3.2 The Fall of Troy

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Part 1

Warming Up!

Chit-Chat:

1.Do you know stories from any epics or poems?

Ans: Yes, I know stories from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. I also know the stories from Greek mythology.

2. Who is your favourite mythological character? What do you like about that character?

Ans: Lord Rama from the Ramayana is my favourite mythological character. I like Rama’s quality of keeping a word, ‘Jan Jaya Par Wachan Na Jaya’.

3. Who is your favourite warrior?

Ans: Arjuna from the Mahabharata is my favourite warrior.

4. If you could visit a place in the ancient world or the mythological world, which place would you choose? Which event would you like to see?

Ans: If I could visit a place in the ancient world or the mythological world. I would like to choose Kurukshetra. This is the place where great war Of Kauravas and Pandavas took place. I would like to see this event at Kurukshetra.

Building a story!

Form groups of eight. The group leader prepares slips of paper for each of the seven points given below and distributes them among the others. The group sits in a circle, taking their seats according to the number on the slip they have. Then each one completes the sentence on his/her slip without sharing it with the others. The group leader collects the slips and reads all the sentences aloud as one continuous passage. Does the story make sense?

The group then works on the story to make it more meaningful and interesting,

Ans: This is a practical activity. The students should arrange and complete this activity in their classes under the guidance of their teachers.

Margin Questions for Discussion:

Part I

1)How did the location of Troy help it to grow into a very rich/ prosperous city?

Ans: The location of Troy helped it to grow into a very rich/prosperous city. In front of the city was the sea over which sailed the ships of Troy, carrying goods and grain. At the back rose the high peak of Mount Ida, from which flowed many rivers and streams. The valleys among the hills were well-watered and fertile, with corn growing in fertile fields and cattle feeding on the rich grass of the meadows while sheep fed on the slopes of the hills.

2) How were the Trojans protected during war-time?

Ans: In the time of war, the gates would be closed and then the city was like a strong fortress, quite safe from all attack.

3) What was the cause of the ten-year-old war between the Greeks and Trojans?

Ans: The cause of the ten years old war between the Greeks and Trojans-Paris a prince of Troy had persuaded Helen, wife of a Greek king Menelaus, to elope with him. He had brought her to Troy. The Greeks wanted to take revenge on Troy for the wrong done to Menelaus.

4) Who were the brave heroes on either side who were killed in the war?

Ans:

1) Achilles (Greek),

2) Hector (Trojans),

3) Paris (Trojans)

English Workshop

l. Find antonyms of the following from the passage.

(a) barren x fertile

(b) offended x pleased

(c) cowardly x brave

(d) peace x war

(e) surrender x attack

(f) exposed x closed

(g) defenseless x safe

2. Correct the following sentences using facts from the passage.

(a) Troy traded in cattle and grass with other cities.

Ans: Troy traded in good and grains.

(b) During war, Trojans jumped over the fort gates and their soldiers to fight the enemy.

Ans: During war, Trojans would close the doors of the fort.

(c) Helen escaped with Menelaus.

Ans: Helen eloped with Paris, a prince of Troy.

(d) The Greek armies and heroes always defeated the Trojans.

Ans: Sometimes the Greeks defeated the Trojans and sometimes the Trojans defeated the Greeks.

(e) Both the enemies were eager to continue fighting.

Ans: Both the armies were tried of war. The Trojans of being shut in their city and the Greeks of living away from home.

(f) Troy was attacked because it was a strong, rich city.

Ans: Troy was attacked because the Greeks wanted to take revenge on Troy for the wrong done to their King Menelaus.

