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The AlchemistA Fable About Following Your Dream
by
Paul Coelho
First published: 1988
TheBestNotes Study Guide by Diane Clapsaddle
Copyright ©2006 TheBestNotes, All Rights Reserved. Any Further Distribution without written consent of TheBestNotes.com is strictly prohibited.
Table of Contents
Literary Elements• Setting • Character List • Conflict • Short Summary (Synopsis) • Themes • Mood • Paul Coelho Biography
Chapter Summaries with Notes / Analysis
• Foreward - Ten Years On• Prologue• Part One• Part Two • EpilogueOverall Analysis • Character Analysis • Plot Structure Analysis• Themes - Theme Analysis• Rising Action• Falling Action• Point of View• Foreshadowing• Irony• Personification• Quotes / Quotations and Analysis• Symbolism / Motifs / Metaphors / Imagery / Symbols• Key Facts
Questions • Study Questions / Multiple Choice Quiz • Answer Key • Essay Topics - Book Report Ideas
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The Alchemist by Paul Coelho Free BookNotes Summary
Free Study Guide for The Alchemist by Paul Coelho
THE ALCHEMIST BY PAUL COELHO
LITERARY ELEMENTS
SETTING
The setting begins in the Andalusian region of Spain and moves to Tangier, the Al-Fayoum oasis, and eventually the pyramids in Egypt. The story ends where it began in Spain. The time is the present day.
LIST OF CHARACTERS
Major Characters
Santiago He is a shepherd boy, who because of a recurring dream, decides to find his treasure at the pyramids in Egypt. Along the way, he meets a Gypsy woman, an Old King, a crystal merchant, an Englishman, and an alchemist, all of whom teach him something about fulfilling his Personal Legend and striving to find his treasure. He is a very wise young man and yet one who has much to learn. Because he holds fast to his dream, he becomes a better man.
The Gypsy Woman She is the first one Santiago consults about his dream. She is mysterious and yet religious as can be attested by the Sacred Heart of Jesus picture on her wall. She tells Santiago that because it was a child who took his hands in the dream and led him to the pyramids, he must go. However, before she tells him anything, she makes him promise that he will give her one-tenth if he finds his treasure. He eventually brings her the price, because he is honorable and he has promised.
The Old King He is the second to help Santiago and gives him the stones named Urim and Thummim. He also advises Santiago to never stop dreaming and follow the omens. His name is Melchizedek and he is a Biblical figure who had once helped Abraham on behalf of God. He is sometimes believed to be Jesus Christ.
The Crystal Merchant He is a man for whom Santiago begins to work and who profits from the boy’s aptitude in improving sales. He teaches Santiago how important it is to follow through and not give up on his dream. His dream had been to travel to Mecca on a pilgrimage, but because he never does, he’s afraid that the reality will destroy the dream and so he never goes. His sense of regret encourages Santiago to take what he has earned there and buy a ticket to Tangier.
The Englishman He is a young man who has spent ten years of his life reading about alchemy with the hope of discovering the Master Work. He goes with Santiago on the caravan to the oasis so he can find the oldest alchemist of them all and learn his secrets. He teaches Santiago that not all information can be found in books and that one should observe what goes on around him as well. The Englishman eventually discovers that for himself after consulting with the alchemist.
The alchemist He is rumored to be over 200 years old and lives on the Al-Fayoum oasis. He has an advanced sense that Santiago is coming to the oasis and knows it is his responsibility to lead him to the pyramids. Along the way, he teaches the boy much about listening to his heart and reaching out for his dream no matter what the cost. He never does anything for the boy except guide him and allow him to learn for himself.
The alchemist has the Elixir of Life and the Philosopher’s Stone, which allow him to make any metal into gold. That is his Personal Legend, which he had achieved many years before. His name is not capitalized, because the title could be taken by anyone, like Santiago, who learns the truth of the Master Work.
Minor Characters
Fatima She is the beautiful young woman whom Santiago meets at a well on the oasis. She directs them to the alchemist, but in the process of that first conversation, Santiago falls in love with her and she eventually falls in love with him. As a desert woman, she is willing to wait for him to find his treasure and fulfill his Personal Legend.
The Camel Driver Santiago meets him on the caravan journey to the oasis and from him learns all about the importance of the present. He had lost everything to the flooding of the Nile, but now he is content to work as a camel driver and take one day at a time.
The Tribal Chieftain He demands that Santiago turn himself into the wind and in the process, discovers that the boy has seen the glory of God.
CONFLICT
Protagonist
The protagonist of a story is the main character who traditionally undergoes some sort of change. Santiago is the protagonist of this novel. It is his story and his maturing and learning about life that composes the plot. Through his trials and tests, we also learn about life.
Antagonist
The antagonist of a story is the force that provides an obstacle for the protagonist. The antagonist does not always have to be a single character or even a character at all. The antagonists in this story change at times - sometimes it is the people who give Santiago advice he doesn’t want to hear; sometimes it’s real villains like the thief in Tangier who steals all his money - but for the most part, the antagonist is Santiago himself. He must learn to accept the problems on his journey and not give up. He must accept himself and his own limitations as well as his strengths to persevere and find his treasure. Like many protagonists, he is often his own worst enemy, but in the end, he overcomes adversity and triumphs.
Climax
The climax of a plot is the major turning point that allows the protagonist to resolve the conflict. The climax comes when Santiago comes to the pyramids, digs on the spot where he sees the scarab beetle, and yet is rewarded by being beaten by some Arabs who want his treasure. It is only at the point that he realizes where his treasure actually is.
Outcome
Santiago realizes he must return to Spain after the leader of the Arab refugees who beat him tells him his recurring dream about a ruined church with a sycamore tree growing out of its sacristy. He knows the church, because that is where he had his dream about the pyramids. He returns there and finds a conquistador’s buried treasure under the sycamore tree and determines to take it and go back to the oasis and marry Fatima.
SHORT SUMMARY (Synopsis)
A young shepherd boy named Santiago has a recurring dream about a child leading him to the Pyramids of Egypt. After a Gypsy woman tells him he must go, he meets an old king who also teaches him about omens and following them on a path to his dream. He buys a ticket to Tangier, but is robbed of all his money when he gets there. He is forced to work for a crystal merchant for a year to earn enough money to go home, but over the course of the year, and by realizing the merchant’s regret that he didn’t follow his own dream, Santiago decides to continue on. He joins a caravan to the Al-Fayoum oasis as it’s on the way to the pyramids. With the caravan, he meets the Englishman, and on the oasis, he meets Fatima and the alchemist, and they all teach him valuable lessons about following his dream. Eventually, after many trials and tests, he sees the glory of God and finds the pyramids. Then, he realizes that his treasure has been back in his homeland all along. He finds it and determines to return to Fatima and the love that awaits him.
THEMES
The theme of one’s own Personal Legend recurs many times in the story. It refers to that which is your own dream or goal in life and is part of the path God has created for you. You have the free will to turn your back on your Personal Legend, but it is a decision which you could live to regret. Most people never achieve it because it is a journey filled with hardships and many turn back. For those who continue their search, the fulfillment of their Personal Legend is immensely satisfying and rewarding.
The theme of perseverance is also an important idea. Many times, Santiago finds himself wanting to turn back and it’s only when he reaches deep within himself that he finds the strength of will to go on. It teaches us all about how good things come to those who reach out for them, not to those who wait! Life is a struggle no matter what path we may choose, but if we stay strong and continue on, the consequences are all good.
The theme of the Soul of the World is a theme which makes the reader think about how we are all connected in some way to each other, to the animals around, to the plant life, and to every element created by God. The Master Work is actually his creation of earth and everything on it and around it in six days. So we are all an element of his creation. Once we realize that, we can find our Personal Legend and understand the language of the world.
The theme of faith is also an intrinsic part of this story. Without faith that he could succeed and without the faith others had in him, Santiago would have been lost. Again, it is a message to us all about believing in ourselves and our part of the Soul of the World.
The final theme is very close to perseverance, but refers to the need to confront the four obstacles of life and overcome them. We first must overcome the voices that have told us from childhood that what we want to do is impossible; second, we must overcome love, i.e. recognize that those who truly love us want us to achieve our dreams; third, we must overcome fear of defeat or failure; and fourth, we must overcome the fear of realizing the dream we have fought for all our lives. If we can climb over these four walls, our treasure will be close at hand and we will have discovered our fulfilled our own Personal Legend.
MOOD
This story is uplifting almost entirely through the novel. Even when Santiago stumbles or even falls on his path to his treasure, we know he will get back up again and persevere. We feel his pride, his satisfaction, and his triumph when he reaches the end of his journey and heads back to the oasis and the love that awaits him.
Paul Coelho - BIOGRAPHY
Paul Coelho was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and still lives in that city. He is much like his character, Santiago, the shepherd boy, in that he has followed a quest to be a writer and has met with much frustration throughout his early adulthood. He says he always knew that his Personal Legend was to write, but he was thirty-eight before he published his first book. He tried law school until 1970 when he decided to travel throughout much of South America, North America, Mexico, and Europe. He returned to Brazil two years later and began a successful career as a popular songwriter. He was imprisoned for a short time in 1974 by the military dictatorship then ruling his country. In 1980, he walked the 500 plus mile Road of Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain where he achieved a spiritual awakening that he later described in The Pilgrimage. He published The Alchemist in 1988, a novel that explores the same spiritual awakening he had experienced. It has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide and has been translated into at least fifty-six languages. Other novels he has written - By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept, The Valkyries, The Fifth Mountain, and Veronika Decides to Die - explore the different streams of our lives. He has won numerous literary prizes and he is a prominent speaker for humanitarian causes.
