Blog

Early American common law recognized the _____________, which stated that a man had a right to beat his wife as long as the stick he used was no bigger in circumference than his thumb?

William Randolph Hearst was a sympathetic to the Irish in New York.

The original seven offenses in which act, originally aimed at Indians, later became the “index crimes” published yearly in the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports?

Which philosopher famously responded to al-Ghazali’s “Incoherence of the Philosophers”?  

According to the text, the law is _______________ (male centered), so efforts to decide issues affecting females as victims of males are likely to be stymied by the male view of what women are or should be.

Which military victory during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I helped strengthen English power at sea?

Select one of the following topics to discuss in 1-2 paragraphs. Please number the answer, so I know which question you are working with. Although you aren’t expected to quote directly from the text, be as specific as you can. The more references you can make to the actual texts being discussed, the more points you will earn. (10 pts.)  1. Some see Dr. Faustus as a villain who makes a pact with the devil, but others view him as a true Renaissance man and hero. It could be argued that Faustus can be viewed as a villain from the perspective of the Medieval audience but is more heroic to a Renaissance audience? In your opinion, is Faustus a villain, a hero, neither, or both? In what ways does Faustus meet the criteria of hero based on the “tragic hero formula”? Does he do anything that is actually very “villainous”? What might Christopher Marlowe be attempting to say about men of the Renaissance? 2. The Merchant of Venice has long been viewed as one of Shakespeare’s “problem” plays. Although the play does follow the pattern used for most Romantic Comedies of the time, there is no denying the tragic nature of the sub-plot involving Shylock and Antonio. Discuss the figure of Shylock in terms of Aristotle’s theory of the tragic hero. Which elements of these criteria are met? What is Shylock’s tragic flaw? Where is the turning point in the play? What lesson, if any, is learned? Is the audience meant to feel pity for Shylock? 3. Portia is often considered to be Shakespeare’s most intelligent and most impressive romantic heroine. Others have said she is ruthless. Write a character analysis of Portia. Describe her dominant character traits. What motivates her actions? Why is it necessary for her to dress as a boy when she enters the realm of law in Venice? Are her actions and behavior different when she is dressed as a boy? If so, how are they different? Why does she take Bassanio’s ring in the guise of a boy and then return it to him once they are back at Belmont? Why does she use Antonio to return the ring? Who is the dominant character at the end of the play?

What was a cooperative American/Mexican effort to stem the tide of illegal immigrants, under which about 1 million undocumented workers were rounded up in the United States in 1954 and handed over to Mexican authorities at the border or to Mexico deportation ships in American ports?

The termination of treaty-making clearly stamped Indians as wards of the government and ushered in what era?

Which of the following black leaders emerged in the robust era of Jim Crowism with radically different ideas about how blacks should respond?