ENGLISH § Good Fiction
Escape and Interpretive - Makes us realize that person vs. him/herself is more
To Kill a Mockingbird – Example of escape and
interpretive literature
Escape Literature
• Written merely/purely for enjoyment
• Takes us “away” from this world
• Object pleasure
• Heroic, extraordinary characters
• Exciting and appealing settings
• Suspenseful plot
• Resolved conflicts
• Can never be interpretive literature
• Appealing to the readers
• Resolved, suspenseful
• Unrealistic – Not likely to happen
• Characters
o Easily labelled as good or bad
o Attractive and sympathetic
• Plot
o High value on intricate series of events
o Twists and turns
o External Conflicts – Easily identifiable
(Physical – Man VS. Man)
• Theme
o Trifling yet self-satisfying
o Unrealistic – Not likely to happen
Interpretive Literature
• Sharpens/Broadens our awareness of life
• Take us “away,” too, but ultimately takes us back
deep into our experience
• Deeper into the real world
• Object pleasure and understanding
• Can be escape literature because it can still
entertain but, at the same time, deepens
understanding of life
• True-to-life characters
• Realistic setting
• Human endeavors resulting to conflicts
• Emphasis on human values and understanding value
• Theme – Important and deepens our understanding of
our lives through the realistic experiences of the
characters
• Deepens our understanding of our lives through the
realistic experiences of the characters
Interpretive Readings
• Enrich us (readers) personally
• As we mature in fiction, our consciousness grows from
one that is personal to something that is societal:
for the good of many.
Elements of Fiction
• Details the distinction between escape and
interpretive literature
1. Characterization
o A person, or sometimes an animal, or even an object
who takes part in the action of a literary work.
o Limited (Beginner) Readers
§ Read for entertainment
§ Read mainly for plot, putting a high value on
intricate series of events
§ Put premium on so-called twists and turns which
happen for no reason
§ Easily labelled as good/bad (Can be found in
escape literature)
§ Attractive and sympathetic (Can be found in
escape literature)
§ Inferior Fiction features external conflicts
(Person VS. Person)
§ Ask, “What is going to happen next?”
§ Happy ending stories provide fewer insight s into
life and happen less in our experiences.
§ The fairy tale type of endings are written just
to please the young reader.
o Matured (Experienced) Readers
§ Read for understanding or learning
§ Know that physical action is not the only thing
that make-up a story
§ Know that insights may be gained from a plot with
minimal actions
realistic, and that conflicts are not entirely
physical, but also mental, emotional, and moral many
times
- Does not necessarily renounce above characters
- Should simply provide us with characters that are not
easily identifiable because people in real life are
complex
§ Ask, “Why are these things happening?”
2. Plot
o A planned, logical series of events or incidents in a
narrative.
o Limited (Beginner) Readers
§ Demand that characters easily labelled as good or
bad
§ Prefer that important characters be attractive
and sympathetic
§ Expect that the story is not a source of
understanding but a daydream material
§ High value on intricate series of events
§ Twists and turns
§ External Conflicts – Easily identifiable
(Physical: Men V.S. Men)
§ “What is going to happen next?”
o Matured (Experienced) Readers
§ Insights from the plot, even in the simple things
§ Mental, emotional, or moral conflicts
§ “Why are these things happening?”
o Good Fiction
§ Does not necessarily renounce above characters
§ Should provide us with characters that are not
easily identifiable because people in real life
are complex
§ Human nature is not often entirely bad or
perfectly good – Should feature characters which
are neither
3. Theme
o The controlling idea and central insight of the story
o Also, a statement about realities of human
experiences
o Don’t expect all stories to yield a theme
o Not all stories have one
§ Example: Horror stories (Told simply to scare the
readers)
o The whole purpose of the story is not to yield this
abstract statement.
§ The story is not a fable or a parable
o Exists in all interpretive fiction
o In most cases, it is superficial in escape ones
o Theme Statement
§ In escape literature, don’t expect it to sound
like the agreeable line said by the author at the
end of the fairy tale.
- Example: “Good always triumphs over evil.”
§ Remember that it speaks realities of our
experiences
- Example: “Misfortunes happen even to the good.”
