The Emperor Jones Lesson Plan

Hubris

Kind of Activity:

Group Discussion

Objective:

Students will learn about hubris as a literary device.

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.2

Structure:

As Emperor Jones opens, the confidence held by Jones himself means that he will inevitably fail at his plot to escape the island. O'Neill is drawing from an old literary tradition by setting up his main character for such a downfall. Hubris is characterized by an extreme pride or arrogance that leads to a crushing downfall. The theatrical canon is full of examples of tragedies involving a character's hubris, and students will explore some of those examples in this activity.

In small groups, students...