Objectives

• Analyse how Homer uses the opening quarrel between Achilles and Agamemnon in Book I to establish anger (menis) as the poem's structural and thematic engine.
• Explain how the farewell scene between Hector and Andromache in Book VI uses dramatic irony and imagery to present heroic identity as inseparable from loss.
• Trace how Patroclus's death in Book XVI and Achilles' response in Book XVIII function as the emotional and moral turning point of the epic.
• Analyse how the duel and death of Hector in Book XXII use simile, divine intervention, and spatial imagery to interrogate the cost of heroic glory.
• Write an evidenced analytical essay that argues a sustained position about how Homer uses anger, grief, and mortality to challenge or affirm the heroic code across at least three books of the poem.

The sequence

1. Lesson 1: Menis: Achilles' Rage and the Poem's First Word

   55 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   Look at the first five lines of Book I: 'Rage — Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus' son Achilles, / murderous, doomed, that cost the Achaeans countless losses…' In these lines, Homer promises that this poem will explore the wrath of Achilles and the devastating consequences it brings. The word 'doomed' foreshadows tragedy and suggests that the events we are about to witness will lead to inevitable suffering.

   Teacher input

   Sure! Here’s the humanized version of your text:

   ---

   Model a close reading of Book I, lines 1–7 (the invocation) and lines 148–171 (Achilles' public denunciation of Agamemnon). Focus on the semantic field of honour and shame by examining terms like 'dog-face', 'my hands do the fighting', and 'you keep the lion's share'. Teach students how to craft a topic sentence that identifies the technique, includes the quoted word, and ties it to the theme of menis. Do this live on the board, making edits and redrafting as needed.

   ---

   Summary of Changes Made:

   • Adjusted phrasing for clarity and flow.
   • Removed unnecessary words while preserving the original meaning.
   • Kept the structure intact as per your request.

   Independent task

   Students are tasked with crafting one well-developed analytical paragraph (at least 150 words) that argues how Homer's language in Achilles' speech to Agamemnon at Book I, lines 148–171 portrays the quarrel as a crisis of honour rather than just a personal dispute. They need to include at least two brief quotations from that passage, identify the techniques used in each, and conclude the paragraph with a sentence linking Achilles' anger to the poem's initial promise of 'countless losses'. Paragraphs will be collected at the end of the lesson.

   Exit ticket

   In one sentence, explain why Homer begins the poem with the word 'rage' rather than with the word 'war' — what does that choice tell a reader about what the Iliad values?

2. Lesson 2: Heroic Identity and Its Cost: Hector, Andromache, and the Scaean Gates

   55 min · ch. 6

   Do now

   Hector's attempt to connect with his son, Astyanax, is met with fear as the child shrinks away from his father's decorated helmet. This moment highlights the painful truth that Hector's role as a hero not only places him in danger but also alienates him from the very family he seeks to protect.

   Teacher input

   Model how to read Hector's farewell speech to Andromache (Book VI, lines 441–465) as a moment of dramatic irony: Hector acknowledges that Troy will fall and that Andromache will be enslaved, yet he still decides to fight 'for my own glory.' Guide students in exploring dramatic irony by identifying what the character knows, what the audience understands that Hector does not, and how the difference between these perspectives evokes emotion. Use the phrase 'I know this in my bones' (line 447) as the key quotation.

   Independent task

   Students are tasked with writing two analytical paragraphs, totaling at least 200 words, that compare Hector and Andromache’s understanding of duty in Book VI, lines 390–502. The first paragraph should center on Andromache's speech (lines 407–432), incorporating at least one quotation to illustrate how she views Hector's duty as primarily domestic rather than military. The second paragraph must focus on Hector's response (lines 441–465), including at least one quotation to demonstrate his perspective that duty is closely tied to public honour. Finally, students should conclude with a linking sentence that clarifies which vision is ultimately supported by the poem's structure. The completed paragraphs will be submitted for review.

   Exit ticket

   Write one sentence explaining what the image of Astyanax flinching from Hector's helmet (Book VI, lines 466–470) suggests about the relationship between heroic glory and fatherhood in the Iliad.

