You can research and write about anything we’ve covered (or not) in the class readings, discussions, and lectures, going into it more deeply than we did in class.
Painting Architecture Theater and Sculpture Research Topic
Topics must be period/place appropriate.
Possible research questions/research paper ideas are:
What role did fate/the gods play in a Greek’s life?
Why were naturalism, proportion, balance, and order so important to the Classical Greeks?
How did the Parthenon, Discobolus, Aphrodite of Knidos, and the statue of Zeus reflect Classical ideals?
How did Rome’s Republic compare to Athenian Democracy?
How was Roman architecture different from Classical Greek architecture?
How was the Roman worldview different from that of Classical Greece?
Who was the ideal ancient Roman?
Why did individualism become important at the end of the Middle Ages?
What was the difference between medieval and Renaissance views of human nature?
What role did cities and the elite play in the spread of Renaissance ideas and culture?
What was the relationship between the Classical past and the Renaissance?
How did art and architecture reflect Renaissance Humanist ideals?
What was the difference between Leonardo da Vinci’s art and that of Michelangelo?
What was the difference between the Early Renaissance and the High Renaissance?
How does the mythology of the ancient or Classical world compare to that of the medieval world and the Renaissance?
Painting Architecture Theater and Sculpture Paper Writing Guidelines
Guidelines for the paper: 3-5 pages
This is a research paper; it must be formal in tone (no use of first person—in other words, no “I”).
Construct a thesis for your paper, and support it with examples/details, as well as quotations from your research sources.
Refer to and use terms from the textbook readings.
You must use at least 3 sources. A word on sources: Do NOT use Wikipedia, Spark Notes, or Gradesaver; sources must be academic and credible. There are a lot of sources on Egypt, for example, which are not appropriate to use for an academic essay, such as touregypt.com. If you have a question about whether or not you should use a particular source, check in with me.
MLA format, including in-text/in-line citations and a Works Cited page.
Submit your paper through turnitin: turnitin.com,