SAMPLE ANSWERS: TEST 1 (THE ILIAD)
These are sample answers from the first test.  I have made minor editing changes to correct spelling and usage, and to clarify some points.  The shorter answers from Part 3 are intended to give you an idea of the length, scope and specificity of the best answers.  In some cases, I have added phrases (in italics) to show ways in which the original answer could have been strengthened. The essays from Part 4 are intended to give you a look at some of the best work in the class.  I have added some comments of my own in bold italics.  Obviously, there are a variety of ways to answer each of these questions successfully, and these samples are only meant to be representative of the kinds of answers that earned the highest scores.
A NOTE FOR THE CURRENT CLASS (fall 2006): These are samples of answers from a previous semester. They offer examples of strong student work and my standards of assessment .

Part 3:

Briefly describe three events or circumstances that might lead Achilleus to think he could be like the gods.
ANSWER:  "Achilleus was fed by the gods, after he would not eat despite Odysseus' pleas.  Thetis, his mother, had the god, Hephaistos, make a suit of armor for him.  His immortal horses were a special gift from the gods."
ANSWER: "Achilleus was born from an immortal mother, the goddess Thetis.  Achilleus has immortal horses which came from his father.  Achilleus was fed by the gods when he was too upset to eat.  He had a special relationship with the gods."

Give two specific examples of how Achilleus threatens Agamemnon's authority in the initial quarrel scene.
ANSWER:  "Achilleus claims that Agamemnon takes the spoils of war and decides how to distribute them, even though he and the other warriors do the most fighting.  Achilleus asks Kalchas to reveal who is behind Apollo's plague, and he says that, even if it is Agamemnon, he will protect Kalchas."
ANSWER: "Achilleus called an assembly to deal with the plague and, before Kalchas talked, he was already suspecting Agamemnon.  He was verbally aggressive towards Agamemnon.  For example, even when Agamemnon agreed to give the girl back, he continued to "attack" him by telling him that he was unfair to ask for compensation, and that he was always unjustly looking for more prizes."

Describe specifically how Achilleus treated three of Andromache's family members.
ANSWER:  "He killed Andromache's father, but allowed him to receive a proper, heroic burial.  He took her mother prisoner, but accepted a ransom for her.  He killed all of her brothers."

Briefly give three specific examples of Nestor's advice in the Iliad.
ANSWER: "Nestor advised Achilleus and Agamemnon to stop quarrelling.  He told Patroklos to go and try and persuade Achilleus to come back and fight, but, if he could not do that, to wear Achilleus' armor and go and fight in it.  He also advised Agamemnon to give Achilleus compensation to try and get him to come back and fight."

Briefly describe two of the prophesies of Achilleus' death.  In each case, tell me who made the prophecy and in what context.
ANSWER: "Achilleus dreamt of Patroklos.  In his dream, the dead Patroklos begged him for a funeral and prophesied Achilleus' death.  Earlier, when Achilleus had decided to return to battle, his horses, which were "horses of the gods" prophesied his death."

What were three specific items in Agamemnon's offer of compensation to Achilleus?
ANSWER: "Three items in Agamemnon's offer were Briseis (whom he swore he never slept with), twelve of his fastest horses (which had won many prizes for him) and the hand of his daughter in marriage after the war (which would have made Agamemnon Achilleus' father-in-law).

Briefly describe three instances when Achilleus received help from the gods - not including his mother, Thetis.  Be sure to name each god or goddess who helps.
ANSWER: "When Agamemnon dishonored him by taking Briseis, he asked for help from his mother who talked to Zeus.  Zeus helped Achilleus by turning the battle against the Greeks so the Greeks would miss his help.  During Achilleus' battle with the river, Poseidon helped rescue him.  Hephaistos made new armor for Achilleus, so he could return to battle."

Briefly describe two conflicts that arose in the course of the funeral games for Patroklos.
ANSWER: "One conflict was in the chariot race.  Achilleus decided to give the second prize to Eumelos who had his chariot broken by the goddess.  Antilochos protested and Achilleus gave a new prize to Eumelos.  Then, Menelaos protested because Antilochos cheated.  Antilochos conceded and gave the second prize to Menelaos who gave it back to him.  A prize was given to Nestor too.
     The other conflict was a conflict among the spectators.  One of them didn't like what the other had said, and Achilleus resolved the situation, showing himself to be a mediator now."

