1. Warm-up activity:
Discuss the following questions:
□ What is Hercules famous for?
□ What does it mean when someone says about a man, "He Is like Hercules"?
□ Do you know of other heroes who have comparable stories - either through your reading or from watching films and television?
2. Read the following passage about Hercules and answer the questions that follow:
Hercules was the son of Jupiter and Alcmena. Eurystheus, the King of Mycenae and his cousin, made him undergo some difficult tasks, which are known in Greek myths as the 'twelve labours of Hercules/ The first involved a light with a lion. The valley of Neoiea was being disturbed by a terrible lion and so Eurystheus ordered Hercules to slay the beast and bring him his skin. At first, Hercules tried to fight the lion with his club and arrows but this took him nowhere. Then Hercules attempted a different tactic: he decided he would use his hands. He thus managed to slay the animal on his own, relying entirely on his immense strength. Victorious, he returned to Mycenae carrying the dead lion on his shoulders, a sight that terrified the King.
His next task was to slay a monster called Hydra that was ravaging the country of Argos. The Hydra had nine heads, of which the middle one was said to be immortal. Our hero struck off its heads with his club, but whenever he knocked off a head, two new ones erupted in its place. Eventually with the help of his devoted servant lolaus, Hercules succeeded in burning all the heads of the Hydra except the ninth or immortal one, which he decided to bury under a huge rock. In other words, Hercules triumphed again, as he would every time he was given an impossible task by Eurystheus! And this is how he began to acquire the reputation of a hero possessing immense strength throughout the world.
3. Write the meanings of the following phrases:
a. had to undergo
b. involved a fight with
c. took him nowhere
d. a different tactic
e. entirely on his own
f. a sight
g. succeeded in
h. acquire a reputation
Now attempt to write five sentences with each of these phrases in your notebook.
4. Answer the following questions:
a. Describe in your own words the 'first labour' of Hercules?
b. How was Hercules's 'second labour' different from the first one?
c. What are some of the qualities that made Hercules succeed in impossible tasks?
d. Why did Hercules bury the ninth head of Hydra?
e. What reasons can you find for calling Hercules a hero?
5. Which of the following statements seem to be false and which true? Tick 'T' or 'F' after each statement to register your response.
a. Hercules decided to accomplish impossible tasks because he wanted to be a hero. T/F
b. The king was impressed when he saw Hercules after his first victory. T/F
c. Hercules managed to defeat Hydra entirely on his own. T/F
d. Hercules ended up burying all parts of Hydra. T/F
e. Every time he was given an impossible task, Hercules succeeded in doing it. T/F
6. Write a paragraph of about 150 words on a heroic man or woman that you heard or read about in your childhood. Explain in your account whether the story was a true or a mythical one, and why you consider the person you have described to be heroic.
7. Make a list of 10 prepositions you have come across in the passage. Now make sentences with each of these prepositions.
8. Follow up activity: Group Presentation
Who are some of the famous heroes of Bangladeshi History? For the next class, divide into groups and prepare brief presentations on a few Bangladeshi heroes famous for their fighting abilities.
If you want read the next unit please click the link below:
Unit Ten: Dreams
Great Post
ReplyDelete