What is a pentagon? Explain the measure of angle?

A pentagon is a plane geometrical figure bounded by 5 straight lines . It has, therefore, five sides, five vertices , five angles and 5 diagonals.

Measure of angle:

Angle is a measure of mutual inclination of two rays.Let OA and OB be two rays. Then the angle between the rays is  angle AOB. If you take the compass with centre as O and with radius r cut both OA and OB at A' and B', then OA' = OB' =r.

Then angle AOB = (arc lenth A'B' of the circle with radius r)/r is the measure of the angle in radians. You can convert this  into degrees by multiplying by 180/pi, where pi is the constant fraction = circumference/diameter of a circle and is approximately 3.1416 . An angle can measure from 0 to 2pi radians  or from o degrees to 360 degrees. When two rays meet actually there are two angles. But we normally take lesser of the two. The anticlock wise measurement  is taken positive measure of angle and the clockwise negative in direction oriented situations.

Measure of pentagon angles:

Take any point  O inside the boundary of  the pentagon  ABCDE with vertices A,B,C,D and E. Join OA, OB,OC, OD and AE. Now  ABO is a triangle. Like that each of the sides makes 5 triangles with O. Therefore ,the sum of all the angles of  5 triangles = 5*180 = 900 degrees. If you subtract 360 degree arround O you get the sum of the 5 angles at the vertices of the petagon = 900-360 = 540 degrees or 6 right angles.

So,  the sum of the angles of the pentagon  at the vertices=angles A+B+C+D+E = 540 degree= 6 right angles (by this proof).

If all  the 5 sides  of a pentagon are equal and all the angles are equal it is called a regular pentagon, otherwise it is an irregular pentgon.

In a regular pentagon the angle at each vertices = 540/5 =108 degrees.

What is the narrator's attitude towards the subject matter of "The Miller's Tale" in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales?

Although I am a bit confused as to what you mean by "the narrator," I am going to assume you mean "the host" of The Canterbury Tales (who travels along beside the pilgrims and urges them to tell their tales).  Usually, the Host is more than glad to hear a new tale spun for them; however, this is not so in the case of the Miller.  In fact, the reader finds out within the "Words between the Host and the Miller" that our dear Host tries to stop the Miller:

Our Host perceived at once that he was drunk / And said, "Now hold on, Robin, dear old brother; / We'll get some better man to tell another; / You wait a bit.  Let's have some common sense." (Chaucer 103)

Here we learn the Host's main attitude toward the Miller:  one of annoyance.  We also learn of the Miller's reputation as a drunkard and teller of bawdy and lewd stories.  The irony here is that we find out the Host's attitude before the story is told.  The Host, it seems, knows the Miller well.

What can I add?  The Miller had begun. / He would not hold his peace for anyone, / But told his churl's tale his own way, I fear. / And I regret I must repeat it here, / And so I beg of all who are refined / For God's love not to think me ill-inclined / Or evil in my purpose. I rehearse / Their tales as told for better or for worse.  (104)

Here we add another attitude of the Host to the Miller's subject matter:  the attitude of regret.  My guess is that our Host much prefers the exemplum of the Pardoner than the drunken spout of the Miller.  He is generally a gentle Host and approves grandly when his followers learn something from these stories he has requested.  The reader sees, then, why the attitude of regret can be found here.  For thus follows the most raucous fabliaux of English literature, and one that my students all can't help but love.

In "Pygmalion", what was the underlying cause of Eliza's anger with Higgins in act 4?In Act 4 of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion, what is the...

Professor Higgins and Colonel Pickering spend the evening after the party in self-congratulatory celebration, ignoring Eliza and her contribution to the success of the deception. Eliza, understandably is infuriated by Higgins' conceit, but the final straw was his condescending dismissal, telling her to "go to bed like a good girl and sleep it off."

Eliza understands that her entire life (and livelihood) is forever altered by her transformation, but Higgins appears both unobservant and unconcerned. His telling Eliza to just marry well is an insult to Eliza's integrity, and she lets him know that as a scientist he may have succeeded, but as a human he failed miserably.

What is Edgar Allan Poe's style of writing in "The Cask of Amontillado"?

Poe uses a first person narrator, Montresor, who is speaking to an unknown audience. Also, it is never revealed why Montresor seeks revenge, which builds suspense throughout the story. Montresor speaks in a calm, confident voice. He tells the story with no explanation and little emotion. He never suggests feeling guilty for his actions, and seems detached from all proceedings. He is clearly an unreliable narrator, but we are left with only his account of what happened. There is no outside interpretation or judgment.

