Choose ONE prompt to write a well-developed essay in response to.
Use this link for a list of character names, etc.
Prompt 1: Romance
"The idea that revering and acting in the name of a lady would make a knight braver and better was central to chivalry and courtly love... the lady was 'set above' her admirer, providing built-in drama for poets and storytellers." How is romance a part of this movie? In what ways did romance affect the characters, the plot line, and/or your reaction to the movie?
Prompt 2: Knighthood
Knighthood was grounded in the feudal ideal of loyalty, and it entailed a system of moral codes for one to live by when dubbed a knight. Being a knight meant pledging loyalty to a leader, but also pledging to live one's life by a code of honor and responsibility. How is knighthood a part of this movie? In what ways did knighthood and the conduct expected of a knight affect the characters, the plot line, and/or your reaction to the movie?
Prompt 3: Loyalty
Loyalty lay at the heart of the feudal system, and it bound people to one another. The Middle Ages was a time period where people were very dependent on one another, yet separated by class and position. How is loyalty a part of this movie? In what ways did loyalty affect the characters, the plot line, and/or your reaction to the movie?
Prompt 4: Director's choice
Choose an element that this director, Brian Helgeland, included as a central piece to the storytelling. This could be his cinematic camera work choices, the role of humor in the film, the costuming choices, landscape/scenery and filming location choices, the casting choices, or even the music choices. Examine how this chosen element made an impact on you as a viewer, and how it helped to portray the story in an engaging, intriguing manner.
Grading Rubric:
A top scoring essay will be drafted with the following grading criteria in mind:
- Essay should be well-organized, providing an engaging introduction, well-formulated thesis, effective transitions between paragraphs, and a strong conclusion.
- Writing maintains focus of the prompt throughout, and engages the reader with voice and developed examples.
- Word choice, sentence fluency, structure, and variation, and conventions (grammar, usage, and mechanics) all work together to enhance reader interpretation and understanding
- ALTERNATE ASSIGNMENT: "Federigo's Falcon" assignment is linked here... this is an alternate to the writing above, in case you were absent, etc.
- It is also due completed in full on Wednesday, 11/14
