Explain why the differences and similarities are significant. What do they tell us about how society changed between the classical and medieval periods?

Instructions

This essay should be a 600-900 word essay focusing on the assigned readings from the course. It is due by 11:55 pm ET on Sunday of Week 6.

• This should be a close reading essay, and should use as evidence primarily passages from the work or works that you discuss. You may not use ANY outside sources without the instructor’s approval.

• The essay should be in MLA essay format (see the attached sample essay below) and should have a self-assessment (which should answer these questions) as the first page. A works cited entry and in-text citations for each text discussed are required.

• Analytical essays should be focused on making a debatable claim about the work in question; creative essays should be focused on presenting a work or kind of work from a different angle. Informational essays or essays consisting of summary are not appropriate for either type of essay. Both types of essay should be supported with discussion of specific passages from the text(s) on which the essay is focused. The essay grading rubric can be found here for the analytical choices, and here for the creative choices.

2. The Return of Greek Mythology: The setting of “The Knight’s Tale” is ancient Greece, and it may be tempting to compare this story to The Iliad. Think back to our Week 2 reading and compare the story with The Iliad. Choose 2 or 3 solid points of comparison, and explain why the differences and similarities are significant. What do they tell us about how society changed between the classical and medieval periods?