Why were the Acropolis and the Parthenon so important to Athens?

Today we think of the Acropolis as a tourist destination and historical site, but when it was built it served much more basic functions. The Acropolis was built on the top of a hill in order to be defensible, and is essentially one gigantic fortress the size of a small city. (Its name literally means "High City.")

The Acropolis was ruined by the Persians in 480 BC, but was then rebuilt even larger; it was at that time that the Parthenon was built as a symbol of Greece's renewed strength.

In part because of its defensible location, the Acropolis also housed the seat of government of Athens during most of the Classical period, and became an important cultural and religious center as well. Most of the famous philosophers and artists of Classical Greece lived or worked in the Acropolis, and it was there that (what they called) "democracy" was first established as a lasting form of government for a major power. (It was in fact more like oligarchy or aristocracy, because very few people---all of them wealthy men---were eligible to vote; but it was still greater political representation than most cultures had at the time.)

The Acropolis is also notable for the fact that it has stood largely intact for over 2000 years, maintained or repaired by each successive generation. Thus it gives us a direct look into the art and architecture of Athens in the 5th century BC.

How are masculinity and femininity presented and explored in Shakespeare's Macbeth?

The audience has a chance to see the way the Macbeths' society conceived of masculinity and femininity in the interactions that take place between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.  After Macbeth has decided not to go forward with the murder of Duncan in Act 1, scene 7, Lady Macbeth insults him, calling him "green and pale" and a "coward" (1.7.41, 1.7.47).  She claims that having made a promise to her, it shows weakness and a lack of masculinity for him to break it.  He understands that she means to insult his manhood in this way because he says, "I dare do all that may become a man. / Who dares do more is none" (1.7.51-52).  In other words, he insists that he is really a man, despite what she's said.  Her implication, though, is that men should be strong and ruthless, that they should keep their promises no matter the danger, and that they be ambitious and willing to follow their ambition.

Near the end of this exchange, Macbeth tells his wife to "Bring forth men-children only, / For thy undaunted mettle should compose / Nothing but males" (1.7.83-85).  By this, we can understand that Lady Macbeth's recent behavior has been much more aligned with what is expected of men rather than women.  She has been domineering rather than submissive, ruthless rather than compassionate, insulting to him rather than comforting.  Lady Macbeth has manipulated her husband, and he knows it.  Women of their time are not supposed to behave in such a manner.

What are three ways in which Daisy Buchanan symbolizes the American Dream in Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby?

1. Daisy represents the American Dream for Jay Gatsby. In Chapter VIII, when he describes when he first sees her, he describes the prototypical all-American girl. Gatsby tells Nick that she was the first "nice girl" he had ever known. However, when describing Daisy, Gatsby convolutes his descriptions of her with the descriptions of her home. He calls Daisy "extraordinary," but then describes her this way: "She vanished into her rich house, her rich, full life, leaving Gatsby—nothing." Then he describes her house this way:

"Her porch was bright with the luxury of star-shine; the wicker of the settee squeaked fashionably as she turned toward him and he kissed her curious and lovely mouth."

There's no surprise, then, that when Gatsby has his fancy home, it only feels complete when Daisy finally joins him there, even if only temporarily.

2. Daisy also symbolizes the inaccessibility of the American dream for women. She is at the mercy of her husband and then Gatsby. Daisy explains her inability to access this dream succinctly when she discusses her daughter with Nick. She tells Nick that when her daughter grows up, she hopes she'll "be a fool—that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool."

3. Finally, Daisy represents the falseness of the American dream. Daisy has everything that this dream is supposed to represent. She has money, the most beautiful home in Long Island, a daughter and a husband, cars... but Daisy lacks happiness. Her husband abuses her. She wishes that her daughter will grow up to be a "fool." She shows that money, houses, and things (like cars) will not bring the happiness people expect from the American Dream.

What are drug abuse and addiction?

Causes

The cause of drug abuse and dependence is unknown, although there are a variety of theories. One theory holds that there may be a genetic component that predisposes a person to developing a drug addiction. Another theory is that drug abuse is a learned behavior and that people begin to use drugs by copying the behavior of those around them. Medical professionals have not been able to target a specific cause. Long-term drug use alters the brain’s structure and chemistry, which may reinforce the desire to keep using drugs regardless of the consequences.

Risk Factors and Symptoms

A risk factor is something that increases the chances of getting a disease or condition. For drug abuse and addiction, young males are at a greater risk, as are those who have family members with substance abuse problems. Other risk factors include social and peer pressure, early antisocial behavior, stress, and easy access to drugs. Anxiety, depression, and panic disorders are also risk factors associated with drug abuse and addiction.