Part 4:
Assess the responsibility of at least three different characters for Patroklos' death.
ANSWER: "Many bear the blame for Patroklos' death.  First of all, Achilleus will neither go to war, nor allow his men either.  As a result, Nestor suggests that Patroklos take Achilleus armor and fight in his place.  Patroklos agrees to this, as does Achilleus.  Achilleus, however, tempers his agreement with a warning for Patroklos not to fight Hektor nor go too far into the fighting. (It is good to begin with an overview of the main points of the essay - that helps the reader - me! - see the key points of your answer more clearly)
     Nestor only makes the suggestion because he knows the desperate position the Greeks are in.  The danger to Patroklos is overshadowed by the deaths of all of the Greek warriors, and that's why he made such a proposal.  
     Achilleus' warning seems sincere.  He is concerned for both his friend's life and his own glory.  If, perhaps, his warning had been less confused, Patroklos might have heeded it. (This is an interesting - and original - observation, that goes beyond the commentaries I provided)  Achilleus truly does not want his friend to die, but he wants the Greeks to be rescued.  Again, Patroklos' life is overshadowed by the lives of many. (In describing the roles of Nestor and Achilleus, the writer goes beyond just saying what they did.  The writer adds observations about how and why they made their proposals or gave their advice )
     Finally, Patroklos might have saved himself by refusing the "suicide mission".  He also might have heeded Achilleus and not engaged Hektor in battle.  One could say that excessive pride led him to his death, or perhaps it was his own desire for glory, the same thing that would lead both Hektor and Achilleus to their deaths.  Although one may blame Achilleus, Hektor, Nestor or even Apollo for Patroklos' death, it was ultimately his own decision to battle further than ordered that doomed him (Since the question asks that you ASSESS the responsibility of at least three characters, it is very good that the writer takes a stand here, and clearly places the greater share of responsibility on Patroklos ) - just as Hektor's decision to stay and fight, instead of retreating, killed him, and Achilleus' decision to fight and kill Hektor would fulfill his destiny (By concluding with these brief references to other events - the death of Hektor and Achilleus' decision to fight, the writer shows an understanding of the larger relevance of the essay question.  The question isn't just seeking "information" about Patroklos, it is asking you to think about the larger issue of "responsibility" in the Iliad. ).

ANSWER: "When Patroklos goes into war, there are three things working against him - Achilleus, Nestor and his own self.  By "working against him", I mean that these are leading towards his tragic fate.
     Stubborn yet loyal, Achilleus sits out of battle waiting for some sign that shows he will win his own battle inside himself.  When he hears of some Achaian leaders' deaths, he asks Patroklos to go see who died and what was going on.  This is simply the first step in the chain of events leading to Patroklos' death. (This is a strong essay that addresses the questions with specific references to the relevant episodes, but one weakness is that it sometimes slips into a summary of the plot and a retelling of the story)
     When Patroklos goes, he seeks the dire situation and therefore goes to wise Nestor to seek advice.  Nestor tells him that he must get Achilleus to fight again for the Greeks' sake, and, if he wouldn't fight, that Patroklos himself should fight in his armor, so the Trojans would fear he was really the famous war hero.
     Patroklos goes back to Achilleus, and Achilleus allows him to take his armor and fight.  He tells him not to win too much glory, but to leave some for him!  To this point, Nestor and Achilleus have some responsibility for the fate of Patroklos.  Finally, Apollo comes to Patroklos and tells him it is not his fate to sack Troy.  ( This specific warning from Apollo is an important detail that was not mentioned in too many of the answers)  This is where Patroklos takes the responsibility for his life, for he goes against the god, Apollo, and keeps fighting.  He comes to Hektor, still wearing Achilleus' armor, and he is slain on the battlefield.
     Who's fault was it that Patroklos had to die?  There is no way to pinpoint who gets all the blame, but Achilleus, Nestor and Patroklos himself all played a role in his death.  (This ending is weaker than the ending of the first essay, because the writer doesn't take a clear stand.)

