The Emperor S Club: Character, Ethics, and Morals

Name______Date______

The Emperor’s Club: Character, Ethics, and Morals

Identify the following characters:

1. Mr. Hundert:

2. Sedgewick Bell:

3. Deepak Mitah:

4. Lewis Masouti:

5. Martin Blythe:

6. Mr. Ellerby:

7. What is the setting of this film?

8. What is the theme of this film?

Many noteworthy quotes are in this film. Read the following quotes, explain what they mean, and rephrase them to put them into your own words.

9. “The end depends upon the beginning.”:

10. “A man’s [woman’s] character is his fate.”:

11. “Great ambition and conquest without contribution is without significance.”: 12. “It is not living that is important, but living rightly.” Socrates:

13. Saint Benedict’s Code—“Self-governance based on mutual trust.”:

14. Another quote that is not in the film, but is worthy of discussing is: “Character is doing the right thing when no one is looking.” J. T. Wright:

Plot-Based Questions

15. In what way(s) is/are Mr. Hundert and Sedgewick Bell similar?

16. How is Sedgewick able to gain popularity with his classmates?

17. What do you suppose the turning point is for Sedgewick—the point at which he begins to change his ways (at least for a little while)?

18. Explain the methods of the Mr. Julius Caesar contest. What would the equivalent be in the modern-day public school system?

19. Which student’s father is a previous winner of the Mr. Julius Caesar contest? How does this fact demonstrate irony in the storyline of the film? 20. What was Sedgewick’s father’s reaction to Mr. Hundert saying “It is my job to mold…[Sedgewick’s] character?

21. Do you believe that it is part of a teacher’s job to mold his/her students’ characters? Explain.

22. Why do you think that it is so important for Sedgewick to win the Mr. Julius Caesar contest?

23. In what way(s) is Mr. Hundert less than honest? What significance does this have in the storyline?

24. Why do you think the Headmaster decided to let the cheating “slide”?

25. What is so tragic about the adult Sedgewick Bell’s character? How is his announcement at the end of the modern-day Julius Caesar contest ironic?

26. When does the adult Sedgewick finally realize the consequences and seriousness of his actions? 27. What do you think motivates the adult Sedgewick to have a re-match of the Mr. Julius Caesar contest?

Probing Questions 28. Why do people cheat? List several reasons.

29. Is there a decreased chance of someone cheating if there is an increased risk of getting caught? Why or why not?

30. Please put a checkmark next to the statements that you believe are true. It is okay to cheat on the following items: ______ACT ______Driver’s Test ______Taxes ______Quiz ______Test ______Homework ______Spouse/ Boy(Girl)friend ---Who would get hurt if people cheated on these items?

______Lying and cheating go together, because you usually have to lie if you have cheated. ______Giving someone else the answers is not as bad as cheating on your own. ______There are varying levels of cheating; some are worse than others are. ______Cheating gets easier the more times that you do it. ______Whether I’ve contributed to the problem or not, I believe that dishonesty and lack of integrity have become a huge societal problem. ______I do not see what the big deal is about cheating; everyone does it. ______If I felt that someone was cheating, or being dishonest, I would ignore the situation and never tell. It’s not my problem. ______Television and films have an impact of the lack of moral values and integrity of today.

31. How would you feel if your primary care physician was an expert cheater? How would this affect you?

32. I know that it seems far off into the future, but what do you plan on telling your children about honesty and integrity (lying and cheating)?

33. What is your opinion of this film?