Writing Prompts for High School History & Literature

[Brad S]

We're following a "classical approach" to literature and history, much like the WTM: ancient, then continuing chronologically from there. I was wondering if people had some good suggestions.  I sometimes struggle to come up with good writing prompts and want to be sure I'm having reasonable expectations.  We're in the middle of ancient literature and ancient history now, and I'm also thinking ahead to next year, though we have a ways to go. 

 

I'm mostly thinking of a weekly writing assignment to accompany a time period or piece of literature rather than a research paper.  At least for us it seems better to stick to limited topics, such as a single or two works of literature, and avoid topics requiring internet research since that can be a huge time sink (although fine for a research paper).  My goal is to practice writing while analyzing history or literature, and move beyond primarily writing assignments primarily for the sake of teaching writing.

 

A lot of our literature is in the Norton Anthology of World Literature, and I do have the useful accompanying book Teaching With the Norton Anthology: World Literature; there are a few writing suggestions there, but I could use a lot more.  I'd prefer not to buy a "course guide" for history or literature with worksheets or short exercises -- really just looking for writing prompts that won't end up being a research paper .

 

Does this make sense?  Suggestions for writing prompts?  (One or many.)  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Corraleno]

I compiled a list of writing prompts to use for my son's Greek lit course; most of these are from Reed's HUM110 assigment lists (RC), with a few extras thrown in from the Great Courses guidebooks (GC/M) and a series called History in Dispute (HD). I'll see if I can cut & paste them here:

AESCHYLUS
Compare the role of the chorus in one play of Aeschylus' Oresteia to the chorus' role in either Euripides' Medea or Sophocles' Antigone. How does the form of tragedy help to communicate the plays' meanings, and how do the different authors deploy the chorus differently? (RC)
The polis and the individual are interdependent; yet the polis and the individual compete. The interplay of this interdependence with this competition was a theme of constant interest to classical Athenians. Examine how this interplay is addressed in one of Thucydides' speeches (e.g. Pericles' Funeral Oration or Alcibiades' speech), and compare it to the treatment put forward in either Antigone or Eumenides. (RC)
What is the significance of the yoke imagery Aeschylus frequently employs throughout the Agamemnon? (RC)
Women in Aeschylus’s Athens had little public power, yet a woman is clearly the most powerful figure in Agamemnon. Why might that be? You might consider the following two plays as well. (GC/M)

 

EURIPIDES
Compare the role of the chorus in one play of Aeschylus' Oresteia to the chorus' role in either Euripides' Medea or Sophocles' Antigone. How does the form of tragedy help to communicate the plays' meanings, and how do the different authors deploy the chorus differently? (RC)
Discuss the portrayal of Dionysus in The Bacchae. How does it compare to the depiction of god(s) in another work you have read this semester? What is the importance of the similarities and differences? (RC) [e.g. compare Bacchae to Frogs]
At the end of the Bacchae, Dionysius tells Cadmus and Agave, "Long ago my father Zeus ordained these things." Does the action of the Bacchae represent a transformation in either the Greek concept of fate or the relationship between humans and the gods? In formulating your response, you should consider one or more of the following texts: Herodotus, the Oresteia, Oedipus, Thucydides. (RC)

 

SOPHOCLES
What notions of justice emerge from Haemon's dialogue with Creon in Sophocles' Antigone (lines 688-831)? How does Haemon's idea of justice differ from his father's? What is the more general significance of their discussion of justice for the text as a whole? (RC)
Compare the role of the chorus in one play of Aeschylus' Oresteia to the chorus' role in either Euripides' Medea or Sophocles' Antigone. How does the form of tragedy help to communicate the plays' meanings, and how do the different authors deploy the chorus differently? (RC)
What claims do the oikos and polis make in Antigone? Does Sophocles resolve the tension between the oikos and the polis in this play? (RC)
The polis and the individual are interdependent; yet the polis and the individual compete. The interplay of this interdependence with this competition was a theme of constant interest to classical Athenians. Examine how this interplay is addressed in one of Thucydides' speeches (e.g. Pericles' Funeral Oration or Alcibiades' speech), and compare it to the treatment put forward in either Antigone or Eumenides. (RC)
Analyze the function of the plague in Thucydides's History of the Peloponnesian War and Sophocles's Oedipus Rex. In your response compare the authors' treatment of civic crisis and the role of the leader. What do these different treatments tell us about drama and the writing of history? (RC)
What is the purpose of the Antigone-Ismene relationship in the larger context of Sophocles' Antigone? (RC)
After fateful encounters with the blind Tiresias, two successive rulers of Thebes are themselves rendered 'blind'. Compare the ways in which Creon (in Antigone) and Oedipus (in Oedipus Tyrannus) react to the prophet and the knowledge he bears. (RC)