Does book 24 provide a satisfactory resolution of the conflicts in the Iliad, and a satisfactory ending to the poem?  Why or why not?
ANSWER: "Book 24 provides some satisfactory resolutions to the conflicts in the Iliad, but some are not completely resolved.  The satisfactory resolutions are mainly those concerning Achilleus and the fulfillment of prophecies.  Achilleus finally comes to grips with his fate.  Throughout the poem, he struggles over the implications of being a mortal, and he deals with that in many ways.  But at the end of the poem, he displays actions that might cause one to think that he has finally realized that he must accept what the gods have handed him.  This is especially clear when Priam comes to him to ask for the return of Hektor's body.  Achilleus tells him two stories; one about Niobe, and one about the urns of Zeus.  Both of these stories give the message that one must accept one's destiny, and there's nothing a person can do about it except to accept it.  Another satisfactory conclusion is that Hektor's body is returned and, along with it, some of Achilleus' vengeful anger eases.  He will not drag Hektor's body around Patroklos' body any longer.  Patroklos' burial is another satisfactory conclusion because it points to Achilleus' death and the funeral and honor that Achilleus will get. (The writer cites four specific items that represent a resolution of conflicts: the stories of Niobe and of the urns of Zeus, the return of Hektor's body and - in book 23 - the funeral games of Patroklos).
     The ending, however, is unsatisfactory because the poem ends, not with the death of Achilleus, but with the funeral and mourning for Hektor.  It seems that since the whole poem focused on Achilleus struggle with his mortality and his death, that the poem should end with his death.  But then again, Achilleus was the hero of the poem, and it wouldn't have been fair to have him die in the end.  So the conflict was not resolved, but perhaps it was better that way.

ANSWER: "I think that book 24 does provide a satisfactory resolution of the conflicts in the Iliad, and also a satisfactory end of the poem.  First of all, this is because Achilleus gives Hektor's corpse back to Priam.  After he had dishonored him as much as he could, this act shows that Achilleus has a little bit of mercy.  Although the gods had to intervene to make Achilleus accept the ransom for Hektor's body, I think he realized that he wasn't winning any profit by treating Hektor's corpse that way.  Besides, he came to realize that dishonoring Hektor wouldn't bring back his friend Patroklos from death, neither would it avert his own fate.
     It can be appreciated that Achilleus had learned many lessons, and that he is accepting his imminent destiny.  He is moved by the argument that Priam gave him by saying that his father would be happy when he heard he was alive.  Priam does this only with the inention of awakening the pity of Achilleus, so that he will take the ransom for Hektor's body.  But Achilleus feels more than pity, because he comes to realize the pain his father will go through when he dies in Troy.  He sees in Priam his own father Peleus crying and asking for his son's corpse.  By realizing all of these things, Achilleus not only accepts the ransom but also tries to console Priam for his loss.  He tells him the stories of the urns of Zeus.  He says that sometimes Zeus mixes blessings and sorrows in the life of mortals, but some other times he just provides mortals with sorrows.  So, by saying this he's finally accepting the sorrows in his life, especially Patroklos' death.  He says to Priam that they have to accept the suffering because that's what mortals are destined to deal with.  So, we can see that Achilleus has learned to deal with Patroklos' death, and in oe way or another, with his own death.
     Achilleus also tells Priam the story of Niobe, in which he explains how the twelve children that Niobe had were killed by the gods, Apollo and Artemis for trying to be "godlike".  By this, he explains that mortals have to accept the fact that they are doomed to die, and that they are not, and never will be, like the gods.  This shows that Achilleus has also accepted that, although he's the most powerful Greek warrior, and the son of a goddess, he is mortal and he never will be like the gods.  So, he accepts that and puts aside his wish to try to be "godlike", something he had been wanting all through the poem.
     Finally, by telling Priam that Agamemnon should not see them together because he might get upset, Achilleus shows he has learned that quarrels bring everything but good things, and he's aware that his last quarrel with Agamemnon brought much death and suffering to the Greeks, unleashing a chain of events that would lead to his own death.
     The story ends with the mourning over Hektor who is back in Troy (fairly enough), and the hero and central figure of the Iliad (Achilleus) has learned many lessons that have helped him to accept his fate."
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