2025 OCR A Level Classical Civilisation H408/11 The World of the Hero
Combined Question Paper & Final Marking Scheme
Oxford Cambridge and RSA
Tuesday 13 May 2025 – Afternoon
A Level Classical Civilisation
H408/11 The World of the Hero
Time allowed: 2 hours 30 minutes
You must have:
• the OCR 12-page Answer Booklet
INSTRUCTIONS
• Use black ink.
• Write your answer to each question in the Answer Booklet. The question numbers must
be clearly shown.
• Fill in the boxes on the front of the Answer Booklet.
• This question paper has three sections:
Section A – Homer: Answer either all the questions on Iliad or all the questions on
Odyssey.
Section B – Virgil: Answer all the questions.
Section C – Homer and Virgil: Answer Question 7 and one question from Questions 8, 9
and 10.
INFORMATION
• The total mark for this paper is 100.
• The marks for each question are shown in brackets [ ].
• Quality of extended response will be assessed in questions marked with an asterisk (*).
• This document has 8 pages.
ADVICE
• Read each question carefully before you start your answer.
, © OCR 2025 [603/0726/2] OCR is an exempt Charity
DC (PQ) 354627/2 Turn over
*1881597106*
, 2
Section A: Homer
Answer all the questions on the text you have studied.
Homer’s Iliad
Choose one translation of the Iliad and answer the questions.
Passage A
Homer, Iliad, 22.300–333
‘Evil death is no longer far away; it is staring me in the face and there is no escape. Zeus
and his Archer son must long have been resolved on this, for all their earlier goodwill and
help.
‘So now my destiny confronts me. Let me at least sell my life dearly and not without glory,
after some great deed for future generations to hear of.’ 5
With these words Hector drew the sharp, long, heavy sword hanging down at his side.
He gathered himself and swooped like a high-flying eagle that drops to earth through black
clouds to pounce on a tender lamb or cowering hare. So Hector swooped, brandishing his
sharp sword.
Achilles sprang to meet him, his heart filled with savage determination. He kept his chest 10
covered with his fine, ornate shield; his glittering helmet with its four plates nodded, and
above it danced the lovely plumes that Hephaestus had lavished on the crest. Like a star
moving with others through the night, Hesperus, the loveliest star set in the skies - such was
the gleam from his spear’s sharp point as he weighed it in his right hand with murder in his
heart for godlike Hector, searching that handsome body for its most vulnerable spot. 15
Hector’s body was completely covered by the fine bronze armour he had taken from great
Patroclus when he killed him, except for the flesh that could be seen at the windpipe, where
the collar bones hold the neck from the shoulders, the easiest place to kill a man. As Hector
charged him, godlike Achilles drove at the spot with his spear, and the point went through
Hector’s soft neck, though the heavy bronze head did not cut his windpipe and left him still 20
able to speak. Hector crashed in the dust, and godlike Achilles triumphed over him:
‘Hector, no doubt you imagined, as you stripped Patroclus, that you would be safe. You
never thought of me.’
Translation: E.V. Rieu
© OCR 2025 H408/11 Jun25
, 3
OR
‘An evil fate’s upon me, Death is no longer far away, and him there is no escaping. Zeus,
and his son, the Far-Striker, decided all this long ago, they who were once eager to defend
me, and destiny now overtakes me. But let me not die without a fight, without true glory,
without some deed that men unborn may hear.’
With this, he [Hector] drew the sharp blade at his side, a powerful long-sword, and gathering 5
his limbs together swooped like a high-soaring eagle that falls to earth from the dark clouds
to seize a sick lamb or a cowering hare. So Hector swooped, brandishing his keen blade.
Achilles ran to meet him heart filled with savage power, covering his chest with his great,
skilfully worked shield, while above his gleaming helm with its four ridges waved the golden
plumes Hephaestus placed thickly at its crest. Bright as the Evening Star that floats among 10
the midnight constellations, set there the loveliest jewel in the sky, gleamed the tip of
Achilles’ sharp spear brandished in his right hand, as he sought to work evil on noble Hector,
searching for the likeliest place to land a blow on his fair flesh.
Now, the fine bronze armour he stripped from mighty Patroclus when he killed him covered
all Hector’s flesh except for one opening at the throat, where the collarbones knit neck and 15
shoulders, and violent death may come most swiftly. There, as Hector charged at him, noble
Achilles aimed his ash spear, and drove its heavy bronze blade clean through the tender
neck, though without cutting the windpipe or robbing Hector of the power of speech. Hector
fell in the dust and Achilles shouted out in triumph: ‘While you were despoiling Patroclus, no
doubt, in your folly, you thought yourself quite safe.’ 20
Translation: A.S. Kline
1 Explain how far you think Achilles is shown to be admirable in Passage A.
Use references to the passage to support your answer. [10]
2* ‘Evil death.’ Evaluate whether you think this is a fair description of the way death is
presented in the Iliad.
