The Alchemist Plot Cloze – Answer Key
Personal
Legend
Emerald
Tablet
gypsy woman
200
nothing to live
for
raven
neutral zone
Mecca
treasure
treasure
leave Fatima
shepherd
liquid
Panic-stricken
an Englishman
King of Salem
church
his flock
sycamore
Elixir of Life
Spain
crystal
merchant
listening to his
heart
his treasure
the wind and
the sun
take up arms
monastery
dream
Philosopher’s
Stone
Philosopher’s
Stone
marry
Andalusia
church yard
unhappy and
unfulfilled
chest of
jewels and
gold
an alchemist
Egyptian
pyramids
a year
Soul of the
World
a thief robs
him
solid
an omen
follow his
heart
oasis
oasis
Fatima
Fatima
sycamore tree
sycamore tree
child
digging for the recurring
treasure
dream
Santiago
gold
Melchizedek
lead into gold
do that any
time
turn lead into
gold
money
Master Work
a priest
Hand That
Wrote All
worthlessness
of dreams
to travel
same one
never told
anyone
turn into wind
merchant’s
daughter
church
A recurring DREAM troubles SANTIAGO, a young and adventurous SHEPHERD who
lives in ANDALUSIA. He has the dream every time he sleeps under a SYCAMORE tree
that grows out of the ruins of a CHURCH. During the dream, a CHILD tells him to seek
TREASURE at the foot of the EGYPTIAN PYRAMIDS.
Santiago tells how he became a shepherd because he wanted TRAVEL. His father
wanted him to be A PRIEST. Santiago chose to FOLLOW HIS HEART and his father
supported him nonetheless.
Santiago is on his way to see the MERCHANT’S DAUGHTER with the RAVEN hair. He
hopes she will want to MARRY him. On the way, Santiago consults a GYPSY WOMAN
to interpret the dream, and to his surprise she tells him to go to Egypt. The next day
he meets a strange, magical old man named MELCHIZEDEK, who claims to be the
KING OF SALEM. He seems to know all kinds of things about Santiago and his family
and even knows things Santiago has NEVER TOLD ANYONE. He tells Santiago that it is
his PERSONAL LEGEND to journey to the pyramids and he convinces Santiago to sell
HIS FLOCK and set off to Morocco.
When Santiago arrives, he is too trusting and A THIEF ROBS HIM, taking all his money.
He is resourceful and finds work with a local CRYSTAL MERCHANT Santiago considers
returning home to Andalusia, but realizes that he can DO THAT ANYTIME and so he
continues to pursue his dream. The kindly merchant teaches Santiago several
lessons, and Santiago encourages the merchant to take risks with his business. The
merchant dreams of going to MECCA. However, he doesn’t want to actually go,
because he thinks then he will have NOTHING TO LIVE FOR. Santiago works hard,
and helps the merchant build his business. Santiago becomes a rich man in just A
YEAR.
Santiago decides to cash in his earnings and continue pursuing his Personal Legend:
to find treasure at the pyramids. He joins a caravan crossing the Sahara desert
toward Egypt and meets AN ENGL who is studying to become. He learns a lot from
the Englishman during the journey. For one, he learns that the secret of alchemy is
written on a stone called the EMERALD TABLET. The ultimate creation of alchemy is
the MASTER WORK which consists of a SOLID called the PHILOSOPHER’S STONE that
can turn LEAD INTO GOLD, and a LIQUID called the ELIXER OF LIFE that can cure all
ills. Santiago learns the Englishman is traveling with the caravan to the Saharan OASIS
of Al-Fayoum, where a powerful, 200-year-old alchemist resides. The Englishman
plans to ask the alchemist the secret of his trade.
The oasis exceeds all Santiago’s expectations. It is like a huge city. It is a unique
place as it is a NEUTRAL ZONE for everyone in the desert. There, Santiago falls in love
with FATIMA, who lives at the oasis. There are rumblings of tribal conflict and war.
During a walk in the desert, Santiago witnesses AN OMEN that foretells an attack on
the oasis. He warns the tribal chieftains of the attack, and they make an exception,
requesting the inhabitants of the oasis to TAKE ARMS and prepare for battle. As a
result, Al-Fayoum successfully defends itself against the assault. Santiago decides he
would like to stay at the oasis where he is happy and can be with Fatima.
Santiago meets the alchemist in the desert outside the oasis. He invites Santiago on
a trip into the desert, during which he teaches Santiago about the importance of
LISTENIING TO HIS HEART and pursuing his Personal Legend. He convinces Santiago to
LEAVE FATIMA and the oasis to finish his journey to the pyramids, helping Santiago
see that if he chooses not to accomplish his Personal Legend, he will end up feeling
UNHAPPY AND UNFULFILLED. The alchemist offers to accompany Santiago on the
next part of his trip.
While the alchemist and Santiago continue through the desert, the alchemist shares
much of his wisdom about the SOUL OF THE WORLD. They are mere days away from
the pyramids when a tribe of Arab soldiers captures them. In exchange for his life
and the life of Santiago, the alchemist hands over to the tribe all of Santiago’s
MONEY, and tells the soldiers that Santiago is a powerful alchemist who will TURN
INTO THE WIND within three days. Santiago is PANIC-STRICKEN because he has no
idea how to do this, and over the next three days he contemplates the desert. On
the third day, he communicates with THE WIND AND THE SUN and coaxes them to
help him create a tremendous sandstorm. He prays to the Hand That Wrote All, and
at the height of the storm he disappears. He reappears on the other side of the
camp, and the tribesmen, awed by the power of the storm and by Santiago’s ability,
let him and the alchemist go free.
The alchemist continues to travel with Santiago as far as a MONASTERY several hours
from the pyramids. There, he demonstrates his ability to TURN LEAD INTO GOLD using
the PHILOSOPHER’S STONE. He gives Santiago a large piece of GOLD and sends him
off. He also keeps a piece at the monastery for Santiago, in case he needs it later.
Santiago finally arrives in Egypt and begins DIGGING FOR THE TREASURE at the foot of
the pyramids. While he is doing this, two men accost him and take his gold. They
push him to tell where he got his money from and what he is digging for. Santiago
follows some advice from the alchemist and tells them the truth. They don’t believe
him and assume he has no other money, and that he just stole the gold from
somewhere. Before leaving, one of the men tries to illustrate the WORTHLESSNESS OF
DREAMS by telling Santiago about his own RECURRING DREAM: a TREASURE buried in
an abandoned CHURCH YARD in SPAIN where a SYCAMORE TREE grows. The church
is the SAME ONE in Santiago’s dream, and he finally understands where HIS TREASURE
is.
He returns to Spain to find a CHEST OF JEWELS AND GOLD buried under the
SYCAMORE TREE, in the CHURCH YARD. He plans to return with it to the OASIS where
he will reunite with FATIMA, who is waiting for him.