Develop a few hypotheses about the text that are based on your own perspectives and relate to the topic that you chose to explore for this assignment.

Assignment 2: Literary Analysis

The major assignment for this week is to compose a 900-word essay on Antigone. In this paper you will write an in-depth analysis using your own ideas and excerpts from the play in the form of quotes, paraphrases, or summaries.

As you prepare to write this essay, make sure you understand what you are being asked to do.

Pick a Topic

First, identify a topic in consultation with your instructor or write about one of the following options:

  1. Antigone clearly scrutinizes the cultural institution of gender, for the play’s debate about the nature of justice and good governance hinges on Antigone’s defiance of the king, making the play one of only a few ancient Greek dramas that put a woman center stage (apologies for the bad pun!). Moreover, there are important moments in the play that underscore its focus on gender inequality. For instance, at one point Creon accuses his son, Haemon, of considering “some women” more important than the rule of law. Creon goes on to complain that Haemon puts Antigone before all others. In another passage, Ismene, invoking the argument that women should obey men, urges Antigone to submit to Creon. Examine representations of gender and the gender conflict in Antigone in detail.
  1. Scholarship developed from the nineteenth century through the present offers multiple interpretations of Antigone’s character. One of the abiding questions about her is whether her desire to bury Polyneices properly is political or if her defiance of the king is motivated, as she claims, solely by divine edict. Advocates of the first position see her as “speaking truth to power” as she engages in civil disobedience. But scholars who support the second explanation tend to consider Antigone’s concerns as primarily domestic—about her family—rather than political. Yet another interpretation of Antigone is that she, like so many other figures in ancient Greek drama, is guilty of excessive pride—hubris—as she tries to impose divine law on Creon.

Develop a character analysis of Antigone. You may argue for or against one of the positions stated above or you may take another direction. One thing to consider in your discussion is whether she is successful despite her suicide.

Develop a Tentative Thesis

As you consider different options for your thesis:

  • Develop a few hypotheses about the text that are based on your own perspectives and relate to the topic that you chose to explore for this assignment.
  • In addition to considering the text’s plot, reflect on what genre and other elements of literature (see the online lecture on this topic) reveal about ancient Greek cultures and important philosophies and values associated with this era and region.
  • Proofread the rough draft to ensure:
    • The thesis is clear and well focused, and the introduction includes all the necessary information.
    • The discussion of evidence includes quotes, paraphrases, or summaries and synthesizes this material and your ideas.
    • The conclusion is appropriate and reinforces the paper’s main ideas without repeating the introduction word for word.
    • The essay is formatted in APA style throughout. It uses appropriate grammar, spelling, and mechanics, and quoted material does not exceed 25% of the paper.
    • Follw this template
    •    John Q. StudentCourse ID—Course Name (optional depending on instructions)Instructor Name (optional depending on instructions)

      Start your first paragraph here. The best way to use this template is to read through the entire document first. Then, delete each section as you fill it in with your essay content. This template is formatted to meet APA’s requirements, so when you delete the sections one at a time, you will see that your work is formatted properly. This is the introduction paragraph. Here you want to introduce your topic and grab the reader’s attention. Your introduction paragraph should be 4–6 sentences long and will include your thesis statement. Remember, the thesis statement states the main focus or main idea of the entire essay and is normally the last sentence in the introduction; however, more importantly, it should be obvious what your thesis statement is.             Begin the third paragraph here. This is your second body paragraph. Paragraphs should be between 5–12 sentences. Your body paragraphs should begin with the paragraph’s topic, which is the topic sentence. This topic sentence explains the main focus of this paragraph, and should clearly relate to your thesis statement. Next, you will include supporting details. If you are using outside sources (research) to lend credibility to your details, this is where you should include them; most importantly, this is also where you use in-text citations to cite other people’s ideas from your sources (Author, date). Finally, the last sentence of a body paragraph concludes the paragraph and refers back to the paragraph’s main focus.You may have more than three body paragraphs depending on the requirements of the essay. This template is formatted for only five paragraphs, so if you add more just begin a new paragraph and tap the TAB key to indent. The font and margins are already pre-set for you. The final paragraph is the conclusion paragraph. This paragraph can be shorter than the others. Remember to wrap-up the essay for the reader. The conclusion should not introduce any new material. Finally, you will want to refer back to your thesis statement. (On the following References page there are templates for several types of references such as a course lecture page, online textbook, journal article, and a website. When you create your References page, be sure to put the entries in alphabetical order based on the author’s last name.)

      Author, A. A. (Date of publication). Title of article only first letter capitalized. Magazine/Journal Title Capitalized, volume #(issue #), page range. South University Online. (2014). Course ID: Title of course in sentence casing: Week x: Title of online article w/o author. (Date of publication). Newsletter/Website Title Capitalized. Retrieved from URL

      Assignment 2 Grading Criteria Maximum Points
      Wrote a complete introduction that engages your classmates’ interest, explains the topic, provides a detailed thesis that identifies your argument, briefly states the main evidence, and maps the paper for your audience. 10
      Used key passages and quotations from the text to support and defend your thesis. Supporting examples and quotations are fully analyzed. The link between the thesis and the evidence is clearly explained. 20
      Examined in your essay’s discussion of evidence what the text suggests about the culture, literary movements, philosophies, or ideologies that influenced it. 10
      Organized the paper effectively with unified paragraphs, each of which has a topic sentence and effective transitions to the next paragraph. 20
      Provided an appropriate conclusion that reinforces the paper’s main ideas without repeating the introduction word for word. 10
      Met the word requirement. 10
      Communicated clearly using your own words for the majority of the paper with correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling throughout. 10
      Formatted the paper in APA style throughout. 10
      Total: 100

      From your course textbook, Norton Anthology of World Literature Volume 1, read:

      • Early Chinese Literature and Thought
        • Confucius (551–479 B.C.E.)
          • From Analects
      • Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Literature
        • Ancient Athenian Drama
          • Sophocles (ca. 496–406 B.C.E.)
            • Antigo
    •             Specific lecture page in sentence casing. Retrieved from myeclassonline.com
    • Author, C. C., & Author, D. D. (Year). Name of course textbook only first letter capitalized [VitalSource Digital Version]. City, State: Publisher.
    • References
    • Begin the fourth paragraph here. This is your third body paragraph. Paragraphs should be between 5–12 sentences. Your body paragraphs should begin with the paragraph’s topic, which is the topic sentence. This topic sentence explains the main focus of this paragraph, and should clearly relate to your thesis statement. Next, you will include supporting details. If you are using outside sources (research) to lend credibility to your details, this is where you should include them; most importantly, this is also where you use in-text citations to cite other people’s ideas from your sources (Author, date). Finally, the last sentence of a body paragraph concludes the paragraph and refers back to the paragraph’s main focus.
    •             Begin the second paragraph here. This is your first body paragraph. Paragraphs should be between 5–12 sentences. Your body paragraphs should begin with the paragraph’s topic, which is the topic sentence. This topic sentence explains the main focus of this paragraph, and should clearly relate to your thesis statement. Next, you will include supporting details. If you are using outside sources (research) to lend credibility to your details, this is where you should include them; most importantly, this is also where you use in-text citations to cite other people’s ideas from your sources (Author, date). Finally, the last sentence of a body paragraph concludes the paragraph and refers back to the paragraph’s main focus.
    • Full Title of Essay
    • Date (optional depending on instructions)
    • Week x, Assignment x (optional depending on instructions)
    • South University Online
    • Title of Paper

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