119 pages • 3 hours read
Madeline MillerThe Song of Achilles
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2011A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Reading Questions & Paired Texts
Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key plot points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.
Chapters 1-6
Reading Check
1. Why did Patroclus’s father, Menoitius, marry his mother? What did he discover about her on their wedding day?
2. Why did Tyndareus believe that Menoitius’s wife died?
3. Which country is Patroclus exiled to?
4. What does Patroclus learn about King Peleus in Chapter 3 that makes him a charitable man?
5. What is the prophecy about Achilles?
6. What comment does Thetis make about Patroclus’s mortality?
Short Answer
Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.
1. Describe Patroclus’s only memory of his mother. Why does he doubt its authenticity?
2. Summarize Odysseus’s radical suggestion at Tyndareus’s palace. What is the outcome of this suggestion? Which suitor does Helen choose?
3. Recount the moment in Chapter 3 that changes the trajectory of Patroclus’s life.
4. Why does Achilles approach Patroclus in Chapter 4? What plan do they concoct together?
5. In Chapter 5, Patroclus uses many similes to describe Achilles during his military drills. List as many similes as you can identify.
6. How does the relationship between Patroclus and Achilles change from Chapter 3 to Chapter 6?
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