Ben-Hur Sparknotes
Book one:
The beginning of the novel Ben-Hur, starts out with the three wise men meeting in the desert. The beginning of the movie Ben-Hur, starts out with the birth of Jesus. This doesn’t make very many differences in the rest of the story.
Book two:
Judah Ben-Hur is a Jewish prince of Judaea. His best friend Messala comes back to Judaea after five years. In the book Messala leaves Judaea to get an education in Rome. Five years later he comes back and insults Ben-Hur’s religion and they end their friendship. In the movie Messala comes back after five years as a Roman tribune. Messala asks Ben-Hur to tell him the names of the people who are trying to rebel against Rome and Ben-Hur refuses to tell him their names, this is the point that they end their friendship in the movie.
Valerius Gratus, the Roman governor, parades past Ben-Hurs house. Ben-Hur is watching from the roof and he leans forward and puts his hand on a tile which falls and nearly hits Gratus. Messala accuses Ben-Hur of trying to murder Gratus, and sends him to the Galleys with no trail. In the movie Simonides and his daughter Esther are also imprisoned, but they aren’t mentioned until book four of the book. Ben-Hur tries to escape and makes it to Messala and threatens to kill him …show more content…
if doesn’t release him and his family. Messala tells him that he knows that Ben-Hur wouldn’t kill him. This never happened in the book. Ben-Hur’s property is seized and his family imprisoned. On Ben-Hur’s way to the Galleys, he meets Jesus who gives him water. Ben-Hur wants revenge, in the movie Ben-Hur wants to humiliate Messala, whereas in the book Ben-Hur wants to kill him. Because they change how Ben-Hur wants revenge they also change his character and where the story goes.
Book three:
Ben-Hur has been a Galley slave for three years when Quintus Arrius comes aboard to fight the Greek pirates that have been looting the Roman ships. Arrius is impressed with Ben-Hur and questions him about his life before the Galleys. Arrius leaves Ben-Hur’s chains unlocked when they go into battle and when the ship starts sinking Ben-Hur is able to save both himself and Arrius. In the movie Ben-Hur tries to save the of Galley slaves, whereas in the book Ben-Hur saves himself and Arrius. Also in the book Arrius tries to give Ben-Hur his ring but Ben-Hur throws it into the ocean. In the movie Arrius gives Ben-Hur the ring at a party claiming Ben-Hur as his son and heir.
Book four: In the book Ben-Hur trains in wrestling until Arrius’ death.
Ben-Hur travels to Antioch where he learns that Simonides who was his father’s servant has a house there. Ben-Hur goes to his house and talks to Simonides who wants proof of Ben-Hur’s identity. Simonides sends Malluch to find out if Ben-Hur is who he says he is. Malluch and Ben-Hur go to the games together and Ben-Hur sees that Messala is racing in the next race. Sheik Ilerdirm says that he needs a driver for the next race, and Ben-Hur says that he will drive them, hoping that he will get a chance to kill Messala. Messala almost hits Balthsar and his daughter, Iras but Ben-Hur saves them and then Malluch and Ben-Hur go to Sheik Ilderim’s
tent. In the movie, Ben-Hur is a charioteer and Arrius doesn’t die. Ben-Hur returns home to Judaea and on the way he goes through Antioch and meets Balthasar and Sheik Ilderim. Sheik Ilderim tells Ben-Hur that he can race his horses in the race against Messala but Ben-Hur declines the offer.
Book five: In the book, Sheik Ilderim intercepts a letter from Messala to Valerius Gratus and Ben-Hur finds out that his mother and sister were imprisoned at the Antonia fortress. Right before the race, Ben-Hur sends Malluch out to raise the bets that the romans have on Messala. During the race Ben-Hur rubs his wheel against Messala’s who falls out of the chariot and gets trampled making Ben-Hur the winner of the race. In the movie, Messala has a greek chariot and a whip for the horses, but he also uses it on Ben-Hur. Messala falls out of his chariot and Ben-Hur wins the race as he does in the book. However, Messala dies following the race where in the book he lives. Ben-Hur succeeds in getting revenge on Messala, but he hasn’t found his mother and sister yet. Book six: In the book, Pontius Pilate becomes the new governor of Judaea, and he finds that the prison has a walled up cell. Once opened the soldiers find that the two occupants have leprosy, they are Ben-Hur’s mother and sister. Ben-Hur goes back to Jerusalem to look for his mother and sister. He falls asleep on the steps of his house and is woken by Amrah the head servant. The romans plan to make a new aqueduct using funds from the corban treasury. The jews ask Pilate to stop the plan and Pilate disperses soldiers in disguise in the crowd and tell them to massacre the jews. Ben-Hur kills a roman in a duel and starts training rebels to be ready to attack Rome. In the movie, Pontius Pilate becomes governor of Judaea and finds Ben-Hur’s mother and sister. Ben-Hur goes to Jerusalem, before the race, and finds that Simonides and Esther, his daughter, are in his house along with Malluch. Esther sees Ben-Hur’s mother and sister in the courtyard of Ben-Hur’s house and wants to tell Ben-Hur that she found them but his mother tells her that it would be better if Ben-Hur remembers them as they were when he last saw them. Esther tells him that his mother and sister were dead when her and her father were imprisoned. This makes Ben-Hur even more bent on revenge against Messala and is one of the things that makes him agree to race Sheik Ilderim’s horses. Ben-Hur is a more complicated character in the book then he is in the movie. Book seven: Ben-Hur organizes people to revolt against Rome in Ilderim’s territory.
