Close readind essay:
- Ask yourself, “Why is this my favorite text?” and jot down your answers – be specific.
- Look over the list and compare your notes about the text you’ve chosen with the question areas from the “General Questions” handout (i.e. did you seem most to focus on the plot, the characters, the setting, or what?).
- Looking at the “General Questions” handout, ask yourself the questions under whichever heading you’ve chosen in regard to the particular work (preferably the particular character, episode, or feature of the particular work) you’ve chosen. Start writing down your answers to these questions, ideally in complete sentences, using brief, targeted quotes from the text to support your answers.
- Turn your answer(s) to one or more of these “General Questions” into an essay in which you TEACH a FELLOW READER (that is, someone who has also read the work in question, someone who DOES NOT NEED YOU TO SUMMARIZE) about the meaning of the text.
- Be sure you have a clear thesis statement and be sure you support that thesis.
- Be sure you have some organization for your essay, which, at a minimum, means paragraphs! Ideally, you will be building an argument that has at least a couple of propositions that need some support, and each of these propositions is likely to require writing at least one paragraph.
- Be sure you use at least a few concise quotes from the text that support your argument.
- Make it one page ONLY! (500 words)
Questions to consider while writing:
After the death of Hector at the hands of Achilles, Hector’s father, Priam, goes to Achilles to beg for the return of Hector’s corpse, a request that Achilles, having finally exhausted his rage, ends up granting. Also noteworthy is the fact that Helen delivers the final eulogy for Hector.
What goes through Hector’s mind before his combat with Achilles? What bargain does he try to make with Achilles? Why would Homer deliver so much of this climactic scene from Hector’s point of view?
Why is so much of the end of the book taken up with the scenes between Priam and Achilles and with Hector’s funeral?
As usual, use these questions to develop an idea for a response, and use a quote or two from the text in your discussion.