What does "the head is not more native to the heart" in Shakespeare's Hamlet mean?

"The head is not more native to the heart" is the first part of an analogy that King Claudius makes between himself and Polonius, his counselor and father of Laertes. This comparative situation suggests the closeness of the mind to the emotions, and how they work together. That is, Polonius's mind and his ideas relate closely to what is in the heart of King Claudius.

In order to understand the meaning of this quote, it is really necessary to include the rest of the comparison:

The head is not more native to the heart,
The hand more instrumental to the mouth,
Than is the throne of Denmark to thy father.
What wouldst thou have, Laertes? (1.2.47-50)

Extracted from Act I, Scene 2 of Hamlet, this line is part of a conversation of King Claudius with Laertes, the son of Polonius, who is Lord Chamberlain and a conniving sycophant to the king, who is equally despicable. Laertes has returned from France on the bequest of his father in order to be present for the coronation of King Claudius. Since his filial duty has now been served, Laertes wishes to return to his school in France, and so he comes to ask the king for permission to do so. Evidently, Laertes seems to be timorous before the new king; therefore, Claudius tries to allay his fears with the two lines that demonstrate his close relationship with Laertes's father.

 In the lines cited above, Claudius makes an analogy between the strong connection of the head to the heart/mind to the emotions, and the hand to the mouth and his close and mutually satisfactory relationship with Laertes's father. Polonius, King Cladius's advisor=the head to the king's heart--"the head is native, or relates, to the heart." 
(Later, the reader learns it is Polonius who devises some of the plots to learn what is in Hamlet's mind.)

What happens in Chapter Seven of To Sir with Love?

In Chapter Seven, Mr. Braithwaite continues learning about the faculty, his students, and people in the neighborhood.

After suffering through a noisy lunch in the cafeteria the previous day, Braithwaite decides to eat in the faculty lounge where it is quiet. There he talks with the lovely and pleasant Miss Blanchard, who remarks that he seems surprised by the students' interest in classical music that morning. After this, she asks him how his morning has gone, and Braithwaite tells her of his disappointment in the students' finding their own ignorance amusing. It is apparent that Braithwaite is perplexed about these youths who willingly listen to sophisticated music, yet have no desire to learn basic things.

Mrs. Drew encourages the new teacher, telling him "...they're not bad when you get to know them." Weston chimes in, "The trick is getting to know them." During this interchange with the members of the faculty, Braithwaite is encouraged by their desire that he succeed. But, after he returns to his classroom, he finds the students suspiciously watchful of him.

My attempts at pleasantries were received with a chilly lack of response which indicated that my earlier remarks had got under their skin. Their silent watchfulness was getting under mine.

Still, there is one student who seems friendly, Tich Jackson, who returns his smiles although the boy joins in with the other students in their derisive laughter. Another student seems removed from everyone; his name is Lawrence Seales. This boy is "obviously of mixed parentage" and is quiet; he does not engage with the other students in their ribaldry, nor does he show any interest in his teacher. 

After leaving school Braithwaite stops in at a tobacconist's shop where he sees a board with postings of lodgings. Thinking that the long ride from Brentwood back and forth each day will become tiresome, especially in the winter months, Braithwaite leans over to read the posts. The proprietor asks him if he can help; Braithwaite says, "Not really...I might like a room near by." Then the man asks if he works in the area, and Braitwaite tells him that he is a teacher at Greenslade School.

"These not good for you; for teacher not good. Sometimes good ones I have, these not,"

advises the tobacconist, in broken English. Braithwaite is moved by his kindness, a positive ending to a trying day. Later on at home, he discusses the day's occurrences with Mr. and Mrs. Belmont, who agree with him that he must gain the students' confidence before their resentment leads to something that can destroy any hope of a good relationship with them.

How does David Sedaris establish a humorous tone in the first two paragraphs? What details contribute to this tone?

In order to establish a humorous tone in the first two paragraphs of his essay "Me Talk Pretty One Day," David Sedaris does two things: 1. He creates an absurd character (himself), and 2. He places this character in an uncomfortable setting.

In the opening paragraph, Sedaris establishes himself as an absurd character. He opens the essay with his age ("At the age of forty-one...") and then goes on to call himself a "true debutant." He explains that he's moved to France to go back to school to learn French, but he's really excited about having a student ID which allows him discounts at places, particularly an amusement park with an advertisement that really excites him (it "advertises with billboards picturing a cartoon stegosaurus sitting in a canoe and eating what appears to be a ham sandwich.").

Then Sedaris creates an intimidating setting that he is entering. Everyone who attends the school, except for himself, spoke French well. In addition, the students were all "young, attractive, and well dressed." He explains that he feels completely out of place "not unlike Pa Kettle trapped backstage after a fashion show."

