Motive Analysis

This short-response worksheet is designed for students in Grades 7 and 8 to strengthen comprehension, ethical reasoning, and character analysis through focused study of The Aeneid. Learners examine five pivotal moments when Aeneas makes consequential decisions-such as carrying Anchises, leaving Dido, consulting the Sibyl, forming alliances, and killing Turnus-and explain the motivations behind each action, connecting personal emotion, divine command, and duty to Rome in clear, concise responses.

Learning Goals

• Character Motivation & Decision-Making (Grades 7-8)
  Students analyze why Aeneas acts as he does at key turning points in the epic.
• Cause-and-Effect Reasoning
  Learners connect actions to pressures such as pietas, fate, leadership responsibility, and personal feeling.
• Evidence-Based Short Responses
  Activities require students to justify interpretations using knowledge of the text.
• Ethical & Civic Reflection
  Students explore how duty, public good, and moral obligation influence leadership choices.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource
  Designed by educators to align with middle school ELA and world literature standards.
• Concise, Focused Format
  2-3 sentence responses promote clarity, precision, and strong argumentative focus.
• Highly Flexible Use
  Works well as a warm-up, exit ticket, discussion prompt, or graded short-response task.
• Supports Oral Reasoning
  Responses can be easily shared or discussed to reinforce speaking and listening skills.
• Printable & No-Prep
  Ready for classroom or homeschool use with minimal preparation.

This Motive Analysis worksheet helps students deepen understanding of The Aeneid by linking Aeneas’s actions to the values and pressures that shape them. By explaining motivations clearly and concisely, learners strengthen literary analysis, ethical reasoning, and evidence-based writing skills. Whether used for daily practice or assessment, this printable resource provides meaningful insight into character motivation and leadership in epic literature.

This worksheet is part of our Aeneid collection.