Students’ Questions about Literature Page 67

Odysseus is motivated to dress as a beggar in order to gain information about his surroundings and to gain the trust of those he meets.

The epic poem Beowulf is about a hero who saves a kingdom from a monster.

Dramatic irony is when the audience knows something that the characters do not. For example, the audience knows that Hamlet is feigning madness, but the characters do not.

In “The Necklace,” alliteration is used to create a sense of luxury and sophistication. For example, the narrator describes the necklace as “a string of pearls that was worth at least five hundred francs.”

Jack represents the savagery that exists in all humans. He is a symbol of the primal instincts that take over when there is no civilization to restrain them.

The first major conflict is between Odysseus and the Cyclops. The second major conflict is between Odysseus and Poseidon.

“Get thee to a nunnery: why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners?”

This excerpt from Act 3 of Hamlet supports the conclusion that Hamlet is critical of women because he is telling Ophelia to go to a nunnery, which is a place where women live a life of seclusion away from men.

The quote means that the speaker is hoping that the person they are talking about will make foolish decisions.

Odysseus is a brave and cunning warrior. He is also very arrogant and prone to making rash decisions.

Fahrenheit 451 is banned because it is a dystopian novel about a future American society where books are outlawed and “firemen” burn any that are found.