Mythology- Final paper

Topic 1 

Humanity's relationship to the divine is a recurring theme and subject in myths the world over. But different cultures, and even different sources within a single culture, characterize that relationship differently. Using the material we have studied in this class compare and contrast the relationship of mortals to immortals in at least two of our assigned texts. Things to consider: 

• How do different writers understand the mortal relationship with the gods? Why is this relationship represented this way? 

• Do you find that specific genres attend to this issue in different ways? Why might, say, a heroic epic show a different understanding of the gods from tragedy? 

• Don’t forget to craft a careful and specific thesis statement around which you build your argument. This essay is not a place simply to list similarities and differences between books. Examine the issue and provide analysis to prove your central argument. 

Guidelines

Readings to use include:

1. Ovid's Metamorposes
2. Euripede's Bacchae and Medea
3. Sophocles's Oedipus The King
4. The Iliad 
5. The Odyssey

Students may not choose Archaic/lyric poetry, Plato's Symposium, the bible, or Gilgamesh as one of their essay's primary sources.

• Present a strong, relevant thesis statement. 
  • Make a clear argument that is the focus of the entire essay.
  • And make sure that it relates to the topic above.
• Use direct quotes and specific examples to support your thesis and properly cite the quotes (e.g. book number and line number, act number and line number, etc.).
• Use at least two different ancient sources and properly cite the sources.
• Do NOT not use outside sources. Focus on the primary sources we've read in the class. NOTE: the use of outside sources is forbidden and will result in a penalty of at least 15%, a letter grade and a half. If you do use an outside source, please cite it. Not citing it would constitute plagiarism, and the penalty for plagiarism has always been much worse than a 15% grade deduction.
• Make sure that your paper is in final draft form (e.g. appropriate level of formality, correct spelling, clean grammar, proper formatting, etc.).
• Cite passages in your essay and include a bibliography at the end of your essay. Follow the citation/bibliographic guidelines of MLA, Chicago, or APA. The Penn State Libraries website has quick guides that should provide all the information you need. (Links to an external site.)

• Your final draft must have the following characteristics:

• 3-4 pages, double-spaced, with no extra spaces between paragraphs
  • Spacing must be consistent throughout the document. Do not insert empty lines between paragraphs
  • "3-4 pages" means 3 full to 4 full pages of essay text.
  • The essay heading does not count towards that length. Don't include it when you compute the length of your essay.
  • Occasionally I receive essays that take the following form: the heading consumes the first half of the page; the essay ends somewhere on the third page, far short of the end of the page. Such essays don't meet the lower length requirment. They are, at most, two-page essays. 
• 12 pt. Times New Roman font (This is no longer MS Word’s default font!)
• 1” margins (Make sure your margins are correct)
• Underlined or italicized title.
  • Your essay must have a title. And the title needs to be descriptive and helpful. "Final essay," for instance, is neither helpful nor descriptive.
• The document must be in Microsoft Word format (*.doc or *.docx). No other file format will be accepted. Microsoft's online Office apps are free, and if you have a Penn State access account, you have access to Microsoft Office 365. 
• Indent the first line of each paragraph .5"
• Block quotation is forbidden.  If your essay contains block quotations, I'll ask you to submit a rewrite.