The Benevolent Dictator:
A discussion of teaching ethics
using, “The Emperor’s Club.”
Emperor’s Club
Director: Michael Hoffman
Year: 2002
Starring: Kevin Kline
Based on Story:Ethan Canin's
The PalaceThief
Screenplay: Neil Tolkin
Videotherapy Lesson
Georgia Costalas
SPED 620_51_051
Prof Dole
The Emperor’s Club Plot
A Classics teacher successful in molding the
characters of students of a boarding school, faces
the challenge of a youngster who questions and
defies authority. There are students who make
wrong decisions, but ultimately develop characters
of integrity. However, the teacher goes as far as
to tweak situations to create a learning
environment for the defiant youngster, who grows
into a corrupt adult who can feel remorse for his
lack of values, but cannot and does not want to
change.
Justification and Overview
►
►
►
►
The problem of semester exams having been stolen off the
school’s computer system have caused much reflection and
consternation. The faculty has said it is disillusioned,
questions what we do, . .
Teaching ethics is an important topic in any school.
However with the several challenges we have been faced
with it is an an essential topic for the High School Faculty
to look at as we questions so much of what we do this
time.
The Emperor’s Club would be a tertulia, a 2 ½ hour
informal viewing and discussion that has the benefits of
both a social event and professional development.
Though this event would be a one time discussion, the
topic would continue—as it has—in the lunchroom and in
other informal and formal spaces during the year.
Objectives
Teachers will
► Reflect on the role of the teacher in the classroom,
especially in the area of character development.
► Consider how the adults of the community are limited in
their capacity to save and change and “mold” the
youngsters in their care.
► Consider to what extent the adults of the community are
to blame for misbehavior.
► Identify with the teacher who is trying to do the right
thing by this student, but does not in the end have the
impact on the one child he tries to “save.”
Themes
► Teacher
Role—to mold or to teach
► Teacher as God
► Striving for Excellence
► Human Nature
► Adolescence and Challenging Authority
► Integrity
Motivation
► Discuss
December exam stealing—why did it
happen?
► Do you feel particularly bad about a
particular student who was involved? Why
does this student especially catch your
attention?
► What values do we try to teach at CB which
were violated in the stealing of the exams?
Discussion Questions
►
►
►
►
►
Did you ever try to help a student by trying to distort a
situation? Did it work, that is, was the student helped?
Long term?
Is it a teacher’s job to teach or to form?
Hundert is told by the headmaster to ignore Sedgewick’s
cheating. Do you think the request was justified? Why or
why not?
Have you felt like you have been in a similar situation?
What did you do? How did you feel? Sedgewick’s errors
seem to characterize him completely. What are Hundert’s
flaws in character? Do they define him? Is he and all of
them equally wrong and bad?
Which is the real world? Hundert’s or Sedgewick’s?
Discussion Questions
►
►
►
►
►
In a K-12 school, to what extent are we responsible for
how our students turn out?
What are the values Hundert is trying to teach? Does he
manage?
Does a teacher have a right, a responsibility, or should
he/she teach values?
Does Sedgewick act the way he does because of his
values, or does he become who he does because of the
way he acted?
What role does the teaching of the classics have at
Hundert’s school? How would the teaching of classics
affect, if at all, Colegio Bolivar?
Quotations Discussions
►
►
►
►
Quotation 1:William Hundert: Great ambition and
conquest without contribution is without significance. What
will your contribution be? How will history remember you?
What role does this quote play in the movie?
Quotation 2:Older Deepak Mehta: A great teacher has
little external history to record. His life goes over into other
lives. These men are pillars in the intimate structure of our
schools. They are more essential than its stones or beams,
and they will continue to be a kindling force and a
revealing power in our lives.
Really? Do you agree with this quotation? Do teachers
have such an essential role, or are the forming forces other
than the teachers?
Quotations Discussions
► Quotation
3: William Hundert: Sir, it's my job
to mold your son's character, and I think if Senator Bell: Mold him? Jesus God in heaven,
son. You're not gonna mold my boy. Your job is to
teach my son. You teach him his times tables.
Teach him why the world is round. Teach him who
killed who and when and where. That is your job.
You, sir, will not mold by son. I will mold him.
► Do you agree with Hundert or Bell?
Quotation discussions
► Quotation
4: William Hundert: Follow the
path, Mr. Masoudi. Walk where the great men
before you have walked.
► Is it possible through the teaching of the classical
thought to really encourage students to walk
where “the great men” have walked?
► Quotation
5: William Hundert It is not living
that is important, but living rightly.
► Great words. How do we impart this lesson to
students?
Follow Up Activities
► Teachers
plan to use the movie in their
classrooms.
► Teachers discuss how we can increase
ethics education at Colegio Bolivar.
► Revising of the 9th grade ethics program.
► Continued work on the buddies program.
Bibliography
►
►
►
►
►
►
►
The Emperor’s Club. Retrieved March 16, 2005,
http://www.theemperorsclub.com/
The Emperor’s Club, retrieved March 16, 2005. http://www.haroonline.com/movies/emperors_club.html
Ethics and Educational Leadership (3) (F,S,S) retrieved March
16, 2005. http://asterix.ednet.lsu.edu/~maxcy/7001_syl.htm
Hoffman, Michael, dir. The Emperor’s Club. With Kevin Kline.
Universal Pictures, 2002.
Intenet Movie Database. Retrieved March 16,2005,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0283530/quotes
Philosophical Films, “The Emperors Club,” retrieved March 16, 2005.
http://www.philfilms.utm.edu/1/emperors.htm
Youthtools.com, retrieved March 16, 2005,
http://youthtools.ibelieve.com/content.asp?CID =16706 .