Thematic Essay free essay sample

Hector †¢ Fights, even though he may be doomed to defeat †¢ Consists of intangible loyalty to family and city as well martial valor †¢ Directly threatens his city Find the textual evidence for each explanation in Books 1 and 6. †¢ The dual theme of honor and dishonor runs through Books 1 and 6 of the Iliad. †¢ Examples: – Agamemnon feels dishonored by having to give up Chryseis, and he takes Briseis from Achilles to restore his honor. Achilles, in turn, feels his honor has been compromised by the loss of Briseis. Hector ignores Andromache’s pleas to stop fighting because he believes he must defend the honor of Troy and thereby defend his honor as a warrior. Create a three-column chart: Character Agamemnon Achilles Hector Example of Honor or Dishonor Explanation Andromache Agamemnon †¢ Example: Agamemnon believes himself dishonored by Apollo’s demand that he give up Chryseis. †¢ Explanation: As a major Greek warrior, he no doubt believes himself entitled to the spoils of war, even the human spoils. Achilles †¢ Example: Achilles believes himself dishonored by Agamemnon’s taking of Briseis. Explanation: Briseis has been promised to Achilles as a reward for his wartime heroics. Hector †¢ Example: Hector believes that he would be dishonored if he fails to live up to his commitment to defend Troy. †¢ Explanation: As a great Trojan hero, he knows that he is honor bound not to shirk the duties of war even if it causes his wife heartache. Andromache †¢ Example: Andromache feels dishonored because Hector refuses to heed her plea that he refrain from any further fighting. †¢ Explanation: Her sense of dishonor stems from her feeling that Hector places his military duty above his duty to her as a husband. Literary Analysis: Theme Overview †¢ A central insight into life †¢ Revealed through story events, character, and details Themes in the Iliad †¢ The role of fate in human affairs †¢ The destructive effects of anger †¢ The violence of war †¢ The importance of honor and courage †¢ The unpredictable ways of the gods Create a two-column chart. Identify three events in Books 1 and 6 that are connected to the theme of fate. Event How Event Connects to Theme 1. 1. 2. 3. 2. 3. The Role of Fate in Human Affairs Event 1. Agamemnon has refused to give up Chryseis. How Event Connects to Theme 1. By refusing to give up the daughter of the priest of Apollo, Agamemnon has provoked Apollo to punish the Greek troops with a plague. The Role of Fate in Human Affairs Event 2. Agamemnon takes Briseis away from Achilles as compensation for his loss of Chryseis. How Event Connects to Theme 2. By angering Achilles, Agamemnon once again brings a dire fate on his troops. Achilles, the Greeks’ most capable warrior, withdraws from battle, ensuring further military reverses for the Greek warriors. The Role of Fate in Human Affairs Event 3. Hector ignores Andromache’s pleas that he stop fighting and return home to her. How Event Connects to Theme 3. By ignoring his wife’s pleas, Hector ensures his death on the battle field at the hands of Achilles. Structuring a Thematic Analysis Essay I. Introduction A. Begin with an interesting statement (no questions). You may begin with an explanation of the theme. Do not use dictionary definitions. B. Briefly summarize the plot of the Iliad—no more than three sentences. (Homer is the poet). C. Thesis Statement: Theme and three events II. Body Paragraph 1 A. Transition Topic Sentence: Event 1 B. Example 1 (textual evidence) C. Explanation of quote (how it is connected to the theme) D. Concluding Sentence—summarize your point Structuring a Thematic Analysis Essay III. Body Paragraph 2: Event 2 A. Transition Topic Sentence: Event 2 B. Example 2 (textual evidence) C. Explanation of quote (how it is connected to the theme) D. Concluding Sentence—summarize your point Structuring a Thematic Analysis Essay IV. Body Paragraph 3: Event 3 A. Transition Topic Sentence: Event 3 B. Example 3 (textual evidence) C. Explanation of quote (how it is connected to the theme) D. Concluding Sentence—summarize your point Structuring a Thematic Analysis Essay V. Conclusion A. Concluding Transition (therefore, consequently, thus) summary of introduction B. One-two sentence summary for each body paragraph (how the event is connected to the theme) C. Restate your thesis statement. D. Concluding Sentence—Use an â€Å"If . . . then†: If fate had not played a role in human affairs, then Hector would have endured and his city would be saved. A Few Reminders 1. Write in the literary present. No past tense when writing about literature). 2. Carefully proofread your essay for elementary errors, such as spelling, capitalization, punctuation, homonymns, and subject-verb agreement. 3. Avoid passive voice (is, are). 4. Do not use 1st (I) or 2nd (you) person EVER in a literary analysis! 5. The Iliad is an epic—not a novel or short story. A Few Reminders 6. Introduce your quotations. Do not just â€Å"dump† them without any introduction. Examples: According to, Homer writes, Achilles argues, Agamemnon replies, Andromache believes 7. Citing the Iliad (notice the nderlining and the use of the article â€Å"the†). A Word About Tone: †¢ Absolutely no page numbers! Your tone must be academic—even †¢ Correct citation: (book #. line #) erudite—but †¢ Example: (6. 35-37). absolutely not †¢ Notice the placement of the â€Å"periods†: conversational! – Separates the book number and the line number – Ends the citation (outside of the parentheses). Formatting Your Paper †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Font: Arial or Times New Roman Font Size: 12 Double-spaced Indent (tab) to begin new paragraphs MLA Heading: Left-justified Engaging Title: Centered—no bold print or italics or increased font size Thematic Analysis Essay Assignment Choose one of the following themes and explain how it is developed in the Iliad using specific examples from the text. 1. The destructive effects of anger 2. The violence of war 3. The importance of honor and courage 4. The unpredictable ways of the gods You must create, complete, and submit the chart with your typed essay. Vocabulary Integration †¢ Instead of a test on Chapter 5 Word Lists 16-30, you must use at least 10 different words in each essay. –You may not use the same words in both essays. –Use them correctly.