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B2-C1

The myth of King Midas and his golden touch – Iseult Gillespie

TED-Ed

7.4M views 8 years ago

Warm-up Questions

What do you already know about King Midas and the idea of a “golden touch”?
Why do you think people call this story a “myth”?
If you could make one wish, what would you choose, and why?

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The myth of King Midas and his golden touch – Iseult Gillespie

Midas’s greed and the “golden touch” wish (00:00 – 02:02)

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1. How is King Midas described as a ruler at the beginning?

A warrior-king focused only on battles
A rogue ruler whose antics distracted the gods
Wise and fair, loved by everyone
A quiet king who avoided luxury

2. Why does Dionysus offer Midas a wish?

Because Midas built a temple
Because Midas returned stolen gold
Because Midas won a contest
Because Midas showed hospitality to one of Dionysus’s followers

3. What wish does Midas make?

To turn anything he touched to gold
To live forever
To become a god of wine
To make his kingdom larger

The myth of King Midas and his golden touch – Iseult Gillespie

The wish becomes a curse and Midas is forgiven (02:02 – 03:04)

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1. What happens when Midas tries to eat grapes?

They taste sweeter than before
They disappear from his hand
They turn into wine
They turn to metal in his mouth

2. What happens when Midas reaches out to his daughter?

He cannot touch her at all
He turns her into a golden statue
He cures her illness
He gives her a crown of gold

3. How does Midas get rid of his power?

He buries his hands in the earth
He washes his hands in the River Pactolus
He breaks all his gold objects
He apologizes to Apollo

The myth of King Midas and his golden touch – Iseult Gillespie

Midas blunders again: ass’s ears and the secret that spreads (03:04 – 05:05)

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1. Why does Apollo punish Midas?

Midas steals from Apollo’s temple
Midas turns Apollo’s statue into gold
Midas declares Pan a greater musician than Apollo
Midas refuses to honor Dionysus

2. Who is sworn to secrecy about Midas’s ears?

His barber
The people of Phrygia
Dionysus
His daughter

3. How does the secret become public?

Reeds grow and carry the whisper in the wind
The barber shouts it in the marketplace
A letter is sent to neighboring kings
Donkeys deliver the message to the city

The myth of King Midas and his golden touch – Iseult Gillespie

Transcript will load here…

1. What is one main lesson of the story of Midas’s golden touch?

Food is more valuable than gold in every situation
Wealth always brings happiness
Wishes can have unintended consequences
The gods reward insults

2. How does the myth portray Midas’s personality overall?

Brave and honorable
Greedy and prone to bad judgments
Humble and self-controlled
Careful and secretive from the start

3. Why is the barber’s secret a key part of the ending?

It explains how Midas becomes rich again
It proves that Apollo forgives Midas
It shows that some truths are hard to keep hidden
It shows that the gods stop caring about humans

Discussion Questions

Discuss the ideas from this video

The myth of King Midas and his golden touch – Iseult Gillespie

Do you think Midas’s wish was understandable, or was it clearly foolish? Why?
If you could change one decision Midas makes in the story, what would you change, and how would it affect the ending?
Why do you think myths often use extreme punishments (like turning someone to gold or giving ass’s ears) to teach lessons?
Have you ever experienced an “unintended consequence” from something you wanted? What happened?