3. State the counter action for the following actions.

Action	Counter-action
(a) Helen eloped with Paris	1) The Greeks took revenge on Troy. They sailed and laid siege to the city of Troy.
(b) The Greeks sailed to Troy and attacked it	2) The Trojans fought hard and the siege continued for ten long years.
(c) Hector was killed by Achilles	3) Achilles himself was killed by a poisoned arrow that entered his heel.
(d) The siege continued for ten long years.	4) The Trojans were tired of being shut in their city and the Greeks deeply desired to see their homes again.
(e) The fighting went on daily	5) The siege did not end. The Greeks could not take the city on the other hand the Trojans could not force them to sail away back to Greece.

4. From either of our two Indian epics, find out which battle/war lasted the longest? Write down about its cause, the enemy armies, its heroes, its duration and the final outcome.

Ans:

Ramayana

Duration of war: 13 clays.

Cause: Ravana had taken away Seeta. Rama wanted to save Seeta. However, to escape people of Shrilanka from cruel Ravana.

Enemy armies: Army of Rama, and Army of Ravana.

Heroes: Rama, Lakshmana, Sugriv, Angad Ravana, Kumbhkama, Indrajit.

Final outcome: Ravana was killed by Rama. Bibhishana became the king of Shrilanka. Seeta was rescued.

Language Study:

5. Underline the subject in the following sentences:

(a) Paris had brought her to Troy.

(b) The Greeks wanted to take revenge on Troy.

(c) The Greek armies sailed to Troy.

(d) The Trojans, too, fought hard.

(e) The fighting went on.

6. Here, we see that the ‘-ing’ form of the verb ‘fight’ is used as a subject in ‘The fighting went on’. It does the work of a noun. When the ‘-ing’ form of a verb is used as a noun, it is known as a gerund or verbal noun.

Read the following examples of gerunds:

Gardening is an art.

Cooking is a science.

I enjoy reading poems.

I like reading more than writing.

Underlined words in the above examples are ‘gerunds’

Rewrite the above sentences using other appropriate gerunds in place of the ones given here.

Singing is an art.

Speaking is a science.

I enjoy singing songs.

I like singing more than dancing.

Part-Il

Margin Questions for Discussion:

1) How did Odysseus plan to defeat the Trojans?

Ans: Odysseus planned to defeat the Trojans. Odysseus suggested his men that they should build a wooden horse, big enough to hold men inside it, and of their best fighters hide in the horse. Then the) should burn their tents and pretend to sail away 11 their ships. But instead of sailing away, they would (return in the night. When the Trojans were asleep, they would attack the city and burn and kill.

2) What was the reason for Troy to rejoice celebrate?

Ans: Trojans rejoiced and celebrated because the woke up, expecting to go out and fight a8 They were delighted and surprised when they on the seashore outside the walls. It seemed that the long siege was over at last. The tents had been burnt. The shore was deserted. The Greek ships had gone. They were glad to free again to go where they pleased. So, they rejoiced and celebrated.

3) Was it enough to use the wooden horse to hide? what was done to make the Trojans take it inside the city?

Ans: No, it was not enough to use the wooden horse to hide. The Greeks wanted to enter into the city Unless the walls around the city would be broken down, they would not get chance. So, they made the horse very large and lured the Trojans to take inside the city by breaking the walls.

4) Was the big wooden horse really an offering to the God of the sea?

Ans: No, the big wooden horse really was not an offering to the God of the sea. It was just a plan to defeat the Trojans.

5) How did the cunning Greek explain the presence of such a large wooden horse?

Ans: The cunning Greek explained the presence of such a large wooden horse to the Trojans that Greeks were tired of the long war and had sailed away in their ships. As they were afraid of the long voyage home, they made the horse very large and lured the Trojans to take it inside the city.

6) What reckless/thoughtless step did the Trojans take?

Ans: The Trojans took the reckless/thoughtless step of breaking down a part of their strong wall and drag the horse in the city.

7) How did the Greek ships remain hidden from Troy?

Ans: The Greek ships remained hidden from Troy as soon as they were hidden by an island, they had lowered their sails and dropped anchor and waited for the night.

8) What did the Greek soldiers hidden in the wooden horse do after nightfall?