§ Furnishes the reader a greater awareness and
understanding of people and himself
§ Does not necessarily inculcate a code of moral
rules to regulate daily conduct
4. Point of View (POV)
o Who tells the story, and more importantly, how it
gets told
o Skillful authors decide on two important things:
a. Who tells the story?
b. How much is this person allowed to know?
o Omniscient POV
§ Knows the characters too well and can tell us
what exactly is a character feeling or thinking
at a particular moment
§ Can tell us, readers, as much or as little as
they desire
§ Can even share the insights in the story, if they
wish to do so (Guys so sa lecture ni miss nakasulat “he” to identify the
person in the POV pero I don’t want to use “he” cause what about the “shes” and non-
binary people in the world sooo pinalitan ko ng “they”, just in case malito kayo ine-explain
ko lang okie? Okie!)
§ Knowledge and inferences depend on the knowledge
of the chosen character
o Limited Omniscient POV
§ Tells the narrative from the viewpoint of one
character in the story
§ Knows everything about this character, but shows
no complete knowledge of what other characters
are feeling or thinking
§ Knowledge and inferences depend on the knowledge
of the chosen character
o First Person POV
§ Disappears into one of the characters
§ This storyteller may be an active character or an
observer in the story
§ Shares the virtues and limitations of the limited
omniscient
§ The use of the first person, “I”
o Objective POV
§ Easiest to detect of the different types as it
only narrates what visibly happens in the story
§ Cannot comment, interpret, or enter a character’s
mind
o Capital Rule: Consistency – Only one particular type
of POV should be employed all throughout the
narrative
Freytag’s Pyramid
• Plotting
o An activity in reading where one sequences event
highlights in a narrative
o An initial step in reading comprehension
• Gustav Freytag – Observed the similarity of plots so
he created a pictorial tool to visually illustrate
dramatic structure
• Parts of the Freytag Pyramid:
1. Exposition – Introduces the principal characters,
time period, tone, the “inciting incident,” when some
force of will on the part of the protagonist or an
outside complication forces the protagonist into
motion
2. Rising Action
o Continues the movement toward the climax
o Conflict is completely exposed here
o Other characters are introduced here, as well
3. Climax
o Portrays the fullest energy of the protagonist as
s/he deals with the most emotional or physical
part of the narrative
o His/Her action, or inaction, determines the
outcome of events in the story.
4. Falling Action – Portrays the tension stemming from
the story’s central decreasing and the story moves
towards its conclusion
5. Dénouement – Wraps up the story, in which loose ends
are tied up, and the effect or “outcome” of the
events of the story is hinted at, if not shown
The Necklace
Guy de Maupassant
French Literature: Teaching Values through Stories
• Classical Greco-Roman Literature – Its influence
continues to spread all over the world
• French Language – In Europe, it is one of the
languages that developed as a result of the Roman
occupation of Western Europe.
o However, unlike Rome’s Virgil, England’s Shakespeare
or Greece’s Homer, there is no single outstanding
literary figure that is known for his/her/their great
influence in French literature.
• 17th and 18th Century
o French Literature – After undergoing creative
evolution, it came to dominate in Europe
o French – Became the diplomatic language and lingua
franca of Western Europe and, to a certain degree, of
America
• Stories in French Literature – Great sources of
wisdom and values
• Examples of French Literature (Most popular and
influential works of fiction):
1. Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables
o Considered as “one of the greatest half-dozen
novels in the world”
o Known as a historical fiction that describes the
politics and society of the 19th century French
o Eugène François Vidocq – A French criminal and
criminalist whose life was believed to be the
inspiration of the novel’s main character
o The novel’s story encourages compassion and hope
despite injustice and adversity.
2. Guy de Maupassant’s The Necklace
o Short story
o Guy de Maupassant – A French writer who is known
for his clever story plots, is considered as one
of the fathers of modern short stories, and has
written about 300 short stories.
o A story that teaches people not to pine after
material possessions but to be happy with what
they have in life
3. Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame
o Victor Hugo – A poet, novelist and dramatist whose
works have centered mostly on social and political
issues
• French Writers – Interestingly, countless of them
have been awarded Nobel Prizes in Literature
• France – Today, it ranks first in the list of Nobel
Prize awardees in literature by country
Characters:
• Main Characters:
1. Monsieur Loisel – Martyr in the relationship
2. Madame (Mathilde) Loisel
• 3. Madame (Jeanne) Forestier
Setting
• Paris, France
• Late 1800s
Themes:
1. The Deceptiveness of Appearances
2. Danger of Martyrdom
3. The Perceived Power of Objects
Conflict: Man V.S. Himself
• Lead to their suffering:
1. Materialism 3. Pride
2. Shallowness
Symbol: Necklace
• Power of perception
• Reality behind beauty
• Deceptiveness of appearances
Exposition
• Society’s Depiction of Women
o There is neither caste nor rank, for beauty, grace,
and charm take the place of family and birth.
o Natural ingenuity, instinct for what is elegant, a
supple mind are their sole hierarchy, and often make
of women of the people the equals of the very
greatest ladies.
