You
will be required to submit a 4 to 5 page essay on either the Essential Iliad
or the Essential Odyssey. The paper must be typed in Times New Roman, 12
point font, double-spaced with 1 inch margins. You do not need to cite any
sources in the essay. I am looking for your original interaction with the book.
Save the paper as a Word.doc or PDF only. The paper will be uploaded to the
module in “Assignments” in Blackboard.
Paper
should begin with the headings below:
If
you refer to a scene, do not quote the text, this is a waste of space for a 4-5
page essay. Just refer to the passage as follows: (Iliad, 6:105-120)—so that would be Iliad, Book 6, lines 105 to 120. That’s all there is to it.
Depending
on which book you choose, the following prompts will give you the framework for
the essay:
Iliad – Choose two
heroes from the Iliad (one Achaean and one Trojan) and compare and contrast
their values as they exemplify Greek Heroic motifs (look at chapters 13 and 20
in Classical Myth).
Books:
1,2,3,4,5,6,8,9,11,12,12,14,15,16,18,19,20,21,22,23 and 24.
Ø Set the context
for the hero (what Greek values do heroes uphold)
Ø What are the
qualities of your two heroes? (are they demi-gods, kings, etc.)
Ø Specifically talk
about particular examples to support your comparisons
Odyssey – Explore the
concept of xenia as
it functions in Homer’s Odyssey.
Explore 2 positive and 2 negative episodes (take these episodes from 4
different books in the Odyssey—2 positive and 2 negative) of xenia in the Odyssey (look at chapters 13 and 22 from Classical Myth). Books:
1,4,5,6,8,9,10,11,12,13,16,17,19, 21,22,23,24.
Ø Discuss
xenia in Greek society
What do Odysseus,
Penelope, Telemachus experience at various scenes in relation to xenia
