74 pages 2 hours read

Rosemary Sutcliff

Black Ships Before Troy

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 1993

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Essay Topics

1.

The title of the Iliad comes from the Greek word for “Troy.” Why does Sutcliff’s title include both the Greeks (the black sails) and the city they will destroy?

2.

Compare the relationships of Oenone and Paris and Achilles and Patroclus. What role do betrayal and redemption play in them?

3.

Does a strong sense honor lead characters to honorable or dishonorable actions? Why?