Awards for The Alchemist include:
The Nielsen Gold Book Award 2004 for its outstanding sales in the UK retail market. The Corine International Award 2002 for the best fiction in Germany. The Golden Book Award 1995 and 1996 in Yugoslavia. The Super Grinzane Cavour Book Award and Flaiano International Award 1996 in Italy. The Grand Prix Litteraire of Elle 1995 in France.
FOREWARD - Ten Years On
Summary
The foreward was written by the author, Paulo Coelho, ten years after he had published The Alchemist. Because the book had been such a huge success over those ten years, the author was asked, “What is the secret behind such a huge success?” He tells us that he honestly doesn’t know. All he knows is that like Santiago, the shepherd boy, we all need to be aware of our personal calling, or the path God has chosen for us.
He goes on to explain ideas that are extremely important in understanding The Alchemist. He begins by explaining that whenever we do something that fills us with enthusiasm, we are following our legend. However, we don’t all have the courage to confront out own dream because of four obstacles: first, we are told from childhood onward that everything we want to do is impossible and so the layers of fear, prejudice, and guilt often bury the dream very deeply. Second, if we have the courage to disinter the dream, we are then faced by the obstacle of love. We know what we want to do, but we don’t want to hurt anyone around us by pursuing the dream. We must come to realize that those who love us genuinely want us to be happy and are prepared to accompany us on our journey in whatever capacity. Once we accept that love can be a stimulus to the dream, the third obstacle crops up: fear of the defeats we will meet on the path of our journey.
The secret to conquering this fear is to understand that life is all about falling seven times and getting up eight. Once we get past these three obstacles, we meet the fourth: the fear of realizing the dream for which we have fought all our lives. Once we see what we can have, we are filled with guilt and forget all the previous obstacles we had to overcome to earn the dream. But if we believe ourselves worthy of that for which we have fought so hard, then we become the instruments of God, we help the Soul of the World, and we understand why we are here.
Notes
This foreward to the novel lays out the foundation of what Santiago will discover when he follows his dream. Knowing this in advance is helpful in understanding the philosophy of The Alchemist, but finding it out while reading about the shepherd boy’s adventures is so much more satisfying!
PROLOGUE
Summary
This opening part of the novel introduces us to the alchemist who has found a book left behind by someone in a caravan. He finds the story of Narcissus, the youth who daily knelt by a lake to contemplate his own beauty. He eventually fell in and drowned, but where he fell a flower was born called the narcissus. But the author of the book did not end the familiar story here as it is usually ended. Instead, he tells the reader that the goddesses of the forest appeared and found that the lake so mourned for him that its fresh water became salty.
The goddesses assume that the lake mourns, because it could contemplate his beauty close at hand. But the lake asks if Narcissus was beautiful. The goddesses are surprised at the question, because who could know the answer better than the lake? The lake is silent for a moment, and then explains that it never noticed Narcissus’ beauty, because it could see, in the depth of his eyes, its own beauty reflected. The goddesses respond, “What a lovely story.”
Notes
The prologue prepares us for what Santiago the shepherd will eventually learn in his travels: we are all joined one to the other in some way. Narcissus’ seeming egotistical behavior was actually a way for the lake to discover itself. We are all a part of the Soul of the World.
CHAPTER SUMMARY / NOTES FOR THE ALCHEMIST BY PAUL COELHO
Note regarding the structure: Instead of breaking the story into traditional chapters, the author has separated the sections of the text by the characters **. Thus, each section separated by ** should be considered a chapter.
PART ONE
Summary
This section opens with our introduction to Santiago, the shepherd boy, who has decided to spend the night in an abandoned church which had fallen in long ago and now has an enormous sycamore tree growing on the spot where the sacristy once stood. We discover immediately that he is a reader, because he uses the book he has just finished reading as a pillow. He awakens in the middle of the night having had the same dream as the one he had a week before, but like before, he has awakened before it ends.
So he gets up and notices that his sheep begin to awaken, too, because as he tells us, “They are so used to me that they know my schedule.” He has a very interesting relationship with his sheep: he reads to them and he knows the name of each one, because he believes they understand what he says. Lately, he has only spoken to them about one thing: the daughter of the merchant who lives in the village they will reach in four days. He takes his sheep to this shop to be sheared and the merchant buys the wool. That is how he had come to know about his daughter. Like himself, she is Andalusian, from a region of Spain, and her appearance vaguely recalls their Moorish ancestry. They had spent several hours together the last time he had been there talking mostly about his travels. She wonders why a boy who knows how to read is only a shepherd. He gives her no real answer and only knows that he was experiencing the feeling of wanting to live in one place forever.
Santiago is excited to return to the village and the merchant’s daughter, but as he moves steadily forward, it occurs to him that his sheep stay close to him, because they are incapable of making any decisions. They trust him and have forgotten how to rely on their own instincts, because he always leads them to food and water. In return, they give him their wool, their company - and sometimes, their meat. It reminds him of his purpose in life: to wander, to travel. He had attended a seminary until he was sixteen years old, but even though his parents had wanted him to remain there and be a source of pride for them, he knew that he had wanted to see the world and that was much more important than knowing God and the sins of man.
**
He had told his father what he wanted to do, and his father had tried to dissuade him. But when he realized Santiago was determined, he told him that the only people who travel were shepherds and then he gave him three gold coins to help him buy his flock. He told his son goodbye with the advice that someday he would learn that their own countryside was the best and their women the most beautiful. In his father’s eyes, Santiago had seen his own desire to travel which he had buried beneath the burden of finding a way to just survive.
**
Santiago muses that he is able to live out his dream every day and if he tires of it, he can always sell his sheep and go to sea where he would come to other cities and lands to explore. Now, the dream concerns the merchant’s daughter and he hurries his pace to Tarifa, the next village. He also remembers that, in Tarifa, there is an old woman who interprets dreams.
**
When the boy enters the house of the old woman, he is somewhat uneasy, because she prays and acts like a Gypsy and gypsies are thieves. However, she has a picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus behind her so he comforts himself with that thought. The old woman tells him that dreams are the language of God, so Santiago tells her that twice he had dreamed that he was in his fields with his sheep when a child appeared and took his hands and transported him to the pyramids of Egypt. At the pyramids, the child had told him that if he came there, he would find a hidden treasure. Every time the child was about to tell him the location of the treasure, he would wake up. The old woman thinks for a bit and then tells him she won’t charge him anything that day, but that he must promise to give her one-tenth of the treasure if he finds it. He swears that he will and she tells him that it’s a dream about the language of the world and is very difficult to interpret. However, he must go to the pyramids, because if a child had shown them to him, they exist and he must find them to become a very rich man. Santiago is a little irritated, because he could have figured that out on his own. He leaves, deciding that he’ll never believe in dreams again. He goes to the marketplace for something to eat and to trade his book. There, he sits on a bench in the plaza watching people and maybe making new friends. He likes life this way, because, even though he wants to meet new people, he doesn’t want to become a part of their lives. That’s when they try to change you.
While he is reading, an old man sits down and strikes up a conversation. Santiago doesn’t want to talk to the man, preferring to read or think about the merchant’s daughter. However, the man persists, and because he had been taught to be respectful to the elderly, he doesn’t get up or refuse to speak. The old man picks up the boy’s book and tells him that it is a good book, but one that is really irritating, because it tells the same thing that almost all other books in the world describe: how people are unable to choose their own Personal Legend. It also ends up saying the world’s greatest lie - “at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what’s happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate.”
Eventually, the old man tells Santiago that he is the King of Salem and that his name is Melchizedek. In spite of the boy’s surprise at that pronouncement, the old man just wants to know how many sheep he has. When the boy says he has enough, the old man responds that he can’t help him if he already has enough sheep. Santiago makes a move as if to find another bench when the man tells him that if he gives him one-tenth of his sheep, he’ll tell him how to find the treasure. Santiago fears that this man is the old Gypsy woman’s husband and that he’s trying to get more information out of him. However, before he can say anything to him, the old man bends over to write in the sand and reveals something so bright on his chest that it almost blinds Santiago. Then, when he can see again, there in the sand are the names of his mother, his father, the seminary he had attended, and even the name of the merchant’s daughter. There are even things there he had never told anyone.
PART ONE
Summary (continued)
**
The old man repeats his title and when Santiago asks him why a king would be speaking to a shepherd, he tells the boy it’s because he has succeeded in discovering his own Personal Legend. The old man then goes on to explain how everyone has a dream, but at some point, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize it. This mysterious force, according to the old man, appears to be negative, but actually shows us how to prepare for realizing the Personal Legend. This desire originates in the soul of the universe and it’s our mission on earth. The king then points out that the baker who can be seen in his shop window also wanted to travel as the boy is doing. However, he kept coming up with excuses and never acted on his dream. So, the baker stayed in one place and created a home and became one of those that people would want their daughters to marry and that became more important than his Personal Legend.
Santiago then wants to know why the king is telling him all this and the old man’s answer is that the boy has realized his Personal Legend and now he is about to give it all up. He says that’s his job - to appear on the scene when he’s needed to make things happen. The boy then reminds the man that he had said something about his treasure, but the king won’t give him any help until he promises to give him one-tenth of his sheep. When Santiago offers one-tenth of his treasure instead, the old man advises him, “If you start out by promising what you don’t even have yet, you’ll lose your desire to work toward getting it.” He also tells Santiago that by promising to give the Gypsy woman one-tenth of his treasure, he has learned that everything in life has a price and that is what the Warriors of Light try to teach. So it is agreed that tomorrow at the same time, if Santiago gives him one-tenth of his sheep, he will tell him how to find his hidden treasure.
