Theseus
“Theseus, however, was much too brave and active a young man to spend all his time talking about the past with his father. His ambition was to perform other, more heroic acts.”
What do you think the word ambition means?
Desire to reach a goal
Reread “Journey to Crete” and answer the following questions:
Why are the sails of the ship black at the start of the journey?
because it was a sad voyage
Who is the hero of this story?
Theseus
Read “Homeward Bound” and answer the following questions:
What does the word alter mean?
change
“Alas! Said King Egeus. “This is the saddest anniversary of the year. It is the day when we randomly select seven youths and maidens of Athens to go be eaten by the dreadful Minotaur.”
What do you think the word dreadful means as it is used in the text?
Causing great fear
“Theseus, however, was much too brave and active a young man to spend all his time talking about the past with his father. His ambition was to perform other, more heroic acts.”
What words in the text (context clues) helped you figure out the meaning of ambition?
Perform heroic acts
What does King Egeus say he is going to do each day while Theseus is away?
Climb to the top of the cliff and look for the sails of the ship
What does the word heroic mean?
the characteristics of being a hero
What words in the sentence helped you know what alter means?
from black to white
“Alas! Said King Egeus. “This is the saddest anniversary of the year. It is the day when we randomly select seven youths and maidens of Athens to go be eaten by the dreadful Minotaur.”
What words in the text (context clues) helped you figure out the meaning of dreadful?
Saddest day; eaten by...
“Theseus, however, was much too brave and active a young man to spend all his time talking about the past with his father. His ambition was to perform other, more heroic acts.”
What do we learn about Theseus based on this ambition?
He is brave, determined, and also somewhat arrogant
What does he ask Theseus to do with the black sails if he wins the battle with the Minotaur?
tear them down and replace with white sails
Read “Heroic Deed” and answer the following questions:
Who was victorious in the battle between the Minotaur and Theseus?
Theseus
What do you think exuberance means?
happiness or enthusiasm
What did King Egeus think when he saw the ship sailing toward him?
that Theseus was dead
What might this series of events tell you about Theseus’s character?
He was a bit foolish; he forgot an important instruction given by his father because he was so focused on his victory against the Minotaur.
What theme emerges from this story? Provide textual evidence
various answers
“When Theseus heard the story, he said, ‘Let the people of Athens this year draw lots for only six young men, instead of seven. I will myself be the seventh; and let the Minotaur destroy me if he can!”
In your own words, can you restate what Theseus is offering to do?
Theseus is offering to fight the Minotaur.
What words in the text helped you know what exuberance means?
success
What makes the reader think that the King thinks that Theseus is dead?
The sails were still black; Egeus thought Theseus was devoured, which means eaten.
Why did King Egeus die?
Because Theseus forgot to raise the flag
What is a Minotaur
a half bull, half man
How do you know Theseus was victorious?
Ariadne shouted “You have slain the monster!
What big idea about human behavior might we draw from what happened to Theseus?
Even heroes can make serious mistakes. No one can escape tragedy
What did King Egeus do as a result of seeing the black sails?
jumped off the cliff and drowned