'Lit' for Literature

  What is the significance of the Epilogue in Shakespeare's  The Tempest ? Why didn't Prospero reveal Antonio and Sebastian's plot against King Alonso in Act 5, Scene 1, in Shakespeare's  The Tempest ? Why is it significant that so many characters express the desire to rule the island throughout the play ? What hope is there (if any) for Caliban in his final statements (lines 262-3;lines 294-7)? Is Prospero's response to Caliban ('Go to; away!') a gruff acceptance of this, or is it just purely dismissive? Give reason(s) for your answer. Antonio is a clear discord in the general harmony with which this play ends. What does this indicate about being redeemed and Prospero's power both as a magician and a duke?

  Dill's explanation of his family life, escape, and babies all have a common theme. Explain. Explain how Jem “broke the remaining code of our childhood.”  Atticus discusses the Ku Klux Klan in this chapter and concludes by saying that the Klan is gone. Is this statement correct? Explain. Discuss the irony of the following statement and the situation which it describes: “…there followed what I later realized was a sickeningly comic aspect of an unfunny situation: the men talked in near-whispers.” Why does Jem openly defy Atticus and refuse to leave? What does Scout’s childish attempt at a conversation accomplish? Explain.

  Explain the possible meanings of the poem’s title How would you describe the boy’s experience? Select any TWO literary devices used by the poet and show how effectively these were used to convey meaning. Why does the writer accept defeat in the last stanza? Describe the poet’s attitude to the subject he addresses. What does 'torch throwers of night' in line 22 suggest?   

  1. In what way does Prospero compare compare life to the masque or the stage? (Act 4 Scene 1, lines 147-158) 2.  In Greek mythology, Ceres, who appears in the masque of Act 4, is associated with the concept of rebirth, a return to life, a theme that a number of the characters refer to in their closing speeches. In your opinion, has Shakespeare restored the characters to their former selves, or has he changed or developed them during the course of the play? 3.   How does the island function as a laboratory for testing human nature? For Prospero? For Shakespeare? 4. At the Masque, Ceres makes a decree of Venus and Cupid. Why do you think that Venus, goddess of love, was absent from the young lovers' celebration? [SEE LINES 85 - 99 OF ACT 4 SCENE 1]