**
The boy wanders through the city of Tarifa and comes to the gates where he can buy a ticket to cross the strait and arrive in Africa. He realizes he must do this to get to Egypt and that he only has to sell one of his sheep to do so. The idea frightens him and he decides he should just go back to being a shepherd. On his way back to the center of the city, Santiago climbs to the uppermost wall of the city’s castle. There, he can see the shores of Africa. He curses the moment that he met the old man and he thinks about how his sheep depend on him. He worries that if he ever decides to leave them, they will suffer.
The wind picks up at this point and he remembers that it’s called the levanter, because the Moors had arrived by it from the Levant at the eastern end of the Mediterranean. The wind increases in intensity as the boy agonizes over being between his flock and his treasure. He works though his reluctance to leave what he has become accustomed to, while the wind blows in the smells of the desert and veiled women. He is jealous of the freedom of the wind and understands that he can have that same freedom.
The next day, he meets the old man again and tells him that his friend, who had been caring for his sheep, had agreed to buy them all. It is a good omen for his friend who had always wanted to be a shepherd. The old man calls this the principle of favorability or beginner’s luck. The old man looks over the remainder of the sheep and tells Santiago that he will have to go to the pyramids in Egypt and that, in order to find the treasure, he will have to follow the omens.
The omens are what make up the path God has prepared everyone to follow. Just then a butterfly appears, and Santiago is reminded that his grandfather had once told him that butterflies are good omens. Then, the old man opens his cape and the boy realizes the bright light he had seen there the day before is a breastplate of heavy gold covered with precious stones. He takes from the center of the breastplate two stones - one white and one black - and gives them to Santiago. He tells the boy that they are called Urim and Thummim.
The black one signifies “yes” and the white one “no” and they will help him read the omens when he is unable to do so. He advises him that “everything you deal with is only one thing and nothing else” and that he mustn’t forget the language of the omens and to follow his Personal Legend through to the end. The king ends his commentary with a story about a young man who goes to the wisest man in the world to learn about the secret of happiness. The wise man sends him on a tour of his castle, but tells him not to spill a drop of oil in a spoon he must carry with him. The young man climbs all the staircases and enters all the rooms of the castle with his eyes always on the spoon lest he spill a drop.
When he returns to the wise man, he cannot describe anything in the castle, because he had only watched the spoon. So the wise man sends him back again, telling the young man that he can’t trust anyone whose house he doesn’t know. This time the young man observes everything in the castle, but when he returns, the oil has all spilled from the spoon. The wise man then says that the secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, but never to forget the oil. The shepherd boy understands from the king’s story that although he may like to travel, he can never forget about his sheep. The king then walks away after blessing the boy.
PART ONE
Summary (continued)
**
Later that afternoon, Melchizedek, the King of Salem, sits atop the walls of the fort in Tarifa, the highest point of the city. He sees a ship plowing its way out of the port and knows that he will never again see the boy, just as he had never again seen Abraham after having charged him his one-tenth fee. That is his work: he helped the boy and now he hopes Santiago will succeed. He also wishes he had reminded the boy of his name, and despite how vain that seems, he tells God, “An old king sometimes has to take some pride in himself.”
**
Santiago is now in Africa, specifically Tangier, and thinking how strange Africa is. He thinks of all the strange people as infidels and is reminded of the image of Saint Santiago Matamoros on his white horse, his sword unsheathed, and people such as these kneeling at his feet. He is further uneasy, because he has forgotten that these people speak only Arabic, and he does not. However, he remembers how omens he had seen in nature had protected him when he was guarding his sheep and so feels somewhat better. Then, a young man in western dress, but looking Arabic, approaches him and asks Santiago in Spanish who he is.
The boy is so happy to have someone to speak to that he sits down with this stranger and tells him he needs to get to the pyramids. He asks the stranger if he will guide him there and that he has money to pay him. He even shows the man his money pouch to prove he has enough. This causes the bar owner to pull the stranger away and argue with him a bit. The stranger then tells Santiago that they need to leave. The owner tries to talk to Santiago, but the boy doesn’t understand him, while the stranger tells Santiago that the owner wanted his money and that it is better to leave quickly.
The stranger, whom Santiago trusts, tells him he needs money to buy two camels and Santiago give him his money bag. Santiago is then distracted by a beautiful sword, which sits in a shop window. When he turns around, the stranger is gone and has taken all his money. Santiago naively believes the stranger will return, but at the end of the day, he is alone, a stranger in a strange country where he doesn’t speak the language and without any money. His life has changed very drastically in just one day and he weeps, because God is so unfair.
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He is reminded when he opens his coat that he still has the two stones the king had given him, and he decides he could sell them for enough money to return home and buy more sheep. He also understands now what the bar owner had been trying to tell him: not to trust the stranger. Like everyone else, he had seen the world in terms of what he would like to happen, not what actually does. However, the old man’s advice also rolls around in his head and he takes out Urim and Thummim again and questions them like the old man had told him to do. When they fall though a hole in his pocket, he is reminded to recognize and follow the omens. Now he knows that the old man is still with him and that this isn’t a strange place; it’s just a new one. And he isn’t a poor victim of a thief, but an adventurer in quest of his treasure.
**
He awakens the next morning in the marketplace where he had fallen asleep, and even though he hasn’t a cent in his pocket, he has faith. He helps several merchants set up their stalls and realizes that like the king, he is able to sense just by observing them whether they are near or far from their Personal Legends, something he had never been able to do before. Furthermore, he realizes that even though he is speaking Spanish and they are speaking Arabic, they understand each other very well. Like his experience with his sheep, they are speaking a language that doesn’t depend on words. With that ability, he can learn to understand the world. He resolves to walk through Tangier and look for the omens, because, as the king had said, all things are one.
**
A crystal merchant lives in Tangier and had sold his crystal in the same spot for thirty years. Once he had been more prosperous, but now with the growth of the city, his shop is in an out-of-the-way spot and his business has fallen off. He thinks that it’s too late to change his business, because it’s all he knows how to do. Then, just before lunchtime, a boy - Santiago - stops in his shop. The boy tells the merchant that he’ll clean the glasses in the window in exchange for something to eat.
When the merchant hesitates, Santiago takes the initiative and cleans every glass in the window. This prompts two customers to enter and buy some crystal. The merchant is impressed by this good omen and takes the boy to lunch. Then, he asks Santiago if he would like to come to work for him, but the boy promises only to work for him the rest of that day into the next to earn money for Egypt. The merchant explains, however, that he could never pay him enough for the amount of work which would get him to Egypt. Santiago’s soul falls silent, but he agrees to work for the merchant to earn enough money to get him home again and buy more sheep.
PLOT SYNOPSIS ANALYSIS FOR THE ALCHEMIST BY PAUL COELHO
PART ONE
Notes
From the first section of Part One, we see an abandoned church with a sycamore tree growing out of its sacristy. This tree will have important significance for Santiago by the end of the novel and so is the first example of foreshadowing. He had passed that way many times and had never come across the church, which gives it a kind of mystic significance, and it is the place where he dreams, as we learn later, about the child showing him the pyramids of Egypt, which starts him on his journey.
In the next few sections, we are given a sense of one of the major themes of the story: we are all part of the Soul of the World. Santiago muses over how dependent his sheep are on him and how they seem to understand him. He also remembers how he had told his family that he wanted to travel and how he had seen the same desire in his father’s eyes. This prepares us for the idea of fulfilling our own Personal Legend: Santiago has begun to fulfill his by following his dream to travel.
Santiago meets several individuals from this point on who are instrumental in encouraging him to fulfill his dream of finding treasure at the pyramids. The first is the gypsy woman who for the price of one-tenth of his treasure tells him that his dream is about the language of the world and that he must go to the pyramids. The second is the King of Salem, Melchizedek, who, in the guise of an old man, tells Santiago all about realizing one’s Personal Legend and how it’s the purpose God sets for us. (Melchizedek is the character who appeared in the Book of Genesis to Abraham, bringing the patriarch bread and wine after his victory over the four kings who had besieged Sodom and Gomorrah. He is believed to be a representative of the priestly line through which a future king - Jesus Christ - is ordained. Sometimes, he is envisioned as an angel or as Jesus himself.)
Melchizedek uses the metaphor of the baker who had desired to travel like Santiago is doing, but became immersed in his obligations and never fulfilled his Personal Legend. He is like a Guardian Angel who appears when an individual is about to give up on ever fulfilling his dream. His advice prompts Santiago to continue in search of the treasure and take the chance of leaving everything that is familiar to him, something most of us haven’t the courage to do. The next individual who encourages him to go is the crystal merchant, who gives him a job after he has all his money stolen. This man doesn’t know he is helping Santiago fulfill his dream, but he will, over the next year, show the boy how to be successful while relearning how to be successful himself.
This part of the novel also introduces some of the many lessons Santiago learns on his way to finding his treasure:
• He learns about fulfilling one’s own Personal Legend, or following through with one’s dream. • He learns about what will be called the Soul of the World, the sense that we are all connected one to the other. • He is introduced to the idea of the language of the world, which once we recognize it, helps us communicate with anyone, no matter what language they speak.
