Paper Topics | Fall 2003 | Paper 2
Due Date: Saturday, October 11,
2003, 5 p.m. in the Faculty mailboxes in Eliot.
Choose one question. Length: 5 -
6 pages.
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In the Theogony, why does Hesiod present the story of Prometheus [lines 509-572] the way that he does? You might consider, for example, word choice, sequence of events, imagery, characterization, tone, situation & setting, sounds, and location in the overall narrative.
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Images of an ancient Greek vase now in the Vatican Museums in Rome are available at:
LARGER IMAGE OF MAIN PART OF FRONT: http://www.beloit.edu/~classics/Trojan%20War%20Site/Web%20Site/Achilles%20Pages/Achilles_and_Ajax(Exekias_Larger).htm
DETAIL: http://www.beloit.edu/~classics/Greek%20Civilization/Website/Archaic/Achilles_and_Ajax_Detail.htm
ACHILLES: http://www.beloit.edu/~classics/Greek%20Civilization/Website/Archaic/Achilles_and_Ajax_Achilles.htm
FACES: http://www.beloit.edu/~classics/Greek%20Civilization/Website/Archaic/Achilles_and_Ajax_Faces.htm
This vase was potted and painted in Athens between around 540-530 B.C. by an artist named Exekias. An inscription reading "Exekias painted and made me" is behind the figure of Achilles; other inscriptions on the vase are "of Achilles" behind the left-hand figure; "of Ajax" behind the right-hand figure; "four" and "three" coming from the mouths of Achilles and Ajax respectively; and the phrase "Onetorides is beautiful" behind Ajax's back). There is no known literary source for this image or subsequent verbal account of its subject, although it was quite popular in vase painting; this vase may be the earliest known example of the scene.
Discuss the relationship between form and content on this vase How does Exekias convey information to the viewer? What pictorial techniques does he use to give meaning? You may want to pay attention to one or more of these formal devices: pattern, light/dark contrast, visual parallels and antitheses, the use of positive and negative space (positive space is the space occupied by the subject and negative space is the space that is not occupied by the subject), and the relationship of the inscriptions to the images. For the purposes of this paper, you need not consider the other side of the vase, which has an image of Castor and Pollux with Leda and Tyndareus (www.library.umass.edu/benson/images/jbgs11.jpg)
