Purpose: For this assignment, you’ll evaluate characters from Gilgamesh, the Ramayana, and the Odyssey and then write an essay with a minimum of 1000 words (see specific topic below) arguing for and supporting your conclusions. This assignment will build your writing, analytical, and evaluative skills.
You may be able to further develop ideas in the work you have already submitted in discussions. However, be careful you don’t plagiarize your classmates’ submissions.You are encouraged to use the material in the course to further develop your own original interpretations and arguments; researching other secondary sources is not required for this assignment, and plagiarism of other sources will not be tolerated.
Topic: For this assignment, pretend that the (fictional) Book of Wisdom and Knowledge has been stolen from your university’s library by an unknown person or group of people. Your faculty and classmates have chosen you to find this item and bring it back to your community. However, no true hero works alone, and you must select four others to accompany you on your journey. Your companions will be chosen from characters found in the three epics we have read together so far this semester: Gilgamesh, the Ramayana, and the Odyssey.
In this essay, you are to clearly identify the four characters that compose the rest of your team and explain why each one was selected. Support your arguments with evidence from the texts (including quotations). Consider each character’s strengths and weaknesses, both individually and as a member of the team. NOTE: Any character in these epics may be chosen, not just the main characters.
Task:
Write an essay of seven to nine paragraphs presenting your argument. Include quotations from the texts as well as additional details that illustrate and enhance the points you are making. Use the following as an outline of what to include:
- Your first paragraph should be an engaging introduction. Don’t forget the thesis.
- Structure your essay as you choose, but the writing should be organized. Perhaps focus on one character at a time, or focus on one desirable virtue or trait at a time.
- Give specific examples and quotes from the texts to support your analyses. Use in-text citations in MLA format for the quotations.
- The last paragraph should be a conclusion. Why do you think your team will be able to successfully achieve its goal?
- Your final page should be your Works Cited page, in MLA format. It should include the three literary texts (our epics), as well as any content pages from the course material to which you may have referred.
Don’t forget to review the guidelines for How to Succeed in the Written Assignments and the Sample paper in MLA format. Make sure you save time to submit your draft to Tutor.com via the free Tutoring Services link for helpful feedback before the due date. All writing assignments have Turnitin enabled for plagiarism detection.
You’ll be graded on your ability to analyze and evaluate your topic thoughtfully through your writing, as well as on your language, organization, and MLA formatting. Familiarize yourself with the criteria below and the grading requirements by going under Assessments/Rubrics in your nav bar to the Essay Rubric.
File submissions: Please submit your file as a DOC.X or PDF file.
Criteria on which you will be graded:
- Your arguments are thoughtful
- Your essay is well-organized
- Your analysis is specific and original
- Your use of language is clear and effective
- Your quotations and Works Cited are correctly formatted in MLA style
