b) Identify passages within Erec which you believe refer to and illustrate chivalry

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1 German Essay Question #1 The essay is NOT a research paper. You do NOT need to do additional research to complete this assignment. However, if you wish to make use of secondary resources, then you must provide correct documentation (e.g. quotation marks when using words that are not your own, In-Text Citations at the end of a sentence or paragraph where you use words that are not your own, and a list of Works Cited) to avoid plagiarism. If you use secondary sources and do not document them properly, your essay grade will be lowered. Depending on the degree of plagiarism involved, your essay may even receive a failing mark (F) altogether. Here is the assignment: In our discussion of medieval Germany we referred to feudalism (which describes political relations common to this period) and chivalry (which describes definite rules of social behavior associated with knighthood). Read the selection from the medieval novel Erec and read the selection of Songs of Courtly Love (Minnesongs) that are available on the course website. Using examples from both Erec and the Minnesongs, refer to your lecture notes and address the following issues in the order given: a) Begin by explaining feudalism and chivalry b) Identify passages within Erec which you believe refer to and illustrate chivalry c) Identify passages within several Minnesongs which you believe refer to and illustrate chivalry How to Organize your Essay As you organize your essay, always move from the general to the specific. In other words, think of the overall organization of your essay as follows: the Middle Ages is the main background to the essay; feudalism is an aspect of the Middle Ages, and chivalry is an aspect of feudalism. 1) PAGE 1: Begin your essay with a brief introduction to the Middle Ages (about a paragraph in length; half a page at the most). Please do not try to write a mini-history of the Middle Ages; the introduction should be half a page in length. Remember that your introduction serves the purpose of introducing your essay topic, so don't fill it with all kinds of dates and events that have nothing to do with your essay topic. 2) PAGES 1-2: From the middle of page 1 to the middle of page 2 (or to the end of page 2 at the most), you will need to describe feudalism and chivalry. Introduce feudalism. Define it with one sentence (e.g. Feudalism refers to... ), and then describe in more detail how feudalism worked. Who were the lords & vassals? What were the responsibilities they had towards each other? Do not simply list these, but rather describe and explain them.

2 Introduce chivalry. Begin by defining chivalry with one sentence (e.g. Chivalry refers to... ), and then describe and explain all the aspects that are involved (i.e. explain what was expected of a chivalrous knight). Refer to the lecture notes. Do not simply list these, but rather describe and explain them. By the end of page 2 you should have completed your description of feudalism and chivalry. 3) PAGES 3-4: Now introduce Erec (the novel) as an example of literature of the period that illustrates chivalry. Briefly descibe what kind of story it is, what it's all about (do not go and on and on with a lengthy plot summary!!), and then discuss passages in Erec where you believe chivalry can be seen. Look for how Erec (the character) behaves towards other people in different situations. Ask yourself if he is behaving as a chivalrous knight. Introduce the passages you plan to discuss (e.g. "There's a point in the novel when Erec..."), and then use quotes from Erec to support your thoughts. Altogether this should be about one and a half pages. By the middle of page 4 you should have completed your discussion of Erec. 5) PAGES 4-5: Finally introduce the Minnesongs. Describe what they are (i.e. they have to do with Minne so explain what Minne refers to). Talk about what aspects of chivalry are expressed in the Minnesongs (e.g. unrequited love explain what this means). Again, use quotes from individual Minnesongs to support your thoughts about how the Minnesongs illustrate chivalry. About one page in length. By the middle of page 5 you should have completed your discussion of the Minnesongs. 6) PAGE 5: End your essay with a short Conclusion (just a few short sentences are enough). How will your essay be graded? Area form length spelling grammar quotes content What will I be looking for? font & font size, margins, spacing, page numbers five pages required (four pages will lower your grade) correct spelling complete sentences & correct grammar properly cited organized, intelligently-written, well-formulated, university level writing ability Below are the grades and points awarded for your essay: A 100 Excellent in all respects A- 90 Very well done, but not quite excellent B+ 89 Very good essay, but short of the A range B 88 Good essay, but not in the A range when compared to others B- 80 Good essay, but just barely

3 C+ 79 Not good (i.e. B range); acceptable, but short of the B range C 78 Not good (i.e. B range), but acceptable C- 70 Really not good (i.e. B range); acceptable, but bordering on poorly done D 60 Poorly done F 0 not handed in, plagiarized, or simply unacceptable REMEMBER: Do not plagiarize!! If you just copy and paste from the web, your essay will be given an F.

