The Greek and the Modern Hero

Instructions and Rubric for Essay #1 Content Topic – Essay 1 – Due by 11:59pm Sunday Feb 5th&#8232;In the Trojan War, Agamemnon is the leader of the Greek forces in the war against Troy; however he is not the king of the Greeks. In Book 1 of the Iliad, Homer shows us a leader who is not perfect. Agamemnon's actions, behavior and attitude lead to the estrangement with the hero Achilles. Nevertheless, he has qualities that the ancient Greeks consider heroic. Instructions for Essay 1 - &&#957;&#946;&#963;&#960;;In a five paragraph essay: o Discuss the character of Agamemnon as a leader and as a hero. o How does he fit the ancient Greek concept of a hero? (He has good points and bad points make sure you incorporate both) o Contrast the ancient Greek concepts of a hero with the qualities that we (in the 20th century) believe make a good leader, and that are essential to our concept of a hero. (You may use a well-known present day movie hero as an example) o What are the big differences between our concept of a hero and the Ancient Greek's concept of a hero? - Use examples from one of the Iliad Web Links provided to support your argument. Please paraphrase (which still requires a citation). (Persus-Iliad 1.335) This is for the Pereus project Iliad weblink. The 1.335 tells me it is book 1 and line #335 (Books in the Iliad are like chapters). Use (Easy-Iliad 1) for the easy Iliad web-link. - &&#957;&#946;&#963;&#960;; Quotations are used only when absolutely necessary. It must be limited to one line (which still requires a citation). The writing should be yours; not a bunch of quotes you string together. - &&#957;&#946;&#963;&#960;; You may use the presentations on the Trojan War and the page on the Heroic Code (which still require a citation). Please use (p-TW) and (p-HC) for your citations. - &&#957;&#946;&#963;&#960;;Do not use the words ‘very'< or ‘detail'. Format&#8232;1. typed, font must be 12.&#8232;2. 500 - 750 words or two to three pages&#8232;3. Double spaced&#8232;4. Submit your work in Assignments as an attachment. Look for Submit Essay #1 Here&#8232;5. Use Microsoft Word or Rich Text Format.&#8232;6. File name format: last name, first initial, followed by underscore and essay1 – like this: Doe, J_essay1&#8232;7. Put your name at the top of the paper. Grading Rubric for Essay #1 Total points possible - 100 Excellent 25 - 17 Average 16 - 8 Weak 7 - 0 Opening paragraph has clear theme, introduces one or some of the areas to be addressed, there is a clear topic sentence. Initial body of essay establishes what action is taking place Innovative and interesting introduction, knowledge of Iliad Book One and other parts of the Iliad is apparent, topic sentence is clear, transition to the first paragraph is smooth, discusses Agamemnon's character and ancient Greek heroic qualities. Introduction is straightforward but a little dull, topic sentence is included but not clear, knowledge of Iliad Book One is good, transition to the first paragraph isn't smooth, touches a little on Agamemnon and ancient Greek heroic qualities, but without clarity. Topic is missing or Introduction workman-like (“I am now going to discuss…”) , knowledge of Iliad Book One is sketchy or missing, unfamiliar with the characters, knowledge based on the movie Troy, topic sentence is missing, no transition to the first paragraph, content is contradictory Excellent 25 - 17 Average 16 - 8 Weak 7 - 0 Discussion of contemporary heroic qualities, supported by examples of a contemporary hero, differences between present and ancient heroes is clear and supported by examples from the Iliad Clear explanation of contemporary heroic qualities, contrast with ancient Greek concepts is made, support from examples in the Iliad and a contemporary movie are used judiciously There is too much retelling of the story. Only one present day heroic quality is mentioned and not supported. Differences are unclear and not consistent Concepts from the Iliad are not used (or the movie is the reference). Differences are not clear, ancient heroic qualities are discounted because they are not our values Excellent 25 - 17 Average 16 - 8 Weak 7 - 0 Five paragraph essay is clearly constructed with transitions to each paragraph, Conclusion sums up the main points of the essay. Five paragraphs are presented in a sequential order so that following the thread of the discussion is easy. Conclusion sums up the main points without being repetitive. Almost five paragraphs, information jumps around so the thread of the discussion is a bit hard to follow Conclusion is almost identical to the intro. Essay too short, there is no thread to