Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ

In the novel, clothing is often used as a marker of ethnicity. How are food, drink, and dining habits used in a similar way, and how do they highlight the novel’s themes of The “East” and Orientalism or Antisemitism?

What does Simonides’s story about his wife indicate about the nature of love?

Despite his use of antisemitic tropes, does Wallace otherwise depict the Jews and their country in a positive or negative light?

Is it honorable for Ben-Hur to sabotage Messala’s chariot in the Circus, or is it underhanded? If it is underhanded, is he still justified in doing it?

What does Wallace mean by the phrase “a law without love,” and how does it relate to Jesus’s role in Christianity?

How do Iras’s stories about love and beauty relate to the novel’s themes?

In the novel, Jesus rides a donkey, Balthasar rides a white camel, and Ilderim has a chariot team. What is the significance of these animals? What does a character’s association with one of these animals represent?

Discuss the importance of redemption and forgiveness in relation to the novel.