Ancient Studies – Rogers/Tuttle – Paper Assignment #1
September 2016
Length & Due Date: Your paper should be about 600-800 words or two typed, double-spaced
pages in length. The paper is due on Saturday, September 24, and you will have a full class
period that day to finish your paper.
Topic: Evaluate the character of Achilles. In your judgment, does Achilles act nobly and
honorably, or selfishly and dishonorably? Does Achilles provide us with a positive model for a
good life?
Sources: Your main source will be Stanley Lombardo’s translation of Homer in The Essential
Iliad, but you can also draw on Edith Hamilton’s Mythology and scenes from Wolfgang
Peterson’s movie Troy.
Questions to Consider: In addressing this topic, consider both the words and actions (or
inaction) of Achilles. Consider too the central questions of this course about what it means to
lead a good life: What does Achilles value most? What does he live for? What is he willing to
die for? What does he owe to the Gods? What does he owe to his king? What does he owe to his
countrymen? And what does he think they owe to him? [You can consult the full listing of
questions in your notebook.] You need not address all of these questions, but thinking about
them will help you to focus your paper.
Structure of the Paper: In this classic “five paragraph essay,” you should discuss Achilles’
interactions with any three (3) of the following figures from the Trojan War. You may choose to
focus on Achilles’ own actions in these encounters, or you may compare and contrast Achilles
with the other figure. Whatever your approach, you should devote a full body paragraph to each
of your three episodes. In every instance, you should explain what we learn about Achilles in the
encounter, and assess whether he acts admirably or not.
Agamemnon
Hector
Odysseus
Briseis
Patroclus
Priam
Common Greek soldiers
Athena
Your first paragraph (a brief introduction) should include a clear thesis statement. Your final
paragraph (a brief conclusion) should offer a short but fresh restatement of your thesis.
Citing Sources: When you deem it appropriate and helpful, you can and should include direct
quotations that help you to make your point. For material from Lombardo’s translation of
Homer, you should put the book and line number in parentheses (for example, 1.37 or 9.334-336).
For material from Mythology, you cite like this: (Hamilton, 255).
You may also cite sources in the same manner for information that you paraphrase, but in this
first formal paper of the year, you are not required to do so. Instead, we will work on such
citations in a revision of this essay later in the year.
Submission of Your Paper: You have a “Homer Essay” document already shared with you in
“One Drive.” You will be graded on the paper saved in One Drive on the due date: September
24.
Name: _____________________________________
Outline for History Paper #1 on Achilles
I. What episode will I discuss in my FIRST body paragraph?
(Briefly describe what happens in this episode and with whom Achilles interacts)
In what lines will I find will I find my evidence for this episode? (List the book and lines)
How do I judge Achilles’ actions or thoughts in this episode? (Circle the qualities that apply))
Nobly
Honorably
Positively
Selfishly Dishonorably
Negatively
What specific passage or quotation will best help me to support this judgment about Achilles?
(List the location and key words or phrases from the passage you will use)
What are other adjectives or adjective phrases that I can use to describe Achilles based on what I learn from
this passage?
II. What episode will I discuss n my SECOND body paragraph?
(Briefly describe what happens in this episode and with whom Achilles interacts)
In what lines will I find will I find my evidence for this episode? (List the book and lines)
How do I judge Achilles’ actions or thoughts in this episode? (Circle the qualities that apply))
Nobly
Honorably
Positively
Selfishly Dishonorably
Negatively
What specific passage or quotation will best help me to support this judgment about Achilles?
(List the location and key words or phrases from the passage you will use)
What are other adjectives or adjective phrases that I can use to describe Achilles based on what I learn from
this passage?
III. What episode will I discuss In my THIRD body paragraph?
(Briefly describe what happens in this episode and with whom Achilles interacts)
In what lines will I find will I find my evidence for this episode? (List the book and lines)
How do I judge Achilles’ actions or thoughts in this episode? (Circle the qualities that apply))
Nobly
Honorably
Positively
Selfishly
Dishonorably
Negatively
What specific passage or quotation will best help me to support this judgment about Achilles?
(List the location and key words or phrases from the passage you will use)
What are other adjectives or adjective phrases that I can use to describe Achilles based on what I learn from
this passage?
Introduction & Conclusion: (You can answer these questions more effectively after you get deeper into
your paper.)
Introduction:
What thesis statement can I make that ties these episodes together? What is my overall judgment of
Achilles?
What are three main points (one for each episode) that I can include briefly in my introduction?
1
2
3
Conclusion:
What fresh language can I use to restate my main thesis and tie my paper together?
Peer Review of Achilles Paragraphs – In class on 9.15
Do you understand each individual sentence? Is any sentence unclear to you?
Do you find a clear statement that judges Achilles?
Do you find evidence from the reading that supports that judgment?
Are there one or more quotations that help to illustrate that judgment? Is the source of the quotation clear?
Do you see the writer using his or her own words to describe Achilles clearly?
Does the writer convince you about Achilles in this episode?
Are there any obvious spelling, punctuation, or grammatical mistakes you notice?
Grading Rubric for History Essay #1
Name: _____________________________ Grade: _______
_______ 1) Does the introduction offer a clear thesis statement that addresses the main question about
Achilles’ character?
_______ 2) Does the introduction indicate the three supporting details used to evaluate Achilles?
_______ 3) Does the first body paragraph explain effectively what we learn from Achilles’
interaction with another figure from the Trojan War?
_______ 4) Does the first body paragraph assess persuasively whether Achilles acts admirably or not
in this episode?
_______ 5) Does the second body paragraph explain effectively what we learn from Achilles’
interaction with another figure from the Trojan War?
_______ 6) Does the second body paragraph assess persuasively whether Achilles acts admirably or not in
this episode?
_______ 7) Does the third body paragraph explain effectively what we learn from Achilles’
interaction with another figure from the Trojan War?
_______ 8) Does the third body paragraph assess persuasively whether Achilles acts admirably or not
in this episode?
_______ 9) Does the conclusion offer a brief but fresh restatement of the original thesis?
_______ 10) Is the writing clear and mechanically sound? Does the writing include proper
capitalization and punctuation? Does it avoid sentence fragments, slang, and contractions?
Issues that Need Improvement:
Successful Aspects of this Paper