Denial that a drug problem exists is common. Drug abuse can occur without physical dependence and often progresses to drug dependence. To diagnose drug abuse, the symptoms must have lasted for at least twelve months and may include repeated work, school, or home problems due to drug use; continued use of drugs even though it means risking physical safety; recurring trouble with the law related to drug use, including impaired driving; and continued use of drugs despite drug-related problems in personal relationships.

Symptoms of drug dependence include at least three of the following: craving for the substance; inability to stop or limit drug use; tolerance, or taking greater amounts to feel the same effect; withdrawal symptoms that occur when the drug is stopped; significant amounts of time trying to acquire drugs and recover from their effects; and giving up activities to use drugs or recover from their effects. Drug use continues even when it causes or worsens health and/or psychological problems.

Diagnosis

To help with diagnosis, doctors ask a series of questions regarding drug-related problems, specifically:

• how often the patient uses drugs

• which drugs the patient uses

• what amount and if the patient has increased the amount to receive the same desired effect

• emotional problems that may have occurred while using drugs

• problems with a job, family, or the law

Tests may include blood and urine tests to check for the presence of drugs.

Treatment

There is no cure for drug abuse or drug dependence. Treatment consists of three main goals: to help patients stop using drugs, to decrease the toxic effects of the drugs being used and to aid in symptoms of drug witshdrawal (“detoxification”), and to prevent relapse. Successful treatment depends on the drug user’s recognition of the problem and desire to change. Recovery takes a long time and is not an easy process. Patients may need multiple courses of treatment.

Therapies include medications, counseling, and self-help organizations. Drugs may help to alleviate some of the symptoms of withdrawal. In some cases, medication may be ordered to prevent relapse. People addicted to heroin may be given methadone to help taper them off. Methadone may also be given on a long-term basis to improve the chance of staying in treatment. Methadone is a narcotic that blocks cravings as well as the pleasurable effects of heroin and other opiates. Other drugs that are used in treatment are naltrexone (e. g., ReVia, which blocks the effect of opiates) and buprenorphine (e. g., Subutex, which is similar to methadone).

Therapy raises awareness of the underlying issues and lifestyles that promote drug use. Therapy also works to improve coping and problem-solving skills and works to develop other ways of dealing with stress or pain. Through counseling, a person can learn how to handle situations associated with drug use and replace drug-using activities with other activities that are more meaningful. Family support is encouraged.

There are numerous organizations and support groups dedicated to helping people stop using drugs. Two examples are Narcotics Anonymous and Cocaine Anonymous. These are twelve-step programs. Members of these organizations meet regularly to talk about their drug-related troubles and provide a network of support for each other.

Bibliography

Bowser, Benjamin P., Carl O. Word, and Toby Seddon. Understanding Drug Use and Abuse: A Global Perspective. New York: Palgrave, 2014. Print.

Fisher, Gary, and Nancy Roget. Encyclopedia of Substance Abuse Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery. Thousand Oaks: Sage, 2009. Print.

Granfield, Robert, and Craig Reinarman, eds. Expanding Addiction: Critical Essays. New York: Routledge, 2015. Print.

Ruiz, Pedro, and Eric C. Strain. The Substance Abuse Handbook. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Wolters, 2014. Print.

Shapiro, Harry. Recreational Drugs: A Directory. London: Collins, 2004. Print.

Thombs, Dennis. Introduction to Addictive Behaviors. 3rd ed. New York: Guilford Press, 2006. Print.

Why are Malcolm and Donalbain suspects in the murder of their father? What motive is attributed to them? Why is this accusation ironic?

The accusation that Malcolm and Donalbain were responsible for the murder of their father is ironic because they fled for their lives and were accused of fleeing because they were afraid of being charged with the murder. The main accuser is undoubtedly Macbeth, who wants to be elected king to replace Duncan. He has a lot of clout because he is a great hero, loved by Duncan, and is both Thane of Glamis and Thane of Cawdor. The two sons become suspects because Macbeth seizes on their flight for their lives as a golden opportunity to dispose of both of them, and especially Malcolm, as having priority over him in the line of succession. Malcolm probably should have stayed and claimed the throne. His father had already publically proclaimed this in Act I, Scene 4.

Sons, kinsmen, thanes,
And you whose places are the nearest, know
We will establish our estate upon
Our eldest, Malcolm, whom we name hereafter
The Prince of Cumberland; 

And Macbeth says to himself in an aside:

The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step
On which I must fall down, or else o'erleap,
For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires;
Let not light see my black and deep desires:
The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be
Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.

