Classics
A:
In the novel "The Great Gatsby," the character Jay Gatsby owns a mansion that took him 3 years to save the necessary funds to purchase. It's estimated that he bought the home in 1922.
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Q: What Are the Characteristics of "Hamlet"?
A: Hamlet is an elusive and mysterious character that is philosophical, contemplative, obsessive, impulsive, melancholy, intelligent and careless. Hamlet is a character in William Shakespeare's play, also titled "Hamlet." -
Q: What Is Dante's Most Famous Work About?
A: Dante Alighieri's most famous work, "Divine Comedy," is about the poet's journey through Hell, Purgatory and finally Paradise. Along the way, he and his guides encounter a number of famous historical figures, including people from Dante's own time as well as Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar; Saint Peter; Thomas Aquinas and others. The poem is a metaphor for the progress of a soul toward God. -
Q: Why Does Juliet Ask Romeo Not to Swear by the Moon?
A: Juliet asks Romeo not to swear by the moon because the moon is always changing its shape and position. Therefore, a promise sworn on the moon could also be prone to changing. Her request is part of the famous balcony scene, which is the second scene in Act II of the play "Romeo and Juliet." -
Q: What Is the Relationship Between Harry Potter and the NEWTs?
A: Because Harry Potter did not attend Hogwarts for his seventh and final year, he did not take the N.E.W.T.s, which are the exams young wizards about to graduate must take before finishing school. J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter novels, has given no indication that Harry ever returned to Hogwarts to finish his final year, though she has said that Hermione Granger did so. -
Q: What Themes Are Expressed in "The Happy Prince" by Oscar Wilde?
A: Themes expressed in "The Happy Prince" by Oscar Wilde include sacrifice, mercy, repression, compassion, love, poverty and riches. The fairy tale focuses on the statue of the Happy Prince who watches over a town and weeps as some townsfolk suffer in poverty. -
Q: What Is the Book Summary of Black Beauty?
A: The book "Black Beauty" is an autobiographical story told from the perspective of Black Beauty: the main character who is a spirited stallion. "Black Beauty" tells the story of Black Beauty’s life in several phases, beginning with his birth then journeying through his life as a foal, a yearling and ultimately as a mature stallion. -
Q: What Is Gatsby and Daisy's Relationship?
A: Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsby are lovers in F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby." The relationship between the two characters forms the primary plot of the novel. -
Q: Who Suspects Macbeth of the Murders?
A: In Act 3, Scene 1 of the play "Macbeth," written by William Shakespeare, Banquo becomes suspicious that Macbeth is responsible for Duncan's murder. During this scene, Macbeth becomes fearful of Banquo's suspicions. -
Q: What Is the Definition of a Shakespearean Tragedy?
A: A Shakespearean tragedy is defined as a play written by William Shakespeare that tells the story of a seemingly heroic figure whose major character flaw causes the story to end with his tragic downfall. Shakespeare wrote 10 plays that are classified as “Shakespearean tragedies,” including "Hamlet" and "Macbeth." -
Q: In Which City Was "Lord of the Flies" Published?
A: Lord of the Flies was first published in London in 1954. It was written by William Golding, and is a current staple of many high school reading lists. -
Q: Why Did the Capulets and Montagues Hate Each Other?
A: It is presumed that the Montagues and the Capulets hated one another because both families wanted to be the most powerful in Verona. The famous play “Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare never fully explains the reason behind the feud, though it is assumed to have lasted for many years. -
Q: What Are Examples of Asides in "Romeo and Juliet"?
A: Romeo speaks an aside in Act II, Scene ii of "Romeo and Juliet" when he is standing beneath the balcony where Juliet is speaking, unaware that anyone hears her. Juliet is professing her love for Romeo, and he says "Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?" -
Q: What Are Some Literary Devices in "Wuthering Heights"?
A: Some literary devices used in Emily Bronte's "Wuthering Heights" include motifs and symbolism. Some of the novel's motifs include doubling and repetition, and some symbols in the book include moors and ghosts. -
Q: What Are Examples of Personification in "Hamlet"?
A: "The world's grown honest" and "For murder, though it have no tongue, will speak / With most miraculous organ" are both quotes from Act II, scene ii that are examples of personification in William Shakespeare's play "Hamlet." Personification is a figure of speech in which inanimate objects are given traits normally ascribed to humans. In the above examples, the world and murder are given human qualities. -
Q: What Are Interesting Facts About Mary Wollstonecraft?
A: English writer Mary Wollstonecraft was born in London, England, on April 27, 1759, and died on September 10, 1797; she traveled through Europe during her life, eventually returning to the city of her birth, and earned a reputation as a passionate advocate for the advancement of women's rights. Mary Wollstonecraft, a self proclaimed feminist, eventually married and assumed the name of Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin. She outlived an attempt at suicide in 1795 following a painful breakup with her lover, American Captain Gilbert Imlay, and gave birth to a daughter a year earlier, in 1794. -
Q: What Is the Moral of the Story "Aladdin"?
A: A moral of the story of Aladdin as portrayed in the 1992 Walt Disney movie of the same name teaches that dishonesty does more harm than good in the long-term. According to Movie Guide, the fundamental lesson of the movie is one should remain true to self, accurately representing oneself without pretensions. Another related moral lesson to be learned from "Aladdin" is that personal self-worth trumps external riches. -
Q: How Many Books Has C.S. Lewis Written?
A: Writer Clive Staples (C.S.) Lewis composed 74 books, including several essay collections published after his death. Lewis is best known for his fictional work, particularly "The Chronicles of Narnia," though most of Lewis' books are nonfiction works. -
Q: Why Is "Frankenstein" Considered a Gothic Novel?
A: Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" is considered a Gothic novel because it incorporates numerous elements of Gothic literature, including a dark setting, the supernatural, the sublime and an atmosphere of terror and horror. Gothic literature examines anxieties over modernity, rationalism and the uncertainty raised by rapid scientific progress. -
Q: In "Julius Caesar," Why Does Calpurnia Want Caesar to Stay Home?
A: In William Shakespeare's play "Julius Caesar," Caesar's wife, Calpurnia, begs him to stay home because she dreamed of his murder. At this point in the play, Act 2, Scene 2, Brutus and other Roman senators have decided to murder Caesar when he comes to the Capitol. -
Q: How Did Shakespeare Become Famous?
A: Within two years of writing his first play, "Henry VI, Part One," which put him on London's theatrical map, Williams Shakespeare was so famous that established playwright Robert Greene referred to him as an "upstart crow" in a critique of his work. Shakespeare wrote "Henry VI, Part One" while still living in his native Stratford. Shortly thereafter, he moved to London to continue writing plays as well as acting. -
Q: Why Did William Shakespeare Write "Romeo and Juliet?"
A: William Shakespeare was inspired to write "Romeo and Juliet" by a poem titled "Romeus and Juliet" by Arthur Brooks. In fact, Shakespeare's play shares many of the details of Brooks' poem. The story, however, was a commonly told one throughout Europe and was not unique to Brooks either.