Chapter 2.4 – The Fall of Troy Std 9 English • Part 1 & Part 2
Warming Up – Building a Story
Once there was a Prince named Joy, who lived in a big palace in the city of Shaykh. He ate delicious food all day and enjoyed his life. One day he went to his city’s market area. There he saw the sufferings of his people due to heavy taxation levied by his own father, the king. He was shocked to see the plight of his own people and thus wanted to help them. That is why he thought of speaking to his father and lowering the taxes on the goods in his kingdom. As a result, the king also realized what wrong he had done, and his kingdom became a happy one once again.
Interviews – “Why…?” Questions (Character: Lord Rama, Epic: Ramayana)
- Why were you banished from your kingdom?
- Why did your brother Laxman accompany you to the forest?
- Why did you leave Sita and Laxman in the hut?
- Why did Ravana kidnap Sita?
Interviews – “How…?” Questions
- How many stepmothers did you have?
- How many years did you live in the forest?
- How many brothers did you have?
- How did you defeat Ravana in the end?
PART 1
In Between the Lesson
Q1. How were epics transmitted from generation to generation?
Ans: Epics were transmitted from generation to generation as, over a period of many years, they were handed down from singer to singer till perhaps one great poet gave them their final form.
Q2. Have you seen any of these stories in TV serials or movies?
Ans: Yes, I have watched the Ramayana and Mahabharata serials and also watched the movie Troy.
Q3. Who are considered to be the authors of epics ‘Ramayana’ and ‘Mahabharata’ respectively?
Ans: Ramayana is written by Valmiki, and Mahabharata is written by Ved Vyas.
Q4. Why is Homer honoured with the title ‘Father of European Poetry’?
Ans: Homer, a blind poet who lived about 900 BC, wandered from one Greek city or village to another, singing his poems. It is believed that The Iliad and The Odyssey were composed and recited by Homer, and so he is honoured through the ages, not only in Greece but in all of Europe, as the Father of European Poetry.
Q5. How did the location of Troy help it grow into a very rich, prosperous city?
Ans: Troy was well situated, both for commerce and agriculture. 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.
Q6. How were the Trojans protected during wartime?
Ans: The Trojans during wartime were protected by the strong walls and gates on one side, and by the hills on the other.
Q7. What was the cause of the ten-year-old war between the Greeks and Trojans?
Ans: Greece had declared war against the Trojans because Paris, a prince of Troy, had persuaded Helen, wife of the Greek king Menelaus, to elope with him.
Q8. Find the story of why Helen was persuaded by the goddess Aphrodite to elope with Paris.
Ans: The Greek goddess Aphrodite is the goddess of love and passion. Helen was a beautiful married woman, yet because of her immense beauty, Paris fell in love with her and persuaded her to elope with him. In those days, the Greek gods and goddesses played a very influential role in people’s actions.
English Workshop – Part 1
1. Name the following
(a) He composed the Iliad and Odyssey
Ans: Homer
(b) He persuaded Helen to elope with him
Ans: Paris, a prince of Troy
(c) She was wife of the King Menelaus
Ans: Helen
(d) He led the defence of Troy for nine years
Ans: Hector
(e) He was killed by a poisoned arrow that entered his heel
Ans: Achilles
2. Antonyms from the passage
| Word | Antonym |
|---|---|
| Barren | Fertile |
| Offended | Defended |
| Cowardly | Bravely |
| Peace | War |
| Surrender | Fight |
| Exposed | Covered or protected |
| Defenceless | Well protected |
3. Synonyms of the following words used in the story
| Word | Synonym |
|---|---|
| Great (hero) | Brave |
| Beautiful (woman) | Pretty |
| Fight (verb) | Defend |
| Rich (city) | Prosperous |
| Safe | Well protected |
| Strong (city) | Well guarded |
| Brave | Strong |
4. Correct the sentences using facts from the passage
(a) Troy traded in cattle and grass, with other cities.
Ans: Troy traded in goods and grain with other cities.
(b) During war, Trojans jumped over the fort gates to fight the enemy.
Ans: During war, the Trojans closed the gates and the city was safe from all attack, like a strong fortress.
(c) Helen eloped with Menelaus.
Ans: Helen eloped with Paris, a prince of Troy.
(d) Troy was attacked because it was a strong, rich city.
Ans: Troy was attacked to take revenge for the wrong done to Menelaus.
(e) The Greek armies and heroes always defeated the Trojans.
Ans: The Greek armies and heroes could never defeat the Trojans.
(f) Both the enemies were eager to continue fighting.