As heir apparent, Malcolm should become king upon his father's death. Shakespeare never makes it clear whether Macbeth had intended to kill the two sons on the same night he killed their father. If so, Macbeth was thwarted by his own loss of nerve, by imaginary cries of "Sleep no more, Macbeth doth murder sleep," etc., and then by a loud and prolonged knocking at the gate. But Macbeth is in luck. He had no way of foreseeing that Malcolm and Donalbain would flee. Both boys are young and scared. To be suddenly fatherless is terrifying. They don't know how many thanes may be plotting against them. They flee for their lives, giving Macbeth an opportunity to blame their father's murder on their conspiracy. Their motive would have been for Malcolm to claim the throne and then to give his younger brother all sorts of honors and emoluments as a reward for helping him.

Shakespeare had a big problem with Malcolm and Donalbain. He didn't want to stage a triple murder in three different rooms in the castle, and he didn't want to make his hero Macbeth look any worse than he would look for killing the kind old King Duncan. Shakespeare probably decided to deal with the one murder and all the consequent emotions experienced by Lord and Lady Macbeth, and then think about what to do about Malcolm and Donalbain later. Shakespeare was a great genius, and he must have known that he could think of something when the time came. His solution to the succession problem was to write a little scene in which both boys decide their lives are in extreme peril and that they should get away as quickly as possible. In their absence, Macbeth can accuse them of anything and displace Malcolm just Claudius displaced Hamlet while he was absent at Wittenberg.

Shakespeare seems to be placing the Malcolm-Donalbain problem on the back burner, so to speak, when he has Macbeth say to himself:

Stars, hide your fires;
Let not light see my black and deep desires:
The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be
Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.

This is highly ambiguous. It might be interpreted to mean that Shakespeare intends to have Macbeth do something but he doesn't know exactly what. The playwright just couldn't see how he could have Macbeth kill three people in one night. Less is more. The murder of Duncan is more effective without adding the murders of Malcolm and Donalbain either onstage or offstage. 

In Act II, Scene 1, Macbeth seems to be sounding Banquo out about helping him dispose of Duncan, Malcolm, and Donalbain.

BANQUO: All's well.
I dreamt last night of the three weird sisters:
To you they have show'd some truth.

MACBETH: I think not of them:
Yet, when we can entreat an hour to serve,
We would spend it in some words upon that business,
If you would grant the time.

BANQUO: At your kind'st leisure.

MACBETH: If you shall cleave to my consent, when ’tis,
It shall make honor for you.

BANQUO: So I lose none
In seeking to augment it, but still keep
My bosom franchised and allegiance clear,
I shall be counsell'd.

MACBETH: Good repose the while.

With Banquo's help, Macbeth could kill the King and both sons easily, but Banquo knows what he is driving at and turns him down flat. Macbeth has to go it alone and only succeeds in killing Duncan, whether or not he had planned to go on and kill Duncan's two sons.

What does the following quote fromRay Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 mean?Here we all are, Montag. Aristophanes and Mahatma Gandhi and Gautama...

This quote is Montag's introduction to the network: a group of men outcast from society who have memorised books, or sections of books, for the benefit of future generations. One man, for example, has memorised the works of Gandhi while another has memorised everything written by Confucius. This has happened on a widespread scale, with men across the country memorising books. Granger, the head of this network, tells Montag why the men have adopted this method:

We read the books and burnt them, afraid they'd be found…Better to keep it in the old heads where no one can see it or suspect it. We are bits and pieces of history and literature.

When the time comes, says Granger, the men of the network will be called forward and, one by one, they will recite what they have memorised. This information can then be written down and books will be reborn. 

Montag can hardly believe that such a network exists and he quickly comes to realise that this method of rebellion is far superior to his and Faber's (which consisted of planting books in firemen's houses). Montag immediately joins this network and prepares for the day in which he will recite his chosen books: the Book of Ecclesiastes and the Book of Revelation.

In Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House, what is the importance of Torvald Helmer's character? How does Ibsen present him?

In A Doll's House, Torvald Helmer is portrayed as a hypocrite. He claims that he is firing Krogstad, not because Krogstad committed forgery but because he did not receive punishment in the court of law.

“Many a man might be able to redeem himself, if he honestly confessed his guilt and took his punishment.”

When he finds out that his wife, Nora, has also committed the same crime, he says, “The thing must be hushed up at all cost.” After Krogstad sends the IOU back to Nora, Torvald destroys all evidence of her crime in the fire.

Torvald also states that he sometimes wishes that Nora were in danger so that he "could risk everything, body and soul, for [Nora's] sake.” Moments later he finds out about her crime and rather than step forward to take the blame for her, he worries that someone might think he is an accomplice.

In addition to his hypocrisy, Torvald is important to the play due to his portrayal of masculine pride in the late 19th century. Torvald treats Nora as a child, or a doll. He controls the money, and he even has rules about what his wife can eat. In order to eat a macaroon, Nora must hide it from Torvald. Torvald's treatment of his wife as a doll, rather than as a human being, prevents Nora from developing a sense of self and ultimately leads to her decision to leave him and the their children to explore the world and achieve self-fulfillment.