‘‘The Cask of Amontillado’’ also contains many elements of Gothicism. Some examples are the archway that leads to the ‘‘long and winding staircase’’ down to the catacombs, the damp and dark passageway hanging with moss and dripping moisture, the piles of bones, the flaming torches that flicker and fade, and the clanking chains. The overall atmosphere of mystery and horror also reflect Gothic influences.

Describe the setting of the story, "The Nightingale and The Rose," by Oscar Wilde.

Wilde's story has three settings: the student's garden, the doorway of his professor's house, and the student's room. Almost all of the story occurs in the garden, a place of quiet beauty. In the sunny garden are groves of trees, individual trees that play roles in the story, and a sundial. Also present are flowers, butterflies, and a small green lizard. Part of the story takes place at night, and the moon becomes part of the setting.

In the conclusion of the story, the student runs to see the girl he loves at her father's (his professor's) house. He finds her sitting in the doorway, her little dog at her feet. The only physical description of this setting is a reference to a gutter. The story ends in the student's room, which is not described, where he reads from "a great dusty book."

In The Odyssey, translated by W.H.D. Rouse, whom does Helen of Troy blame for leaving Menelaus for Paris?

I do not have the Rouse translation, so I am going to have to use Samuel Butler’s translation. The quotation below is from Book IV. Helen tells Telemachus, the son of Ulysses, and his colleagues that she blames Venus (also called Aphrodite).

“He (Ulysses) killed many Trojans and got much information before he reached the Argive camp, for all which things the Trojan women made lamentation, but for my own part I was glad, for my heart was beginning to yearn after my home, and I was unhappy about the wrong that Venus had done me in taking me over there, away from my country, my girl, and my lawful wedded husband, who is indeed by no means deficient either in person or understanding.”

Venus/Aphrodite had promised Paris the most beautiful woman in the world as a bribe for declaring her the winner of a beauty contest in which she won a golden apple. Helen is suggesting, not very persuasively, that she was under the control of Venus when she left Menelaus and therefore could not be blamed.

How does a cold front form and what kind of weather comes before and after a cold front?

Cold front refers to a weather condition occurring at the earth's surface level when the leading edge of a mass of cooler air replaces a mass of warmer air. The warm air is less dense with lower atmospheric pressure. As a result cooler air which is dense comes in to the areas of warmer air. However,  less dense warm air is not able to mix with the denser cool air, and rises higher this phenomenon causes the the shape to cold front to become like a wedge.

While the weather condition before the cold front is characterized by higher temperature only, the rising warm air during cold front causes it to cool. This results in formation of clouds and showers, particularly when the warm air has high humidity.

Additional information on cold fronts and warm fronts are available at the website referred below.

Why is the "suicide" part of "Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session" appropriate?

One way to examine this question is to consider how jumping from the tree ultimately leads to Finny's death. While Finny survives the fall from the tree when Gene knocks him out, the broken leg Finny suffers almost directly leads to his death later when he falls again and complications from this break ensue. 

The brazen idea of forming a Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session thus proves to be Finny's undoing. Before he dies, however, Finny's whole vision of his future is also destroyed. 

Where he had wanted to try out for the Olympics (and realistically probably could have done so - and made it), his broken leg erases any chance at making an Olympic team. Where Finny's identity had been largely located in his physical prowess, crutches and the sullen, evasive attitude that Finny is saddled with during his recovery shifts his identity into an entirely new place. He is no longer the charming and winning personality he once was. 

These results of Finny's fall from the tree are made somewhat ironic when compared to the first jump of the Suicide Society. At that jump, Gene nearly falls out of the tree but Finny saves him. 

"If Finny hadn't come up right behind me...if he hadn't been there...I could have fallen on the bank and broken my back! If I had fallen awkwardly enough I could have been killed. Finny had practically saved my life."

This idea recurs toward the novel's end, when Gene attends Finny's funeral. Blaming himself as the cause of Finny's death and identifying so fully with Finny at this point (after acting as Finny's stand-in for Olympic training, etc.), Gene reflects on Finny's death in a way that brings his story back to his own death.

"I could not escape a feeling that this was my own funeral, and you do not cry in that case." 

