Activator: Personal Connection If you were offered the following

three things, but could only select one, which would you pick?1. Power2. Victory3. Most attractive man or woman

INSTRUCTIONS: Write a paragraph (5 to 7 sentences) explaining your response to the question above. In other words, state your selection and then fully explain the reasoning behind your choice.

THE ODYSSEY BY HOMERBackground story of

The Golden Apple All of the gods were invited to the

wedding of Thetis (goddess) and Peleus (mortal), except for Eris, the goddess of discord.

To get back at them, Eris tossed in a golden apple with the words “for the fairest” written on it.

Because the goddesses bickered about who deserved the apple, Prince Paris of Troy was forced to decide which goddess should be named the “fairest”: Hera, Aphrodite, or Athena.

The Gifts Promised Paris Each of the goddesses bribed Paris to

choose her with the following: Hera offered power Athena offered victory in battle Aphrodite offered the most beautiful

mortal woman

Helen of Troy Paris was a bit of a lady’s

man, so he chose Aphrodite. Unfortunately, Helen (the

most beautiful mortal woman) was already married to Menelaus, the king of Sparta.

Paris kidnapped Helen from Sparta and took her to Troy.

This action was a major insult to xenia—Greek hospitality.

The Trojan War

All of Greece joined together to go to war with Troy after Helen’s kidnapping.

The war lasted for 10 years, and resulted in the deaths of many, including great heroes like Achilles.

Odysseus’s conception of the Trojan Horse trick is what finally led to Greece’s victory over Troy.

The Odyssey is the tale about Odysseus’s journey home after the Trojan War.

Summarizer: Ticket Out the Door INSTRUCTIONS: In

order to summarize our learning for this lesson, respond to following Essential Question in paragraph form (5 to 7 sentences):How do poets Poe, Marlowe, and Doolittle draw on and transform the mythological character Helen of Troy in their poetry?