The Song of Achilles

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text throughout your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Explore the characterization of Achilles and Patroclus in the novel.

• To what extent does each fulfill and subvert traditional ancient Greek notions of What It Means to Be a Hero? (topic sentence)
• Find three examples to substantiate your argument.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, summarize if both men should be considered heroes by Greek mythological standards.

2. There is a clash of wills between Achilles and Patroclus with the fate intended for them by the gods.

• What is the prophecy that Achilles and Patroclus struggle to accept? (topic sentence)
• Identify an example in which Patroclus or Achilles try to escape their fate.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, sum up what this story says about The Immutability of Fate.

3. Throughout the novel, one’s gender ultimately defines their role in society.

• What is the general Condition of Women in the novel? (topic sentence)
• Provide three examples of how men treat women in the story.
• In your concluding sentence, consider Achilles and Patroclus’s treatment of women. How does it differ from most of their male counterparts?

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Consider the importance of upholding tradition throughout the novel. How do the expectations of these traditions shape the characters’ choices? Consider different elements such as appeasing the various deities, marriage proposals, and the importance of honoring the dead through burials.

2. Miller’s novel features numerous instances of foreshadowing. What is the general effect of foreshadowing on a reader’s experience, and how might the effect differ in an epic story such as this one? What is the relationship between this literary technique and the novel’s theme of The Immutability of Fate? Use at least three specific examples of foreshadowing in your discussion.

3. Examine the relationship between Thetis and Patroclus. What are their interactions like? How does their love for Achilles bond them? Consider their final conversation at the end of the novel. What do you think prompts Thetis’s change of heart?