• Mathilde Loisel
o The girl was one of those pretty and charming young
creatures who sometimes were born, as if by a slip of
fate, into a family of clerks.
o She had no dowry, no expectations, no way of being
known, understood, loved, married by any rich and
distinguished man; so she let herself be married to a
little clerk of the Ministry of Public Instruction.
o She dressed plainly because she could not dress well,
but she was unhappy as if she had really fallen from
a higher station
o Suffered ceaselessly, feeling herself born to enjoy
all delicacies and all luxuries
o She was distressed at the poverty of her dwelling, at
the bareness of the walls, at the shabby chairs, the
ugliness of the curtains.
§ All those things, of which another woman of her
rank would never even have been conscious,
tortured her and made her angry.
o Little Breton peasant who did her humble housework –
The sight of it aroused in her despairing regrets and
bewildering dreams
§ She thought of silent antechambers hung with
Oriental tapestry, illuminated by tall bronze
candelabra, and of two great footmen in knee
 breeches who sleep in the big armchairs, made
drowsy by the oppressive heat of the stove.
§ She thought of long reception halls hung with
ancient silk, of the dainty cabinets containing
priceless curiosities, and of the little
coquettish perfumed reception rooms made for
chatting at five o’clock with intimate friends,
with men famous and sough after, whom all women
envy and whose attention they all desire.
o Dinner with her husband
§ She sat down before the round table covered with
a tablecloth in use three days, opposite her
husband, who uncovered the soup tureen
§ Husband – “Ah, the good soup! I don’t know
anything better than that.”
- She thought of dainty dinners, of shining silverware,
of tapestry that peopled the walls with ancient
personages and with strange birds flying in the midst
of a fairy forest; and she thought of delicious
dishes served on marvelous plates and of the
whispered gallantries to which you listen with a
sphinxlike smile while you are eating the pink meat
of a trout or the wings of a quail.
o She had no gowns, no jewels, nothing.
§ And she loved nothing but that.
§ She felt made for that.
o She would have liked so much to please, be envied, to
be charming, to be sought after.
o Her friend - A former schoolmate at the convent, who
was rich and whom she did not like to go to see any
more because she felt so sad when she came home
Rising Action
• But one evening her husband reached home with a
triumphant air and holding a large envelope in his
hand.
o Mathilde tore the paper quickly and drew out a
printed card which bore these words – The Minister of
Public Instruction and Madame Georges Ramponneau
request the honor of M. and Madame Loisel’s company
at the place of the Ministry on Monday evening,
January 18th.
o Instead of being delighted as her husband had hoped,
she threw the invitation on the table crossly
muttering, “What do you wish me to do with that?”
• Mathilde was worried about what she would wear (“And
what do you wish me to put on my back?”)
o Monsieur Loisel stammered, “Why the gown you go to
the theatre in. It looks very well to me.”
o She was weeping, two great tears ran slowly from the
corners of her eyes towards the corners of her mouth,
because she had no gown, and, therefore, can’t go to
the ball.
o So, she told her husband to give her card to some
colleague whose wife was better equipped than she
was.
