10 Department of Education-Region III

TARLAC CITY SCHOOLS DIVISION

Juan Luna St., Sto. Cristo, Tarlac City 2300
Email address: [email protected]/ Tel. No. (045) 470 - 8180

English
Quarter 1: Week 3
Learning Activity Sheets
 ENGLISH 10
Name of Learner: Grade Level: 10 Q1-WEEK 3
Section: Date :

PLOT, SETTING, AND CHARACTERIZATION

Background Information:
Reading is the process wherein the readers grasp the meaning through the information
presented in the written text. Reading skill requires the ability to understand the written text.
The reader must not just read the text, but also, must understand and comprehend the text
well. Stories, myths, novels, and poems are some of the written texts that a grade 10 student
must study. Since English 10 focuses on World Literature, the student must be able to
understand the literary pieces (Tadesse, 2017).
To fully understand the material read, the reader must analyze its elements, such as
the plot, setting, and characterization.

 PLOT – is the sequence of events in the story. It is made up of five (5) elements:
o Exposition – the setting and the characters are being introduced.
o Rising Action – the story becomes complicated.
o Climax – the highest or turning point of the event in the story.
o Falling Action – the conflict is being resolved.
o Resolution – the concluding or ending part.
 SETTING – it is the time and place where the story takes place. This is the part
wherein the characters are being introduced, and their appearances are being
described.
 CHARACTERIZATION – the description of the characters in the story. There
are two ways a writer conveys the information about the characters:
o Direct – the writer explicitly reveals the characterization of the
characters.
o Indirect – the reader is the one that characterizes the character through
the character’s appearance, actions, and thoughts in the story.
Refer to your English 10 Learner’s Material: Celebrating Diversity through World
Literature pages 69-71 for the copy of the story “Arachne” by Olivia Coolidge. Let’s
identify its plot, setting, and characterization.
Plot
 Exposition – Arachne was a maiden who was famous throughout Greece
because of her talent in weaving. Many people praised her for her skills.
 Rising Action – One day, an old woman heard what Arachne said. She
claimed that her skills were a match with the gods. The old woman got
mad with Arachne. The old woman was Athena, one of the goddesses.
She challenged Arachne to a weaving contest.
 Climax – Arachne’s design was a pattern of scenes that showed evil and
unworthy actions of the gods. Athena felt so insulted by the work of
Arachne.
 Falling Action – Athena turned Arachne into a spider.
 Resolution – All spiders descend from Arachne, and as the Greeks
watched them spinning thread wonderfully fine, they remembered the

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 contest with Athena and thought it was not right for even the best of men
to claim equality with gods.
Setting – Arachne was a maiden who lived in an obscure little village. She was famous
throughout Greece because of her talent and skills in weaving.
Characterization – The author explicitly characterized the characters by giving
descriptions. For example, Arachne was being described as a maiden who became
famous throughout Greece because of her talent in weaving.

Learning Competency with code :

Appraise the unity of plot, setting, and characterization in a material viewed to achieve the
writer’s purpose. (Quarter 1 Week 3 EN10VC-IVc-29)

Directions/ Instructions
Read and study the myth below. After reading the myth, answer exercises/activities A, B, and
C. Read carefully the directions indicated in the following exercises/activities.
ORPHEUS
Alice Low

(Photo Source: Edward Poynter, Orpheus, and Eurydice, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edward_Poynter_-

_Orpheus_and_Eurydice.jpg. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License)

There were nine goddesses called Muses. Born out of Zeus and a Titaness named
Mnemosyne, each muse presided over a different art or science.
Calliope, one of these sisters, was the inspiration of poets and musicians. She was
the mother of Orpheus (a mortal because his father was one) and gave her son a remarkable
musical talent.
Orpheus played his lyre so sweetly that he charmed all things on earth. Men and
women forgot their cares when gathered around him to listen. Wild beasts ay down as they
gathered around him as if they were tame, entranced by hi soothing notes. Even rocks and
trees followed him, and the rivers changed their direction to hear him play.
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 Orpheus loved a young woman named Eurydice, and when they were married, they
looked forward to many years of happiness together. But soon after, Eurydice stepped on a
poisonous snake and died.
Orpheus roamed the earth, singing sad melodies to overcome his grief. But it was no
use. He longed for Eurydice so deeply that he decided to follow her to the underworld. He
said to himself, “No mortal has ever been there before, but I must try to bring back my beloved
Eurydice. I will charm Persephone and Hades with my music and win Eurydice’s release.”
He climbed into a cave and through a dark passage that led to the underworld. When
he reached the river Styx, he plucked his lyre again, and the Cerberus, the fierce three-
headed dog who guarded the gates, heard the sweet music and lay still to let him pass.
Orpheus continued to play his lyre tenderly as he made his way through the gloomy
underworld. The ghosts cried when they hear his sad music. Sisyphus, who had been
condemned to roll a rock uphill forever, stopped his fruitless work to listen. Tantalus, who had
been sentenced to stand in a pool of receding water, stopped trying to quench his thirst. And
even the wheel to which Ixion was tied as punishment stopped turning for one moment.
At last, Orpheus came to the palace of Hades and Persephone, King and Queen of
the underworld. Before they could order him to leave, he began his gentle song, pleading for
Eurydice.
When stern Hades heard Orpheus’ song, he began to weep. Cold Persephone was
so moved that, for the first time in all her months in the underworld, her heart melted.
“Oh, please, my husband,” she said to Hades, “let Eurydice be reunited with Orpheus.”
And Hades replied, “I, too, feel the sadness of Orpheus. I cannot refuse him.”
They summoned Eurydice, and the two lovers clasped each other and turned to leave.
“Wait!” said Hades to Orpheus. “Eurydice is yours to take back to earth on one
condition.”
“What is that?” asked Orpheus.
“She must follow you, and you must not look back at her until you are on earth again.”
“I understand,” said Orpheus, “and I am forever grateful.”
Orpheus and Eurydice left the underworld and made their way through a dark passage
that led to the upper world. At last, they reached the cave through Orpheus was descended.
“I can see daylight ahead” called Orpheus to Eurydice. “We are almost there.” But
Eurydice had not heard him, and so she did not answer.
Orpheus turned to make sure that she was still following him. He caught one last
glimpse of her arms stretched out to him. And then she disappeared, swallowed by darkness,
“Farewell,” he heard her cry as she was carried back to the underworld.
Orpheus tried to follow her, but this time the gods would not allow it, And so he
wandered the earth alone. He sang his sad songs to the trees and longed for the time when
he, too, would die and be reunited with his beloved Eurydice in the underworld.
Source: Almonte, Liza R. et. al. Celebrating Diversity through World Literature 55-57, Pasig:
Department of Education, 2015.

