Antigone
Q: What crime does Antigone commit that sets the plot in motion?
A: She buries her brother Polyneices against Creon’s orders.
Q: What crop symbolizes manhood and success in Igbo society?
A: Yams.
Q: What is the name of the omnipresent leader worshipped by Party members?
A: Big Brother.
Q: What does the ghost reveal to Hamlet at the beginning of the play?
A: That Claudius murdered King Hamlet.
Q: “Big Brother is watching you.”
A: The Party; it symbolizes constant surveillance in 1984.
Q: Who tries to convince Creon to show mercy to Antigone?
A: Haemon, Creon’s son and Antigone’s fiancé.
Q: Why is Okonkwo exiled from Umuofia?
A: He accidentally kills a clansman, which is considered a female crime.
Q: What is the purpose of Newspeak in Oceania?
A: To eliminate rebellious thoughts by narrowing the range of language.
Q: Who is Laertes, and why does he duel Hamlet?
A: He is Ophelia’s brother, seeking revenge for the deaths of his father and sister.
Q: “Though this be madness, yet there is method in't.”
A: Polonius, after being called a fishmonger by Prince Hamlet.
Q: Why does Creon initially refuse to bury Polyneices?
A: He views Polyneices as a traitor to Thebes and wants to assert state authority.
Q: Which two events inspire Nwoye to seek conversion to Christianity?
A: Nwoye is driven from his culture by the death of Ikemefuna and the tradition of abandoning twins in the Evil Forest.
Q: What is Room 101, and what happens there?
A: It’s a torture chamber where prisoners face their worst fear.
Q: How does Hamlet use the play-within-a-play to confirm Claudius’s guilt?
A: He reenacts the murder to observe Claudius’s reaction.
Q: "My father, why are you doing this to me?"
A: Ikemefuna, just before Okonkwo strikes him down in Things Fall Apart.
Q: Who is Eurydice and how does she die?
A: She is Creon's wife and the mother of Haemon. She stabs herself through the heart.
Q: Who are the egwugwu?
A: They are the ancestral spirits of the clan.
Q: What is the significance of Winston Smith's mother to his psychology?
A: .His mother represents a deeply personal connection that is no longer possible under the party, in which the mother is willing to sacrifice herself for her son's well-being, which leaves Winston with a feeling of guilt and longing.
Q: Where does Polonius die?
A: He is hiding in Queen Gertrude's room.
Q: “Go then if you must, but remember, no matter how foolish your deeds, those who love you will love you still.”
A: Ismene in Antigone, after refusing to participate in the burial.
Q: What is the central metaphor that Creon uses to describe his role as king?
A: Thebes is described as a ship tossed in a storm that needs a strong captain.
Q: In what ways does Okonkwo’s fear of weakness contribute to his downfall?
A: It drives his violence, rigid masculinity, and refusal to adapt, isolating him from his community.
Q: What are three ways that the Party control not only behavior but also thought and memory?
A: By altering the past, language, and personal relationships to maintain total dominance.
Q: How do foil characters like Laertes and Fortinbras emphasize Hamlet’s inner conflict?
A: They act decisively, highlighting Hamlet’s delay and philosophical nature.
Q: “Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince.”
A: Horatio says this about Hamlet as he dies.