• Monsieur Loisel asked how much it would cost a
suitable gown, which Mathilde could use on other
occasions – something very simple.
o Mathilde reflected several seconds, making her
calculations, and wondering also what sum she could
ask without drawing on herself an immediate refusal
and a frightened exclamation from the economical
clerk.
o Four Hundred Francs – Mathilde replied hesitating
§ Monsieur Loisel grew a little pale, because he
was laying aside just that amount to buy a gun
and treat himself to a little shooting next
summer on the plain of Nanterre, with several
friends who went to shoot larks there of a
Sunday.
o He handed his wife four hundred francs and told her
to try to have a pretty gown
• The day of the ball drew near and Madame Loisel
seemed sad, uneasy, and anxious because she did not
have a single piece of jewelry, not a single
ornament, nothing to put on.
o Mathilde said she shall look poverty-stricken and
would almost rather not go at all.
o Natural Flowers – Suggested by her husband to wear
because, according to him, they’re very stylish at
this time of year
§ Two or Three Magnificent Roses – For ten francs
o “There’s nothing more humiliating than to look poor
among other women who are rich.” – Mathilde
o Madame Forestier – Mathilde’s friend and person whom
her husband told her to ask her to lend her some
jewels
§ She went to a wardrobe with a mirror, took out a
large jewel box, brought it back, opened it, and
said to Mathilde to choose among the jewels.
- Mathilde saw first some bracelets, then a pearl
necklace, then a Venetian gold cross set with
precious stones, of admirable workmanship.
- Mathilde tried on the ornaments before the mirror,
hesitated and could not make up her mind to part with
them, to give them back.
- Mathilde discovered, in a black satin box, a superb
diamond necklace, and her heart throbbed with an
immoderate desire and asked Madame Forestier to lend
it to her.
• The night of the ball arrived.
o Madame Loisel – Was prettier than any other woman
present, elegant, graceful, smiling, and wild with
joy; all the men looked at her, asked her name,
sought to be introduced; all the attaches of the
Cabinet wished to waltz with her; and she was
remarked by the minister himself.
o Mathilde danced with rapture, with passion,
intoxicated by pleasure, forgetting all in the
triumph of her beauty, in the glory of her success,
in a sort of cloud of happiness comprised of all this
homage, admiration, these awakened desires, and of
that sense of triumph which is sweet to a woman’s
heart.
• Four o’clock in the morning – Time wherein M. and
Madame Loisel left the ball
o Monsieur Loisel had been sleeping since midnight in a
little deserted anteroom with three other gentlemen
whose wives were enjoying the ball.
o The modest wraps of common life – Monsieur Loisel
threw over Mathilde’s shoulders the wraps he had
brought
§ The poverty of which contrasted with the elegance
of the ball dress.
§ She felt this and wished to escape so as not to
be remarked by the other women, who were
enveloping themselves in costly furs.
Climax
• They couldn’t find a carriage and began looking for
one, shouting after the cabmen passing at a distance.
o Quay – One of those ancient night cabs which, as
though they were ashamed to show their shabbiness
during the day, are never seen ‘round Paris until
after dark that they found in Seine
o Rue des Martyrs – Their dwelling where the quay took
them
• Ten o’clock in the morning – The time wherein
Monsieur Loisel must be at the ministry
• Mathilde removed her wraps before the glass so as to
see herself once more in all her glory, but suddenly
she uttered a cry, she no longer had the necklace
around her neck!
o They looked among the folds of her skirt, of her
cloak, in her pockets, everywhere, but did not find
it.
o Monsieur Loisel – Traced back over the whole route,
to see whether he can find the necklace on foot.
§ About seven o’clock – He returned and found
nothing
§ He went to police headquarters, to the newspaper
offices to offer a reward; he went to the cab
companies – everywhere, in fact, whither he was
urged by the least spark of hope.
§ Told Mathilde to tell Madame Forestier that she
has broken the clasp of her necklace and that she
is having it mended to give them time to turn
‘round.
o At the end of the week, they had lost all hope.
• Loisel, who had aged five years, declared that they
must consider how to replace the ornament.
o The next day, they took the box that had contained it
and went to the jeweler whose name was found within
and he consulted his books, however, he was just the
 one who furnished the case and not the one who sold
the necklace.
o They went from jeweler to jeweler, searching for a
necklace like the other, trying to recall it, both
sick with chagrin and grief.
o Shop at the Palais Royal – They found a string of
diamonds that seemed to them exactly like the one
they had lost
§ Worth forty thousand francs
§ They could have it for thirty-six francs.
§ They begged the jeweler not to sell it for three
days and they made a bargain that he should buy
it back for thirty-four thousand francs, in case
they find the lost necklace before the end of
February.
o Loisel – Possessed eighteen thousand francs which his
father had left him and borrowed the rest
§ He asked a thousand francs of one, five hundred
of another, five louis here, three louis there
§ He gave notes, took up ruinous obligations, dealt
with usurers and all the race of lenders.
