Write on one of the following topics:
A. Design your own topic for this first assignment and clear it with me first by writing a paragraph with your proposed question and its connection to the texts we’ve been reading and our class discussions. Obviously, your topic must deal with the literature we’ve been discussing for Essay #1.
B. Discuss at least two femme fatales from ancient Hebrew culture that we discussed. (You may choose to discuss all three—Lilith, Eve, and Delilah). What significant similarities and differences do you notice? From this comparison, what conclusion can you draw about the function of the femme fatale archetype in Hebrew culture? Here are some issues to think about as you compare the femme fatales:
What are the differences between a canonical (Eve) versus non-canonical (Lilith) representation of the femme fatale?
How does the femme fatale archetype in Hebrew culture confirm and/or challenge patriarchy?
What image of female sexuality in Hebrew culture emerges from the representation of the femme fatale?
Note: You do not need to answer all these questions. They are designed for you to arrive at a thesis on the function of the femme fatale in Hebrew culture.
C. How do Medea and Dido illustrate the different manifestations of the femme fatale archetype in Greco-Roman culture? Based on the representation of Dido and Medea, what is the femme fatale’s effect on the hero’s quest in Greco-Roman culture? What does the role of the femme fatale in Greco-Roman society say about the role of women in the ancient Western world? Why is this effect significant in shaping the archetypes of the hero and femme fatale and the ideology behind that representation? Here are some questions to consider in developing this topic:
How does Dido distract Aeneas from his hero’s quest in founding Rome?
What is the consequence of this relationship between Dido and Aeneas?
How does Medea aid Jason in his quest to obtain the Golden Fleece? How is the theme of betrayal relevant?
How are the themes of betrayal and revenge related in Medea?
How do Medea and Dido compare as femme fatales? What do these comparisons say about the representation of women in Greco-Roman culture?
Note: You do not need to answer all these questions. They are designed for you to arrive at a thesis on the function of the femme fatale in Greco-Roman culture.
D. What are the roles of the gods and the chorus in Medea? As you answer this question, consider the following:
How do the gods and the chorus relate to the themes of betrayal, revenge, and madness in Euripides’ tragedy?
Why is it significant that the chorus is female?
How does the chorus represent the Greek ideal? How does Euripides represent Medea as a racial Other that threatens this ideal?
E. Choose three femme fatales from our class readings and discuss the ideological function of this archetype. As you develop your reasoning, consider these questions:
What are gender roles?
Who has power in the story?
How does seduction work?
Is this femme fatale represented positively, negatively, or both?
How might the interpretation of this femme fatale depend on the cultural perspective of the reader?
What is the ideology of the culture from which this tale originates?
You do not need to write a paragraph on every question. Rather, these questions should get you thinking to arrive at a thesis statement. Be sure to offer comparative analysis by considering the similarities and differences of the various femme fatales you discuss. Organize your essay to advance your argument about the ideological function of the femme fatale. For example, if you want to argue that the femme fatale ultimately serves the function of warning men in a patriarchal culture about the seductive dangers of female sexuality, build up to the example that best proves your point. If you want to argue that while ancient femme fatales are demonized, modern readers find them to be symbols of female empowerment, a comparison moving from ancient to contemporary interpretations would make the most sense.
Be sure to title your essays, but you do not need to include a title page. Please use page numbers. Document all paraphrases and quotations with in-texts citations and a list of Works Cited following MLA style 9th edition. To create your Works Cited entries for the literature and literary criticism I provided, copy and paste from the MLA Works Cited of Course Readings at the end of the Syllabus and Assignments Module.
