The paper (3-5 pages long) is due Mon., Nov. 8, in class.
As in the case of the first paper: the below topics
are suggestions. If you want to write on another topic, feel free to
do so. It might be a good idea, however, in that case, to check with
one of us first.
Note that the topics tend to have many
sub-questions. You need not (and probably should not) try to answer
all of them. (You certainly should not just answer them one
after another in order--that would make a bad paper.) I put them
there to suggest various directions for thinking about the topic, and
in particular to head off superficial or excessively simple ways of
thinking about it.
Most of these topics require you to contrast the
views or attitudes of different authors and/or characters. When you
contrast two or more things, you should avoid saying just ``X is
A; Y is B.'' Try to say what the difference means, why it is
surprising and/or important.
It would be best to use material from at least two
different works, including at least one by Plato. In many cases it
would be better if you use more--though not, obviously, to such an
extent that you don't have enough space to treat your individual
examples carefully. The emphasis is on the texts we have read since
the Iliad, but you are allowed and even encouraged to use the
Iliad, as well (and, as usual, you can even use outside
sources if you think they are relevant, although it should still be
clear that the paper was written for this course).
As before, refer to the Iliad by book and
line numbers, and to Plato by Stephanus numbers; use line numbers for
Aristophanes. You can cite Xenophon and Diogenes Laertius by page
number in the copies I hand out. In all these cases, you need give
information about the translation you used only if it's different from
the one I ordered. Once again, you need give full bibliographical
references only if you for some reason bring in an outside source.