 

ARISTOPHANES
Compare the arguments made about the role and capabilities of women in the kallipolis in Platos Republic to Aristophanes representation of the role and capabilities of women in the Lysistrata. (RC)
What are the effects of having more than one chorus in Aristophanes's Lysistrata? (RC)
Was Aristophanes a reactionary? (HD)

 

ODYSSSEY
In Herodotus' account, Themistocles emerges as a central figure in Athens' defeat of the Persians. Comparing Herodotus' portrayal of Themistocles to Homer's depiction of Odysseus, discuss similarities and differences between the Histories and epic poetry. (RC)
In book nine of the Iliad, Odysseus attempts to persuade Achilleus to return to battle by appealing to certain values (IX.225-306). What are these values, and to what extent does Achilleus's response to Odysseus (IX. 307-429) affirm or repudiate these values? Your essay should include close readings of these two passages. (RC)
Odysseus reveals qualities that differentiate him from Achilles and other heroes of the Iliad. What are they and why does the poet emphasize them? (GC/M)

ILIAD
The first line of the Iliad suggests that Achilles' anger is the central topic of the epic. His anger plays out, however, in a context that includes the anger of other mortals as well as immortals. Does Achilles' anger differ from that of the gods or other mortals? What does this difference (or similarity) say about Achilles, including the changes he undergoes in the course of the epic? Build your argument based on a close analysis of two passages (each of not more than approximately 200 lines), one concerning the anger of Achilles and the other concerning the anger of a god or another mortal. Examples of possible passages are the anger of Zeus (Book 8), the anger of Hera (Book 4), the rage of Diomedes (Book 5), and the anger of Achilles (Books 1, 9, 16, etc.). Please do not consult outside sources for your paper. (RC)
In book 2 of the Iliad, lines 211277, Thersites abuses Agamemnon and is abused, in turn, by Odysseus. Focusing on Thersites, write an essay that analyzes the poet’s relationship to his characters and their values. Is Homer sympathetic to Thersites? To Thersites views? You may consider other parts of the Iliad, in relation to this passage, to support your argument. (RC)
In book 6, lines 406-439, Andromache implores Hektor not to return to the battle. One of her appeals is that "Hektor, thus you are father to me, and my honoured mother,/you are my brother, and you who it is who are my young husband" (lines 429-430). How do these lines fit into Andromache's argument in the passage as a whole? Based on what you know of Homeric ideas about the family, consider why Andromache's appeal would or would not have been successful. In your paper you may draw upon the Homeric poems, the lectures, and the readings from Vernant and Murray but you should not undertake further outside research. (RC)
In using the story of Meleagros to persuade Achilleus to return to Battle (Bk. 9.529-599), Phoinix appeals to certain values. To what extent is Achilleus's response to the Embassy and his decision to return to battle (in Book 18) in accord with these values? (RC)
Compare the two great speeches in Books 6-8: Hector’s response to Andromache and Achilles’ response to Odysseus. In what ways are the two heroes similar and in what ways are they different? (GC/M)

 

HERODOTUS
In Book II (113-120) of The Histories, Herodotus offers an alternative account of the causes of the Trojan War. Focusing on this passage, discuss Herodotus' method of inquiry and his understanding of causation in human affairs. (RC)
In a close reading of two or three of the dream or oracle scenes in the Histories, assess how Herodotus accommodates or incorporates fate in his historical explanations. (RC)
In book II.113-120 of the Histories, Herodotus makes inquiries about the abduction of Helen and evaluates the truth of the story. How is this process of evaluating the evidence representative of Herodotus’s method throughout the Histories? Use two other passages where Herodotus evaluates evidence to support your claim. (RC)
Herodotus gives no formal over-arching definition of reliable evidence. Yet, he is not entirely credulous. What for Herodotus constitutes reliable evidence? What principles does he use to assess evidence? (RC)
At 7:152, Herodotus says: "My business is to record what people say, but I am by no means bound to believe it-- and that may be taken to apply to this book as a whole." Select an incident in The Histories and determine what constitutes proof for Herodotus. Possible incidents are the story of Helen (2:113-120), the madness of Cleomenes (6:75-84), and the "hand of God" at Salamis (8:90-94). (RC)
At Herodotus 1:90, Croesus asks Cyrus "to send these chains to the god of the Greeks, whom I most honored, and ask if he is accustomed to cheat his benefactors." Is Apollo ungrateful toward Croesus? (RC)
Looking at his account of Croesus (Book 1, 85-93) or of Helen's abduction (Book 2, 112-120), analyze how Herodotus seeks to establish the truth of his narrative and evaluate his ability to do so persuasively. (RC)
Does Herodotus deserve the title “father of history� Why or why not? (HD)

