25 Discussion Questions for The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (With Analysis) | Chapterly Blog
Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles retells the story of the Trojan War through the eyes of Patroclus, the companion and lover of Achilles. The Song of Achilles discussion questions invite readers to explore the nature of love between two men in the ancient world, the terrible cost of pursuing glory, and how a story thousands of years old can still break your heart. Whether you are reading this for a book club, a mythology course, or because someone told you it would make you cry, these questions are designed to help you think deeply about what the novel is really saying. The novel follows Patroclus from his childhood exile to the court of King Peleus, where he meets the golden, half-divine Achilles. Their bond deepens from friendship to love, and they are swept together into the Trojan War — a conflict that will make Achilles the greatest hero in history and destroy everything Patroclus holds dear. Miller draws from Homer's Iliad but centers the emotional truth of the story in a relationship that Homer only hinted at. These 25 questions are organized by theme. The Song of Achilles Discussion Questions: Love and Devotion Miller places love at the center...