follow discussion, writer jumps back and forth too much, Conclusion is missing, weak or confusing. Excellent 25 - 17 Average 16 - 8 Weak 7 - 0 Spelling, grammar, sentence structure, use of citations Consistency in spelling, grammar, well-constructed sentences, correct use of citations Minimal misspellings, minimal grammatical errors, sentence construction adequate, citations aren't in the correct format Spelling errors, grammatical errors, poor sentence construction, uses the word ‘detail' or ‘very', over use of the pronoun ‘he' Citations are misused or underused without obvious plagiarism Thesis statement After a brief introduction of your topic, you state your point of view on the topic directly and often in one sentence. This sentence is the thesis statement and it serves as a summary of the argument you'll make in the rest of your paper. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation. Finding a thesis requires some thought. You want to interest the reader. Look for possible relationships between known facts (such as surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships. Keep in mind the rule of threes. Rule of Threes Limit yourself to three primary things. These may be three primary observations, three areas of emphasis, three concepts. There may be more – but listing everything is overwhelming. For instance, in your description of the Creation of Adam from the Sistine you might want to point out Michelangelo's major characteristics: muscular figures, twisted torso, and impending motion. Your essay would then support how those characteristics appear in the work. Creative Block Can' t think of a good thesis statement or topic for a description? Write the body of your essay making sure you follow the directions. Read over what you have written and jot down the major points that you made. Now go back and write your introduction. Conclusion Your final paragraph will be your conclusion. Avoid saying “In conclusion”. In your conclusion you should allude to your thesis statement but don't just repeat it! The conclusion reinforces the main point s or observation that you have made in the body of your essay and should agree with your introduction. Do not introduction a new topic. Advice for Writing a Paper Content Advice for writing a paper - Use indented paragraphs. Do not drop a line between paragraphs - Give full names of artists the first time they are mentioned; thereafter, last name only. - Titles of artworks should be capitalized and underlined or italicized. Choose one or the other and be consistent. - Whole numbers from one through ninety-nine are spelled out. Numerals are used for larger numbers. For example: - He was twenty-four years old when he began to paint. - The first edition of the text ran to 2,670 pages in three volumes - “E.g.,” means “ for example,” while “i.e.,” means “in other words.” - Capitalize the first letter of places (America, the West), nationalities (Native Americans, Europeans) and art movements (Cubism) except when used as an adjective (The painting is cubist in style). Paper text: structure and writing tips - Introduction: Papers should begin with an introductory paragraph stating a clear thesis or intent: this explains your main idea and outlines your methodology. The paragraph guides your reader into the body of the paper. An example of a thesis statement follows: Through investigations of seventeenth-century scientific theory, this paper will set out to prove that Jan Vermeer did indeed use the camera obscura as a visual aid in his interior and landscape paintings. By comparing the science of optics at the time to techniques visible in Vermeer's actual canvasses, the paper will establish a strong case for this connection. Use the thesis statement as a kind of “roadmap” to tell the reader what's coming and how it will be organized. Subsequent points should tie back to this thesis statement. - Body: The body of your paper consists of paragraphs. - Paragraphs are necessary as they organize and separate the ideas in your paper. - Begin a new idea with a new paragraph which should be indented five spaces on the next line. - The body is the main component of the paper where you develop ideas and explain them to your reader and prove your thesis statement. - A paragraph should have at least three sentences. - If you are having trouble with organizing your paragraphs: Try summarizing (in notes to yourself or in an outline) the topic of each paragraph in a single sentence. This will allow you to see whether you're dealing with more than one topic in a given paragraph, and whether you're dealing with the same topic in multiple places. It can also help