Order Description

Length: approximately 1000 words.

Weight: 15% of course grade (5% for draft and 10% for completed paper).

Grading Emphases: grammatical correctness; ability to construct a formal, logical argument by presenting evidence to support a main claim (thesis); ability to respond to an argument; originality of ideas; ability to write unified and coherent paragraphs; ability to write concise and effective sentences; ability to use quotation, summary, and paraphrase effectively to present evidence; correct formatting and documentation including adhering to MLA style and providing a meaningful title for the essay.

Format: All essays must be submitted through Turnitin.com before midnight on the due date. See above under “Submitting Assignments” for specific instructions for using Turnitin.com.

Topic:

Develop an argument on the following topic. Remember that an argument requires you to state a main claim (thesis), supported by reasons and evidence from the text itself (in the form of summary, paraphrase, and quotation, as appropriate).

Martha C. Nussbaum, in her book The Fragility of Goodness: Luck and Ethics in Greek Tragedy and Philosophy (excerpted in NIL), argues that we admire Antigone more than Creon [main claim] because 1) her position better supports community values (obeying unwritten, universal moral laws is more important than obeying local written laws); 2) she only jeopardizes herself by her actions, rather than an entire city; and, 3) she recognizes the cost of her devotion [sub-claims] (NIL 2048-49).

Respond to Nussbaum’s argument by agreeing, disagreeing, or partially agreeing. For example: you might agree with her conclusions while offering supporting evidence (she does not offer any specific evidence from the play); you might disagree completely by providing evidence that the play leads us to support Creon over Antigone; or, you might agree with Nussbaum’s main claim but disagree with one or more of her sub-claims, presenting evidence for your disagreement.