• He learns that everything in life has a price, as evidenced by his promise to pay the Gypsy woman one-tenth of his treasure to interpret his dream, by his obligation to pay the King one-tenth of his sheep to learn how to find the treasure, and by his trust in the Arab “guide” who steals all his money.
• He learns about the “principle of favorability” or beginner’s luck which everyone has at one time or another, but which is nothing he can ever depend upon.
• He learns about the language of omens, which are really metaphors for one’s intuition and sense of what is right and good.
• He also learns through the story of the young man with the spoonful of oil that happiness is a combination of fulfilling everything you would like to fulfill while never forgetting those you must leave behind.
• Yet another lesson involves the tendency of us all to see what we would like to happen, rather than what really does. This often makes us give up our quest to fulfill our dreams.
• Finally, Santiago learns to listen to the language of the world, which doesn’t require words, but only actions; to be an adventurer in quest of his treasure rather than the victim of a thief; and that it’s never too late to change as seen in the example of the crystal merchant.
Santiago begins to follow the steps of the journey to his treasure by completing the following: he has fulfilled his Personal Legend by traveling as a shepherd boy, and he has overcome the obstacle of love by turning over his sheep to his friend who wanted to be a shepherd and by putting his idea of marrying the merchant’s daughter on hold. However, he meets up with the third obstacle, which is the defeats he must face along the way. Momentarily, at the end of Part One, he gives in to the despair of his first defeat when the crystal merchant says he cannot give him enough money after one day’s work to get him to the pyramids. He decides to stay there just long enough to earn enough money to return home and buy more sheep.
FREE BOOKNOTES FOR THE ALCHEMIST BY PAUL COELHO
PART TWO
Summary
Santiago comes to the realization after working for the crystal merchant for a month that it will take him a year to earn enough money to buy more sheep. He suggests to the merchant that they set up a display case for the crystal outside to attract more customers. When the merchant worries that the glass might be broken, the boy tells him that’s the chances you must take when you are in business. You.....
Notes
This section of Part Two shows how the example and experiences of others can lead you to the right path. The crystal merchant has put his dream on hold out of fear that it won’t live up to his expectations. Without knowing it, he has shown Santiago that regrets for unfulfilled dreams can reduce the quality of one’s life. Santiago.........
**
Summary
The display case works and many more customers come into the crystal shop. Now, Santiago has earned enough money to double his flock and he thinks that the pyramids are now just a distant dream like Mecca is for the merchant. However, he still recognizes omens: when........
Notes
Here the omens show Santiago that he can accomplish much with just his........
**
Summary
The news spreads about the crystal shop which also sells tea and eventually the merchant must hire two .........
**
Summary
Eleven months and nine days after he set foot in Africa, Santiago has earned enough money to buy himself 120 sheep, a return ticket to Spain, and a license to import products from Africa to his own country. He tells the merchant that he is leaving to return home, because he has enough money for the sheep and........
Notes
This section prepares the reader for what the merchant already knows: Santiago will.......
PART TWO Summary (continued)
**
Summary
As the boy packs his things with no intention of using the money for anything other than the sheep, the two stones, Urim and Thummim, fall out of his shepherd’s pack. They remind him that the king had said, “Never stop dreaming. Follow the omens.” He is also reminded that the sheep has taught......
Notes
The two stones falling out of Santiago’s pack are omens of the future and so foreshadow his.....
**
Summary
At the same time, an Englishman sits in a corral near the supplier’s warehouse. He has spent ten years at a university and now finds himself in only in such a disgusting place. His studies had been aimed at finding the one true language of the universe and he, like Santiago, believes in omens. Now, he is studying alchemy, but he .......
Notes
The Englishman is another character who will provide an example to Santiago to either follow or reject. He is.......
**
Summary
However, as Santiago (the boy who speaks Spanish) tries to engage the Englishman in conversation, he gets nowhere. The man wants to be allowed to study his books. It’s only when the boy takes out Urim and Thummim that he gets the man’s attention. He tells the man that he got them from a king and then the.......
Notes
Here we are given information about the universal language whose basis is luck and coincidence. It works here........
Monday, December 8, 2008
Things that make you go hmn?
As if your brains were not exhausted enough check out this li nk that discusses fate vs destiny and other yummy brain food tidbits. Enjoy!http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?p=99830
Thanks To Isabel P. Our "in house genius"
More Alchemist....
Bambis' you should read up to pg 60 (5th period by Tuesday the 9th, 2nd/6th by Wed the 10th)
These are your last pre-reading assignments. They are to be defined in your notebook they are due by Thursday (5th) and Friday (2nd,6th)
Regional, Cultural or Spiritual Allusions and Terms:
Narcissus (Prologue) Esperanto (p.66) King Melchizedek (Genesis14, “King Most High”) Helvetius, Elias, Fulcanelli, Geber (p.82) Koran (p. 54) Scarab (p.161) Muslim Simum (p.148 Mecca Coptic (153,154) Allah (p. 71, 97) Tiberius (p.158) Levanter (p.27) hookah (p. 114) “Maktub” (p. 59)
The Alchemist’s Terms/Expressions:
The Soul of the World Philosopher’s Stone ((p.66) The Unspoken Language Elixir of Life (p. 66) The Language of the World Master Work (p.81) Personal Legend Emerald Tablet (p. 126) Principle of Favorability (p. 29) Urim and Thummin (p. 30)
Vocabulary:
scabbard (37) treasonous (129) conspire elixir (133) scimitar (112) contemplate (134) brandish (112) fixedly (136) dialect (106) flourish (145) prognostication (111) sirocco (146) monotony (124) tether (151) tracts (126) recount (153) agitated (128) disciple (153) centurion (158) avidly (159) scarab (161) sacristy (163) alchemy infidel (34)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Preliminary Notes About the Novel:
The Alchemist is written in a fable format. What is a fable, and why would Coelho use it to tell his story? Generally speaking, fables use recognizable, simple characters and settings in order to illustrate a simple truth about life or human nature. What is it that Coelho attempts to teach?
Even though you may not initially understand some of the unusual terminology in the story (Soul of the World, for example), its themes are ones which are probably familiar to you. Can you think of some old, familiar proverbs or songs that capture some of these ideas? For example, think about what ends up being more important for Santiago—the journey….or the destination??? Where is it that Santiago eventually finds happiness? People have been writing and singing about the answers to these questions for years!
The novel integrates ideas and philosophies of many faiths and historical periods. Many of these ideas concern the pursuit of truth, one’s intended destiny and the attainment of personal happiness. Coelho refers to these combined elements as one’s “Personal Legend.” He tells
the story of Santiago in order to teach us how we may find and live out our own Personal Legends. These ideas, though, have been explored since ancient times in one form or another by countless faiths and peoples. Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Taoism, Christianity, Judaism, countless tribal cultures, in addition to ancient and modern philosophers, all attempt to define the idea of one’s Personal Legend (though they may call it by different names), and all subscribe paths to achieving personal fulfillment. Thus, although the legend is about no faith or philosophy in particular, it is about all faiths and philosophies.
Alchemy is the medieval “science” of transforming rocks into gold. Alchemy plays an important part in the plot (literal level) of the story, but it also becomes a symbol, or allegorical device, in the legend (figurative level). Coelho is really using characters, events and symbols as tools to show us how to achieve spiritual alchemy. In other words, how do we find or recognize the “gold,” -- our Personal Legend--in the “rocks” of the everyday, ordinary, simple details of our lives? As Santiago discovers, sometimes the “gold” is not faraway, not glittery, not exotic, and not complicated, but it may require a journey of courage, faith and perseverance to discover what it is and where it is hidden.
In an interview, Paulo Coelho talks about “Four Pillars of Alchemy– four important “tips” for finding one’s Personal Legend:
1 One must believe in “The Soul of the World.” The ancient Latin term for this concept is “anima mundi.” In short, this idea suggests that everything in the world is interconnected; that is, what one does affects everything else, from the smallest grain of sand to the largest whale, and vice versa. Writers and thinkers such as Plato, Walt Whitman and Khalil Ghibran have attempted to illustrate this interconnectedness in their works.
2 One must listen to the voice of the heart. Coelho suggests that sometimes we must follow our feelings and intuitions, even if we do not fully understand them. Through feeling one gains wisdom.
3 One must be faithful to one’s dreams, for they both test and reward us. In other words, the path to achieving one’s Personal Legend may not be an easy one, but we must endure the tests in order to gain the rewards.
4 One must “surrender oneself to the universe.” Coelho suggests that we must allow ourselves to be open to recognizing and learning from omens and signs which come our way.
These are your last pre-reading assignments. They are to be defined in your notebook they are due by Thursday (5th) and Friday (2nd,6th)
Regional, Cultural or Spiritual Allusions and Terms:
Narcissus (Prologue) Esperanto (p.66) King Melchizedek (Genesis14, “King Most High”) Helvetius, Elias, Fulcanelli, Geber (p.82) Koran (p. 54) Scarab (p.161) Muslim Simum (p.148 Mecca Coptic (153,154) Allah (p. 71, 97) Tiberius (p.158) Levanter (p.27) hookah (p. 114) “Maktub” (p. 59)
The Alchemist’s Terms/Expressions:
The Soul of the World Philosopher’s Stone ((p.66) The Unspoken Language Elixir of Life (p. 66) The Language of the World Master Work (p.81) Personal Legend Emerald Tablet (p. 126) Principle of Favorability (p. 29) Urim and Thummin (p. 30)
Vocabulary:
scabbard (37) treasonous (129) conspire elixir (133) scimitar (112) contemplate (134) brandish (112) fixedly (136) dialect (106) flourish (145) prognostication (111) sirocco (146) monotony (124) tether (151) tracts (126) recount (153) agitated (128) disciple (153) centurion (158) avidly (159) scarab (161) sacristy (163) alchemy infidel (34)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Preliminary Notes About the Novel:
The Alchemist is written in a fable format. What is a fable, and why would Coelho use it to tell his story? Generally speaking, fables use recognizable, simple characters and settings in order to illustrate a simple truth about life or human nature. What is it that Coelho attempts to teach?