you see your structure and improve the overall organization and flow. 3. Conclusion: Papers end with a one-paragraph conclusion summarizing proof of your thesis statement. This is not a place to introduce new information. Listed below are common writing mistakes. This list is by no means comprehensive - Beware of incomplete sentences: “ Such as Rembrandt's color and composition.” is a sentence fragment and is incorrect. Sentences must contain a subject and a verb. - Subjects and verbs must agree. The verb form must be singular if the subject is singular and plural if the subject is plural. For example: “The most telltale signs of the painter's personal style is absent.” is incorrect. The sentence should read “The most telltale signs of the painter's personal style are absent.” - Beware of run-on sentences. A run-on sentence is two complete sentences joined together as if they were one. Try reading aloud – if you hear two complete phrases, they must be separated by a full stop. Use either a semi-colon or (better) a period. For example: “He did not appreciate the painting he was blind to its beauty.” is a run-on sentence and is incorrect. Correct this by dividing the sentence into two: “He did not appreciate the painting. He was blind to its beauty.” You can also use a semi-colon, if there is a clear reason to link the two phrases: “He did not appreciate the painting; he was blind to its beauty.” Or just rewrite the sentence altogether. - Who vs. Whom: This is a common mistake. An easy rule of thumb: Can you replace the word with “him”? If so, use “whom.” Alternatively, if you can use “he,” then use “ who.” For example: “To whom does the cat belong?” “It belongs to him.” vs: “Who is calling?” “He is calling.” - Avoid the word “being” unless you use it as a verb. “Being that Picasso was Spanish” is incorrect. “Since Picasso was Spanish” is correct. - Proper use of apostrophes: “It's” always means “it is.” For example: “It's commonly known that Picasso was Spanish.” “Its” is always the possessive form of it. For example: “It's color appears red” is incorrect and should read “Its color appears red.” Likewise, the other possessive pronouns – hers, yours, ours – do not need an apostrophe. - Use possessive apostrophes properly. For example: singular: “ the artist's work” (for work belonging to one artist) vs. plural: “the artists' work” (for work belonging to several artists). - Do not use apostrophes when noting a decade or century. “The 1950's were marked by consensus.” is incorrect. “The 1950s were marked by consensus.” is correct. - Be sure that you do not use an apostrophe when what you want is the plural form of a noun. For example: The sign at the grocery store that reads “Apple's on sale” is incorrect. It should read “Apples on sale.”< /span> Some tips for writing: - The most elegant writing is clear and simple. Work towards clarity, organization, and simplicity in your writing. - Try reading your paper to yourself aloud. This technique helps to point out confusing or awkward passages. - Avoid overlong sentences. It's easy for ideas to get cluttered and meaning to get confused. - Try to vary your word choice, especially for the main subject of a sentence. E.g., - avoid using “ He,” “It” or an artist's name repetitively in a series of sentences. Vary the name or pronoun. - Try varying your sentence length. - Beware of too-short paragraphs. A paragraph should have a minimum of three sentences, each linked to a single topic/subtopic that furthers the goal set out in your thesis statement. - Use adjectives and adverbs judiciously. - The word ‘ very' should be used only once in an essay; and then only if absolutely necessary. - Do not use contractions in a formal essay. Use “do not” and “will not” instead of “don't” and “won't.” - Keep verb tense consistent. Don't switch from past to present tense or vice versa within a single sentence. An incorrect example is “Caravaggio utilizes light in a new way and created new emotional possibilities.” The correct sentence reads “Caravaggio utilized light in a new way and created new emotional possibilities.” - Use semi-colons judiciously. It's often better to split an overlong sentence into two (or more) clearer sentences. - Avoid using colloquial language, such as “incredible,” “amazing,” or “mind-blowing.” - Avoid using the 'royal we' and avoid using directives 'you can see when the Greeks' A paper is not a presentation. - When finished with your draft on the computer, always make a print out of it to edit, since this is much easier to check for errors than when the paper appears on the screen. Please rewrite and revise the paper before the final draft.