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ACT Reading 1.1 Humanities Passage 548 Views


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ACT Reading: Humanities Passage Drill 1, Problem 1. Which of the following best describes the main purpose of this passage?

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English Language

Transcript

00:03

Here's your Shmoop du jour, brought to you by Hamlet. A great name for Danish Princes,

00:08

as well as miniature pigs.

00:19

Which of the following best describes the main purpose of this passage?

00:27

Okay, so to figure out the main point of these things, we sometimes have to take a glance

00:30

at the possible answer choices first...

00:32

...then go back and reread the passage again.

00:34

Trust us, there's no shame in doing a little rereading.

00:37

How's answer A look? Well, Hamlet is mentioned, but it isn't the main focus of the passage.

00:42

Professor Bradley has bigger fish to fry than the emo Prince of Denmark.

00:46

The passage does compare Shakespeare's romantic comedies to his tragedies, but again, it's

00:50

only one point among many. So B's a "no." The passage doesn't argue that Macbeth is

00:55

more complex than Julius Caesar, just that it's different...

00:58

...which is kind of a no-brainer considering one is set in Scotland and includes witches

01:02

and the other is a historical drama about the birth of the Roman Empire.

01:06

Out, damned answer choice...

01:09

Choice B? Ah...here we are. Professor Bradley's main purpose is to show off just how much

01:14

he knows about the evolution of Shakespeare's tragedies.

01:16

A subject with which he may be unhealthily obsessed.

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