2 Berenice BEFORE READING Story 1 The following are all descriptions of some of Poe s stories. Which one do you think describes Berenice? Tick the box which you think matches the story. a. A tragic love story b. A story of revenge c. A horror story about a particular part of the body d. A haunting, supernatural tale e. A detective story about a murder f. A tale about the inside of an asylum for the insane g. A story about a dream 2 Who was Berenice in history? Underline the correct answer. a. The mother of Alexander the Great, worshipper of snakes. b. The socialite who had a stormy marriage to Napoleon. c. The living portrayal of the Goddess of Liberty and symbol of the French Republic. d. The wife of Ptolemy III, who sacrificed her hair to the gods for her husband s safe return. e. A ruler of Egypt who killed herself with a snakebite. 3 The two characters in the story are Aegeus, the narrator and Berenice, his cousin. There are seven adjectives among the ones listed below which are used to describe Berenice. Circle the ones you think they are and write their definitions. quiet unsure terrified sickly graceful devastated ethereal serious agile ghostly perfect pure emaciated speechless Definitions: a. ........................................: ........................................................................................................... b. ........................................: ........................................................................................................... c. ........................................: ........................................................................................................... d. ........................................: ........................................................................................................... e. ........................................: ........................................................................................................... f. ........................................: ........................................................................................................... g. ........................................: ........................................................................................................... 19