The "true Finny" dies when Gene knocks him from the tree, but Gene's life is already somehow indebted to Finny and identified with Finny's from that first jump when Finny saves him. Thus, when Finny dies and is buried and Gene feels that it is his funeral too, the "suicide" is double. 

Although there was no intention of actually killing themselves, the recklessness of the central activity for the Super Suicide Society proves to be the mechanism for this twin death of Gene and Finny, ending a time of innocence for each well before their lives end, actually and metaphorically. 

What common attitudes of the child are revealed in "The Ultimate Safari"?

I think the daughter reflects much of the prevailing common attitudes about the nature of the civil war which caused so much chaos in Mozambique during the 1980s.  Initially, like most children, she doesn't understand the premise of the war.  She cannot fully grasp why there is so much conflict around her village and in what the delineated sides believe.  While this is very appropriate for children, it is a common attitude that many citizens of Mozambique shared during the Civil War. There was not a clear articulation of sides, but rather continual internal unrest which was promulgated by those with sinister agendas.  The daughter also displays a combined sense of concern and abject loss about her home, her village, and her life, as she once knew it.  Again, a child's belief system is a common attitude of many of the people in Mozambique where loved ones disappeared (like the girl's mother and father), presumably murdered, and what once defined one's home is literally plundered and destroyed in plain sight.  I think the last common attitude that is revealed in the daughter is the loss of community.  In a village setting where there used to be a strong sense of communal identity and fraternal bonds, the Civil War did much to rupture those bonds and force a sense of nomadic wandering in order for individuals to gain the hope of a better life.  We see this in the daughter's plight, and it is a common attitude revealed in the story of "The Ultimate Safari" as well as the narratives of those who flooded the refugee camps, in search of a place away from their homes.

How does Monstresor describe Fortunato's strengths and weaknesses?

Throughout the story Montresor offers several descriptions of Fortunato that offer some insight into his reasons for wanting him dead. At the beginning of the story Montresor describes Fortunato as "a man to be respected and feared" although he has one major weak point. Montresor also describes Fortunato's knowledge and connoisseurship of paintings, gems, and wine. Although Fortunato's knowledge of wine is his strength, his love of wine (along with his susceptibility to flattery) is also his weakness. Montresor meets Fortunato late at night when he is already very drunk and convinces him to come down to his family's vaults to try a cask of rare Amontillado wine. Montresor convinces him through a mix of his love of wine, his pride, and his susceptibility to flattery to follow him, suggesting that without the help of Fortunato (or one of his rivals Luchesi) he will be unable to determine if the Amontillado is real. Once they go down into the vaults Montresor keeps Fortunato distracted with a mixture of wine and continued flattery. He flatters Fortunato saying that,

You are rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy, as once I was. You are a man to be missed. For me it is no matter.

This description of Fortunato serves to keep him distracted from Montresor's true plan, but also suggests some of Montresor's reasons for wanting him dead. Fortunato is successful, popular, and happy in a way that Montresor is not and he cannot bare this.

What is the best concluding sentence that supports a summary for "The Gift of the Magi?"so it can support: the authors use of irony that enables...

Dramatic irony is not always used to make such a pleasant point as it does in the story "The Gift of the Magi," which does in fact use irony to make a point about the meaning of gift giving.  (For example, dramatic irony in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is powerful in a much darker way, ending as it does with the deaths of several young people, Mercutio, Romeo and then finally Juliet)  Magi also makes a point about the unselfish nature of true love--neither James nor Della gives a second thought to ultimately selling their own treasures to purchase gifts for the others.  The story can be enjoyed from both the perspective of being a lovely story that demonstrates the true meaning of Christmas through unselfish giving, and because it demonstrates the skillful use of dramatic irony to create a powerful ending.

In Guns, Germs and Steel, why does Diamond hypothesize that New Guineans might be, on average, "smarter" than Westerners?

The answer to this question can be found in the Prologue of this excellent historical study of the reasons for inequalities between different groups of humans. Considering Yali's question as to why Westerners have gained dominance in the world and not any other group of humans, Diamond considers the intelligence of Papa New Guineans, and argues that they show, on average, greater intelligence than Westerners, especially given their ability to survive in an environment in which most Westerners would perish very quickly. In addition, note how Diamond supports his hypothesis:

Modern European and American children spend much of their time being passively entertained by television, radio, and movies. In the average American household, the television set is on for seven hours per day. In contrast, traditional New Guinea children have virtual no such opportunities for passive entertainment and instead spend almost all of their waking hours actively doing something, such as talking or playing with other children or adults. Almost all studies of child development emphasise the role of childhood stimulation and activity in promoting mental development, and stress teh irreversible mental stunting associated with reduced childhood stimulation.

