These prompts can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before or after reading the novel.

Pre-Reading “Icebreaker”

What do you think the word “honor” means? Is honor something that you create for yourself through your behavior, or is it something that other people give to you? Explain a situation in which a person might act in an “honorable” way. Explain how people show that they “honor” someone.

Teaching Suggestion: Use this prompt to guide students to think about The Importance of Honor. Explore how ideas about honor might change as a person grows up and gets older, and how ideas about honor might change from culture to culture. This brief overview of different concepts of honor, including that of the Ancient Greeks, and this longer introduction to the Ancient Greek concept of “tîmê” and its relationship to other values may be helpful.

Post-Reading Analysis

How do the Trojans show hubris when they accept the Trojan Horse? Who warned them about the danger? What is special about Laocoon, and why is ignoring him especially arrogant? What caused the Trojans to ignore warnings from Laocoon and Cassandra? How and why did the gods punish Troy for its hubris?