greek literature

Topics for 1-page Essay
Classics 39 Classical Women in Greek Literature

Please do one of the following:
1. Discuss the relationship of the female gods and humans in the Iliad and/or Odyssey.
2. Discuss the relationship of the female and male gods in the Iliad and Odyssey.
3. Discuss the nature of the female gods in the Iliad and Odyssey.
4. In what ways are Penelope and Odysseus similar, different?
5. Did Penelope realize from the first time she saw the old beggar man that he was her husband?
6. Greek society is usually said to be male dominated and even misogynist. Evaluate this statement in terms of what you have read in the Iliad and Odyssey.
7. A topic of your own choosing or a reformulation of a topic above. Clear the topic with me first.

Your essay is due in class; it must be typed and single-spaced. It must not be any longer than one page (minimum 450 words). Please do not add a title page or bibliography. Put your name in the upper right-hand corner and in the upper left-hand corner the title of your essay. You will be graded on a scale of ten points: seven points for content, and I will take off up to three points for misspelled words, typos, improper English usage, and other grammar mistakes. Please have someone proof your paper before you hand it in. Points lost on your essay will usually be due to not following directions or some error/s noted below. I will read first drafts. See syllabus for special office hours.

Organizing Criteria (to be exhibited in your essay):
You must have a thesis sentence at the beginning of the essay.
Think of the three, four, or five paragraph essay format, with an introductory thesis paragraph, supporting paragraphs, and a brief concluding paragraph. (Remember: In an essay you are arguing a point, trying to prove a point, or elucidating a point. Your thesis statement states what the point is.)
Make sure your sentences make sense. Clumsy phrases and incorrectly used words will cost you points.
Keep to the same verb tense.
Stylistic Points (I will not mark off for style, but keep the following in mind):
Avoid split infinitives.
Avoid passives.
Avoid wordiness; make your statements direct.
Vary your sentence structure: a simple sentence, a compound sentence, a sentence with subordinate clauses, etc.

Common Errors to avoid:
Iliad or Iliad, not Iliad: underline or italicize titles of books. Titles of articles are enclosed by quotation marks.
it’s = it is
its = possession
their = possessive vs. there
punctuation: “…store.” “…store,” “…store”; “…store”: (Single punctuation marks are placed within the quotations, while double punctuation marks are placed outside.)

Avoid run-on sentences: He wanted to go home as soon as he finished, however he stayed behind. A complete sentence ends with a period or semi-colon, except when you string several very short sentences in a row: I came, I saw, I conquered.

Avoid fragmentary sentences: Since he lived in the South for over ten years during the 1960s and experienced many facets of country living in those years.

Use commas properly. End a subordinate clause beginning with such words (called subordinating conjunctions) as “when,” “since,” “although,” “as long as,” “while,” “as” with a comma. When he finished the assignment, he handed it in. “But” usually has a comma before it as in: I went home, but no one was there. Words or phrases in apposition have a comma before and after. Similarly, such words as “however” in the middle of a sentence has a comma before and after.
Capitalize proper nouns and adjectives: Greeks. Do not capitalize the word ancient: ancient Greece.
Do not use contractions in formal writing.