 

HERODOTUS & THUCYDIDES Compare & Contrast
Herodotus famously argued that democracy was the foundation of Athenian military prowess: "Athens went from strength to strength, and proved, if proof were needed, how noble a thing equality before the law is, not in one respect only, but in all; for while they were oppressed under tyrants, they had no better success in war than any of their neighbours, yet, once the yoke was flung off, they proved the finest fighters in the world. This clearly shows that, so long as they were held down by authority, they deliberately shirked their duty in the field, as slaves shirk working for their masters; but when freedom was won, then every man amongst them was interested in his own cause" (Histories, 5.78). Would Thucydides agree? (RC)
Compare and contrast the presentation of the Spartans in Herodotus and Thucydides, paying particular attention to the way they use Spartan behavior and customs to highlight aspects of Athenian character and action. How would you explain both the similarities and differences in the historians respective representations of the Spartans? What is the significance of the fact that the authors are writing at two different historical moments, about two different historical events? (RC)
Compare the accounts of the Trojan War given by Herodotus in his Histories (1.3-1.5 and 2.113-2.120) and Thucydides in his History of the Peloponnesian War (1.9-1.12). What role does the Trojan War play in each of their histories? How does each historian invoke Homer as an authority and suggest limits to what kinds of knowledge the poet can provide? What larger claims can we make about the two historians' methodologies, interests, and goals from their treatment of the Trojan War? (RC)

 

THUCYDIDES
In what ways does Thucydides' account of the Sicilian Expedition draw on Athenian Tragedy? What is the significance of these resonances? Be sure to support your idea of Athenian Tragedy with specific examples. (RC)
Analyze the function of the plague in Thucydides's History of the Peloponnesian War and Sophocles's Oedipus Rex. In your response compare the authors' treatment of civic crisis and the role of the leader. What do these different treatments tell us about drama and the writing of history? (RC)
The polis and the individual are interdependent; yet the polis and the individual compete. The interplay of this interdependence with this competition was a theme of constant interest to classical Athenians. Examine how this interplay is addressed in one of Thucydides' speeches (e.g. Pericles' Funeral Oration or Alcibiades' speech), and compare it to the treatment put forward in either Antigone or Eumenides. (RC)
Examine Thucydides' account of the Theban takeover of Plataea and its aftermath (II. 1-6; II. 71-78; III. 20-24; III. 52-68). What are the major issues Thucydides raises in his analysis of Plataea, and how does his account of Plataea fit into his history as a whole? (RC)
Thucydides makes this comment in his History of the Peloponnesian War, on the powerful and important city of Sparta:
Suppose, for example, that Sparta were to become deserted and that only the temples and foundations of buildings remained, I think that future generations would, as time passed, find it very difficult to believe that the place had really been as powerful as it was represented to be. . . . Since the city is not regularly planned and contains no temples or monuments of great magnificence, but is simply a collection of villages, in the ancient Hellenic way, its appearance would not come up to expectation. If, on the other hand, the same thing were to happen to Athens, one would conjecture from what met the eye that the city had been twice as powerful as in fact it is.  (Thucydides I, 10)
There are many passages in which Thucydides makes reference to disjunctions between appearance and reality, disjunctions of various kinds: grandeur vs. real power (as above); word vs. deed; reasons expressly given vs. true causes; and so forth. How do such disjunctions between appearance and reality inform Thucydides' understanding of political affairs? You should focus on specific examples in your answer. (RC)
To what extent is the view of human nature articulated in Thucydides's account of the civil war in Corcyra borne out by the rest of his History of the Peloponnesian War? (RC)
Analyze Pericles' and Alcibiades' views (at II. 40-42 and VI. 16-17, respectively) about the ways private citizens contribute to the power of Athens. In what ways do they agree or disagree? What, in your opinion, is Thucydides' view of the matter? (RC)

 

HESIOD
In the Theogony, why does Hesiod present the story of Prometheus [lines 509-572] the way that he does? You might consider, for example, word choice, sequence of events, imagery, characterization, tone, situation & setting, sounds, and location in the overall narrative. (RC)
According to what principles does the Works and Days propose to organize or make order in the culture it describes? To what social, political, theological or ethical uses are these principles put? (RC)
In Hesiod’s version of creation, the chief god comes to power only gradually. How does that differ from other creation stories, and what does that difference suggest about the Greeks? (GC/M)
In Works and Days, we see life from the perspective of the struggling laborer, and in the Homeric epics, we usually saw through the eyes of the wealthy and powerful. Granted these different vantage points, do the two poets present the same world? (GC/M)

 

[ETA: Sorry the formatting is a bit awkward]

Edited April 22, 2016 by Corraleno

[Brad S]

Thanks, Corraleno.  I really like how you used the bold highlighting to separate out the authors.  I'll add a few of my own...not that they're really original, but they're mine.