You may use Passage A as a starting point, and your knowledge of the Iliad in your answer. [20]
© OCR 2025 H408/11 Jun25 Turn over
Combined Question Paper & Final Marking Scheme
Oxford Cambridge and RSA
Tuesday 13 May 2025 – Afternoon
A Level Classical Civilisation
H408/11 The World of the Hero
Time allowed: 2 hours 30 minutes
You must have:
• the OCR 12-page Answer Booklet
INSTRUCTIONS
• Use black ink.
• Write your answer to each question in the Answer Booklet. The question numbers must
be clearly shown.
• Fill in the boxes on the front of the Answer Booklet.
• This question paper has three sections:
Section A – Homer: Answer either all the questions on Iliad or all the questions on
Odyssey.
Section B – Virgil: Answer all the questions.
Section C – Homer and Virgil: Answer Question 7 and one question from Questions 8, 9
and 10.
INFORMATION
• The total mark for this paper is 100.
• The marks for each question are shown in brackets [ ].
• Quality of extended response will be assessed in questions marked with an asterisk (*).
• This document has 8 pages.
ADVICE
• Read each question carefully before you start your answer.
, © OCR 2025 [603/0726/2] OCR is an exempt Charity
DC (PQ) 354627/2 Turn over
*1881597106*
, 2
Section A: Homer
Answer all the questions on the text you have studied.
Homer’s Iliad
Choose one translation of the Iliad and answer the questions.
Passage A
Homer, Iliad, 22.300–333
‘Evil death is no longer far away; it is staring me in the face and there is no escape. Zeus
and his Archer son must long have been resolved on this, for all their earlier goodwill and
help.
‘So now my destiny confronts me. Let me at least sell my life dearly and not without glory,
after some great deed for future generations to hear of.’ 5
With these words Hector drew the sharp, long, heavy sword hanging down at his side.
He gathered himself and swooped like a high-flying eagle that drops to earth through black
clouds to pounce on a tender lamb or cowering hare. So Hector swooped, brandishing his
sharp sword.
Achilles sprang to meet him, his heart filled with savage determination. He kept his chest 10
covered with his fine, ornate shield; his glittering helmet with its four plates nodded, and
above it danced the lovely plumes that Hephaestus had lavished on the crest. Like a star
moving with others through the night, Hesperus, the loveliest star set in the skies - such was
the gleam from his spear’s sharp point as he weighed it in his right hand with murder in his
heart for godlike Hector, searching that handsome body for its most vulnerable spot. 15
Hector’s body was completely covered by the fine bronze armour he had taken from great
Patroclus when he killed him, except for the flesh that could be seen at the windpipe, where
the collar bones hold the neck from the shoulders, the easiest place to kill a man. As Hector
charged him, godlike Achilles drove at the spot with his spear, and the point went through
Hector’s soft neck, though the heavy bronze head did not cut his windpipe and left him still 20
able to speak. Hector crashed in the dust, and godlike Achilles triumphed over him:
‘Hector, no doubt you imagined, as you stripped Patroclus, that you would be safe. You
never thought of me.’
Translation: E.V. Rieu
© OCR 2025 H408/11 Jun25
, 3
OR
‘An evil fate’s upon me, Death is no longer far away, and him there is no escaping. Zeus,
and his son, the Far-Striker, decided all this long ago, they who were once eager to defend
me, and destiny now overtakes me. But let me not die without a fight, without true glory,
without some deed that men unborn may hear.’
With this, he [Hector] drew the sharp blade at his side, a powerful long-sword, and gathering 5
his limbs together swooped like a high-soaring eagle that falls to earth from the dark clouds
to seize a sick lamb or a cowering hare. So Hector swooped, brandishing his keen blade.
Achilles ran to meet him heart filled with savage power, covering his chest with his great,
skilfully worked shield, while above his gleaming helm with its four ridges waved the golden
plumes Hephaestus placed thickly at its crest. Bright as the Evening Star that floats among 10
the midnight constellations, set there the loveliest jewel in the sky, gleamed the tip of
Achilles’ sharp spear brandished in his right hand, as he sought to work evil on noble Hector,
searching for the likeliest place to land a blow on his fair flesh.
Now, the fine bronze armour he stripped from mighty Patroclus when he killed him covered
all Hector’s flesh except for one opening at the throat, where the collarbones knit neck and 15
shoulders, and violent death may come most swiftly. There, as Hector charged at him, noble
Achilles aimed his ash spear, and drove its heavy bronze blade clean through the tender
neck, though without cutting the windpipe or robbing Hector of the power of speech. Hector
fell in the dust and Achilles shouted out in triumph: ‘While you were despoiling Patroclus, no
doubt, in your folly, you thought yourself quite safe.’ 20
Translation: A.S. Kline
1 Explain how far you think Achilles is shown to be admirable in Passage A.
Use references to the passage to support your answer. [10]
2* ‘Evil death.’ Evaluate whether you think this is a fair description of the way death is
presented in the Iliad.
You may use Passage A as a starting point, and your knowledge of the Iliad in your answer. [20]
© OCR 2025 H408/11 Jun25 Turn over
