HST 212 FINAL ASSIGNMENT: CREATIVE PAPER

 

Due Thursday May 10, in the History Dept. (145 Eggers Hall) at 4pm. Be sure to take it directly there yourself (do not use campus mail, and do not trust your roommate to hand it in for you) and put it in the appropriate box (ask the staff).

Please take note: I have given you the latest possible due date (the last day of exams) for this paper. This means that we cannot accept late papers.

This is a creative project, asking you to imagine yourself as an early medieval person and therefore to write "in character." You are highly encouraged to draw upon the primary sources and imitate their writing style in order to find a distinctly "medieval" voice. However, avoid excessive direct quotation from those texts. Use footnotes to indicate the sources of your ideas. The project should be between 6 and 8 typed, double-spaced pages in length.

In incorporating ideas from different texts, or material from lectures, into your work, you may find it useful to have your character introduce it by phrases such as "My friends tell me that… [or] the great bishop Augustine once said that…" You should handle these sources critically, when your own character might be expected to do so: e.g. "I disagree with what he said, because…" Note that some of the scenarios ask you to take on a single character and point of view, and others require you to stage a debate between two opposing positions. In the latter case, you may choose to write in a dialogue format.

Unless otherwise specified, the characters involved may be of either sex; but keep it plausible within the limits imposed by the gender roles of the time (e.g. no female popes).

Choose from one of the following situations. You are welcome to come up with a scenario of your own, but if so you must see me or your TA to discuss it at least a full week before the due date.

1. You are an inquisitor, sent by the pope to investigate corruption, lax discipline, and possible heresy in the monasteries of Syracuse University. These institutions, which are called "fraternities" and identified by combinations of Greek letters, seem no longer to be practicing the strict asceticism of the original Benedictine rule. Write a letter back to the pope describing the scandalous behavior you encountered (use your imagination) and recommending reforms.

2. You are either Pope Innocent III, or John Calvin. A small group of devoted Christians comes to you and announces their intention to leave your church and form their own religious community, which will live according to a literal interpretation of the Gospel. (Depending on which part of the Gospel they choose to take literally, this could mean anything from "sell all your property and give it to the poor" to "make yourselves eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven.") Explain to these people why this would be a bad idea, and convince them that interpretation of Scripture is best left to the experts.

3. By virtue of a miracle, the early Christian martyr Perpetua and Saint Catherine of Siena are brought together in the same room. They discuss how Christianity has changed over the eleven centuries that separate them, and they compare notes on the roles and opportunities open to women in the church during their respective lifetimes. Report their conversation.

4. It is 1520, and Martin Luther has finally decided to reject the authority of what he sees as the hopelessly corrupt Catholic church. By virtue of a miracle, Francis of Assisi appears in Wittenberg. The two of them stage a debate over what would be the best way to "reform" Christianity. Report their conversation.

5. Martin Luther drew heavily on the writings of Augustine. Imagine a meeting between Augustine and Luther, in which they converse about issues ranging from sin and justification, to the proper way to interpret Scripture, to how the church should be governed. Where might Augustine agree/disagree with positions taken by Luther?

6. Either Matthew Hopkins, Witch-Finder General (Protestant) or Heinrich Kramer and Jakob Sprenger (Catholic) are sent to Syracuse to investigate reports of witchcraft. ("Evidence" of witchcraft could include anything from curdled milk in the cafeteria to stock market crashes – be creative.) They find numerous suspects and put them on trial. Tell the story of the Syracuse witch-trials, either from the investigators’ point of view, or from the point of view of one of the accused.

7. The emperor Constantine, and Pope Innocent III, meet in the afterlife. (I leave it up to you to decide where exactly in the afterlife the two might end up.) Constantine, like any ex-ruler, is concerned about his "legacy" and is eager to know how Christians have remembered him over the centuries. They discuss the proper government of the church: should the pope be in charge, or the emperor? Optional: Lorenzo Valla may also join the conversation.

8. You are Johann Tetzel, seller of indulgences, by a miracle transported to 21st century America. Determined to continue your holy work, you discover that modern techniques of advertising, telemarketing, bulk e-mail, etc allow you to reach a much larger audience. Write a script for a late-night TV infomercial pushing your product. Like any advertiser, you must explain to the audience why they need your product, which is, of course, not sold in stores.

Or: do it in game-show format, e.g. "Who Wants to Get Out of Purgatory?"