Even though you may not initially understand some of the unusual terminology in the story (Soul of the World, for example), its themes are ones which are probably familiar to you. Can you think of some old, familiar proverbs or songs that capture some of these ideas? For example, think about what ends up being more important for Santiago—the journey….or the destination??? Where is it that Santiago eventually finds happiness? People have been writing and singing about the answers to these questions for years!
The novel integrates ideas and philosophies of many faiths and historical periods. Many of these ideas concern the pursuit of truth, one’s intended destiny and the attainment of personal happiness. Coelho refers to these combined elements as one’s “Personal Legend.” He tells
the story of Santiago in order to teach us how we may find and live out our own Personal Legends. These ideas, though, have been explored since ancient times in one form or another by countless faiths and peoples. Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Taoism, Christianity, Judaism, countless tribal cultures, in addition to ancient and modern philosophers, all attempt to define the idea of one’s Personal Legend (though they may call it by different names), and all subscribe paths to achieving personal fulfillment. Thus, although the legend is about no faith or philosophy in particular, it is about all faiths and philosophies.
Alchemy is the medieval “science” of transforming rocks into gold. Alchemy plays an important part in the plot (literal level) of the story, but it also becomes a symbol, or allegorical device, in the legend (figurative level). Coelho is really using characters, events and symbols as tools to show us how to achieve spiritual alchemy. In other words, how do we find or recognize the “gold,” -- our Personal Legend--in the “rocks” of the everyday, ordinary, simple details of our lives? As Santiago discovers, sometimes the “gold” is not faraway, not glittery, not exotic, and not complicated, but it may require a journey of courage, faith and perseverance to discover what it is and where it is hidden.
In an interview, Paulo Coelho talks about “Four Pillars of Alchemy– four important “tips” for finding one’s Personal Legend:
1 One must believe in “The Soul of the World.” The ancient Latin term for this concept is “anima mundi.” In short, this idea suggests that everything in the world is interconnected; that is, what one does affects everything else, from the smallest grain of sand to the largest whale, and vice versa. Writers and thinkers such as Plato, Walt Whitman and Khalil Ghibran have attempted to illustrate this interconnectedness in their works.
2 One must listen to the voice of the heart. Coelho suggests that sometimes we must follow our feelings and intuitions, even if we do not fully understand them. Through feeling one gains wisdom.
3 One must be faithful to one’s dreams, for they both test and reward us. In other words, the path to achieving one’s Personal Legend may not be an easy one, but we must endure the tests in order to gain the rewards.
4 One must “surrender oneself to the universe.” Coelho suggests that we must allow ourselves to be open to recognizing and learning from omens and signs which come our way.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
There's a MAJOR problem....
I was not able to find the maps for El cairum and Moors.
- Yes i know its the place and not the people Moors trust me i tried...
But i found the rest :}
Love,
The Awesome Paola
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Monday, December 1, 2008
The Alchemist Personal Journal Questions
First and Foremost,
Thank You, from the bottom of my heart, for the well wishes my Bambis'. I am feeling a little better still achy and swollen, so please be gentle with your teacher lol. :) To follow you will find the questions from class. You will notice that these questions are not literature geared inquiries, rather they are written so that you become introspective and look into your "selves" . They are intended to be answered prior to digging into the Alchemist. These along with the other previously posted questions will be kept, by you in your "Alchemist Journal" Either a duotang or a one subject spiral notebook. All assignments must be kept there. I will give you a guideline of due dates. For example 5th period (As discussed in class: All 5 questions and prior exercises including your "show and tell item" are due friday 2nd and 6th period your journals are due on monday. I will give you a grade for every assignment from now till the end of the nine weeks as well as a bulk grade for completion.
Enjoy Kids! It's Fun!
Pre-Study Discussion, Reflection and Writing Activities:
1.Coelho states that “simple things are the most valuable and only wise people appreciate them.” Produce a written or artistic response (or bring something to class) which depicts something that is “simple” yet valuable to you. Be prepared to explain specifically why/ how the item is valuable.
2.The alchemist (in the form of Melchizedek) says to Santiago, “When you really want something to happen, the whole universe conspires so that your wish comes true.” Write or create a response which captures a time in your own life when you had a wish, and you felt that the whole universe conspired for OR against you. What happened to make you feel that way? Did your wish come true?
3.Santiago is guided by his dreams and by omens which appear to him throughout his journey. Write about a noteworthy dream you have had, or about an omen which guided you somehow during the course of your life. How did you interpret the dream or omen, and how did it influence your life?
4.The old man states that the “world’s greatest lie….is that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what’s happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate.” Do you, like the old man, believe this is a lie, and that we are always in control of our destinies? Why/ why not? Why do you think people believe the “World’s greatest lie”? Or…..Write about/explore artistically a time in your life when you felt as though you had “lost control,” and your fate was being determined by other forces. Why did you feel that way? Did you regain control?
5. Santiago is told that “people are afraid to pursue their most important dreams because they feel they don’t deserve them, or that they’ll be unable to achieve them.” Create a written or artistic response to the following: Do you have a goal or dream which intimidates you? Why do you feel unworthy or fearful of it? What practical steps might you take to make the goal more accessible or easier to accomplish? On the other hand, are there some dreams which we are correct to fear? Do you believe some dreams should simply remain as dreams? Why/why not?
Geographical Locations in the Novel:
Andalusia
Al-Fayoum (oasis in Egypt)
Tarifa
El Cairum (p.76)
Salem (Jeru”salem”)
Nile
Tangier (p. 44)
Coptic Monastery
Ceuta (p. 44)
Moors (p.27)
Mecca (p. 54)
Sahara Desert (36)
Thank You, from the bottom of my heart, for the well wishes my Bambis'. I am feeling a little better still achy and swollen, so please be gentle with your teacher lol. :) To follow you will find the questions from class. You will notice that these questions are not literature geared inquiries, rather they are written so that you become introspective and look into your "selves" . They are intended to be answered prior to digging into the Alchemist. These along with the other previously posted questions will be kept, by you in your "Alchemist Journal" Either a duotang or a one subject spiral notebook. All assignments must be kept there. I will give you a guideline of due dates. For example 5th period (As discussed in class: All 5 questions and prior exercises including your "show and tell item" are due friday 2nd and 6th period your journals are due on monday. I will give you a grade for every assignment from now till the end of the nine weeks as well as a bulk grade for completion.
Enjoy Kids! It's Fun!
Pre-Study Discussion, Reflection and Writing Activities:
1.Coelho states that “simple things are the most valuable and only wise people appreciate them.” Produce a written or artistic response (or bring something to class) which depicts something that is “simple” yet valuable to you. Be prepared to explain specifically why/ how the item is valuable.
2.The alchemist (in the form of Melchizedek) says to Santiago, “When you really want something to happen, the whole universe conspires so that your wish comes true.” Write or create a response which captures a time in your own life when you had a wish, and you felt that the whole universe conspired for OR against you. What happened to make you feel that way? Did your wish come true?
3.Santiago is guided by his dreams and by omens which appear to him throughout his journey. Write about a noteworthy dream you have had, or about an omen which guided you somehow during the course of your life. How did you interpret the dream or omen, and how did it influence your life?
4.The old man states that the “world’s greatest lie….is that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what’s happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate.” Do you, like the old man, believe this is a lie, and that we are always in control of our destinies? Why/ why not? Why do you think people believe the “World’s greatest lie”? Or…..Write about/explore artistically a time in your life when you felt as though you had “lost control,” and your fate was being determined by other forces. Why did you feel that way? Did you regain control?
5. Santiago is told that “people are afraid to pursue their most important dreams because they feel they don’t deserve them, or that they’ll be unable to achieve them.” Create a written or artistic response to the following: Do you have a goal or dream which intimidates you? Why do you feel unworthy or fearful of it? What practical steps might you take to make the goal more accessible or easier to accomplish? On the other hand, are there some dreams which we are correct to fear? Do you believe some dreams should simply remain as dreams? Why/why not?
Geographical Locations in the Novel:
Andalusia
Al-Fayoum (oasis in Egypt)
Tarifa
El Cairum (p.76)
Salem (Jeru”salem”)
Nile
Tangier (p. 44)
Coptic Monastery
Ceuta (p. 44)
Moors (p.27)
Mecca (p. 54)
Sahara Desert (36)
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Hello Miss Gayol
Hello there Miss Gayol.
I hope the surgery went well and I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I was looking at the page and I noticed the Twilight reference Ivanna made, well I'm co-writing an opinions piece on it that I want you to review.
Hope you feel better.
Looooove,
Claudia M.
p.s. this color thing is fun.
I hope the surgery went well and I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I was looking at the page and I noticed the Twilight reference Ivanna made, well I'm co-writing an opinions piece on it that I want you to review.
Hope you feel better.
