Portia is Brutus' devoted wife. She doesn't get a whole lot of stage time but we think she's an interesting figure, especially when it comes to the play's concern with gender dynamics.
When Brutus refuses to confide in Portia, she takes issue with his secrecy: as a married couple, she says, they should have no secrets.
Dear my lord, Make me acquainted with your cause of grief. [...] Within the bond of marriage, tell me, Brutus, Is it excepted I should know no secrets That appertain to you? Am I your self But, as it were, in sort or limitation, To keep with you at meals, comfort your bed, And talk to you sometimes? Dwell I but in the suburbs Of your good pleasure? If it be no more, Portia is Brutus' harlot, not his wife.(2.1.275-276; 302-310)
In other words, Portia is sick and tired of being excluded from her husband's world just because she's a woman. She also suggests that, when Brutus keeps things from her, he's treating her like a "harlot [prostitute], not his wife."
Portia's desire to be close to her husband seems reasonable enough. But Portia also has the annoying habit of talking about women (including herself) as though they're weaker than men.
I grant I am a woman; but withal A woman well-reputed, Cato's daughter. Think you I am no stronger than my sex, Being so fathered and so husbanded? Tell me your counsels; I will not disclose 'em. I have made strong proof of my constancy, Giving myself a voluntary wound Here, in the thigh. Can I bear that with patience. And not my husband's secrets? (2.1.317-325)
Here Portia says she knows she's just a girl, but since she's the daughter and wife of two really awesome men, that makes her better than the average woman. To prove her point, she stabs herself in the thigh without flinching and demands that her husband treat her with more respect. Yikes! Later she kills herself by swallowing "fire," or hot coals (4.3). This is interesting because it's usually men who are prone to violence in the play.
History Snack: When Portia says she knows she's just "a woman" but she also thinks she's "stronger" and more constant (i.e., steady and masculine) than most, she sounds a lot like Queen Elizabeth I (Shakespeare's monarch) who famously said "I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king" ("Speech to the Troops at Tilbury", 1588). Queen Elizabeth I, like Portia, buys into the idea that women are weaker than men but also presents herself as the exception to the rule.
The Bill of Rights is the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution. It spells out Americans' rights in relation to their government. It guarantees civil rights and liberties to the individual—like freedom of speech, press, and religion
I am not 100% sure, although I feel the best answer to this question is A. The poet is saying that people don't live long; life is short. This is because he talks about someone remaining, or living on. You can infer from this that the poet believes that life feels short and brief. The poet doesn't mention beauty in this line, nor foes he express changes in his generation. However, D is still a possible answer, but he doesn't focus as much on himself and his unwant to grow old. I hope that this can help you out! :D
The lines are from the epic "Beowulf" which tells of the heroic deeds of the protagonist and hero Beowulf.
Taken from Chapter 23, the lines refer to when the Geats saw the water filled with blood. They did not know that their leader had vanquished and beheaded Grendel and his mother. Rather, they were of the opinion that Beowulf had been killed by the monsters. This is a theme of suspense for the soldiers who are waiting for their leader. They were sure that their master / leader had been killed. Even Hrothgar had turned his boat and sailed, while the Geats waited expectantly and patiently, hoping for Beowulf to return.
The highlighted phrase says "through their own spectacles", which means that the answer must be the third option as it is the only one including the whale's point of view.
