Thematic Worldview Essay 1 (Unit 3 – 175 points) 

Overview 

Write an academic essay illustrating how the Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian worldviews influence the representation specific themes from the literature read for the course. 

Structure 

This should be an academic essay with an introduction, body, and conclusion. The essay should be approximately 1,000 words, with 8 paragraphs of approximately 125 words each. The paragraphs should adhere to the following structure. 

Introduction: The introduction should include a thesis statement that enumerates three themes that compare and/or contrast the Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian: 1) heroism, 2) the relation of the divine to man, and 3) fate. 

Body: The body of the essay should reflect the structure outlined in the thesis, with two paragraphs devoted to each theme.

 o Body paragraph 1: Illustrate how the Greco-Roman idea of heroism manifests itself in the texts we have read. List some of the defining qualities of the epic heroes Achilles and Aeneas as well as the tragic hero Oedipus. Make sure to include examples from the text that illustrate these qualities for the reader. 

o Body paragraph 2: Illustrate how the Christian idea of heroism manifests itself in the texts we have read. Summarize how Christ, Joseph, and other biblical figures model heroism differently from those we see in Greco-Roman texts. Make sure to include examples from the text that illustrate these qualities for the reader. 

o Body paragraph 3: Using examples from the Greco-Roman literature we have read, explain how the theme of the gods’ relationship with man is represented. Describe the gods’ attitude towards mankind in texts like The Iliad, Oedipus the King, and The Aeneid. 

o Body paragraph 4: Address the theme of God’s relationship to mankind as represented in the Bible and Christian texts like Augustine’s Confessions. Explain how this relationship differs from that found in the Greco-Roman texts. 

o Body paragraph 5: Explore the theme of fate in The Iliad, Oedipus the King, and The Aeneid. Describe whether fate benefits or harms characters such as Achilles, Oedipus, Dido, and others. Explain whether there is an overall significance to the destiny of these characters, or if fate seem meaningless or arbitrary in the GrecoRoman literature. 

o Body paragraph 6: Explore how God controls the fate of individuals like Joseph and Augustine in their respective stories and explain the influence of Christ’s crucifixion (John 19:17-37) on the fate of mankind as a whole.   

Conclusion: The conclusion should summarize and restate the central claims of the paper. 

Requirements 

The essay should be a minimum of 1,000 words, be APA-compliant, and include a title page, appropriate citations, and references. Please include at least five direct quotations from the texts we have read. 

Sources 

Cite any of the course texts and any academic article(s) from the  Library databases in the essay. All references must by cited correctly in the text and be included in the references page. Do not use online or printed sources beyond the parameters outlined above.  

Texts are 

the  McAllister, E. J. World literature from a Christian perspective: Volume I. Unpublished Manuscript. *PDF file attached.

 Puchner, M., Akbari, S. C., Denecke, W., Fuchs, B., Levine, C., Lewis, P., & Wilson, E. (2014). The Norton anthology of western literature: Volume I (9th ed.). New York, NY: W. W. Norton. ISBN: 978-0-393-93364-2 

The Holy Bible