Thus we can see that the actual technological lilmitations of the Papua New Guineans may result in their greater intellectual development compared to their Western counterparts.

What are the 6 most important events in this story.

1.The important opening event reveals the death of Polly, a serving girl who grew up with Mattie. Mattie is given no time to grieve for her friend because of the busy needs in running the coffeehouse.

2. Mattie's encounter with Nathaniel and their reminiscing about a balloon launch they attended shows that Mattie has a male interest in her life. Nathaniel is going into seclusion with his master's family to avoid the spreading yellow fever. He gives Mattie flowers.

3.Mattie and her mother, Lucinda, are invited to tea with a wealthy family who is still in Philadelphia, despite the usual out-flux of the wealthy during the hot summer. Here Mattie learns that the rich flee to the countryside to avoid the heat and illness that summer frequently brings.

4. Lucinda, Mattie's mother, falls ill. Mattie tries to take care of her and experiences first-hand the symptoms of the yellow fever. Lucinda orders Mattie and her grandfather to leave for the safety of the Luddington's farm in the country.

5. Mattie takes care of her grandfather when he becomes ill, though not with the plague. Because of his illness, the two are put off the wagon and turned away from a near-by village. Mattie's lessons about soldiering pay off.

6. Mattie falls ill with yellow fever, and her grandfather returns her to a hospital in Philadelphia where she recovers.

7. On their return to the coffeehouse, they find it stripped. Burglars break in and Mattie's grandfather dies defending her.

8. Mattie finds Eliza (a former worker at the coffeehouse) still alive and shelters with her. During that time she finds a toddler named Nell whose mother has died of the plague. Mattie takes care of Nell and becomes very attached to her.

9. Mattie and Eliza return to the coffeehouse and reopen it. Nathaniel and Mattie are reunited with Nathaniel helping out.

10. The rich, including President George Washington, return to the town, showing the plague is at an end. Lucinda returns to the coffeehouse an invalid after her illness and relapse when searching for Mattie.

I know this is more than six events. Each seemed important to me, so pick and choose which six you feel are most crucial to the story.

What is the significance of the four parts of the novel and their correlation with the four seasons of the year?

The seasons of the year operate symbolically in the novel. The four structural sections each correspond to a season of the year. Autumn beings the book: for Claudia, Pecola, and Frieda (like most children), autumn is a time of "beginnings," especially the beginning of the school year. Indeed, this section does contain "beginnings," for Claudia and Frieda first meet Pecola here.

Winter is traditionally associated with barrenness, empitness, and death. In winter, the girls become acquainted with Maureen Peal. She serves as a reminder to them that without beauty that will bring acceptance, their lives will remain empty and barren in white society. This is also the section in the book in which Pecola is abused by Geraldine and her son, Junior. Thus we see how sterile and unforgiving Pecola's life is.

Spring typically suggests rebirth, new life, change, and fruitfulness. However, the title is ironic is The Bluest Eye. In this section, more abuse and terror occur. Frieda is fondled by Mr. Henry, while Pecola is betaen by her mother for spilling the cobbler at the Fisher home and raped by her father. In this section, the audience also learns of the steady destruction of the lives of Pauline and Cholly Breedlove since their childhoods.

The section entitled "Summer" is the shortest section of the book. Again, one may expect happy children playing together, family vacations, and childhood revelations. However, this book does not present gleeful children reveling in the pleasures of summer but an isolated, insane Pecola. Her revelation is a false one, as she imagine herself to have blue eyes, the bluest of all.

Who or what killed Romeo and Juliet (besides themselves)? And why is this person/thing most responsible for the tragic death?If possible,...

If one is going to "point the finger" at any single character in "Romeo and Juliet" as a conduit to the tragic demise of Romeo and Juliet, Friar Lawrence is that character.

For one thing, Shakespeare, whose knowledge of Catholicism was adequate since his father was Roman Catholic, portrays Friar Lawrence as a flawed character:  Lawrence is not a priest, but a friar, similar to a monk.  In the Catholic Church, a monk is a man who has withdrawn from the world for religious motives and is bound by vows of humility, poverty, and chastity.  While there are minor differences between monks and friars, the rejection of the secular world is common to both.  So, Friar Lawrence is guilty of breaking his vows when he becomes so intricately involved with the secular lives of Romeo and Juliet.  Knowing his sin may be why Friar Laurence runs away from the tomb in the final act rather than staying and explaining what has happened.  For, if he were to assume responsibility in the relationship of Juliet and Romeo, he would also admit to violating his vows.

