Instructions: Answer the five (5) study questions below as fully as you can in a separate Word or PDF document. For every question, you must use specific examples and quotations from the readings to illustrate your claims, and you must remember to cite using proper MLA form (see the Purdue OWL for a guide). Note: While there may be multiple sub-questions for each question number, the sub-questions are meant mainly for brainstorming purposes. You do not have to answer every sub-question specifically; however, make sure that your answers to the main questions are longer than simply a sentence or two. Also, these questions will be used as a jumping off point for Study Session Two, so make sure that you bring your answers with you for discussion purposes. The Questions: 1. Like Gilgamesh, El Cid is an actual historical figure, but in contrast to Gilgamesh's story, many of the events in The Poem of the Cid actually happened and the other people largely existed in real life as well. Do you think this element of historical authenticity lends itself to El Cid being more "true" than something like The Epic of Gilgamesh ? Could we rely on El Cid more to give us clues into the historical time period and culture of medieval Spain? If so, then how so, and if not, then why not? 2. This poem is labeled an "epic." Do you agree with this categorization? What elements in its structure, characters, plot, etc. do you think make it the most comparable to more well-known epic poems, such as the Iliad or Gilgamesh? If not, then why not? 3. Why is El Cid treated as though he is a good - one might even say "the perfect" - knight? What aspects of his personality or actions would lend themselves to this reading by his audience, and do you think this reading holds up to modern scrutiny? 4. The majority of scholarship on the Reconquista (the reconquering of Spain from the Moors) highlights conflicts between Christianity and Islam elsewhere in the world; however, El Cid also shows how Jews were involved in efforts to reclaim holy lands for their people as well. Do you notice a difference in how the "enemy" groups - that is, Muslims and Jews, are treated in El Cid? Are any persons or groups who are non-Christian treated as though they have any honor or integrity, or is this poem merely pro-Christian propaganda? 5. How are women, especially El Cid's daughters, viewed in the poem? Do they have any power or agency, or are they simply treated as political bargaining chips to improve their father's station? Length: • 6-8 pages Requirements: • Essay must be typed, double-spaced in 12pt. Times New Roman font with one-inch margins on all sides Essay must be no shorter than the minimum page requirement and not unreasonably longer than the maximum page requirement • You are required to find at least 3-5 secondary sources, though all of these sources do not have to be used in your essay (please see the Library's resources for your research) • Essay must have a clear thesis statement at the beginning that is argued fully throughout Essay must have evidence from both primary (the literature) and secondary (scholarly articles, books, etc.) sources to back up the author's claims • Essay must have proper MLA citation on both the Works Cited page as well as for all in-text citations (see the Purdue OWL) Instructions: There will be no formal, instructor given topics for this essay; therefore, so long as what you want to write about covers the material from the second half of the semester, then you are within the parameters of the assignment. You can pick one (or more) of the works or films discussed this semester, or you can choose to relate any of these work(s) to something outside of class. Also, you can choose to compare and contrast something from the second half of the semester to something from the first half of the semester. Just remember that the material from the second half of the semester should be your primary focus. In all cases, if you have questions or would like help brainstorming, then please feel free to contact me via email to arrange a conference, and I recommend making use of the Writing Center's amazing resources as well.