persuade, deprive, pomegranate, commotion, reunited, dismount

Facts and details: Literal meaning

Who carried Jupiter’s message to the Underworld?

Was Proserpina happy in the Underworld?

What did Pluto try to get her to do?

What did Proserpina eat?

How long does Proserpina stay in the Underworld each year?

What’s going on? Reading comprehension

Why did Pluto try so hard to persuade Proserpina to eat something?

When Jupiter calls upon Pluto to bring Proserpina to Olympus, she is happy to see him quickly agree. Why was Pluto so willing to bring her back?

What natural cycle of the Earth does this story explain?

In your own words…


Proserpina refused to accept her new life as the queen of the Underworld, despite the power and wealth it would bring her, and despite the fact that it didn’t seem she would ever be able to leave. Was she stubborn, or was she standing up for herself? Explain your opinion in a brief essay.

Newspaper activity

This story is an example of a crisis that was ended by a compromise. What does “compromise” mean? Find an example of a dispute in today’s sports section or on the comics page and think of a compromise that could solve it. Explain how your compromise would work.