3. Lesson 3: The Pivot of the Poem: Patroclus Dies, Achilles Breaks

   55 min · ch. 16, 17, 18

   Do now

   Read Book XVI, lines 818–829, where Apollo strikes Patroclus from behind, knocking off his helmet and loosening his armor before Euphorbus deals a wound and Hector delivers the fatal blow. List the three agents involved in Patroclus's death in the order they act, then write one sentence explaining why Homer might have chosen to arrange the killing this way instead of allowing Hector to kill Patroclus alone.

   Teacher input

   Model a reading of Book XVIII, lines 22–34, focusing on Achilles' response to the news of Patroclus's death. He 'poured dust over his head and face, / grinding his fists into the earth.' Next, analyze the epic simile found in lines 56–60, where Thetis and her Nereids rise from the sea 'like a flock of sea-birds.' Identify the vehicle, which is the flock of sea-birds; the tenor, which is Thetis and her Nereids; and the emotional effect of this imagery. Finally, explore how this simile transforms personal sorrow into a larger, cosmic event.

   Independent task

   Students are tasked with writing an analytical paragraph of at least 150 words that explores how Homer employs the simile of Thetis and the Nereids in Book XVIII, lines 35–69 to illustrate Achilles' grief as both personal and mythic. They need to quote the simile directly, identify its vehicle and tenor, and discuss how this comparison enhances our understanding of Achilles' emotional state in a way that a straightforward description would not. Additionally, they should include one sentence linking this moment of grief to the overarching theme of mortality present in the poem. All paragraphs will be collected.

   Exit ticket

   In one or two sentences, explain how the structure of Patroclus's death — Apollo, then Euphorbus, then Hector — changes the moral weight of Hector's act of killing, and why that matters for how we read the rest of the poem.

4. Lesson 4: The Death of Hector: Simile, Space, and the Limits of Glory

   55 min · ch. 22

   Do now

   Read Book XXII, lines 136–144, in which Hector and Achilles chase each other three times around the walls of Troy while the gods watch. The repeated circling highlights the tension and futility of their confrontation, emphasizing the weight of their conflict. Homer might slow the narrative here to build suspense and heighten the emotional stakes before the inevitable clash.

   Teacher input

   Model how to analyze the lion simile in Book XXII, lines 308–311 ('as an eagle swoops… so Achilles swooped') along with the spatial details of the Scaean Gates (lines 5–6 and 194–198). This approach will illustrate how Homer employs both figurative language and geography to depict Achilles' victory as both glorious and morally troubling. Show how to write about two techniques within a single paragraph while maintaining a clear argument: technique → quotation → effect → connection to theme.

   Independent task

   Students are required to write two analytical paragraphs, totaling at least 200 words, discussing how Homer employs simile and spatial imagery in Book XXII, particularly in lines 136–166 and lines 306–330, to depict Hector's killing as a moment that both fulfills and challenges the heroic code. The first paragraph should concentrate on a specific simile from lines 136–166, analyzing what it signifies about the power dynamic between Achilles and Hector. The second paragraph should examine the significance of Hector's death occurring at the Scaean Gates (lines 306–330), highlighting the implications of him dying within sight of his city and family, rather than in an open battlefield. Lastly, students must conclude with a sentence stating their position: does Homer portray Achilles' victory as triumphant, tragic, or a blend of both? The paragraphs will be collected for review.

   Exit ticket

   Write one sentence explaining why Hector's final words to Achilles — 'I beg you, beg you by your life, your parents — don't let the dogs devour me' (Book XXII, lines 338–339) — are significant for the poem's treatment of the theme of mortality.

5. Lesson 5: Priam, Achilles, and the Limits of Rage: Writing the Whole-Text Essay

   60 min · ch. 1, 16, 18, 22, 24

   Do now

   Read Book XXIV, lines 507–516, where Priam kneels before Achilles and says: 'I have endured what no one on earth has ever done before — I put my lips to the hands of the man who killed my son.' Write two sentences: what does this act cost Priam, and what does Achilles' decision to weep with him (lines 507–512) indicate about the change in his rage since Book I?

