Into the Maze of Doom

Essential Questions: What is a hero? What makes a difficult or dangerous undertaking worthwhile? How can ordinary people be heroic?

Post the following prompts for students to respond to in their writing journals or on a sheet of paper. Direct students to respond to at least two of the questions. 

What makes someone a hero? Is it their actions, their intentions, or the risks they take?

Can someone be a hero even if they make mistakes or hurt others along the way?

Who is your favorite hero—real or fictional—and why?

Have you or someone you know stood up for others, even when it was hard? What did it teach you about courage?

Invite volunteers to share their thoughts with the class.

Watch the “Into the World of Greek Mythology” video to explore elements of Greek mythology in modern culture.

Project the Google Slides version of Vocabulary: Definitions and Practice on your whiteboard. Review the definitions and complete the activity as a class. Highlighted words: brandishes, condemn, diplomacy, menacingly, shrouded, valiant, vile. Audio pronunciations of the words and a read-aloud of the definitions are embedded on the slides. Optionally, print the PDF version or share the slideshow link to your LMS and have students preview the words and complete the activity independently before class.

Invite a volunteer to read the As You Read box on page 27 or at the top of the digital story page.

Assign parts and read the play aloud as a class.

Divide students into groups to discuss the following Discussion Questions, which are also located in the Resources tab.

1. In Scene 1, how is Theseus different from the others in the dungeon? What does this difference suggest about leadership or heroism? (character, inference, theme) Unlike the others in the dungeon, who are fearful and hopeless, Theseus is calm, confident, and even hopeful. He stands “tall and proud” and says to the others, “Friends, I will see you again.” Theseus refuses to give up. This suggests that a leader or a hero is confident and optimistic, even in dark moments.

2. How does Ariadne feel about King Minos? How can you tell? (character, inference) Ariadne has complicated feelings about her father, King Minos. She clearly loves him and understands that he’s acting out of grief: She says “his heart is twisted with grief” and does not call him evil. But she also recognizes that what he’s doing is wrong—that it is unjust and cruel to send innocent young Athenians to their deaths in the labyrinth. That she feels this way is clear from her statement that “the answer to killing cannot be more killing” and from the fact that she helps Theseus escape, even though it means betraying her father. 

3. Theseus insists on trying to reason with Minos, even though others see this as hopeless. What does this tell us about Theseus’s values? (character, theme) Theseus’s insistence on trying to reason with Minos tells us that Theseus values peace and justice and sees violence as a last resort. But when reasoning with Minos fails, Theseus decides to fight—to attempt to kill the Minotaur. This is because above all else, Theseus values justice and wants to protect his people. 

4. Theseus and King Aegeus both make sacrifices to protect others. Why is Theseus seen as a hero, while Aegeus is not? (theme, critical thinking) Theseus risks his own life to try to save others, while Aegeus sacrifices the lives of some of his people in order to avoid a war that would kill many more. Specifically, Aegeus orders the sacrifice of young people to whom he is not personally connected; when Theseus declares he is going to Crete, Aegeus tries to stop him. Even though Aegeus sends the youths to Crete reluctantly and for the greater good of his people, his action does not seem particularly heroic because he is not the one in danger and does not want to risk losing a loved one. That Theseus voluntarily enters the labyrinth and faces the Minotaur—and is then successful in killing the Minotaur—is what makes people see him as a hero. 

5. At the end of the play, the Spirit says, “Heroic deeds come at a cost, young prince.” Earlier, King Aegeus says something similar. Why might the author choose to repeat this idea? (theme, author’s craft, text structure) By repeating this idea, the author emphasizes its importance and helps develop the theme that being a hero isn’t all about fame or winning—it often involves pain, loss, or sacrifice.         

Have students complete the Featured Skill Activity: Character. This activity will prepare them to respond to the writing prompt on page 31 in the printed magazine and at the bottom of the digital story page:

Imagine you’re the host of a podcast called Hero Talk. Create an episode during which you interview Ariadne about the rescue of the Athenians. Be sure to explore the role Ariadne played in the rescue and what her motivation was. Your podcast can be in the form of an audio recording or a written transcript.

Alternatively, have students choose a task from the Choice Board, a menu of culminating tasks. Our Choice Board options include the writing prompt from the magazine, differentiated versions of the writing prompt, and additional creative ways for students to demonstrate their understanding of a story or article.