The beginning of the novel Ben-Hur, starts out with the three wise men meeting in the desert. The beginning of the movie Ben-Hur, starts out with the birth of Jesus. This doesn’t make very many differences in the rest of the story.
Book two:
Judah Ben-Hur is a Jewish prince of Judaea. His best friend Messala comes back to Judaea after five years. In the book Messala leaves Judaea to get an education in Rome. Five years later he comes back and insults Ben-Hur’s religion and they end their friendship. In the movie Messala comes back after five years as a Roman tribune. Messala asks Ben-Hur to tell him the names of the people who are trying to rebel against Rome and Ben-Hur refuses to tell him their names, this is the point that they end their friendship in the movie.
Valerius Gratus, the Roman governor, parades past Ben-Hurs house. Ben-Hur is watching from the roof and he leans forward and puts his hand on a tile which falls and nearly hits Gratus. Messala accuses Ben-Hur of trying to murder Gratus, and sends him to the Galleys with no trail. In the movie Simonides and his daughter Esther are also imprisoned, but they aren’t mentioned until book four of the book. Ben-Hur tries to escape and makes it to Messala and threatens to kill him …show more content…
if doesn’t release him and his family. Messala tells him that he knows that Ben-Hur wouldn’t kill him. This never happened in the book. Ben-Hur’s property is seized and his family imprisoned. On Ben-Hur’s way to the Galleys, he meets Jesus who gives him water. Ben-Hur wants revenge, in the movie Ben-Hur wants to humiliate Messala, whereas in the book Ben-Hur wants to kill him. Because they change how Ben-Hur wants revenge they also change his character and where the story goes.
Book three:
Ben-Hur has been a Galley slave for three years when Quintus Arrius comes aboard to fight the Greek pirates that have been looting the Roman ships. Arrius is impressed with Ben-Hur and questions him about his life before the Galleys. Arrius leaves Ben-Hur’s chains unlocked when they go into battle and when the ship starts sinking Ben-Hur is able to save both himself and Arrius. In the movie Ben-Hur tries to save the of Galley slaves, whereas in the book Ben-Hur saves himself and Arrius. Also in the book Arrius tries to give Ben-Hur his ring but Ben-Hur throws it into the ocean. In the movie Arrius gives Ben-Hur the ring at a party claiming Ben-Hur as his son and heir.
Book four: In the book Ben-Hur trains in wrestling until Arrius’ death.
Ben-Hur travels to Antioch where he learns that Simonides who was his father’s servant has a house there. Ben-Hur goes to his house and talks to Simonides who wants proof of Ben-Hur’s identity. Simonides sends Malluch to find out if Ben-Hur is who he says he is. Malluch and Ben-Hur go to the games together and Ben-Hur sees that Messala is racing in the next race. Sheik Ilerdirm says that he needs a driver for the next race, and Ben-Hur says that he will drive them, hoping that he will get a chance to kill Messala. Messala almost hits Balthsar and his daughter, Iras but Ben-Hur saves them and then Malluch and Ben-Hur go to Sheik Ilderim’s
tent. In the movie, Ben-Hur is a charioteer and Arrius doesn’t die. Ben-Hur returns home to Judaea and on the way he goes through Antioch and meets Balthasar and Sheik Ilderim. Sheik Ilderim tells Ben-Hur that he can race his horses in the race against Messala but Ben-Hur declines the offer.
Book five: In the book, Sheik Ilderim intercepts a letter from Messala to Valerius Gratus and Ben-Hur finds out that his mother and sister were imprisoned at the Antonia fortress. Right before the race, Ben-Hur sends Malluch out to raise the bets that the romans have on Messala. During the race Ben-Hur rubs his wheel against Messala’s who falls out of the chariot and gets trampled making Ben-Hur the winner of the race. In the movie, Messala has a greek chariot and a whip for the horses, but he also uses it on Ben-Hur. Messala falls out of his chariot and Ben-Hur wins the race as he does in the book. However, Messala dies following the race where in the book he lives. Ben-Hur succeeds in getting revenge on Messala, but he hasn’t found his mother and sister yet. Book six: In the book, Pontius Pilate becomes the new governor of Judaea, and he finds that the prison has a walled up cell. Once opened the soldiers find that the two occupants have leprosy, they are Ben-Hur’s mother and sister. Ben-Hur goes back to Jerusalem to look for his mother and sister. He falls asleep on the steps of his house and is woken by Amrah the head servant. The romans plan to make a new aqueduct using funds from the corban treasury. The jews ask Pilate to stop the plan and Pilate disperses soldiers in disguise in the crowd and tell them to massacre the jews. Ben-Hur kills a roman in a duel and starts training rebels to be ready to attack Rome. In the movie, Pontius Pilate becomes governor of Judaea and finds Ben-Hur’s mother and sister. Ben-Hur goes to Jerusalem, before the race, and finds that Simonides and Esther, his daughter, are in his house along with Malluch. Esther sees Ben-Hur’s mother and sister in the courtyard of Ben-Hur’s house and wants to tell Ben-Hur that she found them but his mother tells her that it would be better if Ben-Hur remembers them as they were when he last saw them. Esther tells him that his mother and sister were dead when her and her father were imprisoned. This makes Ben-Hur even more bent on revenge against Messala and is one of the things that makes him agree to race Sheik Ilderim’s horses. Ben-Hur is a more complicated character in the book then he is in the movie. Book seven: Ben-Hur organizes people to revolt against Rome in Ilderim’s territory.