Tragedy Across the Mediterranean

Instructions: This essay should be 3-4 pages, excluding the Works Cited page, focusing on the assigned readings from the course.
This should be a close reading essay, and should use as evidence primarily passages from the text or texts that you discuss. Please do not use ANY outside sources with this essay.
The essay should be in MLA essay format (see the attached sample essay below), and use MLA citations. 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 text in question. Informational essays or essays consisting of
summary are not appropriate for either type of essay. The essay grading rubric can be found here for the analytical choices.
Tragedy Across the Mediterranean: Consider “The Tale of Sohrab” from the Shahnameh in comparison to Sophocles’ drama Oedipus Tyrannus from the Week 2 readings. Make an argument about whether the two texts are more alike or different and why. Focus your thesis on one
particular aspect of the two texts such as protagonists, themes, central conflicts, or other another element that you see as important. Remember to quote and cite the texts in the essay body paragraphs to prove and illustrate points on them.
Writing Format: All essays should be written in Times New Roman 12 point plain font. Essays are double spaced, include indented paragraphs with no extra space between paragraphs, and 1 inch margins on all (4) sides. Essays should be MLA formatted and submitted as MS Word documents/attachments. Write in the third person objective voice, and prove/illustrate points with quotes and paraphrases from your primary and secondary sources, followed by the corresponding in-text and Works Cited citation. Avoid the first and second person “I” and “you” subjective voice in college level scholarly writing. As a rule, keep quotes to 2-3 lines maximum in these relatively short papers, and no more than 10-15% of the total paper.