Comprehension Section 10 Quotes “The Bull from the Sea” Zane Lienhart Richardson English 1 Pre-IB October 5, 2014 “The Bull from the Sea” is the second part of the story of the legendary Greek hero Theseus of the city, Athens. The first part of Theseus’ life, covering his childhood and his defeat of the Minotaur in the Maze, was told in “The King Must Die”. “The Bull from the Sea” takes up the story of when Theseus returns having accomplished his goal and killed the minotaur to the city of Athens, only to find out that his father has died, (because Theseus to change the black sail of his ship to a white sail to show that he did not die during his adventure). He soon finds his adventures are only just beginning and that he has a long journey …show more content…
After deaths of Hippolyta and his son, he fell into a pit of despair and he thought lost his purpose in life . On another expedition, he suffers a stroke and needs time to recover. His men are loyal to him despite that and he is cared for as he attempts to recover. To avoid giving an opportunity to his enemies to slay him while he is weak, Theseus has his men bring word to Athens that he has traveled “down into the earth to be purified” and that he will return to wreak havoc on the enemies of Athens. This story later becomes part of the tale of when Theseus visits the underworld to find Hades. During his long, and partial recovery, Theseus reflects on his past actions, imagining how his life may have been different if he had not gone roaming and met Hippolyta or if his son had not been accused while Theseus was suffering from the earthquake sickness. In the end he seems to conclude that fate and character are intertwined and that one cannot avoid one's destiny. Eventually, he recovers enough to go back to Athens where he learns that the leaders presiding during his absence have ruined many of his achievements, and that his kingdom has been brought to its knees and flung into disarray. Despairing, he leaves Athens believing that his legacy has been ruined. In the last chapter of the book while touring with the King Lykomedes, the king of Skyros, he sees the young Achilles, who has been hidden