Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the text throughout your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Serpents are a significant symbol in Norse Mythology.

• What figurative idea do the literal serpents stand for? (topic sentence)
• Offer evidence from at least three stories supporting your interpretation of this symbol.
• In your concluding sentences, connect your analysis of this symbol to the text’s themes of The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy and the Inevitability of Fate and The Bound Monster.

2. Prophecy plays an important role in Norse Mythology.

• What message is conveyed in this text by events concerning prophecy? (topic sentence)
• Offer evidence from at least three stories supporting your interpretation of the meaning of prophecy.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show how messages about prophecy support the text’s concern with The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy and the Inevitability of Fate, The Bound Monster, and Sacrifice.