§ He compromised all the rest of his life, risked
signing a note without even knowing whether he
could meet it; and, frightened by the trouble yet
to come, by the black misery, that was about to
fall upon him, by the prospect of all the
physical privations and moral tortures that he
was to suffer, he went to get the new necklace,
laying upon the jeweler’s counter thirty-six
thousand francs.
• When Madame Loisel took back the necklace, Madame
Forestier said to her with a chilly manner that she
should have returned it sooner because she might have
needed it.
Falling Action
• Thereafter, Mathilde knew the horrible existence of
the needy.
o She bore her part, however, with sudden heroism.
o That dreadful debt must be paid, she would pay it.
o They dismissed her servant; they changed their
lodging; they rented a garret under the roof.
o She came to know what heavy housework meant and the
odious cares of the kitchen.
o She washed the dishes, using her dainty fingers and
rosy nails on greasy pots and pans.
o She washed the soiled linen, the shirts, and the
dishcloths, which she dried upon a line; she carried
the slops down to the street every morning and
carried up the water, stopping for breath at every
landing.
o She dressed like a woman of the people, she went to
the fruiterer, the grocer, the butcher, a basket on
her arm, bargaining, meeting with impertinence,
defending her miserable money, sou by sou.
• Every month they had to meet some notes, renew
others, obtain more time.
• Monsieur Loisel – Worked evenings, making up a
tradesman’s accounts, and late at night he often
copied manuscript for five sous a page.
• This life lasted ten years.
o At the end of ten years, they had paid everything,
with the rates of usury and the accumulations of the
compound interest.
o Madame Loisel – Looked old now
§ She had become the woman of impoverished
households-strong and hard and rough.
§ With frowsy hair, skirts askew, and red hands,
she talked loud while washing the floor with
great swishes of water.
o But sometimes, when her husband was at the office,
Mathilde sat down near the window and she thought of
the gay evening of long ago, of that ball where she
had been so beautiful and so admired.
§ What would have happened if she had not lost that
necklace?
Resolution/Denouement
• One Sunday, having gone to take a walk in the Champs
Elysees to refresh herself after the labors of the
week, she suddenly perceived a woman who was leading
a child, it was Madame Forestier.
o Madame Forestier – Still young, still beautiful,
still charming
o Madame Loisel talked to her and told her all about
what had happened only to find out that the necklace
was fake and was worth at most only five hundred
francs.
Animal Farm (A Summary)
George Orwell
• A political satire published in England in 1945
• An allegorical novel about animals in a certain farm
that seek to overthrow the humans and build a society
free from human control
• Russian Revolution of 1917 and Stalin era in the
Soviet Union – According to the author, its events
are reflected through the novel
• Portrays the power of literature in shaping our
opinions on matters of social interest.
• Features one of the most iconic political satire of
our time
• Portrays one important power of literature –
Constructive Social Criticism
George Orwell
• A democratic socialist whose name is Eric Arthur
Blair
• Seeking to condemn the Stalinist corruption and
ideals, he explains: “I saw a little boy, perhaps ten
years old, driving a huge carthorse along a narrow
path, whipping it whenever it tried to turn. It
struck me that if only such animals became aware of
their strength we should have no power over them, and
that men exploit animals in much the same way as the
rich exploit the proletariat.”
The Power of Political Fiction
• English Literature
o Often associated to William Shakespeare, Geoffrey
Chaucer, or perhaps, Charles Dickens
o Classical Works – The Canterbury Tales, Beowulf, and
Hamlet
• There are more literary treasures that have become
vital instruments in raising advocacies, social
matters, and political issues.
o Such literary pieces prove that the purpose of
literature is not merely to entertain or to show
aesthetic value, but also to affect and to change
people – to move them to action.
Purpose of Literature
• When we speak of literature, we tend to relate it to
the classics: works of Shakespeare, Geoffrey Chaucer,
or perhaps to Charles Dickens.
• There are also countless literary treasures that have
become vital instruments in raising advocacies,
social matters, and political issues.
Fable – A fictional literary genre that features animals
or other inanimate objects, giving them human qualities
told to each certain values or life lessons.
Satire
• Usually humorous and uses wit to portray important
issues in the society
• Main Aim – To give constructive social criticism
Political Satire – The use of humor, irony,
exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize
people’s stupidity or vices, particularly in the context
of contemporary politics and other tropical issues.
