already interesting, because they take what seems to be and then twist it into something else, as well. In A Tale of two Cities, paradoxes can be found in several characters. Of…
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- THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN
What are three examples of satire in Chapter 11 of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn?
Virtually all of Chapter 11 of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has a satiric flavor to it. From the time that Huck enters the woman’s cabin dressed ridiculously as a young girl, the…
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- THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER
How are Tom and Huck alike and different, and what is special about each boy?
Here is how the boys compare: They are both approximately the same age and grew up in the same area in MO. They are best friends and both have a strong liking for adventure. On one adventure, they…
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- THE INTERLOPERS
In “The Interlopers,” what is Ulrich doing in the forest?
In the Saki short story “The Interlopers,” Ulrich is in the forest looking for his sworn enemy. “…eastern spurs of the Karpathians, a man stood one winter night watching and listening, as…
2 educator answers
- GUIDE TO LITERARY TERMS
I need an adjective that starts with the letter “t.” I already have “thoughtful” and ‘thankful.”…
“Thoughtful” and “thankful” are both good adjectives. Some others that start with “t” are “trustworthy,” “terrible,” “timely,” “taciturn,” and “traumatic.”
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- ROMEO AND JULIET
What are Romeo and Juliet’s strengths and weaknesses? Explain.
Romeo has a few weaknesses; first, he falls in love too easily. This can be seen in both his infatuation with Rosaline and his relationship with Juliet. He is also impetuous. This means that…
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- TWILIGHT
In Twilight, how is James affected in the falling action of the plot with Bella?
You have asked more than one question, so I’ll answer your first: James dies in the falling action. The climax of the story could be said to be the scene in the ballet studio where Bella goes to…
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- MACBETH
In “Macbeth”, what do Macbeth and his wife plan to do to make the last prediction come true?
The third part of the witches’ prophecy stated that Macbeth would become king after being Thane of Glamis and becoming Thane of Cawdor. After King Duncan makes Macbeth Thane of Cawdor, quite…
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- 1984
What is Winston’s greatest pleasure in his life in 1984?
Winston’s greatest pleasure in life is his work. His job at the Ministry of Truth is to rewrite history, doctoring documents so that they correspond with Big Brother’s version of the truth. Most…
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- THE CRUCIBLE
From what paradox did the Salem tragedy develop?
The Puritans were very religious and tried to avoid the devil and evil works as much as possible. The paradox is that these very serious and religious people could be duped into believing a group…
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- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
In “To Kill a Mockingbird” how is Boo Radley discriminated against?
He is discriminated against by the entire town as they make him out to be the boogey-man who is responsible for every evil or criminal deed that occurs in the town. He becomes the “malevolent…
3 educator answers
- INTO THE WILD
What are the Krakauer’s convictions about Chris McCandless in his book Into the Wild?(The ones he…
Although Krakauer does try to maintain a certain objectivity in examining Chris McCandless’ life and death, I think that his own convictions on the subject begin to be evident even in the…
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- THE CATCHER IN THE RYE
In what ways did Holden show signs of maturity or character development throughout the novel?
Holden’s interactions with his little sister Phoebe show his maturity. He acts as a role model to her, or at the least attempts to in her presence. She is the only person in front of which he feels…
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- REFERENCE
What resources are you using successfully to teach Spanish to beginning to intermediate students…
Response to no. 1 If you are talking about Beginning/Emergent and Intermediate, I would suggest (whatever the grade) to go back to basic always and then gradually go from there. I will give you the…
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- EMILY DICKINSON
In “Hope is the Thing With Feathers,” what is the conflict and theme?
The conflict between hope and despair is implied in the poem. Hope is examined through the metaphor of a little bird that “perches in the soul” and sings without stopping, even without reason or…
1 educator answer
- SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT
Which one represents interesting symmetry in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: the number of…
I would say your answer is “B”. Since this is a romantic tale, and this genre is based on a combination of myth, legend, and fable, the number three is always popping up. In “B”, the host goes…
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- THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY
What is the parody in the secret life of Walter Mitty?
In “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” the parody lies in the characters that Mitty creates in his daydreams. His heroes are extraordinary, skilled, super-hero type people, they are so over the top…
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- THE PINBALLS
Please provide a short summary of “Pinballs.”
“The Pinballs” by Betsy Byars is a wonderful story. The story begins with three foster children who are sent to live with the Masons, a married couple who cannot have children on their own. The…
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- MACBETH
In “Macbeth”, what does the last scene of Act III reveal about Macbeth’s opposition?
Although Macbeth’s great crimes are not generally known in Scotland, many have come to believe that he, not Duncan’s sons, is responsible for the King’s murder. Opposition to Macbeth has grown as…
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- CRY, THE BELOVED COUNTRY
In Cry, the Beloved Country, how do the conditions of the hills of Natal contrast with the…
The contrast between the hills, where Jarvis lives at High Place, and the valley, where Stephen lives in Ndotsheni, is both stark and symbolic. The hills are lush and green, well nourished and…
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- FAUST
What are some aspects of Romanticism, relating to the Romantic period, in Goethe’s Faust?
Goethe was the originator of the Romantic period but once he witnessed what the premises of Romanticism did to society he renounced Romanticism. This is why sixty years passed before Goethe agreed…
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- OF MICE AND MEN
How did having a dream affect the characters in Of Mice and Men? Did it make a difference…
Dreams play a crucial role in the book. According to enotes, the book takes place at the time of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and at a time when prejudice towards outsiders was substantial….
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- THE ODYSSEY
How has Penelope delayed the suitors?
Penelope claims to be weaving a death shroud for her father in-law Laertes, or in some translations, Odysseus himself. Each night she unravels the shroud, forcing herself to start work over the…
2 educator answers
- 1984
What does “War is Peace” really mean, according to Goldstein?
In chapter 9, of part 2, Goldstein’s book explains that “War is Peace” means that war affects a relatively few people, mostly those experts who are doing the actual fighting on the front lines….
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