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Exercises/Activities
A. Supply each part given the plot of the story “Orpheus.”

CLIMAX

RISING FALLING
ACTION ACTION

EXPOSITION RESOLUTION

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B. Draw the setting showing the time, place, and appearances of the characters in the story
“Orpheus” and give a brief description regarding your drawing.

WRITE YOUR DESCRIPTION INSIDE THE RECTANGLE BELOW.

C. The characters in the story were characterized directly. As the reader of the story
“Orpheus,” how would you characterize each character indirectly?

1. ORPHEUS - .

2. EURYDICE - .

3. HADES - .

4. PERSEPHONE - .

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D. Name any movie that you have already watched. Then, identify the plot, setting, and
characterize the characters. Also, answer the questions: what is the connection of the plot,
setting, and characterization to one another to achieve the writer’s target goal?, and what is
the importance of the unity of plot, setting, and characterization to achieve the writer’s target
goal?
TITLE OF THE MOVIE:
PLOT
Exposition:

Rising Action:

Climax:

Falling Action:

Resolution:

SETTING

CHARACTERS AND
THEIR
CHARACTERIZATIONS:

What is the connection of

the plot, setting, and
characterization to one
another to achieve the
writer’s target goal?
What is the importance of
the unity of plot, setting,
and characterization to
achieve the writer’s
target goal?

Reflection
Fill out the boxes below with your thoughts. Use the questions as your guide in reflecting on your
learning journey.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT
What did I learn? How do I feel about it?

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References

Almonte, Liza R. et. al. Celebrating Diversity through World Literature, 55- 57. Pasig:Department of
Education, 2015.

Tadesse, Tefera. 2017.“What is reading skill and its significance?” Last modified August 20.
https://www.researchgate.net/post/what_is_reading_skill_and_its_significance#:~:tex
t=Reading%20skill%20refers%20to%20the,following%20three%20reading%2Dcomp
rehension%20skills

Answers Key

A. Answers may vary.

Possible answers

1. Exposition – Orpheus, son of the Calliope, was gifted for a remarkable talent in music. He married a young
woman named Eurydice.

2. Rising Action – Eurydice stepped on a poisonous snake and died.

3. Climax - Orpheus went to the underworld to talk with Hades and Persephone and pleadedfor Eurydice.
4. Falling Action – Hades and Persephone summoned Eurydice. They let the two lovers to leave, but on one
condition. The condition was Orpheus must not look back until they reachthe upper world.

5. Resolution – Orpheus turned to make sure Eurydice was following him. Eurydice bid her farewell, and
disappeared and swallowed by darkness. Orpheus wandered the earth alone.

B. The drawing and descriptions may vary depending on the students’ perspectives.

C. Answers may vary

Possible answers

1. Orpheus – a very talented musician. He played the lyre. He loved his wife so much.
2. Eurydice – the wife of Orpheus and died because she stepped on a poisonous snake.
3. Hades – King of the underworld who gave a condition to Orpheus.
4. Persephone – wife of Hades whose heart was melted because of Orpheus’ song.
D. Answers may vary REFLECTION –
Answers may vary

Writer: Rose Anne S. Gonzales

Teacher I

Evaluators: Ryan S. Ligsay

Reviewed by: REYMAR D. PAGUIO PhD Jocel B. Cayanan
EPSvr-English Eugene S. Yango
CARMELA T. PEREZ
Education Program Supervisor

LILY BETH B. MALLARI

EPSvr-LRMS

ROBERT E. OSONGCO EdD

Chief, CID
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