Allegorical Novel – Representation of a larger point
about society or human nature (Symbolism)
Literary Analysis – Formal writing that analyzes a
literary work by looking at its characters, theme, tone
and rhythm, plot, symbolisms, writing style, and various
aspects used within the story
Characters:
1. Napoleon (Domineering) – 2nd leader, or more like a
dictator, that uses force
2. Snowball (Intellectual) – 1st leader who is
intelligent, eloquent, and persuasive that uses words
3. Mr. Jones – A drunkard who was the owner of the farm
and a miserable caretaker
4. Boxer – A carthorse who was the strongest among the
animals and dedicated
5. Squealer (Eloquent) – 3rd leader
6. Benjamin
7. Old Major – A prize-winning board who was the leader
that gave the wake-up call to the animals
8. Mr. Whymper – A person who acted like a bridge for
Napoleon and other humans
“Beasts of England” – The anthem of the animals made by
Old Major
Exposition – The animals at the Manor Farm, owned by Mr.
Jones, have been living miserably under his and his
people’s care. One day, Old Major decided to share his
thoughts and dreams about change, equal treatment, and
how man was the cause of all their suffering. Due to
overworking himself, Old Major died.
Rising Action – The other animals appointed three young
pigs, Snowball, Napoleon, and Squealer, as their new
leaders. With Snowball’s plan and Boxer’s strength, the
animals successfully drove Mr. Jones and his men out of
the farm. They changed the name into “Animal Farm,”
drafted the principles of Animalism according to their
dream, and proclaimed the 7 Commandments of the animals.
Climax – In the beginning, everything seemed to be
alright, however, the pig leaders started taking
advantage of their power and treated themselves as
special. Moreover, a power struggle for control
developed between Napoleon and Snowball, so Napoleon
banished Snowball and took control of the farm with the
help of his 9 trained dogs. Napoleon and the pigs became
corrupt, changed the commandments, broke the rules, and
abused their power, which made life for the other
animals miserable.
Falling Action – Napoleon, then, began interacting with
humans who swindled the animals and destroyed the
windmill. Napoleon was able to drive away the humans and
ordered another windmill to be constructed, which caused
Boxer to collapse due to tiredness. Napoleon lied to the
animals and brought Boxer to the slaughterhouse to be
killed.
Resolution/Denouement – With Napoleon’s leadership, life
became much harder for the animals, food became scarcer,
the dream of leisure and happiness never came true, and
“Animal Farm” was changed back to “Manor Farm.” Years
passed with the animals living under Napoleon’s
leadership whose promises were never fulfilled. In the
end, the animals who watched the pigs realized that
there was no difference anymore between pigs and man.
Seven Commandments which every animal promised to obey
until forever:
1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.
2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a
friend.
3. No animal shall wear clothes.
4. No animal shall sleep in a bed.
5. No animal shall drink alcohol.
6. No animal shall kill any other animal
7. All animals are equal.
“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal
than others.” – One Commandment that replaced all the
other commandments
Old Major’s Speech (Chapter 1) – Talked about his dream,
his thoughts, the Seven Commandments, and the achieving
of these all.
The Iliad (A Summary)
Homer
• Became very influential in the succeeding
masterpieces that followed it
• Final part/weeks of the Trojan War
• Does not cover the whole war, just the latter part of
the Trojan War
The Glory that was Greece: Foundation of Literary
Fiction
• Greece – A country in the Mediterranean that became a
center of literary, architectural, and philosophical
development in the midst of darkness and barbarism
that prevailed during the ancient era
• Greeks
o Produced a civilization that became the cornerstone
of the world’s masterpieces in different fields and
subject matters
o Produced great thinkers such as Plato and Aristotle
and revered mathematicians such as Pythagoras
o Although little remains of what they have
accomplished, their works that have survived through
the years have astonished the world.
• Greek painters, sculptors, architects, inventors, and
theorists – They have, in many ways, become a
standard of excellence and inspiration to the
generations that have followed them
• Homer
o A blind poet that is among the most esteemed Greek
poets who is traditionally-credited creator of the
Iliad and Odyssey
o The stories of his two literary pieces revolve around
fictional Greek and mythological characters.
