Classics 301B
Spring 2025
Guidelines for Writing Papers

The papers will require you to analyze a text (or texts) closely; you do not need to consult and cite secondary literature (if you choose to do so, use the Chicago citation format). I will assign detailed topics in advance of the due dates. If you want to pursue an alternative topic, please discuss this with me in advance. The first paper is due on March 7, the second on May 9. Papers submitted late to the Assignment Folder on D2L may be penalized. Please submit your paper in MSW docx.

Topics for Paper #1

Topics for Paper #2

General Guidelines

• your paper should begin with a thesis statement outlining your project and what you aim to argue/demonstrate
• the core of your paper should consist of arguments and discussion that develop from close reading and analysis of specific text (or other materials if relevant to your topic); avoid generalizations unsupported by the evidence you discuss
• do not unnecessarily summarize plot or other content of the texts you are working with; as your intended reader, I have detailed knowledge of the ancient texts you are writing about (if you are also using modern works I may not be familiar with, please provide me with a link to the complete work or a summary of it)
• cite text judiciously and only to help develop your arguments, i.e. don't cite several lines of text if your arguments are only concerned with a few words of these lines – it's obvious when a paper-writer is "padding"
• your paper should include a brief concluding paragraph summarizing what you have aimed to demonstrate, but without repeating specific conclusions reached earlier in the paper in detail
• above all, take your writing seriously; persuasive writing only results from thoughtful revision and rewriting of drafts, which demand meticulous search for effective words and arguments; while writing is difficult and complex for everyone, producing good writing always proves to be an intellectually rich and rewarding experience – have fun!

Specific Formatting Guidelines

• each paper is to be at least 3 full pages in length (double-spaced)
• use 12 point type (Times New Roman font)
• use standard margins (1 inch at Top and Bottom, 1.25 inches Left and Right)
• papers must be free of spelling and grammatical errors
• quotations of 2 or more lines of text should be indented and single-spaced
• cite source of quotation clearly by page or book/poem/line(s) numbers, as relevant, in parentheses within the body of paper, not in footnotes
  
  

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