Lisa Swank

A metaphor is a comparison of two unlike things not using like or as. In this line, Macbeth is comparing the strange, good news of his promotion to wearing fancy clothes that a person of high...

There are several elements that created Macbeth's transformation from a loyal thane to a murderous tyrant.  Here is one: the power of potential. It is common to discuss Macbeth's...

Without the Witches, Shakespeare's Macbeth would have been a very different story.  The Witches are important for many reasons, but let's take a look at two very good reasons why they were...

You have a great start to a strong thesis statement here, but let’s clean things up a bit.  It looks like you have been tasked with writing a literary analysis paper.  Your thesis is a...

There are several other circumstances when Macbeth is manipulative other than when he manipulates the men who kill Banquo.  Let’s take a look at one in particular.  In Act II, sc iii,...

The first interaction between the creature and Victor occurs a little while after Victor's creation comes to life for the first time.  Once the creature opens his eyes, Victor retires to his...

“The Raven” contains several clues that tell the reader about the setting of the poem. They are found in stanzas 1, 2, 3, and 7. In the first stanza, the speaker provides the reader with the time:...

Let's take a moment to review what an internal conflict is...   A conflict is the struggle between two opposing forces.  Stories have external conflicts, like character vs. character...

The opening line of George Santayana's "Sonnet 29" establishes that the speaker has been told he is poor by someone with whom he converses, and it elicits a reflective response that shows exactly...