By placing an absurd character in an intimidating situation, Sedaris is telling his readers to expect the unexpected.

"Fancy thinking the beast was something you could kill." What is the author trying to say with this quote?

This statement is spoken by the "Lord of the Flies," the "pig's head on a stick" that speaks to Simon in his vision in the thicket. While the conversation between the pig's head and Simon can be confusing--and it was written in a way to seem mysterious and ambiguous--it presents one of Golding's strongest themes in the novel. The lesson of the novel is that humans, left on their own even in an idyllic environment, will create a society that quickly degenerates unless they can follow rules and unless they have a moral basis for their lives. Ralph is the character who grasps the importance of rules and order; Simon is the character who grasps the importance of morality. Simon has already suggested that the "beastie" the boys are afraid of is "only us." Here Golding explores that idea further. The head says, "I'm part of you.... the reason why it's no go." The fact that he is called the Lord of the Flies is a reference to Beelzebub, or Satan, the personification of Evil. So Golding here is saying that evil resides within the human soul--"close, close, close!"--and therefore it cannot be hunted and killed as something external. The only way for the boys to really deal with the evil and save their society is to recognize the potential for their own moral failings and to build their society on a moral foundation. 

What is the "Harm Principle"?

"The only purpose for which power can be rightly exercised over any member of a civilized community against his will, is to prevent harm to others."--John Stuart Mill, On Liberty.

The harm principle is a theory by British philosopher John Stuart Mill that states that a government or society does not have the right to prevent people from actions unless the actions are harmful to others in society. Behavior or actions that do not affect or harm others should not be subject to government or legal scrutiny. Under this principle governments do not have the right to construct laws that protect the individual from actions that may do harm to on himself/herself. While this would seem to create an anarchy or free-for-all, Mill closely associates the principle of utility to his harm principle.

“My right to swing my arm ends where your nose begins.” --Zechariah Chafee, American judicial philosopher

The principle of utility commands that people make decisions based on how those decisions will bring the greatest amount of happiness to the most people. When making a decision between two different paths, the person making the choice should choose the direction that will please the most people. Mill understands that it is very rare for an action to not have an effect on others because all people in society are interconnected through various social systems.

Mill also takes care to define what is meant by "harm." Harm is not an action that simply offends others but actually interferes with the rights, interests, and benefits of another person. Having said that, Mill believed that the freedom of speech was one right that should be protected under the harm principle.

In the story, "The Open Window," Mrs Sappleton begins to talk about her husband and her brothers. Then Framton thinks it was "an unfortunate...

It seems to Framton Nuttel to be a coincidence that he happens to be paying a visit to the Sappletons on an anniversary of the deaths of Mrs. Sappleton's husband and two brothers. Framton feels it is unfortunate because he is a perfect stranger and is imposing on her at a time when she must be remembering the tragic event because of its being an anniversary. According to Vera's story, her aunt has been expecting the three hunters to return for tea every evening for the past three years. Framton feels like an intruder. This is what is unfortunate for him. It is also unfortunate for Mrs. Sappleton because she is compelled as a hostess to give him some of her attention when she would obviously prefer to keep looking out the open window for the return of her husband and brothers.

...he was conscious that his hostess was giving him only a fragment of her attention, and her eyes were constantly straying past him to the open window and the lawn beyond. 

According to Vera, her aunt leaves the tall window open every night until late. Vera knows that her aunt will say the same things tonight as she does every other night. There really is no coincidence. It is not an anniversary of the men's disappearance because they have only been gone for one afternoon. Vera colors her story by making this the third anniversary of their "disappearance" because it may seem somewhat more likely that they should return from the dead on an anniversary of their deaths than at some other arbitrary time. Saki has his character Framton Nuttel reflect that it is an "unfortunate coincidence" that he should be there on the third anniversary because he wants the reader to see that the falsehood has made an impression on the nervous visitor. The men's apparent resurrection on the third anniversary of their deaths is just one more factor that makes it seem plausible--both to Framton and to the reader. If men are to return from the dead, wouldn't they do so on some significant occasion such as an anniversary? Vera must think so; otherwise she would not have made up that detail.

What does Scout admire most about Atticus?

Scout admires many things about her father, but most significantly I believe that she admires Atticus' honesty. Throughout the novel, Scout approaches her father with questions and feels comfortable expressing her feelings to him. Atticus is always honest with his children and always responds to Scout's questions. Atticus tells Scout the meaning of terms such as "nigger-lover" and "rape," and explains certain aspects concerning the Tom Robinson case. Scout trusts that her father will not lie to her and appreciates the fact that she has a parent who is honest. Atticus' honesty significantly influences Scout's moral development and gives her insight into her community. Scout learns about the prevalent prejudice throughout Maycomb and comes to her father with various questions. Scout values the fact that she has an honest father who will give her accurate, true information.