What should I do if I have to read the Iliad over the summer but I don't understand it at all?

Answer 1

Because pictures often speak louder than words, please "see" the short (2 minutes, 25 seconds) video that my American Heritage School students and their Video Production instructor produced. Just GOOGLE: "YouTube, ReadMate Commercial"

I’d like to trade questions with you. OK?

·      Have you ever been on a blind date?

·      Do you know of anyone who has ever enjoyed a blind date?

·      Do you know why most people say their blind dates were disappointing?

Most people have similarly bad experiences with both blind dates and their reading of the Iliad.

Why?

Because they prepare for both experiences in the same way…they don’t prepare!

QUESTIONS:

1. Would it be “cheating” if you asked the friend or relative, who set-up the blind date, to tell you about the person you are being set-up with, before the date?
2. Assuming that you can trust your fiend or relative, would you probably have a better time if learned all you can about your date, before the date?
3. How could you familiarize yourself with your date, before the date?
4. Would checking your date out on social media be cheating?
5. Would asking your friend or relative question about your date be cheating?
6. Would it be cheating to arrange a phone call or text messages with your date, before the date?
7. Would you be cheating if you asked your date questions, via text messaging, so you could be prepared with questions that could keep the conversation fun and moving during the date?
8. If you were well prepared for your blind date, would you probably have a better experience?

Then why would it be cheating to do all you can to familiarize with the Iliad, and every book you are required to read, before and while you read it?

1. Would it be cheating to read the CLIFF NOTES, or the SPARK NOTES, before and while you are reading the Iliad or any other book you are required to read?
2. Would it be helpful to watch the movie, if one is available, or would that be cheating?
3. What other helps are available to you, via the Internet?

Practical EXAMPLE:

Several years ago, I first saw the movie, THE LAST STAR FIGHTER, which is the story of an apparently average earthling who is recruited (via an arcade-type video game), to save the galaxy.

A high school student, the part-time handyman for the trailer park, wins the game, and within a few hours a “changeling”, named Centauri (played by Robert Preston, who also played Professor Robert Hill, in the Broadway and film versions of THE MUSIC MAN) arrives, in a space vehicle that morphs into a hot DELOEAN sports car, and Centauri morphs into an earthling.

Centauri walks up to Alex and starts asking for the winner of the game, Alex Rogan, by name (players were required to enter their names, into the game, to play the game). Centauri, asks the young man (played by Lance Guest), “Are you Alex Rogan?”

Alex responds, “Why do you want to know?”

Challenging Alex, Centauri answers, “Well, I think you are Alex Rogan, and I know a lot about you.”

Centauri goes on, says “I know you are a lot smarter than you let on. I know you shake your Christmas presents, until you know what’s inside, before they’re opened. And I know you read the last chapter of every book, first, before you start reading the book!’

Did Centauri accusing Ales of being a cheat, or was Centauri complementing Ales, for doing what “smarter” people do?

If you want to have a normal Blind Date Experience, with the Iliad, then just begin reading, now! However, if you are smarter, like Alex, and if you want to have good dating experience with you reading of the the Iliad, try doing what Alex Rogan would do.

Alex saved the galaxy…what are you going to do?