Laconic kylix with prometheus and atlas

Greek Vase Writing Assignment

GUIDELINES FOR WRITING ASSIGNMENT 01

111.jpg Priam Achill.jpg Euphronios_krater_side_A_MET_L.2006.10.jpg AN00296264_001_l.jpg
The main objective of this assignment is to contribute to the development of academic writing skills while providing students with an opportunity to receive detailed feedback regarding their style, argument formation, logical coherence, and use of English before they proceed to the next writing task, which will require a more analytical approach. This first writing assignment emphasizes the descriptive aspect of writing and the ability to select and arrange information in clear, coherent, and fluent prose.

GenEd Rubric for Writing Assignment.jpg
Instructions: Imagine that you are giving your friends a tour in the ancient section of an art museum. As an expert on Greek Civilization, you are informing your friends about an object of art. Choose a Greek vase. (Very) briefly tell your friends about the shape of the vase, its function, style, time of production. In much more detail, discuss a relevant fragment of a literary work associated with the decoration of the vase. What are differences and similarities between the way(s) a potter and a poet are “telling” the same story? Who of the two (a poet or a potter) is better equipped with tools that help make an impression on the listener/viewer, to move that listener/viewer esthetically and emotionally?

Formal requirements:

(1) You must choose one of the options provided below. If you strongly prefer to work with a different vase, you should consult me before you start your work.

(2) Minimum: 1000 words; maximum: 1100 words.

(3) Deadline: Monday, October 28, 11:59pm.

(4) Submit a .docx or .pdf file on Canvas.

(5) You must in a meaningful way connect your discussion of a vase decoration with a literary work that we already considered in this class: Hesiod’s Theogony or Homer’s Iliad.

(6) You must demonstrate close familiarity with both text and object of art, presenting relevant quotes and providing meaningful analysis.

(7) Use only the texts of Hesiod and Homer and the images provided in the links. No other research is expected. I encourage you to express your own ideas rather than rely on somebody else’s interpretations. For this particular assignment, using outside sources will negatively affect your essay.

(8) You must address most or all of the following questions (not necessarily in the same order):

 Describe the vase: its shape, colors, decorative motive, human figures (briefly; give only the details relevant to your discussion/analysis).
 What characters are depicted on it? How do they look like? What are their names (briefly; include only relevant details)?
 What attributes help us identify the characters?
 To what extent are the human figures realistically depicted? Can we read any emotion? If not, may it be on purpose? If not, does it somehow undermine the esthetic value of the object?
 What is depicted on the other side? How do the scenes on the both sides relate to one another?
 What is the shape of the vase? How was it used in antiquity? What is the connection between the vases’ function and its decoration (if any)?
 What myth or story is depicted? What happens in this myth (very briefly; include only relevant details)?
 Why can such an object be considered a work of art?
 From what literary source do we learn the details of this myth/story?
 What are the differences and similarities in the way a poet and a potter tell the same story?
OPTION 1: Laconic kylix with Prometheus and Atlas [vs. Hesiod, Theogony, lines 289-352 and 529-534]

https://goo.gl/fFCkna

OPTION 2: Attic calyx-crater depicting the making of Pandora [vs. Hesiod, Theogony, lines 350-400]

https://goo.gl/Zj5e6P

OPTION 3: Euphronios Krater depicting the death of Sarpedon [vs. Homer, Iliad, book 16, lines 484-515 and 663-688]

https://goo.gl/V5pYB1

OPTION 4: Skyphos by Brygos painter depicting Priam and Achilles [vs. Homer, Iliad, book 24, lines 455-680]

https://goo.gl/wUQthv

https://goo.gl/jidxzF

Grading scale:

EFFORT: 20/20

DESCRIPTION OF VASE: 15/15

ANALYSIS OF TEXT: 15/15

COMPARISON: 15/15

GUIDELINES&RELEVANCE: 15/15

ORIGINALITY&THESIS: 15/15

LANGUAGE&GRAMMAR: 5/5

TOTAL: 100/100

Your work will also be assessed by the rubric developed in accordance with the requirements of Montclair University’s GenEd program:

Note on plagiarism: I shall watch very closely for any attempts at plagiarism. All borrowings must be acknowledged. If you borrow ideas from printed or Internet resources, please acknowledge such borrowing, even if you are not quoting them directly. Please be aware that writing down the words narrated in a documentary or any other digital media without proper acknowledgment is still considered plagiarism. Please note that if you borrow someone else’s work without proper acknowledgment, it is still considered plagiarism even if you now and then change the original words for their synonyms (=words with the same meaning) or change sentence structure.