2B. Early nineteenth-century poet, mythologist, and artist William Blake also illustrated the Book of Job. You can find his illustrations at http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/collection/international/print/b/blake/job.html. Analyze the relationship between a single passage from the Biblical Book of Job and one of Blake's illustrations in its representation of theme, plot and/or characterization. Consider why the illustration highlights or hides elements from the texts, too.
NOTE: For guidance on analyzing a work of art, consult the writing instructions
from the Department of Art History at http://www.skidmore.edu/academics/art/ArtHistory/paperwriting/standards.html
3. The historical sweep
of Evolving Canon 1 gives us the opportunity to re-evaluate the first epic hero
we encountered, Odysseus. Analyze how the presentation of Odysseus changes according
to different historical texts and contexts: The Odyssey in its classical
context, the medieval lens of Dante's Inferno, and the Renaissance
perspective of Pico della Mirandola.
4.
In her course "The Debate about Women in the Middle Ages," English
Professor Kate Greenspan analyzes the "enduring impact" the medieval
debate about women had on "Western ideas about gender and authority."
Analyze the conflicting views of gender and authority in the Middle Ages
as represented in The Book of Margery Kempe, the Griselda stories,
and "The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale." What, if anything, do you feel is the enduring legacy of "The Debate about Women in the Middle Ages" in today's society.
5. Select a seminal passage from any of the
works from the second half of the class and argue its significance
by analyzing it closely and rigorously within the ever broadening contexts of
the work itself: first closely
consider the passage in itself, then the passage in the context of its large
unit/chapter, and finally the passage in relation to the entire text.
6. A topic of your choice: I must
approve all individual topics by no later than Friday, 14 November.
Paper Topics