tailored with a specific audience
Essay #4
Assignment
In this course we are working with the idea that myths are stories told for a point, tailored with a specific audience in mind. And we have used this idea over and over while reading the Odyssey by Homer, Theogony by Hesiod, and other texts. For the previous essay, you responded to a fellow committee member’s harsh critique of the Theogony by arguing that the poem is in fact not a waste of time – read sensitively, it can bring hopeful release to a suffering person. This committee member was so impressed by your answer, that she admits confusion on another famous ancient poem: Metamorphoses by Ovid. “That text, too,” she says, “seems to be one bad story after another. Just jealousy, rape, and rage, over and over. What’s up with that?!” You agree, that much of the poem does feature stories with those elements. But you better understand why based on how the poet describes, in the poem’s first pages, the principles at work in the distinctive world that is the Metamorphoses. Just as importantly, you know there are exceptions to these elements. In your conversation you talk about a few of these exceptions. Your fellow committee member then asks, “which of those exceptions is the most important?”
In this essay, you must answer the person’s question by arguing that of all the episodes in Metamorphoses that don’t seem to end in the typical way (i.e., with rape, oppression, or a violent change) the most important is the poet’s change at the poem’s end. A complete thesis will list at least three stories of this type and then argue for the poet’s metamorphosis as the most important.
To develop your argument, think about the themes we’ve focused on – the story’s “points,” provocative questions, issues. Consider also how your chosen exception could help the poem, as a story, make its point. The essay must state its thesis in a short introductory paragraph, followed by a few body paragraphs actually making the argument. As part of its evidence the essay must cite specific passages of Metamorphoses at least four times (not necessarily quote, but cite), using book number and page number: 13.324. You may only use the Metamorphoses as evidence. Further details are below. For more tips on writing this type of essay, and a post-writing checklist, see the relevant documents on Carmen.
Assigned: Mon Apr 20.
Due: As a Microsoft Word document or pdf, Wed Apr 29 by 11am in Carmen’s Dropbox.
Rubric
Formatting & Length
_____ / 1 Is the paper appropriately formatted?
Classics 2220 Classical Mythology
The Ohio State University | Spring 2015
·
· 12-point, Times New Roman font in black
· 1.5 spacing
· 1 inch margins
_____ / 1 Is the paper the appropriate length?
· 1 page
· The student’s name and essay title should be on the first line, and the essay itself should start on the second; no additional space should be taken up with headers, dates, etc.
· Anything over the page limit will not be considered part of the essay.
Thesis
_____ / 3 Does the thesis
· adequately answer the question posed in the assignment,
· provide a sufficient reason for that position,
· and provide a mini outline of the points the essay will make to argue the thesis?
Supporting Paragraphs
_____ / 2 Argument: do the supporting paragraphs sufficiently argue the thesis?
_____ / 2 Evidence: does the essay use sufficient evidence from the texts, and cite it correctly, to support the argument?
Grammar & Other Mechanics of Writing
_____ / 1 Does the essay use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and is the prose clear?
TOTAL __________ / 10
Classics
2220
Classical Mythology
The Ohio
State University | Spring 2015
Essay #
4
Assignment
In this course we are working with the idea that myths are
stories told for a point, tailored with a specific audience in
mind
. And we have used this idea over and over while reading the
Odyssey
by Homer,
Theogony
by Hesiod, and other
texts.
For th
e previous
essay,
you
responded to a fellow committee member’s harsh critique of the
Theogony
by
arguing that the poem is in fact not a waste of time
–
read sensitively, it can bring hopeful release to a suffering
person.
This committee member was so impressed by your answer, that she admits confusion on another famous
ancient poem:
Metamorphoses
by Ovid. “That text, too,” she says, “seems to be one bad story after another. Just
jealousy, rape, and rage, over and over. Wha
t’s up with that?!” You agree, that much of the poem does feature stories
with those elements. But you better understand why based on how the poet describes, in the poem’s first pages, the
principles at work in the disti
n
ctive world that is the
Metamorphos
es
.
Just as importantly, you know there are
exceptions to these elements
. In your conversation you talk about a few of these exceptions. Your fellow committee
member then asks, “which of those exceptions is the most important?”
In this essay,
you must
answer the
person’s question
by arguing that
of all the episodes in
Metamorphoses
that don’t seem to end in the typical way (i.e., with rape, oppression, or a violent change) the most important
is the poet’s change at the poem’s end.
A complete thesis will
list at least three stories of this type and then argue
for
the poet’s metamorphosis as
the most important.
To develop your argument, think about the themes we’ve focused on
–
the story’s “points,” provocative questions,
issue
s
.