Ang: After nightfall, the Greek soldiers had hidden in the wooden horse waited for the signal from the Greek waiting for the fleet, they opened side of the horse’ they climbed out and opened the gates.

9) What distressing sounds and sights could be witnessed of Troy, that fateful night?

Ans: That fateful night, Troy was filled with the sight of leaping flames and the sound of shouting and the noise of weapons and the cries of weeping women.

10) What was the destiny of the royal family of Troy and that of Helen?

Ans: The destiny of the royal family of Troy and that of Helen old king Priam was killed with all his brave sons. Hector’s wife and his old mother and sister were carried off as slaves by the Greeks. Helen went back with Menelaus to Greece.

English Workshop:

1. Find and write the Greek and Trojan names used in the story (Part I and Il).

Ans:

Greek: Menelaus, Helen, Achilles, Odysseus, Agamemnon, Aphrodite.

Trojan: Paris, Hector, Ilium (Troy), Priam.

2. List all the words related to ‘waff from both parts of the story.

Ans: strong fortress, soldiers, siege, tents, fighting, battles, armies, heroes, poisoned arrow, fighters, horse, victory, fleet, leaping flames, attack.

3. Note the following constructions carefully and then use them to express your ideas:

(a) A horse big enough to hold men inside it.

Ans: The assembly hall big enough to arrange grand function inside it.

(b) The Greeks were tired of the long war.

Ans: The Indians were tired of terrorist activities of Pakistan.

(c) They are afraid of the long voyage home, too.

Ans: People living on the bank of river are afraid of the flood situations during rainy season

(d) They made it too big to go inside your city.

Ans: They made the main gate too big to enter the vehicles inside.

(e) They were so excited that they paid no attention to his words.

Ans: We were so excited that we could not think of future results of our actions.

4. Put the following events in the order in which they took place. Number them accordingly.

(a) The Trojans found a Greek man under the big wooden horse. (6)

(b) They broke down part of the horse and brought the horse in. (8)

(c) The cunning Odysseus thought of a plan. (1)

(d) The Greeks burnt their tents and sailed away. (4)

(e) Troy was burnt down. (12)

(f) The Greeks built a big wooden horse. (2)

(g) The great heroes hid inside the horse. (3)

(h) The priest warned the Trojans not to break the wall. (7)

(i) The Trojans were happy to see the Greek ships go. (5)

(j) The Trojans slept soundly. (9)

(k) The Greeks came out of the horse and opened the gates. (10)

(l) The Greek army entered the city. (11)

5. Form pairs. Imagine you are a pair of Trojans and you have come to know about Odysseus’s plan. Make a counter plan to defeat the Greeks. Write down your plan as you would explain it to your fellow Trojans.

Ans: Hello friends, I would like to tell you delicate thing for safety of Troy. As we experienced war for ten years, the Greeks could not easily surrender us. They can’t go back easily. We have been experiencing devotion, determination and endurance of Greek people. I suspect some strong motives of Greeks. It is our duty to remain alert and safe during night. However, we must push this wooden horse far away from the entrance. Let us lock it. We should keep strict vigil during day and night. Let us inform this action to our higher authority. We should take some precautions to save our city. Remember that Greeks must not conquer Troy at any cost.

Language Study

1. Write three phrases on your own.

Ans:

_guilty Helen

_in the old people’s home

_on the seashore

2. Write three sentences using your own ideas.

Ans:

_The Greeks made a secret plan to enter Troy.

_I like to read classics.

_Helen was the Queen of Greece.

3. Identify one example of a main clause and one example of a dependent clause from page 74.

	Main Clause	Dependent Clause
	• It was only Aphrodite	• Who had turned her heart away from her home and her husband and her child.
	• She hung her head in shame and sorrow	• as she faced her former husband
	• Nothing was left of the proud, rich city that has resisted attack for ten ears	• when morning came.