Download mythology-final-assessment

Dr. Mandler
European Literature
Females, Love, and Family Dynamics
Over the course of this unit, we have encountered many themes in the stories that make the
studying of Greek mythology a rewarding and exciting experience. Most of these themes are
timeless expressions of what some have called the human condition. In this assignment, you
are asked to choose ONE of the following topics and write an essay that contains a clear thesis
and thoroughly explores and analyzes the specific theme, characters and myth you select.
1. The role of the female: Greek Mythology features many, many stories in which female
characters take a central role. Female characters may be prominently in the foreground
acting as a catalyst in a very obvious way. Other female characters may be operating in
the background, unbeknownst to other characters. Select one female character and
evaluate her presence in the story or stories. You may want to consider the following
questions: How do men act/react around this female character? How does this female
character follow or not follow the expectation of females in Ancient Greece? What
motivates this female character and how does the female react to events that happen
around her?
2. The pursuit of love: As we have discussed in class, love can manifest itself in many,
many ways. We see heroes and heroines, gods and goddesses, act both nobly and
foolishly in the name of love. We also see the reactions of scorned lovers and the
heartbreak of unreturned love. Select one instance of love and closely examine how
love impacts (or does not impact) characters. Remember that love is not always
recognized by both parties – sometimes love is unrecognized or unrequited. You may
want to consider the following questions: In what ways is love a powerful force that
your characters have little control over? How do the actions of one character deeply
impact the emotions of another?
3. Father/son relationships: Time after time, we see strained relationships between
fathers and sons. We see fathers (and grandfathers) take serious initiative to remove
the threat they believe exists with the presence of their offspring. We also see the many
varied reactions sons have to the rejections and banishments of their fathers. Identify
one father/son relationship and discuss the facets of this relationship. You may want to
consider the following questions: What motivates the father figures to want to rid
themselves of their sons? In what ways do the father figures attempt to erase their sons
– do they take action themselves or have someone else do the dirty work for them?
How does this rejection impact the son’s life moving forward?
Remember, your essay should:
 Contain a clear thesis statement
 Use a formal tone
 Have grammatically correct sentences
 Offer relevant textual evidence to support any assertions
 Specifically identify the topic, characters, and myth that you are analyzing
Dr. Mandler
European Literature
Tip:

Females, Love, and Family Dynamics
You only have 2 pages to say what you need to say – rather than trying to touch on
multiple myths or even one entire myth, pick one or two key moments to analyze. This
will lead you to a deeper analysis.
Length: Two pages, typed, double-spaced, Times New Roman, size-12 font
First Draft Due: Tuesday, November 8th (For peer editing in class)
Final Draft Due: Tuesday, November 15th (include cover page with an effective title). Your paper
is due on turnitin.com on Sunday, November 20th by midnight.
NOTE: If you would like additional support of assistance, the Writing Center is a good resource
for you to visit. This assignment does not require that you use any outside sources other than
Hamilton’s Mythology. In fact, you should avoid online sources. Use your own wonderful mind
to pull together the information you need and subject it analysis that serves to reveal
something to you about Greek mythology as much as it reveals something to your reader.
Plagiarism Warning: Copying phrases from other sources without proper citations and/or
eliciting and then using somebody’s original ideas as your own will result in a zero for this
assignment. Again , if you try to “get ideas” about the topic of your choice online or from your
friends/classmates/acquaintances, you will be defeating the purpose of this assignment and,
very likely, get your paper to be flagged as a plagiarized one.