HUM 110 READINGS IN WORLD LITERATURE
The Epic
Section 15 - FALL 2025
Professor Agnes Lugo-Ortiz
Essay #3
Spartacus and The Epic
DUE: Wednesday, November 9th in Canvas Gradebook by noon
Choose one of the following two prompts, and construct a coherent, nuanced argument supported by carefully analyzed evidence from the movie Spartacus and relevant passages from the epic texts studied in class. Be sure to clearly explain the context, implications, and relevance of this evidence. Additionally, address the broader significance of your claim for the movie as a whole and its relationship to the other texts studied in class.
Your paper should be 3½ to 4 pages long, double-spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman font, with 1-inch margins, and written in clear sentences and logical paragraphs with correct grammar and spelling. Your essay should include a title and a bibliography of cited texts in Chicago style. and your name on the first page. Please note: the use of AI is strictly prohibited at any stage in the development of your paper.
1) Spartacus, epic hero?
Throughout this class, we have examined epic texts from different cultures and historical periods. They all share a common feature: the construction of a protagonist, a “hero,” who serves as the central thread of the narrative while simultaneously being shaped by the events and actions within the story. Through a careful analysis of Stanley Kubrick’s 1959 film Spartacus, discuss to what extent Spartacus can be considered an epic hero. How does his characterization compare to or diverge from figures such as Gilgamesh and Odysseus? This reflection requires you to define the concept of epic heroism in light of the traditions studied in class and to focus on specific traits of Spartacus to support your argument.
2) The Worlds of the Epic
Epic heroes do not exist in a vacuum. They move within different worlds and are constituted by their interaction with the inhabitants of those worlds. Among the worlds in which Spartacus moves are those generated by the structures of the Roman empire, on the one hand, and the community of fugitive slaves, on the other. Discuss these two worlds, the relation between them (the specific social interactions and cultural values that organize them) and the place of Spartacus within them.
To what extent does each of these worlds give us (or not) a different Spartacus, and in what sense do this relate to and/or diverge from the traditions studied in class?
Grading Rubric
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Criteria
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Well-Developed
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Adequately Developed
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Underdeveloped
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Claim (20%)
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The essay includes a
contestable argumentative
claim in response to one of
the essay prompts. The claim is relevant and compelling, is clearly stated, and guides
the structure of the essay.
The essay addresses the
wider significance of the
claim for our interpretation of the text as a whole.
|
The essay includes a
contestable argumentative
claim in response to one of the essay prompts. The claim is
somewhat relevant and
compelling, is somewhat
clearly stated, and mostly
guides the structure of the
essay. The essay gestures
toward the wider significance of the claim for our
interpretation of the text as a whole.
|
The essay does not include an
argumentative claim or the claim is not contestable. The claim is
not relevant to the essay prompt or is not compelling or
convincing. The claim is not
clearly stated or does not guide the structure of the essay. The
essay does not address the wider significance of the claim for our interpretation of the text as a
whole.
|
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Evidence (30%)
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The essay includes ample
specific evidence and
examples from the texts that are all relevant for
supporting the main claim
and cited correctly. The
presentation of evidence
goes beyond summary and
includes in–depth analysis
and an examination of the
implications of this evidence.
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The essay includes some
specific evidence and examples from the texts that are mostly relevant for supporting the
main arguments and mostly
cited correctly. The
presentation of evidence
mostly goes beyond summary and includes some in–depth
analysis and gestures to the implications of this evidence.
|
The essay includes little to no
specific evidence and examples from the text and/or evidence and examples are irrelevant to the main arguments. There are significant errors with citations. The presentation of evidence is largely summary without
accompanying analysis or
examination of the implications of this evidence.
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|
Organization (20%)
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The essay is logically
structured with clear,
developed paragraphs and effective transition
statements.
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The essay is mostly logically structured with mostly clear, developed paragraphs and
some transition statements.
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The essay is not logically
structured, with underdeveloped or unclear paragraphs and few to no transition statements.
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Language, Clarity, and Accuracy
(15%)
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Ideas and information are conveyed clearly and
accurately throughout the essay, with few to no
grammatical errors that interfere with
comprehension.
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Ideas and information are
conveyed mostly clearly and
accurately throughout the
essay, with some areas where meaning is unclear or minor
inaccuracies, or some
grammatical errors interfering with comprehension.
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Ideas and information are mostly unclear throughout the essay
and/or there are major
inaccuracies. The essay contains many problems with language or grammatical errors that greatly interfere with comprehension.
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Originality (10%)
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The claims and ideas
presented in the essay
dialogue with and bring a
fresh take to the discussions we have had in class and/or add a new perspective to
course themes.
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The claims and ideas
presented in the essay mostly dialogue with and bring a fresh take to the discussions we
have had in class and/or add a new perspective to course
themes.
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The claims and ideas presented in the essay simply repeat the key
ideas and perspectives that we have discussed in class without presenting anything new.
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Assignment
Criteria (5%)
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The essay meets all the criteria laid out in the
assignment.
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The essay meets most of the criteria laid out in the
assignment.
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The essay meets some or none of the criteria laid out in the
assignment.
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