 

ARISTOTLE

 

• Poetics: Is the view of literary criticism in the Poetics still relevant today?  Pick any specific thesis and write a persuasive essay of about two pages. [My later note: I found that it was difficult to write this in two pages after reviewing DS's essay.  I think it's probably a minimum of three pages.]
• Rhetoric: Write about whether the Rhetoric is still relevant today (really original, right; now you see why I posted :confused1:   OR Compare the Rhetoric with the Toastmaster's public speaking guidance booklet. (DS is in a Jr. Toastmasters group.)

 

PLATO, ARISTOPHANES and XENOPHON

 

Compare and contrast the characterizations of Socrates in Plato's Apology, Aristophanes's The Clouds, and an excerpt from Xenophon describing Socrates.  (This is actually more involved than what I'm imagining for a weekly writing assignment, but we'll be reading these and orally discussing this issue, so it should be doable in our case in a week I think.)

 

 

ETA: formatting

 

Edited April 22, 2016 by Brad S

[Brad S]

...

Compare the role of the chorus in one play of Aeschylus' Oresteia to the chorus' role in either Euripides' Medea or Sophocles' Antigone. How does the form of tragedy help to communicate the plays' meanings, and how do the different authors deploy the chorus differently?

 

...

 

What claims do the oikos and polis make in Antigone? Does Sophocles resolve the tension between the oikos and the polis in this play?

 

After thinking through how the implementation would work, I have a few thoughts on choosing writing prompts:

 

I think that prompts like the second are more efficient for us than the first for a course in "ancient world literature" run in conjunction with a course on "ancient world history:  The first one is not the main point of the play and would seem to require re-reading one or both of the plays with a focus on the writing prompt.  In addition, comparing two works means that two works need to be reviewed or re-read, which is time consuming.  Since the second point is so central to the play, if it requires a re-reading at all, it will be to understand a main point better, which seems more important to me. 

 

Edited April 22, 2016 by Brad S

[Chrysalis Academy]

Brad, we're just getting started with our Ancients study, but I copied and pasted the end of lecture questions from the two GC we're using, History of the Ancient World: A Global Perspective and The Other Side of History.  They're not all fabulous questions, but some of them are very good.  On the weeks dd isn't doing a paper about a work of literature - i.e. a more "reading" week for lit - I'm giving her the list of questions from the set of lectures we've just watched, and having her write a short essay answer to one per day.  She doesn't have to answer them all, she can pick from a larger set of questions. So for Mesopotamia, there were 6 lectures, 12 questions I thought were good, and she will answer 7-8 of those.  You may have already done this, but do check your course guidebook if you haven't and see if you like the discussion questions there. I don't like them for all the courses, but for these two courses they seem to be pretty good, and I think that you are using History of the Ancient World too, right?

 

Dd is reading Gilgamesh right now - does anybody have a great writing prompt for that?   :D   I'm definitely stealing some of the Greece prompts you guys have posted, thanks!

[Brad S]

Rose, Thanks.  Yes, the Aldrete History of the Ancient World guidebook I have has questions for discussion.  We usually just talk about something after each lecture like a connection with a later time, such as modern times, or a comparison across geographical regions.  We've used the questions a few times.  The ones I remember I liked for discussion topics.  but not as much for writing prompts; they seemed to require additional reading, sometimes significant, in order to make the writing assignment what I'd consider something worthwhile writing, at least if you're looking for a persuasive essay.  My goal is to have weekly essays something that doesn't take a lot of reading outside the core course.  We do have some time for a comparison of documents in our history course, like my prompt on the characterization of Socrates, or the one posted by Corraleno above comparing Herodotus and Thucydides, but our literature load is pretty heavy for DS.

 

For Gilgamesh, you might want to do something with the use of dreams vs. another story's use of dreams, or comparing creation stories with Genesis -- possibly even getting into the theological differences in how the story is told (at a level appropriate for high school, of course).