Consider also how your
chosen exception could help the poem, as a story, make its point.
The essay must
state its
thesis
in a short introductory paragraph, followed by a few body paragraphs actually making the
argument
. As part of its
evidence
the essay must cite specific passag
es of
Metamorphoses
at least four times (not
necessarily
quote
, but
cite
), using
book number and page
number:
1
3
.
324
. You may only
use the
Metamorphoses
as
evidence.
Further details are below.
For more tips
on writing this type of essay,
and a
post
–
writing
checklist, see the
relevant documents on Carmen.
Assigned:
Mon
Apr 20
.
Due:
As a Microsoft Word document or pdf,
Wed
Apr
29
by 11am in Carmen’s Dropbox.
Rubric
Formatting & Length
_____ / 1
Is the paper appropriately formatted?
·
12
–
point, Times New Roman font in black
·
1.5 spacing
·
1 inch m
argins
_____ / 1
Is the paper the appropriate length?
·
1 page
·
The student’s name and essay title should be on the first line, and the essay itself should start
on the second; no additional space should be taken up with headers, dates,
etc.
·
Anything over the page limit wil
l not be considered part of the essay.
Thesis
_____ / 3
Does the thesis
·
adequately answer the question posed in the assignment,
·
provide a sufficient reason for that position,
·
and provide a mini outline of the points the essay will
make to argue the th
esis?
Supporting Paragraphs
_____ / 2
Argument: do the supporting paragraphs sufficiently argue the thesis?
_____ / 2
Evidence: does the essay use sufficient evidence from the texts, and cite it correctly, to support the
argument?
Grammar & Other
Mechanics of Writing
_____ / 1
Does the essay use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and is the prose clear?
Classics 2220 Classical Mythology
The Ohio State University | Spring 2015
Essay #4
Assignment
In this course we are working with the idea that myths are stories told for a point, tailored with a specific audience in
mind. And we have used this idea over and over while reading the Odyssey by Homer, Theogony by Hesiod, and other
texts. For the previous essay, you responded to a fellow committee member’s harsh critique of the Theogony by
arguing that the poem is in fact not a waste of time – read sensitively, it can bring hopeful release to a suffering
person. This committee member was so impressed by your answer, that she admits confusion on another famous
ancient poem: Metamorphoses by Ovid. “That text, too,” she says, “seems to be one bad story after another. Just
jealousy, rape, and rage, over and over. What’s up with that?!” You agree, that much of the poem does feature stories
with those elements. But you better understand why based on how the poet describes, in the poem’s first pages, the
principles at work in the distinctive world that is the Metamorphoses. Just as importantly, you know there are
exceptions to these elements. In your conversation you talk about a few of these exceptions. Your fellow committee
member then asks, “which of those exceptions is the most important?”
In this essay, you must answer the person’s question by arguing that of all the episodes in Metamorphoses
that don’t seem to end in the typical way (i.e., with rape, oppression, or a violent change) the most important
is the poet’s change at the poem’s end. A complete thesis will list at least three stories of this type and then argue
for the poet’s metamorphosis as the most important.
To develop your argument, think about the themes we’ve focused on – the story’s “points,” provocative questions,
issues. Consider also how your chosen exception could help the poem, as a story, make its point. The essay must
state its thesis in a short introductory paragraph, followed by a few body paragraphs actually making the
argument. As part of its evidence the essay must cite specific passages of Metamorphoses at least four times (not
necessarily quote, but cite), using book number and page number: 13.324. You may only use the Metamorphoses as
evidence. Further details are below. For more tips on writing this type of essay, and a post-writing checklist, see the
relevant documents on Carmen.
Assigned: Mon Apr 20.
Due: As a Microsoft Word document or pdf, Wed Apr 29 by 11am in Carmen’s Dropbox.
Rubric
Formatting & Length
_____ / 1 Is the paper appropriately formatted?
12-point, Times New Roman font in black
1.5 spacing
1 inch margins
_____ / 1 Is the paper the appropriate length?
1 page
The student’s name and essay title should be on the first line, and the essay itself should start
on the second; no additional space should be taken up with headers, dates, etc.
Anything over the page limit will not be considered part of the essay.
Thesis
_____ / 3 Does the thesis
adequately answer the question posed in the assignment,
provide a sufficient reason for that position,
and provide a mini outline of the points the essay will make to argue the thesis?
Supporting Paragraphs
_____ / 2 Argument: do the supporting paragraphs sufficiently argue the thesis?
_____ / 2 Evidence: does the essay use sufficient evidence from the texts, and cite it correctly, to support the
argument?
Grammar & Other Mechanics of Writing
_____ / 1 Does the essay use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and is the prose clear?