While Friar Lawrence's intentions may be well-meaning, as an already flawed character his short-sighted actions that influence the lives of the young couple certainly are pivotal to their deaths:

• Friar Lawrence secretly marries Romeo and Juliet, a violation of Church law that demands the posting of bans for usually six months.  This action complicates the conflict of Juliet with her father, Lord Capulet, who demands that she marry Paris, a nobleman. It is because she has been made a wife by Friar Lawrence that she becomes involved in the desperate plan to escape bigamy.


• The marriage of Juliet and Romeo also complicates the conflict that Mercutio has with Tybalt. For, whereas Mercutio was merely bantering with Tybalt before Romeo came, he becomes enraged by Romeo's statement,

Tybalt, the reason that I have to love thee/Doth much excuse the appertaining rage (III,i,50-53),

and draws his sword, saying,

Oh, calm, dishonorable, vile submission!(III,i,61-62).

Then, Romeo who is now Tybalt's relative because of the friar's having married him to Juliet, comes between Mercutio and Tybalt as he tries to diffuse the situation.  Instead, Mercutio is mortally wounded.

• In order to prevent Juliet from committing the mortal sin of suicide, Friar Lawrence seeks a solution in providing her the vial of sleeping potion. But his secretiveness regarding the Capulet family causes them to believe that Juliet has died, so they entomb her. Then, his failure to get word to Romeo leads to Romeo's false assumption that his bride is dead and his and Juliet's consequent suicide.

Ironically, it is the poorly planned and mis-timed efforts of Friar Lawrence, who cautions the youths against impetuous acts, that effect the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.

How does God demonsrate the concept of equal protection?

If we examine the definition of equal protection it is the prohibiting of states from denying any person within its jurisdiction from the equal protection of the laws.  This would mean that states are required to extend the services and sanctuary of the law to all of its citizens.  In the same way, God is to provide sanctuary to all those who worship.  Just as the state must be applicable to all of its citizens, the force of a higher power is something that is applicable to all followers. This is where equal protection under the laws and under the states finds convergence.  While there might be some difference about how this feeling of devotion is expressed, the level to which one displays this, and the zeal in which one holds towards it, the reality is that if one is a follower of God, they are entitled to the equal protection of God's powers.  Having said this, I think the first critical point of divergence is that God's powers and the responsibilities of the state/ federal governments can be seen as separate.  The issue of allegiance to God is one that is predicated upon spiritual devotion and faith.  However, the equal protection clause in the 14th Amendment is quite clear that all citizens must receive equal protection of and from the law regardless of their devotion to the government.  One other point should be made that might add a bit more murkiness to the issue.  Might there be a difference in religious faiths in their understanding of equal protection and God?  Some religions advocate the idea that there is only one God, to whom all allegiance must be paid.  Such a premise presumes that equal opportunity and protection rests with this God and this God alone.  Other religions stress that the path to God is one where equal protection is ensured as long as a path is followed.  Further strands of faith suggest that God is a benevolent life force, and that equal protection is present to all, regardless of choices of worship because of God's universal and all embracing nature. We can complicate this issue even more with religions that believe in more than one God.  Equal protection is enhanced in this understanding as there is not one "God," but multiple manifestations and representations.  I think that the ability to fully discern the issue of equal protection and God is one that lies in this realm, as well.

In "Whoso List to Hunt," does the speaker address his beloved or somebody else?

In Wyatt's "Whoso List to Hunt," the speaker never truly addresses his beloved; however, he is addressing others who are interested in the hunt.  Take the first line, for example:  "Whoso list to hunt:  I know where is a hind."  The speaker, then, does know where there is a female deer who has up until that point eluded the speaker.  Of course, in the final sestet the speaker takes back his challenge to other hunters because the deer has already been claimed by the royal owner of the land.

I can't give this answer, though, without mentioning the incredibly awesome allegory here.  The deer is most likely Anne Boleyn.  Thomas Wyatt was supposedly courting Anne Boleyn; however, he had to cease as Henry VIII became interested.  Obviously Henry VIII (with his notorious reputation) was not someone you wanted to mess with.  Therefore, the speaker (Wyatt) never truly addresses his lover (Anne), but simply warns other suitors that she is already taken.

