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Classics/Humanities & Cultural Studies
21
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Suggested Thesis Statements
1. In book 9 of the Iliad, Achilles' self-contradictory response to the embassy from Agamemnon helps characterize him as insanely angry; the form rather than the content of the speech is important.
(Or change the statement to make it your own, such as: The Iliad illustrates how anger is a form of madness that is too dangerous and destructive even for the battlefield.)
2. In the Iliad, Athena is defined more by her divinity than by her gender.
3. In book 18 of the Iliad, the shield that Hephaestus crafts for Achilles presents the idea that...
4. An important role of the gods in the Homeric epics is to articulate forces which affect human individuals, from thunderstorms to emotional impulses.
5. Lines 142-277 in book six, the conversation between Diomedes and Glaucus, illustrate the power of creative storytelling about the past to affect contemporary reality.
Suggested Creative Project
1. Compose a new passage in the Catalog of Ships (book 2) or elsewhere in the Iliad for a local Macalester or Twin Cities audience. Be certain to reveal a close analysis of the style of the surrounding passages and a familiarity with Homeric vocabulary, imagery and themes.
Assignment
Essays: You may defend one of these statements, adapt one, or create your own, but be certain that your introduction clarifies exactly what argument you intend to make in your paper. In most essays, the introductory paragraph thus ends with the statement of the thesis. Your essay will then be a clear, logical and succinct presentation of the evidence and arguments which defend this statement. Emphasize the ANCIENT SOURCES, and give the book and line numbers of passages you refer to or quote in doing so. All papers should be double-spaced, size 12 font, between 3 and 4 pages only; this is plenty of room to make an argument of substance if it is well-organized and well-written.
Creative Writing: Composing a section of the Iliad is just one example of the less-structured types of papers acceptable in this class. You will still need to show familiarity with the ANCIENT TEXT(S) relevant to the topic, but your presentation of your analysis and interpretation comes in a different, perhaps more creative form than an essay. YOU MUST WRITE A FORMAL ESSAY FOR AT LEAST TWO OF YOUR PAPER ASSIGNMENTS THIS SEMESTER UNLESS YOU ARE SPECIFICALLY EXEMPTED BY ME.
Score Guide for Papers
Questions are evaluated on the following scale:
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no
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not really
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sort of
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yes
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1
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2
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3
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4
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| 1. Does the essay take a clear position? (Does it have a thesis?) | _____ |
| 2. Is the essay consistently directed toward proving this position? | _____ |
| 3. Is appropriate evidence employed to prove assertions? | _____ |
| 4. Are ideas and evidence presented in a logical manner? | _____ |
| 5. Overall, does the analysis reveal a sensitive and sophisticated understanding the issue at hand? | _____ |
| 6. Is the paper easy for a reader to follow? (paragraphing, transitions; clear sentences; accurate mechanics: grammar, spelling, punctuation) | _____ |
Grade:
Comments:
Ancient World I Homepage ~ Classics Department ~ Macalester College
