Essential question
What does Achilles reveal about his values when he describes a choice between long life and lasting fame?
Marked passage
- Passage location
- Book IX
- Start anchor
- My mother Thetis tells me that there are two ways in which I may meet my end.
- End anchor
- whereas if I go home my name will die, but it will be long ere death shall take me.
Achilles names his two futures
Ways to teach it
Listening
Listen to the exact passage; visual following is optional. Same question and evidence demand.
Solo
Read the exact passage independently.
Supported
Use narration and sentence highlighting while reading the same passage.
Teacher guide
Close
Name the single detail that most changed or sharpened your interpretation, and explain why.
Evidence
Set the long-life/no-glory future against the short-life/lasting-fame future and identify which loss he accepts.
Mark
Create two columns: LONG LIFE and LASTING FAME. Place each benefit and cost Achilles names under the correct future. Star the cost he seems most willing to accept.
Instructional move
Compare values when a character must choose between incompatible goods
Notice
• What does each future offer Achilles? • What does each future take away? • Which loss appears more tolerable to him, and what does that reveal about his values?
Strong answer
Achilles values lasting fame enough to accept a shorter life. By naming two futures that each contain a gain and a loss, he reveals which good he is willing to sacrifice.
Think
Answer provisionally: What does Achilles reveal about his values when he describes a choice between long life and lasting fame? Choose the strongest interpretation you can defend from this passage alone.
Watch for
Do not say Achilles simply prefers death. He chooses between incompatible goods, not between life and nothing.
Why this passage
Achilles names two futures that cannot be combined: a long life without lasting fame or an early death with immortal glory. Because both futures contain a gain and a loss, the choice reveals which value he is willing to sacrifice.
Write
Write a short evidence-based response to: What does Achilles reveal about his values when he describes a choice between long life and lasting fame? Use at least two details from the assigned passage and explain how they support your interpretation.
Student tasks
Mark
Create two columns: LONG LIFE and LASTING FAME. Place each benefit and cost Achilles names under the correct future. Star the cost he seems most willing to accept.
Notice
What does each future offer Achilles? What does each future take away? Which loss appears more tolerable to him, and what does that reveal about his values?
Think
Answer provisionally: What does Achilles reveal about his values when he describes a choice between long life and lasting fame?
Write
Write a short response using at least two pieces of evidence from this passage. Use evidence from the assigned passage. Show what you noticed and how the text supports your interpretation.