Ans: Both the armies were eager to end their fighting.
(g) The great heroes avoided one another.
Ans: The great heroes tried to kill one another.
(h) Achilles was killed by an arrow that pierced his heart.
Ans: Achilles was killed by a poisoned arrow that entered his heel.
5. State the counter-action
(a) Helen eloped with Paris.
Counter-action: All the kings and heroes of Greece declared war against the Trojans.
(b) The Greeks sailed to Troy and attacked it.
Counter-action: The Trojans, too, fought hard, and the siege continued for ten long years.
(c) Hector was killed by Achilles.
Counter-action: Achilles was killed later by a poisoned arrow that entered his heel.
(d) The siege continued for ten long years.
Counter-action: Though both the Trojans and Greeks were fed up, the fighting went on.
6. The Longest Battle from Indian Epics – Ramayana vs Mahabharata
| Ramayana | Mahabharata | |
|---|---|---|
| Cause | In Ramayana there was a war between Rama and Ravana, as the latter had kidnapped Sita to take revenge for his sister’s (Ravana’s) insult. | Mahabharata was the battle fought between the Pandavas and the Kauravas for their kingdom, Hastinapura. |
| Enemy Armies | Ravana’s army | Duryodhan’s army |
| Heroes | Rama was the hero of Ramayana | The Pandavas were heroes of Mahabharata |
| Duration | 13 days | 18 days |
| Final Outcome | Rama finally defeated Ravana with the help of his brother and Hanuman. | Duryodhan was finally defeated by the Pandavas. |
7. Complete the sentences & identify clauses
(a) Epics are long poems that relate the deeds of a great national hero or a great national war.
Main Clause: Epics are long poems | Subordinate Clause: that relate the deeds of the great national war | Conjunction: that
(b) They may be composed and sung or recited for many years before they are actually written down.
Main Clause: They may be composed and sung or recited for many years | Subordinate Clause: before they were written | Conjunction: before
(c) Nobody knows for certain who the author of these epics is.
Main Clause: Nobody knows for certain | Subordinate Clause: who the author of these early epics is | Conjunction: who
(d) It is believed that The Iliad and The Odyssey were composed and recited by a blind poet named Homer, who lived about 900 BCE and who wandered from one Greek city or village to another, singing his poems to all who would receive him in their homes and give him hospitality.
Main Clause: It is believed | Subordinate Clauses: that The Iliad and the Odyssey were composed and recited by a blind poet named Homer (conj: that); who lived about 900 BCE (conj: who); who wandered from one Greek city or village to another, singing his poems to all (conj: who); who would receive him in their homes and give him hospitality (conj: who)
(e) At the back rose the high peak of Mount Ida, from which flowed many rivers and streams.
Main Clause: At the back rose the high peak of Mount Ida | Subordinate Clause: from which flowed many rivers and streams | Conjunction: from which
PART 2
In Between the Lesson
Q1. How did Odysseus plan to defeat the Trojans?
Ans: Odysseus planned to build a huge wooden horse so that the best fighters could hide inside it, while the rest of the army would pretend to have sailed back, only to return to the shore at night to kill the Trojans while they were asleep.
Q2. What was the reason for Troy to rejoice and celebrate?
Ans: The reason for Troy to rejoice and celebrate was that the war was over and the long siege had ended.
Q3. Was it enough to use the wooden horse to hide?
Ans: Yes, the horse was big enough to hide the best Greek fighters inside it. It was made by a skilful engineer, who entered the horse himself along with Menelaus, Odysseus, and the greatest Greek warriors.
Q4. What was done to make the Trojans take it inside the city?
Ans: As per Odysseus’s plan, the large wooden horse was left at the beach, and the Greeks pretended to sail away in their ships, back to their homes. They left behind a soldier to persuade the Trojans to drag the horse into their city. When questioned by the Trojans, he gave them a false story as instructed by Odysseus: that the Greeks had left for their homeland as they were tired of war, and had made the horse as an offering to the God of the Sea. He added that the Greeks had also wanted to kill him as a sacrifice to the sea-god, but he had escaped and hidden from them. They built such a huge horse to make sure that the Trojans would not be able to carry it into the city, as the luck would then go to the Trojans and not the Greeks. His story was so convincing that the Trojans believed him. They were delighted to hear his lies, then broke down part of their strong wall and dragged the horse in.
Q5. 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 by saying that they had made this horse and left it as an offering to the god of the Sea, as they were afraid of the long voyage back home.