How does the symbol of fire (or possibly light too) function throughout "Frankenstein"? Quotes are great too!If you can help trace it also... such...

In the beginning, Robert Walton speaks, "What could not be expected in a country of eternal light?" As the book begins and ends in the Arctic (land of eternal light), the light symbolzies knowledge into the dark and hidden things, especially in science. Victor is shining a light on these esoteric areas, bringing into the light the hidden mysteries of alchemy.

Light can also symbolize life. Victor is bringing life from death, attempting to banish dark and death permanently from the human experience.

Fire is also symbolic of knowledge. The subtitle, "A Modern Prometheus" refers to the myth of Prometheus, the Titan god who gave fire to man. With this gift, man is able to create civilization. In other words, with fire man becomes a creator, much as Victor becomes as he creates his creature.

Yet, as Walton's "land of eternal light" can also be the "land of eternal night," light is replaced by darkness, and fire can destroy. Prometheus paid the ultimate price for giving man fire, and Victor also must give up his life and peace.

The dual nature of fire especially is significant to Frankenstein. Victor had intended (like Promtheus) to benefit mankind by banishing the darkness and cold of death. Yet instead, he brought about his own death, as Prometheus was chained to the mountain to be eaten eternally by eagles. As Prometheus has stolen fire from the gods, Victor has stolen a power that is not given to man.

What does Shakespreare mean by “Suit the action to the word, the word to action”

A modern equivalent would be the maxim "Say what you mean (Explain clearly your intentions), and mean what you say." (Be sincere about it!)

It is interesting that even in theatre, for the scene to be convincing, the actors have to get under the skin of their characters and let the thought or intent rule over words, and not the other way around.

Here in context Hamlet is giving advice to actors who are to perform a murder scene reinacting Claudius' probable fraternicide (pouring poison in the sleeping victim's ear). Hamlet hopes this will provoke his uncle to protest, thus confirming his guilt.

Hamlet has been "acting" too, so in a way he is taking his own advice. He has been feigning madness all along, but he is so emotionally taken up in the task to foil his uncle that he is convincingly 'off his rocker,' caught up in his own obsessional role as vengeance-seeker.

What are examples of consonance and assonance in lines 1 and 2 of "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night"?

The first two lines are

"Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;"

For analysis of poetic devices such as consonance and assonance, it often helps to read the poem out loud.  Consonance is represented by the repetition of the "t" sound in words such as "not," "gentle," "into," "that" and "night." Notice that for the most part the "t" sound is the end sound of the word or near the end.  You could also argue for "go," "gentle," and "good" in the first line because repeat a consonant sound, but those examples are more specifically alliteration (repetition of initial sounds in words close together).

For assonance, Thomas relies more heavily on that in Line 2. Notice the repetition of the long "A" sound in "age," "rave," and "day."

Keep in mind that when you identify patterns such as the use of consonance or assonance, you need to ask yourself why the author uses the pattern.  Is he simply trying to show off? In most cases, there is a better analysis.  In this poem by Dylan Thomas, the consonance in Line 1 not only provides emphasis to certain words, but it also gives a sense of finality because Thomas is discussing death.

In Line 2, the poet's choice of words with the long "a" sound causes the words to be drawn out longer--just as Thomas wants one to draw out his or her "age," "raving," or "day."

How did Agba care for Sham in King of the Wind?

When Sham's mother dies soon after he is born, it is predicted that the little colt will die too.  Agba is determined that will not happen, and does everything he can to prevent it.  The young horse boy manages to get camel's milk and wild honey.  Stirring the milk with his fingers, he slides them into the dying colt's mouth.  After "work(ing) his mouth curiously and biting Agba's fingers with his baby teeth, Sham discovers how to suck, and does so, "softly at first, then fiercely, with all the strength he (has)".  Agba continues to feed Sham in this manner, and the little colt thrives and grows strong. 

Agba moves Sham into the stall that used to belong to his mother, and brings his own hammock from the horeboys' quarters and hangs it in Sham's stall.  He says his prayers there daily, and makes "his own private prayer(s) for Sham's welfare" as well.  When the weather turns cold and the rains come, Agba makes "a kind of flockbed mattress from wool fibers that he beg(s) from a weaver", and uses part of it to sleep on and part of it to cover himself and Sham.  The two draw warmth from each other.