1. Iliad – Tells about the war between Achaeans
(people from what we now call Greece) and the
Trojans (people from what we now call as Turkey)
2. Odyssey – Focuses on Odysseus, an Achaean
warrior, and his journey back home after the war
Epic
• A long narrative poem, which is usually related to
heroic deeds of a person of an unusual courage and
unparalleled bravery.
• It is primarily written for entertainment and to
inspire heroic qualities among early people.
Literary Fiction
• Any kind of writing that is not presented as fact,
although it may be based on real events, characters,
setting, and information.
• Generally, it tells about a made-up series of events
and imaginary characters.
• Its story may take place in a time and location that
is not real.
• May be realistic, nonrealistic, or semifiction
a. Realistic Fiction – Although untrue, may actually
happen
b. Nonrealistic Fiction – Could not happen in real life
c. Semifiction – May be based on a true story and may
only be reconstructed by the author to make it more
interesting for storytelling
Notes about Iliad during Synchronous Classes
Resolve in War – Quality of the Achaeans that Agamemnon
was testing when he lies and tells his men that he is
sailing back to Greece the night after Zeus promised his
victory
• Testing if his warriors/troops are willing to fight
the victory that he knows he’ll be achieving in the
battle
• Taking the risk of winning the battle
Omens – Signs given by gods and goddesses
• Gave the warriors from both sides a glimpse from what
is awaiting them in the battle
• Achilles – Already knew his fate
Honor – The ideals in which Achilles dedicate his
remaining life
• Achilles was not really fighting for the friendship,
rather, he was fighting for his honor
• He would like to display or dedicate his remaining
life for this honor and show to people his strength
and power that he has
• He wanted to be an honorable warrior
The ships matter more than any other Achaean properties
– Achilles instructed his friend Patroclus to only fight
long enough to save the ships
• Without the ships they would not be able to escape
Troy and go to Greece
• If these ships were to be destroyed, they would be
stuck in a foreign land
• Achilles wanted to save the ships because this is the
only way, especially the Myrmidons, to return to
Greece safely
An act of Achilles that reveals that he did not lose
entirely his concern to his Achaean comrades – He sent
Patroclus to inquire into Machaon’s condition.
• He reacted to the news of Agamemnon’s mortal wound.
• He regularly asks Patroclus of the war’s course.
Trojan War
• Began when Agamemnon
• Ended when Hector died
• Not only a battle between the mortals because the
gods and goddesses were also involved
o Gods or goddesses – Hardheaded and meddle into the
life of mortals
o If you do bad to the gods then they will punish you
Helen – “The Woman/Face that Launched a Thousand Ships”
Achaeans (Greeks)
1. Menelaus 4. Patroclus 5. Odysseus 6. Diomedes
2. Led by Agamemnon – Brother of Menelaus 7. Ajax
3. Achilles
Trojans
 • Led by Hector – Brother of Paris
• King Priam – Father of Hector and Paris
Treachery of Paris – Resulted in the revenge of Menelaus
“Entered a friend’s king dwelling shamed the hand there
gave him food, stealing away a woman.”
• Being welcome in their place but still had the guts
to backstab Menelaus
Greeks attack Chryse – Took two maidens, Chryseis and
Briseis
When you win a war in Ancient Times, especially in
Greece, the prizes you can get involves women
• Agamemnon took with him Chryseis and Briseis
• Agamemnon: Chryseis ; Achilles:Briseis
• Father of Chryseis was not happy with the taking of
his daughter so he asked to give her back but
Agamemnon refused so he asked the help of Apollo (God
to whom the father is adoring)
• Apollo came to the rescue – He sent a plague to the
Greek army as a favor to Chryseis’ father
• Cause of the Plague – Calcas was the soothsayer who
said that the plague was sent from Apollo because of
Agamemnon refusing to return Chryseis
• Agamemnon – Will be returning Chryseis but wanted
Achilles’ prize, Briseis
• Achilles – His ego was hurt with the decision of
Agamemnon so he went to his mother, Thetis, and asked
his mother to approach Zeus and ask Zeus if he could
punish the Greek army
• Zeus – Gave in to Thetis’ liking because he owes her
a favor
• Zeus sends a false dream Agamemnon - was promised a
victory if he attacked the Trojans
• Agamemnon – Believed the false dream that made the
battle begin again which involved the battle between
Paris and Menelaus
o Paris – Was reluctant but because of the prodding of