Looooove,
Claudia M.
p.s. this color thing is fun.
Ms.GGGGGGGGGGG
Misss I hope you doing well!
I hope theres a nurse doing your hair and your makeup
making you look fierce after surgery!
Happy Thanksgiving make sure to PIG OUT!
Love,
Ivanna Edward Cullen ;)
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Miss Gayol
Hopefully the surgery was a success,
And your nose is safely placed back in its place
i mean i don't want you to come to school and
have a micheal jackson moment, and let your nose
fall while you give some crazy explanation on the alchemist.
Also Happy Thanksgiving in Advance
Come back soon.
P.s: I found out today that there's only female cows o_o
P.S: ANYONE READING THIS; TALENT SHOW, TUESDAY DECEMBER 2ND
P.S: and yes miss. gayol i use your blog spot for promotional purposes
The BJ'S :D
I love you Miss G you totally rock!
:] Jocelyn says your questions are funny.
Stephanie says, "I hope your surgery went well"
Jocelyn says, "Dont trip and fall on your nose"
:[ That was pretty mean lol,
I hope you get better soon and have a HAPPY THANKGIVING!
Love always,
The BJ'S [Bianca, Jocelyn, Stephanie]
:D Don't think wrong now!
:] Jocelyn says your questions are funny.
Stephanie says, "I hope your surgery went well"
Jocelyn says, "Dont trip and fall on your nose"
:[ That was pretty mean lol,
I hope you get better soon and have a HAPPY THANKGIVING!
Love always,
The BJ'S [Bianca, Jocelyn, Stephanie]
:D Don't think wrong now!
Monday, November 24, 2008
Pre-Hospital Jitters..yeesh
My Bambis' As I prepare to go into surgery in a mere couple of hours.....Can't leave you without stuff to think about ;) I invite you to start reading through the Alchemist. It is truly an amazing book..I think it will truly change many of your lives after you read it. I want you to begin your journey by studying the concept of "your personal legend" Below you will find resources straight from the "mouth of the lion" the author Paulo Coelho.
Following your personal legend
Published
by
Paulo Coelho
on November 12, 2008
in Stories. Print
Paulo Coelho
When Joseph Campbell, today’s most famous scholar of mythology (and author of the excellent “The Power of Myth”) created the expression “follow your blessing,” he was reflecting an idea that seems to be very appropriate right now. In “The Alchemist,” this same idea is called “Personal Legend.”
Alan Cohen, a therapist who lives in Hawaii, is also working on this theme. He says that in his lectures he asks those who are dissatisfied with their work and seventy-five percent of the audience raise their hands. Cohen has created a system of twelve steps to help people to rediscover their “blessing” (he is a follower of Campbell):
1] Tell yourself the truth: draw two columns on a sheet of paper and in the left column write down what you would love to do. Then write down on the other side everything you’re doing without any enthusiasm. Write as if nobody were ever going to read what is there, don’t censure or judge your answers.
2] Start slowly, but start: call your travel agent, look for something that fits your budget; go and see the movie that you’ve been putting off; buy the book that you’ve been wanting to buy. Be generous to yourself and you’ll see that even these small steps will make you feel more alive.
3] Stop slowly, but stop: some things use up all your energy. Do you really need to go that committee meeting? Do you need to help those who do not want to be helped? Does your boss have the right to demand that in addition to your work you have to go to all the same parties that he goes to? When you stop doing what you’re not interested in doing, you’ll realize that you were making more demands of yourself than others were really asking.
4] Discover your small talents: what do your friends tell you that you do well? What do you do with relish, even if it’s not perfectly well done? These small talents are hidden messages of your large occult talents.
5] Begin to choose: if something gives you pleasure, don’t hesitate. If you’re in doubt, close your eyes, imagine that you’ve made decision A and see all that it will bring you. Now do the same with decision B. The decision that makes you feel more connected to life is the right one - even if it’s not the easiest to make.
6] Don’t base your decisions on financial gain: the gain will come if you really do it with enthusiasm. The same vase, made by a potter who loves what he does and by a man who hates his job, has a soul. It will be quickly sold (in the first case) or will stay on the shelves (in the second case).
7] Follow your intuition: the most interesting work is the one where you allow yourself to be creative. Einstein said: “I did not reach my understanding of the Universe using just mathematics.” Descartes, the father of logic, developed his method based on a dream he had.
8] Don’t be afraid to change your mind: if you put a decision aside and this bothers you, think again about what you chose. Don’t struggle against what gives you pleasure.
9] Learn how to rest: one day a week without thinking about work lets the subconscious help you, and many problems (but not all) are solved without any help from reason.
10] Let things show you a happier path: if you are struggling too much for something, without any results appearing, be more flexible and follow the paths that life offers. This does not mean giving up the struggle, growing lazy or leaving things in the hands of others - it means understanding that work with love brings us strength, never despair.
11] Read the signs: this is an individual language joined to intuition that appears at the right moments. Even if the signs point in the opposite direction from what you planned, follow them. Sometimes you can go wrong, but this is the best way to learn this new language.
12] Finally, take risks! the men who have changed the world set out on their paths through an act of faith. Believe in the force of your dreams. God is fair, He wouldn’t put in your heart a desire that couldn’t come true.
I want you all to start a journey in which you will explore this personal legend of yours....start by answering and journaling the above questions :) Love You All! Miss G The Rhino!
Following your personal legend
Published
by
Paulo Coelho
on November 12, 2008
in Stories. Print
Paulo Coelho
When Joseph Campbell, today’s most famous scholar of mythology (and author of the excellent “The Power of Myth”) created the expression “follow your blessing,” he was reflecting an idea that seems to be very appropriate right now. In “The Alchemist,” this same idea is called “Personal Legend.”
Alan Cohen, a therapist who lives in Hawaii, is also working on this theme. He says that in his lectures he asks those who are dissatisfied with their work and seventy-five percent of the audience raise their hands. Cohen has created a system of twelve steps to help people to rediscover their “blessing” (he is a follower of Campbell):
1] Tell yourself the truth: draw two columns on a sheet of paper and in the left column write down what you would love to do. Then write down on the other side everything you’re doing without any enthusiasm. Write as if nobody were ever going to read what is there, don’t censure or judge your answers.
2] Start slowly, but start: call your travel agent, look for something that fits your budget; go and see the movie that you’ve been putting off; buy the book that you’ve been wanting to buy. Be generous to yourself and you’ll see that even these small steps will make you feel more alive.
3] Stop slowly, but stop: some things use up all your energy. Do you really need to go that committee meeting? Do you need to help those who do not want to be helped? Does your boss have the right to demand that in addition to your work you have to go to all the same parties that he goes to? When you stop doing what you’re not interested in doing, you’ll realize that you were making more demands of yourself than others were really asking.
4] Discover your small talents: what do your friends tell you that you do well? What do you do with relish, even if it’s not perfectly well done? These small talents are hidden messages of your large occult talents.
5] Begin to choose: if something gives you pleasure, don’t hesitate. If you’re in doubt, close your eyes, imagine that you’ve made decision A and see all that it will bring you. Now do the same with decision B. The decision that makes you feel more connected to life is the right one - even if it’s not the easiest to make.
6] Don’t base your decisions on financial gain: the gain will come if you really do it with enthusiasm. The same vase, made by a potter who loves what he does and by a man who hates his job, has a soul. It will be quickly sold (in the first case) or will stay on the shelves (in the second case).
7] Follow your intuition: the most interesting work is the one where you allow yourself to be creative. Einstein said: “I did not reach my understanding of the Universe using just mathematics.” Descartes, the father of logic, developed his method based on a dream he had.
8] Don’t be afraid to change your mind: if you put a decision aside and this bothers you, think again about what you chose. Don’t struggle against what gives you pleasure.
9] Learn how to rest: one day a week without thinking about work lets the subconscious help you, and many problems (but not all) are solved without any help from reason.
10] Let things show you a happier path: if you are struggling too much for something, without any results appearing, be more flexible and follow the paths that life offers. This does not mean giving up the struggle, growing lazy or leaving things in the hands of others - it means understanding that work with love brings us strength, never despair.
11] Read the signs: this is an individual language joined to intuition that appears at the right moments. Even if the signs point in the opposite direction from what you planned, follow them. Sometimes you can go wrong, but this is the best way to learn this new language.
12] Finally, take risks! the men who have changed the world set out on their paths through an act of faith. Believe in the force of your dreams. God is fair, He wouldn’t put in your heart a desire that couldn’t come true.
I want you all to start a journey in which you will explore this personal legend of yours....start by answering and journaling the above questions :) Love You All! Miss G The Rhino!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
ENGLISH II REGULAR
As promised my regular Bambis'
Please answer the following questions out of the 31 listed below
1,2,5,8,13,14,16,18,22,23,26,29,30,31
Good Luck w/ ANTI=GONE
Love
The Emochicken
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
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Saturday, November 15, 2008
Oedipus & Antigone
My Bambis',
I am beyond impressed with the hard work and dedication you all have put into your video presentations. We will continue to have projects like this one throughout the year. I will also teach you guys how to edit your own videos. Special shout outs to Vanessa (Your editing mastery blew me away along with your performance) Topenga you have a h---e---a---r---t. Chris would not expect any less from master actor. Jeremy, Afro, and Franky, I can never look at Athena,Hera,and Aphrodite the same way. Richard you and Fifi need to consider a career in theatre. Jessire Thank You for coming out of your shell! Carlos your loved your video and the fact you helped your best friend ahem Carlos save his grade! Overall I was very impressed! All were great efforts. Now back to digging into the text. To follow you will find study questions, which we will utilize for discussion in class as we wrap up Mythology. Take some time to answer them thoughtfully. Your test will be 10 questions that I will pull from these. Please get started asap have at least the first half done by our next class meeting either Monday or Tuesday. It will be due on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. Your test will be on that same day, so it should be fresh in your mind : )
PS!! Vocabulary is DUE next class!
