Is Antigone relevant to today's readers? After reading Sophocles' tragedy, scholars must decide if the themes are universal and timeless. Class members engage in a series of activities designed to have them closely consider the...

Is it possible to have too much concern for others? Can we be trapped by our expectations as well as those of society? Edith Wharton's chilling tale of Ethan Frome asks these and other disquieting questions. Signet's guide to Ethan Frome...

Students explore the concept of the 'tragic hero' and how such characters are relevant in theatre, literature, and history.

Tenth graders read and study, in-depth, a specific classical tragedy, in this case, Oedipus. They explore strategies from making meaning out of or interpreting texts, as well as strategies for determining how authors create meaning in...

A tragic play includes imperfect heroes, pity and fear, and a fatal flaw. Scholars analyze Shakespeare's Macbeth as an example of the tragedy genre. Pupils demonstrate understanding by completing a Quick Write discussing how Shakespeare...

What do Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and The Odyssey have in common? Why, they are all epics, of course, and are presented here as examples of the literary term. If you are beginning a study of epics, consider previewing the terms included...

To allude, or not to allude, that is the question: whether ‘tis better to make a reference and engage your audience or risk confusing them or sounding dated. After reading an article about, and loaded with allusions, class members take a...

In this The Day Martin Luther King Jr. Died worksheet, students read the book The Day Martin Luther King Jr. Died and answer short answer questions about it. Students complete 15 questions total.

In this literature instructional activity, students respond to 8 short answer and essay questions about The Oedipus Trilogy. Students may also link to an online interactive quiz on the selection at the bottom of the page.

High schoolers investigate the evolution of the King Arthur stories and analyze them as a window into the culture that preserved them. They trace the legends through their earliest versions through medieval and Victorian times and into...

A passage from Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome provides the text for an assessment that asks readers to use evidence from the excerpt to decide if Ethan is a victim of his social and physical environment, or of his own personal choices and...

Twelfth graders gain a better understanding of Shakespeare through lecture and the Internet.

Students explore the basis of Iago's persuasive power by analyzing Shakespeare's use of rhetoric and figurative language. In this Othello instructional activity, students analyze Iago's rhetoric in monologues and dialogues with other...

In this literature worksheet, students respond to 25 short answer and essay questions about Shakespeare's Richard III. Students may also link to an online interactive quiz on the selection at the bottom of the page.

In this literature worksheet, students respond to 20 short answer and essay questions about noteworthy myths. Students may also link to an online interactive quiz on the novel at the bottom of the page.

In this Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry worksheet, students read a 3 page article and then answer 10 statements as true or false.

In this reading comprehension worksheet, students respond to 5 short answer and essay questions based on the poem "The Highwayman."

Students explore the genre of romantic comedy through their reading of Much Ado About Nothing. In this literary genres lesson, students study the genre of romantic comedy through their reading of Much Ado About Nothing. Students consider...

A learning module that begins with "Joan of Arc: France's Young Tragic Hero" by David White, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online...

What can some of literature's most famous heroes teach us? From the epic hero to the tragic hero, each has something distinctive to share. April Gudenrath describes the many faces of the fictional hero--and shows how they can inspire...

This is a glossary entry for the term "Tragedy" including Aristotelian definition of tragedy and the definition of a tragic hero.

This site features an article entitled "Tragic and Comic Visions in The Brothers Karamazov" written by contemporary author Joyce Carol Oates. The article originally appeared in The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Winter 1968-1969.

A descriptive site about the term Byronic Hero as used by Lord Byron in "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage". With background information about the origin of this idealized yet flawed hero.