The Battle of the Labyrinth

Percy’s trials echo the myths of legendary heroes like Theseus and Hercules. How are heroic deeds modernized to fit the story? How does Percy act differently or similarly to the ancient heroes? What do these differences and similarities say about Percy’s personality?

Prophecies are important to the story and always come true. However, many characters try to outrun their fate. What consequences do characters face when they try to change fate? If destiny cannot be altered, do the characters really have free will to make their own choices?

Percy faces a big decision on Ogygia: stay safe with Calypso forever or return to fight in the war with his friends. What might have happened if Percy chose to stay on Ogygia? Would the events of the invasion have turned out differently? Why or why not?

Percy sees his fight against the Titans as a fight of good against evil until Calypso makes Percy question whether the Titans can be all bad and whether the Olympians can be all good. Are good and evil as clear as Percy originally believes? Why or why not?

Percy and Nico begin to awaken powers that relate to their godly parents. Percy learns to harness the power of the ocean, and Nico learns to summon and control spirits. How are these powers useful? How are they a hindrance?

After Grover’s deadlocked trial, he makes a plan to rebuild the wild by splitting up groups that will seek out wild places and protect already known natural spaces, like National Parks. What spaces does Grover leave out of his plan and why?

Hephaestus tells Percy, “Be careful of love. It’ll twist your brain around and leave you thinking up is down and right is wrong” (220). How does love influence the actions and decisions of the characters in The Battle of the Labyrinth? Is Hephaestus correct that love makes people act irrationally and out of character?

Several characters go through dramatic transformations in The Battle of the Labyrinth. Which character’s development do you think is most crucial to the outcome of the story?