STUDY QUESTIONS ANTIGONE (Or like you guys say Anti-Gone!)
Setting: The drama begins at dawn, after a night in which there has been a war in Thebes between armies led by the two sons of Oedipus. Keep in mind that the Greek theater was in the open air, and that the first performances of the day would begin at daybreak. Thus, imagine that the time of day of the setting would be identical to the performance time.
1-116 As you read the first scene, consider the gravity of the city's condition and how aware Antigone seems of it.
1. Throughout the play, Antigone and Creon will talk much about friends and enemies. Think about what each means by these terms. In general, Antigone and Creon tend to use the same words but mean different things by them. For example, consider Antigone's reference to being a "traitor" (57). This is a political term; does Antigone mean a traitor to the city, or to something else? Compare with Creon at 2580.
2. Why does Antigone assume that Creon's order is directed against her and Ismene? When Creon appears later, consider whether his conduct and language in fact supports her assumption.
3.Do you sympathize at all with Ismene's caution? Does Antigone treat her fairly?
4. Why is Antigone so concerned with glory (113)? Should she be?
5. How old do you think Antigone is? How is this significant?
117-78 6. After the initial dialogue the Chorus emerges for their first choral ode (stasimon), which concerns the previous night's battle. Contrast the picture of Polynices drawn there with Antigone's earlier discussion of her brother; does your opinion of h im, and of Antigone's position, change at all?
7. The chorus evokes Dionysus (171), the first of several times this god is mentioned. Why should the chorus call upon Dionysus? Look up Dionysus to answer this question.
179-376 8.Creon enters. It is very important that you do not project Creon's later conduct back into his first speech. Read this speech carefully, consider his values and beliefs, and ask yourself whether there is anything wrong with his principles, whether in Greek terms or your own. Later, compare Creon's subsequent actions with the principles he articulates here.
9. Throughout this scene, pay close attention to the assumptions Creon makes about gender.
When Creon talks about the gods and the law (317ff), is he talking about the same types of gods as Antigone does?
377-416 10.Second stasimon, perhaps the most famous choral ode in Greek tragedy. What image of man does this ode present? In this vision, what is human greatness? What are the limits of human ability and action? When can a daring man get into trouble?
11. Choral odes often generalize a given problem specific to the play's action into a statement about human life as a whole. Is that the case here? If so, then is the chorus alluding to Antigone, or to Creon, or to both?
417-655 12. Why is Creon so surprised when the Sentry brings in Antigone?
13. Antigone is compared to a mother bird (471ff), not the last time she is referred to as maternal in this play. Is there anything strange or ironic about Antigone being represented as a mother?
14. Antigone's defense to Creon (499-524) is very important, so read it carefully.
Ismene defends Antigone and asks Creon how he could kill his own son's bride (641). Has there been any reference to this relationship before?
656-700 15.Contrast this stasimon with the previous one. Is this ode's thought and tone similar or different? What, if anything, has changed?
701-878 16.Compare the Creon in this scene with the one who first entered the play. Has he changed at all in language or conduct?
17. To what does Haemon appeal in his attempt to save Antigone?
Does Haemon threaten his father, as Creon thinks (842)?
18. Why does Creon chose the particular method of execution that he does (870-8)? What does it say about him?
879-94 19. The ancient Greeks had two words for "love"; philia, meaning something like "friendship", and eros, which has more to do with passion. When the chorus talks about "love" in the ode, which of the two do they mean? And why is the chorus generalizing about love here?
895-1034 20. Note the chorus' reference to Antigone's "bridal vault" (899). What do they mean by referring to a wedding chamber? This will be an important image in the last part of the play. Antigone becomes a "Bride of Death" (or "Bride of Hades"). To understand the importance of this metaphor, you might benefit from reading the Hymn to Demeter, which tells the story of Demeter and Persephone. Strangely, the maternal imagery continues with Antigone as well, as she tries to compare herself with Niobe (915). After reading about Niobe, consider what Antigone does and does not share with that mythical figure..
21.How would you characterize the chorus' exchange with Antigone here?
22.Consider Antigone's speech which begins at line 978. Is this speech consistent with what she has argued before?
23.Is Antigone's faith in the gods wavering here?
1035-89 24.Consider what these myths have in common with each other, and with the story of the play at this point.
1090-1237 25.What does the failure of Tiresias' sacrifice have to do with Polynices and Antigone?
26. What, specifically, in Tiresias' warnings leads Creon to change his mind?
1238-72 27.Why does the chorus call on Dionysus in this ode?
1273-End 28.Why does Antigone chose to commit suicide? Does it suggest her mother's death, or is there an important difference?
29.Creon's wife is only on stage momentarily, yet she plays a key role in Creon's disaster. What does her suicide mean to him?
30.Is Creon a tragic figure? Do you feel sympathy for him at the end as someone who initially tried to do good yet was overwhelmed by circumstance, or do you believe that he is a bullying, misogynistic control-freak who gets what he deserves? Try to compe up with arguments for both sides. Could the play have been called Creon, instead?
31. Conversely, what, specifically, makes Antigone a tragic figure? Think about what, exactly, you mean by such words as "tragedy" and "tragic".
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LINKS TO STUDY GUIDES To supplement your reading:
http://www.pinkmonkey.com/index2.asp PINKMONKEY
http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/LitNote/Oedipus-Trilogy.id-100.html CLIFFSNOTES
E-Text of Antigone
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/31/31-h/31-h.htm#antigone
This is the more traditional translation....now that we have read the simplified version in class, you can decipher the content of the more advanced interpretation.
Try putting it into your own words if you are still confused
Good Luck!!!
Any questions email me :)
Monday, November 10, 2008
Friday, November 7, 2008
Friday, October 31, 2008
The Grammar Blue Book
Here is a link to the fabulous Grammar Blue Book! start perusing through it..we will be using it A BUNCH!!! Love my little Bambis' !
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
The Medea Golden Fleece Handout
Alright Bambiliciousness, here we go the assignment due on Monday for 5th and Wednesday for 2nd: All the link Medea Questions,Powerpoint, and handout questions are due. We will discuss them in class so I can rest assured that the info is infused into your lovely "three legged hamsters" Much Love the Miss G-anator.
Define the following:
Vocabulary
abashed –
brazen –
defiled –
implored –
libation –
parched –
peerless –
prowess –
shod –
sovereign –
usurper –
Review Questions/Topics
1.What is the Golden Fleece?
2.Who is Pelias? Why is he worried about a "one-sandaled " stranger?
3.Why does Jason seek the Golden Fleece? Who helps him in his quest?
4.What are three adventures he has along the way?
5.How does the King of Colchis treat Jason when he arrives? What tests does he put Jason through?
6.How does Medea figure in these events?
7.What happens to Pelias after Jason returns with the Golden Fleece?
What does Jason do to Medea at the end?
Define the following:
Vocabulary
abashed –
brazen –
defiled –
implored –
libation –
parched –
peerless –
prowess –
shod –
sovereign –
usurper –
Review Questions/Topics
1.What is the Golden Fleece?
2.Who is Pelias? Why is he worried about a "one-sandaled " stranger?
3.Why does Jason seek the Golden Fleece? Who helps him in his quest?
4.What are three adventures he has along the way?
5.How does the King of Colchis treat Jason when he arrives? What tests does he put Jason through?
6.How does Medea figure in these events?
7.What happens to Pelias after Jason returns with the Golden Fleece?
What does Jason do to Medea at the end?
The Powerpoint Questions
Out of the kindness of my heart..for those of you who may have missed a few questions....
• What two tasks does Aietes give to Jason in return for the fleece?
• What third task or challenge must he finally face?
• In what three ways did Medea help Jason accomplish these tasks?
• What did Jason promise in return?
Symplegades, the Clashing Rocks: what sign of safety did they need? What does that recall?
• Describe Jason’s attitude toward Medea when he first appears and in his ‘opening argument’ to her.
• Notice the technical legal niceties: he does have a legitimate argument on some points.
• Who arrives, by great coincidence, just at this point? Where has he been, where is he going, and what will be the outcome?
• What favor does Medea wheedle out of him? What offer does she make him?
• What one condition does he set on his offer?
• Now: what horrifying plans does Medea make?
• In your own words, how does Medea now manipulate Jason?
• What favor does she ask of him, and how will she use Glauce in this?
• Chorus-Medea-Chorus
• Enter … the Messenger!
• What are the gory details?
• Now, inside the house …
• Why has Jason now come?
• How is his speech a praise of Greece?
• What last request does he make of her??
• Is Medea a Bond Girl?Does she have the qualifications?What makes this traditional story element so interesting?
• What’s happened to Jason’s family since he’s been gone?
• Tyrants, be careful: when you send a hero on a deadly mission, he might in fact return and he won’t be the same kid you sent away …
• What two tasks does Aietes give to Jason in return for the fleece?
• What third task or challenge must he finally face?
• In what three ways did Medea help Jason accomplish these tasks?
• What did Jason promise in return?
Symplegades, the Clashing Rocks: what sign of safety did they need? What does that recall?