his brother, Hector, he fought Menelaus
o The goddess, Aphrodite, interfered and rescued Paris
because he was already losing
o Aphrodite – Transported Paris to his chamber/room
o Agamemnon – Because of Paris missing, he said that
Menelaus wins so he asked for the return of Helen
o The gods interfered and ended the war for today
Because of Hera and the other gods the truce was over
and the battle began again
• Hera – Took the side of the Greeks
• Pandarus – Used by Athena in ending the truce when he
shot an arrow to Menelaus
• Athena – Granted Diomedes with a supernatural power
• Diomedes – Was able to kill a lot of Trojans but he
was failed to follow the favor of Athena wherein he
could kill any of the Trojans but not harm any gods
except Aphrodite
Hector
• His wife tried to stop him from entering the war
because they already had a child
• He still left because he believed that it was his
duty
• Despite the heartbreaking speech of his wife, he
still joined the army
• Supported the Trojans
Began the fall of the Greek army
• Greeks fall back in the hands of Hector
• Achilles was not present in the battle anymore
o Nestor – Suggested the plan to persuade Achilles to
rejoin the battle
o They failed to persuade Achilles and they continued
to suffer in the battle
Hera – Seduced Zeus to rescue the Greeks
• Zeus – Went to a deep sleep while he was being
seduced but when he woke up he helped Hector again
“Is this still a battle between the Trojans and the
Greeks or it is an Olympian family feud?”
Zeus – Helping the Trojans and they’re winning
• Greeks – Saw that they really needed Achilles in the
army
o Patroclus – Tried to convince Achilles but failed
o Patroclus’ Solution – To borrow Achilles’ armor which
was sturdy enough to protect him in the battlefield
to use it in the battle
o Achilles – Told Patroclus that he should come back
from the battle after saving the ships
o Myrmidons – Followers of Achilles who accompanied
Patroclus in the battle to help them win
o Patroclus – Died in the hands of Hector
Achilles – Came back to the battlefield to seek revenge
for his good friend, Patroclus
• His original armor was given to Patroclus so Thetis
asked Hephaestus to make him a new armor
• New Armor – Had symbols such as constellations,
pastures, dancing children, and cities of men
• Fought Hector in the battlefield which was witnessed
by Hector’s family
Ruthless Death of Hector
• Achilles – Was not satisfied by the death of Hector
so he tied him at the back of his chariot and dragged
around the walls of Troy
• King Priam – Witnessed along with his family Hector
being dragged around
• Hector’s Body – Was taken back by Achilles to the
Greek camps
• King Priam – Went personally to Achilles and tried to
convince Achilles to return the body out of respect
o As a sign of respect in the Ancient Greece, there is
no need to make the diseased and their loved ones
suffer more
o King Priam – Mentioned Achilles’ father so Achilles
returned the body of Hector
Hector’s Burial – End of Iliad
• King Priam – Got Hector’s body back and gave him a
proper burial which really showed a father’s love
Trojan Horse
• Greeks – Concealed their attack by disguising the
horse as a gift
• Odysseus’ plan
• Several Greek soldiers entered the Trojan horse
• Trojans – Did not refuse the gift
• One Trojan did not want to accept the gift but the
other Trojans did not listen to him
• When the horse was inside, the attack began which
caused the fall of Troy
Fall of Troy – Not the end of the war
Achilles – Died when he got shot in one of the battles
in his tendon which gave him a hard time in fighting
which got him brutally killed
• Where Achilles’ heel/tendon was derived after his
character
Diomedes – Became the winner in of the battle with the
Trojans in the one of the battles
• When Athena gave him power, he was able to kill a lot
of Trojans and wound Aphrodite and Apollo
Patroclus – Wore Achilles’ armor when he fought Hector
Pandarus – Shot an arrow to Menelaus to end the truce
Hera – Borrowed Aphrodite’s belt to seduce Zeus
Achilles – Returned the corpse of Hector to his father,
Priam
P.S. My advice for you is to personally read the summar
in the book, pages 2 to 9 about The Apple of Discord,
The Battle between the Achaeans (Greeks) and the
Trojans, The Trojan Horse, and Andromache Persuades
Hector to Stay (From Book VI of Illiad), and the summary
provided by the subject teacher which will be posted at
the website because I have only added the points in
which the subject teacher discussed and not every
specific detail in the summaries provided.