Assignment: Part 1:  Select a god, goddess, nymph, hero or mythical character you especially like and resonate with and research

Assignment:

Part 1:  Select a god, goddess, nymph, hero or mythical character you especially like and resonate with and research and summarize the various versions of their story. There are often many versions of a mythic character, so read various sources and summarize the myths overall. When there is a discrepancy from one version, you may say something like, “Homer says that………..while Hesiod writes………….” In this part of the essay, you will cite your sources. You are always looking for good secondary scholarly sources too; sources that discuss the psychological or other aspects of the character and their myth.  After you have summarized the myth and included the sources, discuss what you believe the function of the myth is – does it relate to nature, society, religion, the psyche, or literature? What archetypes are included? See any of the textbook readings for specific info that can be used in your essay. You must select a figure we have studied in class! Part 1 is worth 300 of the total 350 points for Parts 1 and 2.

Part 2:  Here’s the fun part. Now that you have researched your mythic character, become them.  Retell the story with you as the main character. You will begin the essay with "I, (insert name of your character) ………” Do not contradict what is known of the myth, but you may fill in the holes, and you may extend the myth (for example, what happened to Cinderella after she married her prince?). You must use as the foundation of your letter the scholarly info you included in Part 1. Don’t just make up stories- your letter needs to be based on the actual myths you discussed in Part 1.

Write this as a classic writer might have written the myth, but you may choose the tone. Become an author of antiquity and project onto your character how they might feel or think (always staying in first person, “I” – you are the character). How did your character think or feel? What did they have to say? You may set your figure of myth in any time frame, but you need to keep the basic structure of the myth and details consistent with what you researched.  No citations are necessary in this part since you are using the structure of your narrative based on what you cited in Part 1. 

Requirements for Part 1:

• Include a minimum of five scholarly sources of the character you are discussing and their myths/scholarly information. You may count the textbook as one source. 

• No Wikipedia – it is not considered a scholarly source.

• Minimum 800 words (for Part 1 of assignment). Part 2 is a minimum of 150 words. Please do not go over 1000 word MAX. If you write more- just save it and edit the part you send to me down to the required word count.

• Double-spaced, 12 point type, Times New Roman, MLA 8 format (and typed of course)

• Your name, paper title, date, class name in upper left-hand corner of first page.

• Must include MLA 8 Works Cited page and appropriate in-text citations. Correct citations are required!

• Include the written portion of your Part 2 letter with Part 1. Put it at the end, before your Works Cited page. 

•     The primary sources are the actual myths themselves – the secondary scholarly sources are those that explore the depth and meaning of the myth and characters involved. Those are important to include in any literary paper and will make your essay have more depth. Secondary scholarship will include the psychological, religious, relationship and societal aspects of the myth and character and can be used to add more interest and depth to your paper. As you know from your other classes, that is when you use various databases and research to find that info.

One good primary source is always

 . And I have to say it again – be sure you give citation credit to every idea and any words that are not yours.

The minimum word count is 800 and I did not list a max, but I am saying it now – please do not go over 1000 words. If you have, please keep your long essay in a file, and then edit down to about 1000 for everything to send to me.