• Describe Jason’s attitude toward Medea when he first appears and in his ‘opening argument’ to her.
• Notice the technical legal niceties: he does have a legitimate argument on some points.
• Who arrives, by great coincidence, just at this point? Where has he been, where is he going, and what will be the outcome?
• What favor does Medea wheedle out of him? What offer does she make him?
• What one condition does he set on his offer?
• Now: what horrifying plans does Medea make?
• In your own words, how does Medea now manipulate Jason?
• What favor does she ask of him, and how will she use Glauce in this?
• Chorus-Medea-Chorus
• Enter … the Messenger!
• What are the gory details?
• Now, inside the house …
• Why has Jason now come?
• How is his speech a praise of Greece?
• What last request does he make of her??
• Is Medea a Bond Girl?Does she have the qualifications?What makes this traditional story element so interesting?
• What’s happened to Jason’s family since he’s been gone?
• Tyrants, be careful: when you send a hero on a deadly mission, he might in fact return and he won’t be the same kid you sent away …
Monday, October 27, 2008
The Trojan War (A synopsis)
This story is written by Homer and Aeschylus.
A thousand years ago before Christ, there was a great city that was rich and powerful and was second to none. It's fame comes from a great war due to a dispute between three jealous goddesses.
Everything started when the goddess of Discord, Eris was not invited to the wedding of King Peleus and Thetis. Eris threw a golden apple marked "For the Fairest" into the wedding. All the goddess wanted the Apple but the choices were narrowed down to three, Aphrodite, Hera, and Athena. They asked Zeus to judge but he refused. Instead he told them to go to Paris who Zeus claimed was a excellent judge of beauty.
As the goddesses descended upon Paris, they all offered him bribes. But Paris decided to give the apple to Aphrodite. This act was the Judgement of Paris, the reason why the Trojan War was fought.
For choosing Aphrodite, Paris was given the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen. Paris went to Sparta to pick up Helen. But Helen was married to King Menelaus. Somehow, Paris took Helen back to Troy and when Menelaus found out about this, he decided to attack Troy.
The Greeks gathered a huge army at Aulis under the direction of Menelaus and his brother Agamemnon, who became the Commander in Chief. Both Achilles and Odysseus originally didn't want to go but both were eventually persuaded to going with the rest of the Greeks. But the winds prevented the fleet from leaving. After speaking to the prophet Calchas, they had to sacrifice Iphigenia, the daughter of Agamemnon, to appease Artemis who was causing these winds to blow.
When the Greeks finally left Aulis, they left Philoctetes on Lemnos because he was wounded. But he would become an important factor as the Greeks needed the bow and arrows of Hercules in Philoctetes possession.
The first Greek to leap onto Trojan soil from the ships was Protesilaus. He also became the first to die as he was struck down by Hector. Protesilaus' wife Laodamia was so distraught with grief that Hermes brought him back to life for a few hours. But when her husband had to return to the realm of Hades, Laodamia killed herself.
The war continued for nine years without much change. Then in the tenth year in dispute between Achilles and Agamemnon nearly threw to balance in favor of the Trojans. Agamemnon took Chryseis, a daughter of Apollo's priest. Her father heard of this and begged for her return but Agamemnon refused to release her. Upon hearing about this, Apollo shot fiery arrows at the Greek Army, killing many Greeks.
Achilles wanted to appease Apollo. Then the prophet Calchas said that the only solution was to return Chryseis. At this point, Agamemnon complied, but not before taking Achilles' maiden, Briseis. When this happened, Achilles refused to fight anymore.
Patroclus, a great friend of Achilles, had a plan to relieve the pressure off the Greeks. He wanted to use Achilles' armor to scare the Trojans off. The plan worked until Patroclus ran into Hector. Despite having Achilles' armor, the Trojan hero was able to kill him.
When Achilles found out about the death of his great friend, he wanted to avenge his death. He went to Hephaestus to get new armor, then he rejoined the battle to avenge the death of Patroclus by killing Hector.
After killing Hector, Achilles knew that his death was near. Achilles was vulnerable only in one place; his heel. Paris killed Achilles with an arrow guided by Apollo. After the death of Achilles, both Odysseus and Ajax wanted the armor of Achilles. The Greeks decided that Odysseus would receive the armor, causing Ajax to go mad and kill a flock of sheep. As he regained his sanity, he realized what he had done and he killed himself.
Philoctetes, having been healed of his wounds, came back to fight with the Greeks. He killed Paris with Hercules' arrows.
But in order to defeat Troy, the Greeks had to get into the city. Odysseus thought of a plan to make a hollow horse with soldiers inside. The rest of the Greeks would sail behind the nearest island, making it appear like they had given up. Only one Greek, Sinon, remained behind to tell the Trojans that the horse was an offering of Athena and it needed to be inside the walls of Troy.
Laocoon tried to remind the Trojans of the treachery and deceit of the Greeks. As he finished two serpents crushed the life out of Laocoon. The Trojans told this as a sign from the gods and quickly dragged the horse into the city.
The Trojans, thinking they had won, partied through the night. But then Sinon released the Greeks within the horse and they let in the soldiers who had just sailed back. They ransacked Troy. By the time the Trojans were awake, Troy was already burning. Slowly, the defenses of Troy broke down. By morning Troy, once the proudest city in Asia, was in ruins. The Greeks had finally won.
A thousand years ago before Christ, there was a great city that was rich and powerful and was second to none. It's fame comes from a great war due to a dispute between three jealous goddesses.
Everything started when the goddess of Discord, Eris was not invited to the wedding of King Peleus and Thetis. Eris threw a golden apple marked "For the Fairest" into the wedding. All the goddess wanted the Apple but the choices were narrowed down to three, Aphrodite, Hera, and Athena. They asked Zeus to judge but he refused. Instead he told them to go to Paris who Zeus claimed was a excellent judge of beauty.
As the goddesses descended upon Paris, they all offered him bribes. But Paris decided to give the apple to Aphrodite. This act was the Judgement of Paris, the reason why the Trojan War was fought.
For choosing Aphrodite, Paris was given the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen. Paris went to Sparta to pick up Helen. But Helen was married to King Menelaus. Somehow, Paris took Helen back to Troy and when Menelaus found out about this, he decided to attack Troy.
The Greeks gathered a huge army at Aulis under the direction of Menelaus and his brother Agamemnon, who became the Commander in Chief. Both Achilles and Odysseus originally didn't want to go but both were eventually persuaded to going with the rest of the Greeks. But the winds prevented the fleet from leaving. After speaking to the prophet Calchas, they had to sacrifice Iphigenia, the daughter of Agamemnon, to appease Artemis who was causing these winds to blow.
When the Greeks finally left Aulis, they left Philoctetes on Lemnos because he was wounded. But he would become an important factor as the Greeks needed the bow and arrows of Hercules in Philoctetes possession.
The first Greek to leap onto Trojan soil from the ships was Protesilaus. He also became the first to die as he was struck down by Hector. Protesilaus' wife Laodamia was so distraught with grief that Hermes brought him back to life for a few hours. But when her husband had to return to the realm of Hades, Laodamia killed herself.
The war continued for nine years without much change. Then in the tenth year in dispute between Achilles and Agamemnon nearly threw to balance in favor of the Trojans. Agamemnon took Chryseis, a daughter of Apollo's priest. Her father heard of this and begged for her return but Agamemnon refused to release her. Upon hearing about this, Apollo shot fiery arrows at the Greek Army, killing many Greeks.
Achilles wanted to appease Apollo. Then the prophet Calchas said that the only solution was to return Chryseis. At this point, Agamemnon complied, but not before taking Achilles' maiden, Briseis. When this happened, Achilles refused to fight anymore.
Patroclus, a great friend of Achilles, had a plan to relieve the pressure off the Greeks. He wanted to use Achilles' armor to scare the Trojans off. The plan worked until Patroclus ran into Hector. Despite having Achilles' armor, the Trojan hero was able to kill him.
When Achilles found out about the death of his great friend, he wanted to avenge his death. He went to Hephaestus to get new armor, then he rejoined the battle to avenge the death of Patroclus by killing Hector.
After killing Hector, Achilles knew that his death was near. Achilles was vulnerable only in one place; his heel. Paris killed Achilles with an arrow guided by Apollo. After the death of Achilles, both Odysseus and Ajax wanted the armor of Achilles. The Greeks decided that Odysseus would receive the armor, causing Ajax to go mad and kill a flock of sheep. As he regained his sanity, he realized what he had done and he killed himself.
Philoctetes, having been healed of his wounds, came back to fight with the Greeks. He killed Paris with Hercules' arrows.
But in order to defeat Troy, the Greeks had to get into the city. Odysseus thought of a plan to make a hollow horse with soldiers inside. The rest of the Greeks would sail behind the nearest island, making it appear like they had given up. Only one Greek, Sinon, remained behind to tell the Trojans that the horse was an offering of Athena and it needed to be inside the walls of Troy.
Laocoon tried to remind the Trojans of the treachery and deceit of the Greeks. As he finished two serpents crushed the life out of Laocoon. The Trojans told this as a sign from the gods and quickly dragged the horse into the city.
The Trojans, thinking they had won, partied through the night. But then Sinon released the Greeks within the horse and they let in the soldiers who had just sailed back. They ransacked Troy. By the time the Trojans were awake, Troy was already burning. Slowly, the defenses of Troy broke down. By morning Troy, once the proudest city in Asia, was in ruins. The Greeks had finally won.
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