Q6. Do you think the Greeks and Trojans were superstitious? Give reasons for your answer.
Ans: The Greeks were not superstitious, as the huge wooden horse was not an offering to the Sea god but a clever trick. The Trojans, on the other hand, were superstitious, as they gullibly believed the fake story of the only Greek left behind. The Trojans truly thought that if they got the wooden horse inside their city they would be blessed by the Sea god, and so they even tore down part of the wall to drag the horse in, risking the security of their own city.
Q7. What reckless, thoughtless step did the Trojans take?
Ans: The reckless step the Trojans took was to make a hole in the wall and drag the huge wooden horse inside the city.
Q8. How did the Greeks enter the city of Troy?
Ans: Odysseus devised a clever plan which helped the Greeks enter the city of Troy. A huge wooden horse was built such that the best of the Greek fighters could hide inside it. The horse was left on the shore with one of the Greek soldiers, who told the Trojans that he had escaped from being offered to the Sea god.
Q9. How did the Greek ships remain hidden from Troy?
Ans: The Greek ships remained hidden from Troy by lowering their sails and dropping their anchors behind an island away from the coast.
Q10. What distressing sounds and sights could be witnessed at Troy, that fateful night?
Ans: Troy was filled with the sight of leaping flames, as the Greeks had set fire to the houses, temples, towers, and palaces. There were sounds of people shouting, the noise of weapons, and the cries of weeping women. Such were the distressing sounds and sights that could be witnessed at Troy on that fateful night, when the whole city was burnt to ashes.
Q11. What was the destiny of the royal family of Troy and that of Helen?
Ans: The royal family of Troy was destined to be defeated by the Greeks, and hence, even after defending itself for ten years, it was defeated in the end. Helen was destined to be back with her husband, so after the defeat of the Trojans, she returned to Greece with her husband.
Q12. How could the fall of Troy have been avoided?
Ans: The fall of Troy could have been avoided only if the people of Troy had paid heed to the warning of their priest. The Greeks might never have been able to enter the city if the huge wooden horse, with the soldiers hiding inside it, had not been dragged into the city, and if the Trojans had not broken down part of their own walls, which had protected the city for so many years.
English Workshop – Part 2
1. Greek and Trojan names used in the story
| Trojan Names | Greek Names |
|---|---|
| Paris (a prince of Troy), King Priam, Hector | Helen, Menelaus, Achilles, Odysseus, Agamemnon |
2. Words related to ‘war’ from both parts of the story
Strong wall, enemy, attack, strong fortress, brave soldiers, kings, heroes, revenge, siege, fought, force, battles, armies, arrow, wounded, victory, burn, kill, weapons, enemies, armour.
3. Sentence constructions
(a) A horse big enough to hold men inside it.
Ans: I have a house big enough to entertain fifty people.
(b) The Greeks were tired of the long war.
Ans: We were tired of our long journey.
(c) They are afraid of the long voyage home, too.
Ans: We are afraid of the consequences of our mischief.
(d) They made it too big to go inside your city.
Ans: We were too tired to continue the game.
(e) They were so excited that they paid no attention to his words.
Ans: We were so happy that we danced with joy.
4. Sequence of events
- The cunning Odysseus thought of a plan.
- The Greeks built a big wooden horse.
- The great heroes hid inside the horse.
- The Greeks burnt their tents and sailed away.
- The Trojans were happy to see the Greek ships go.
- The Trojans found a Greek man under the big wooden horse.
- The priest warned the Trojans not to break the wall.
- They broke down part of the wall and brought the horse in.
- The Trojans slept soundly.
- The Greeks came out of the horse and opened the gates.
- The Greek army entered the city.
- Troy was burnt down.
6. Main Clause and Dependent Clause (page 46)
“It was only Aphrodite who had turned her heart away from her home.”
Main Clause: It was only Aphrodite. | Dependent Clause: who had turned her heart away from her home.
7. Be a Writer – “The Magic Glasses” (Story Starter)
After ten years of diligent experimenting on ‘light’, Jayant, a brilliant scientist, created a pair of eye-glasses which would enable him to see through all opaque objects – doors, walls, metal structures, etc. On Monday, he put on his ‘magic’ glasses and stepped into the busy street outside … (students complete the story in their own words) … And so, Jayant received the ‘State Award for Brave Citizens’ …
Dramatic Present Tense
When an event that has occurred in the past is narrated in the Present Tense to create a dramatic effect, its tense is called the ‘Dramatic Present Tense’. (Students relate Jayant’s sci-fi story briefly in the dramatic past tense on their own.)