CAH2CLM Classical Mythology

Assessment 3a: Essay Plan & Literature Review

Purpose

Assessment 3 is divided into two parts. This first part requires you to write an essay plan and annotated bibliography.

This task is designed to help you begin researching, planning and writing the final essay. Completing the task should help you construct the central argument and identify what further research is required. You should use the feedback to check you are on the right track for the final essay.

Instructions

Choose one of the essay questions listed below. Make some notes and brainstorm to generate ideas for your essay then start doing some preliminary research. Once you feel you have a grasp of your topic, you’re ready to plan your essay.

Your plan should include:

Question you are answering

A brief thesis statement. This is your contention or what you intend to argue in the essay. Note that this requires you to come to a position. "I will examine/discuss..." is NOT a contention. "I will show/conclude that..." IS a contention. Think of the thesis statement as your one-sentence answer to the essay question.

Summary of the topics you will cover in the essay (aim for 4-5 key ideas) along with the main supporting evidence you will use for each topic. Here you should include which gods/heroes/families/myths you will analyse, and which sources you will draw on. This evidence can include primary or secondary source material.

Annotated bibliography of

3 secondary sources

you intend to use in the final essay. Format the bibliography in

Chicago style

, in alphabetical order by author’s surname. Your annotations should include a brief summary of the argument in the source, an evaluation of the strengths and limitations of the source and a reflection on how you will incorporate the source into your own argument.

Essay Questions

How did ancient Greeks and Romans explain the origins of the universe? In your answer you should compare the mythological tradition with other more ‘rational’ ways of explaining creation in Graeco-Roman antiquity.

How are Greek deities (gods and goddesses) reinterpreted and reutilised in Rome? In your answer, discuss at least three deities in detail.

Compare and contrast Greek and Roman heroism. In your answer discuss at least three heroes in detail.

How could mortal men and women win

kleos

(fame) in Greek myth? Would a woman’s path to

kleos

differ from a man’s and if so, why?

What do

ancient

accounts of the Underworld/Hades tell us about

Greek and Roman

ideas around death? In your answer discuss in detail at least three mythical figures connected with the Underworld.

‘One of the roles of heroes was to civilise the earth’. Discuss this statement with reference to three relevant myths – these could relate to the foundation of cities, the slaying of monsters, or another pertinent theme

.

Many

classical

myths

featur

e

family dynasties, from the Greek House of Atreus to the Roman kings. What do these myths tell us about ancient perceptions of familial roles and relationships?

In your answer discuss at least three figures from two

families.

Assessment Criteria

Submission details

Submit through the relevant submission link in the LMS Assessment block under Assessment 3.