When Sham is big enough, he is turned out to pasture with the other horses, but they do not accept him.  Sham does not seem to mind, though, and continues to grow in awareness of the world and in physical size and strength.  Through it all, Agba is his constant companion and caregiver; Sham has come to need the boy,

"not for food and water alone, but for comfort.  When Sham (is) afraid, he (comes) running to Agba for protection.  When he (is) cold, he sidle(s) up to Agba for warmth.  When he (is) lonely, he nuzzle(s) Agba and (lays) his satin nose against the boy's cheek".

Agba has, for all intents and purposes, become the colt's surrogate mother ("Camel's Milk and Honey").

What do Perry's possessions tell about him?

Perry keeps a variety of items with him in large boxes held together with string.  A lot of them are journals, letters, drawings, cards and other memorabilia.  He has letters from his sister encouraging him to be better than his brother and sister, who committed suicide.  He always has a letter from Floyd, who analyzes the letter for Perry, indicating that it's his sister that has problems, and not Perry.

One can tell from this that Perry is a pack rat who long to hold on to the past.  Perry's childhood was full of abandonment, death and crisis.  Perhaps he feels that if he holds on to these items, he can hold on to some of those people from his past.

The letter from Floyd show how much Perry is looking for acceptance (and may lead to why he hooked up with Dick in the first place.)  Though the letter from Perry's sister is well-meaning, Floyd spins it so that it seems as though Barab is the one with the problems and Perry isn't doing anything wrong.  From a childhood where Perry never knew who was going to be around, this acceptance is critical for him.

Why do animals behave like humans, and humans like animals in Orwell's Animal Farm?

I believe that Orwell's point was to demonstrate that human beings are capable of displaying characteristics of animals under certain circumstances, and that animals are more intelligent than humans credit them. The desire for absolute power and control exists among both species. 

The farmer was obviously an "ignorant" character, one lacking education or even social "graces" according to social mores. Ignorance in humans can often be a catalyst for animalistic behavior, such as murder, abuse, and desire for survival at any cost.  What a person doesn't understand, he is often afraid of, as in the farmer's case. The farmer was determined to survive, at any cost.

Pigs are considered to be the most intelligent of all animals, with the exception of chimpanzees.  Pigs are an appropriate choice, given the setting of the story, as well as the characteristic of higher intelligence.  Orwell chose to give the animals the gift of speech in this novel, which enhances both plot and characterization.  The pigs are the dominant characters because of their intelligence, while the remaining animals follow their lead, almost in blind submission.  This results in the pigs developing a "pecking order" among the animals, as often seen in human society.  The pigs begin to assume more human characteristics, one being the need for justice as they feel oppressed by the farmer.  In history, oppression often leads to a "coup" to establish justice and stability for those being oppressed by those in power.

The pigs develop a brilliant plan to take control of their farm, but in the process, there is dissent among the pigs, which filters down to the "lower" animals.  In human nature, it is difficult for more than one person to wield absolute power and control, as in a dictatorship.  The pigs begin to argue about details of their plan, with an underlying current of who is and should be in total control of the animals when the farmer has been supplanted by the pigs. 

At the end of the novel, we see the culmination of the struggle for dominance and power among the animals; this dominance by the pigs will be attained at any cost, a human trait that has been demonstrated repeatedly throughout history.  

In the final act of "Julius Caesar," who becomes the ruler of Rome?The end is Act 5, Scene 5. I'm unsure of whether or not there is a ruler, but...

As Shakespeare's play, "Julius Caesar" concludes, the reader perceives Octavius in a dominant role.  He has opposed Marc Antony's treacher to Lepidus earlier in Act IV, and now it is Octavius who speaks the final lines:

So call the field to rest, and let's away/To part the glories of this happy day. (V,v,80-82)

With the victory over Brutus and Cassius, along with the death of Brutus, the Second Triumvirate, Octavius, Antony, and Lepidus, go on to rule Rome.  However, Marc Antony who has been given the East, falls in love with Cleopatra and decides to fight Rome; Octavius, defeats Antony. With Antony out of the way and in control of the West and the East, Lepidus, who has been given Hispania and Africa, is forced to retire, and Octavius is free to become Augustus Caesar and become Emperor of Rome.  Of course, the irony of this situation is that Brutus killed Julius Caesar to prevent his becoming an emperor.  His and the other conspirators committed an act that only wrought negative changes:  Rome was engaged in civil strife, it was split for a time, and then subjected to the tyranny of an emperor, after all.