Essay Prompt: Ancient Works in the Modern World
500-750 word essay in MLA format (2-3 double-spaced pages plus Works Cited page)
Minimum of 3 quotations from separate credible sources
Use of key terms (relevant to your topic) from class: provenance, didactic, reparation, folklore, scripto continua, illumination, serials, etc.
College-level writing with minimal errors in grammar and punctuation. Proofread!
Option 1 – Provenance: Many issues concerning the true provenance of artifacts exists. For example, the Egyptian provenance of the Rosetta Stone makes its location in the British Museum a current controversy; the Parthenon Sculptures may or may not be returned to Athens, Greece; during World War II, the Monuments Men preserved and recovered art from the threat of bombing; indigenous pieces belonging to Native Americans are a controversial topic for the Peabody Essex Museum in Connecticut.
Prompt: Explain the issue of provenance for one artifact. What are the existing arguments? Why is it relevant in the modern world? Why is the creation of art and its provenance important to a society? Investigate how this topic exists in a museum/books/films/TV series/architecture/science/technology.
Option 2 – Origins: Many modern stories originate from ancient folklore. HBO will adapt the novel Circe—the character from Homer’s 8th century B.C. epic The Odyssey—into a series; Wonder Woman, aka Diana, and her mother Hippolyta, are based on Greek mythology; Thor, Loki, and Thanos from The Avengers also have mythological origins; Games of Thrones, a novel series by George R.R. Martin, resembles the Medieval period ; marathoners run 26 miles, just like the Greek soldier who—after the Battle of Marathon in 490 B.C.—delivered the news of Athenian victory.
Prompt: Choose a modern novel, film, series, or event with an ancient origin. Investigate when, where, why, and by whom this concept originated. What are the features of the original story? Can you quote it? How does this concept live today? Why is its influence still relevant in the modern world? Investigate how this topic exists in a museum/books/films/TV series/architecture/science/technology.
POSSIBLE TOPICS
Gladiator
Mulan
300
Circe
Excalibur
Game of Thrones
The Dig (Sutton Hoo)
The Princess Bride
Beowulf
Black Panther
Thor, Loki, Thanos – The Avengers
Aquaman (Poseidon)
Monty Python’s Holy Grail
Song of Achilles
Day of the Dead
Lord of the Rings
Apocalypto/Indigenous Culture in the Americas
Percy Jackson & The Olympians
Wonder Woman
Marathons
Ancient Architecture: Parthenon
The Brothers Grimm
King Arthur/Camelot
Robin Hood
Hippocratic Oath
Bluetooth
NASA – Greek Names for Stars
The History of Chocolate
Cleopatra/Nefertiti
The Olympics
Intro: Introduce topic overview and thesis statement
Body: Modern example: current form/popularity/influence and quotation
Body: Ancient origin: ancient texts/differences and quotations
Conclusion: Summarize points and closing thoughts
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