Due: Thursday, April 20, in class

Mechanics: you will write a 4-5 page paper on one of the questions listed below. The paper should be a minimum of four full pages, double-spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman font, with standard 1 inch margins, and without lines between paragraphs.  Unlike the Homework assignments, this is a formal assignment, so pay attention to grammar, spelling, and organization.

Topics: Choose one of the following questions and write your essay in response to it.

1. Was Erec a model knight? Did he embody the values of chivalry? Explain.  Note: you must be sure to define what you mean (and what medieval people meant) by chivalry.

2. Is the story of Erec and Enide primarily about love or primarily about duty? Or is there another way to understand the tale?  Keep in mind you must discuss both values, even if you choose one as more important.

3. "Erec and Enide shows us a world in which women had no power."  Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not? Be sure to consider the kinds of power that someone could exercise, in particular the differences between direct power and indirect power (ie., persuasion, influence, advice, etc.).

4. "In medieval marriages, women had no rights ... and nowhere do we see this better than in Erec and Enide." Attack or defend this statement, being sure to discuss what the story tell us about marriage as well as the roles that both men and women played within marriage.
 

REMINDERS IN WRITING HISTORY ESSAYS:
(see also my longer comments online at http://www.uncg.edu/~rebarton/writing-tips.htm)
1. Make sure your essay has an argument, or a thesis. This should be clearly located in the introductory paragraph.
2. Make sure your paragraphs are well organized, leading from one topic to the next in a clear, linear fashion.
3. Make sure you use specific examples (in this case from Erec and Enide) to prove your points.
4. Make sure you explain how examples do, in fact, prove your points.
5. Be sure to proofread your essay for grammar as well as for spelling. (Get a friend to do this ...)
6. If a question asks you to decide between two options (either ... or) make sure you discuss both before settling on one. You can't make effective comparisons by discussing only one side ...
7. This is to be a ‘formal' essay, and as such it requires formal prose. "Formal prose" does not mean wordy or boring prose, merely prose that is grammatically correct and free from colloquial words and phrases.

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