   Teacher input

   Model how to construct an essay introduction that identifies a debatable position, indicates the books it will reference, and incorporates a specific quotation from Book XXIV, lines 599–620 (Achilles' speech about the two urns of Zeus) to support the argument. Illustrate to students how the two-urns image — 'two jars of gifts… one of evils, one of blessings' — serves as Homer's summary of the poem's perspective on mortal life, and show how to utilize it as a framing device rather than simply inserting a quote.

   Independent task

   Write a comprehensive analytical essay of 500–700 words in response to the question: 'Homer uses anger, grief, and mortality not to glorify war but to expose its human cost.' To what extent do you agree? Ensure your essay references at least three books from the Iliad. Your essay should include a clear introduction that outlines your stance; at least three body paragraphs, each focused on a specific moment in the text (you must analyze at least one moment from Books I, XVI or XVIII, and XXII or XXIV); a minimum of four embedded quotations, each followed by an analysis of language or technique; and a conclusion that revisits the question and refines your initial position based on the evidence presented. You may build upon the paragraphs you wrote in previous lessons, but each must be revised to support the central argument of the essay. Essays are due at the end of the lesson.

   Exit ticket

   Write two sentences explaining how the image of the two urns of Zeus in Book XXIV, lines 527–533 could be used to support the argument that Homer presents mortal life as defined by unavoidable suffering — and then write one sentence explaining the strongest counter-argument a reader might make against that interpretation.

Activities

Assessment

• Lesson 1 paragraph: marker checks whether students can name a specific technique (semantic field, diction, direct address) in Achilles' speech at Book I, lines 148–171 and connect it to the theme of honour rather than describing content.
• Lesson 2 double paragraph: marker checks whether students can distinguish between Andromache's and Hector's positions using evidence from their respective speeches, and whether the linking sentence takes a genuine interpretive position rather than summarising both views.
• Lesson 3 paragraph: marker checks whether students can correctly identify vehicle and tenor of the Nereid simile in Book XVIII and explain what the comparison adds emotionally and thematically, not merely what it describes.
• Lesson 4 double paragraph: marker checks whether students can write about two techniques — simile and spatial imagery — in a single sustained argument without losing the thread, and whether their final sentence commits to a position.
• Exit tickets across all five lessons: marker checks whether students are moving from description ('Achilles is angry') to interpretation ('Homer uses the word menis to signal that Achilles' anger is divine in scale and therefore structural to the poem's meaning').

Standards covered

Common Core 11 12

• RL.11-12.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• RL.11-12.2 — Determine two or more themes of a text and analyse their development over the course of the text.
• RL.11-12.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyse the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.
• RL.11-12.5 — Analyse how an author's choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text contribute to its overall structure and meaning.
• W.11-12.1 — Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

AP Literature

• Literary Argumentation (LAN-1) — Make a defensible claim about an interpretation of literature that can be supported by textual evidence.
• Figurative Language (FIG-1) — Explain the function of figurative language in a literary text, including epic simile, imagery, and metaphor.
• Character (CHR-1) — Explain the function of a character, including how characters develop and how they contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole.
• Narration (NAR-1) — Explain the function of point of view, including the effect of divine perspective and the omniscient narrator, in shaping meaning.
• Structure (STR-1) — Explain the function of structure in a literary text, including how the poem's 24-book arc and the placement of the Patroclus episode shape the reader's understanding of the whole.

AQA

• AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology, and coherent, accurate written expression.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts, with specific attention to Homer's use of epic simile, epithets, and the invocation of the Muse.
• AO3 — Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received, including the oral-formulaic tradition and the Mycenaean heroic code.
• AO5 — Explore literary texts informed by different interpretations, including readings that present Achilles as a proto-tragic hero and those that read the Iliad as an anti-war poem.

Edexcel

• AO1 — Articulate informed responses to literary texts using relevant concepts and terminology and coherent written expression.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in texts, focusing on Homer's deployment of the aristeia, the epic simile, and the formal lament.
• AO3 — Demonstrate understanding of the significance of contexts in which texts are written and received, including the role of oral performance and the Panhellenic audience.
• AO4 — Explore connections across literary texts, for example connecting Homer's treatment of grief in Book XXIV with Sophoclean tragedy or Virgil's Aeneid.