CLAS230 Classical Mythology

Fall Semester, 1997-1998

Art Lecture Room

Instructor: Thomas J. Sienkewicz (toms@monm.edu).

VII. Unit Exams

There will be two (2) unit tests--one on Wednesday, October 8th, and the other on the LAST DAY of regular class, Friday, December 12th. Both will consist of single essay questions which offer students an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of class lectures and text readings, to draw general conclusions about the material, to evaluate their own attitudes towards heroic journeyies in the ancient and modern worlds and in personal and multicultural contexts. In answering this essay questions you should be prepared to make reference to a variety of material, including class lectures, slides, text readings, and films.

Here is the essay question for the FIRST UNIT EXAM:

In Myth. Its Meaning and Functions in Ancient and Other Cultures (pg. 175), G. S. Kirk refers to the "looseness and ambiguity" of hero stories. Use the heroes of the Homeric epics, Vergil's Aeneid, and Apollonius of Rhodes' Argonautica to illustrate the features of ancient Greek and Roman heroes and to compare these qualities to modern heroic figures like Luke Skywalker. How do these heroic characteristics compare with your own definition of a hero?

Here is the essay question for the SECOND UNIT EXAM:

In "The Power of Myth" Joseph Campbell says that "everyone is a hero in his birth." Use course readings and your own personal experiences to comment upon the validity of this statement. To what extent do the heroic journeys of traditional heroes reflect the life experiences of every human being?

Missing an exam is considered a serious lapse. Students who do not present an acceptable explanation IN ADVANCE of an examination or a valid medical excuse will be permitted to take a make-up, but will suffer a penalty of one letter grade. Each exam will be 15% of the final grade.