4 German 2710 Essay Check List 1. Setting up your Document (using WS-Word) Before you write anything, set up your document by following these steps. Do them in the order in which they are listed below, and then check the blank after you have done them. Paragraphs Open the Font dialog box > check the box that says "Don't add space between paragraphs of the same style" > click OK Font Open the Font dialog box > select Times New Roman > select Size 12 Margins Click on Page Layout > Margins > Normal (1" margins everywhere) Double spacing Open the Paragraph dialog box > Indents and Spacing > Line Spacing (select Double) Page numbers Click on Insert > Page Number > select Bottom of Page > select Plain Number 2 and then double-click anywhere in the document to exit the Footer. There should be no page number of the first page Place your cursor on top of the page number 1 and double-click. You will see the page number 1 on the first page disappear. Page numbering should begin on the second page with the number 2. File name Before you Save your document, give it a file name that is easily recognizable, such as "Ger2710 Essay-your last name" 2. Lots of Common Mistakes you should avoid Read about common mistakes below that are most often made. Read about them before you begin writing, and read them again before you submit your essay. Check the blank to remind yourself that you have understood these and have followed these instructions. Look at the Sample Page Look at the sample page at the end of this checklist. That is how your essay should look.

5 Title of your essay Give your essay a title that tells me which question you are writing about. Keep it simple, such as German 2710 Essay Question No. 1 or "Feudalism and Chivalry in German Literature" Do NOT capitalize these words: medieval, feudalism, feudal, feudal compact, lord, lady, vassal, serf, knight, chivalry; do not capitalize words that are used to define chivalry, e.g. loyalty, moderation, etc. Capitalize these words: Middle Ages, Minne, Minnesongs When to use italics When you refer to the novel called Erec, Erec should be in italics because it is the title of a book When NOT to use italics However, when you refer to the main character of Erec whose name just happens to be Erec, do not italicize his name, because he is not a book, but a character in a book. When to use quotation marks (titles) You use quotation marks with titles of poems. So, when you refer to a Minnesong, you need to place the title of the poem within quotation marks, e.g. I sat upon a Stone How to use quotation marks & cite sources (when quoting passages) When using quotes, always integrate them in your sentences. Never let a quote stand alone; always introduce it, comment upon it, and cite your source. In the example below, take note of the punctuation used to introduce the quote (a colon), where the quotation marks are placed, and how the passage is cited (including the use of italics): Erec demonstrates self-control when he battles the knight Iders: "After Erec had had the good fortune to unseat the knight, he refrained from pouncing upon him from his superior vantage point" (Erec, 68). His behavior in battle illustrates an important feature of chivarly, namely... Long quotes must be indented If your quote is longer than four lines, it must be indented. Below is an example (I made this up, so don t copy it! yes, someone actually did that). See the colon after the word pizza? That is the punctuation you need before you begin the quote. Now look at the quote. There are three things you should notice. For one, there are no quotation marks. Secondly, take note how Erec and Erec are used (this was explained above). Finally, take a look at how the source of the quote is cited. Here's the example: There s a passage in Erec that illustrates moderation which is an important requirement of chivalry. While Erec was out shopping, he only bought a pizza:

6 Alas, my Lady Love, I would gladly limit myself to one pizza if you would only smile at me from afar. But if you don t object, I d like to keep the garlic bread for a late night snack. In fact, I think I ll hide it from you so that you will not discover how deceptive and unworthy I really am. Ah, but alas my conscience troubles me. Woe me! Perhaps I should say alas again! (Erec, 327) Citing other sources Your essay is not a research paper; it serves to document that you know how to write. You do not need to check out books or go online for additional information. In fact, students who do so usually end up writing way too much about things that do not answer the essay question, and they invariably get penalized for plagiarizing information they just copied and pasted from the internet. If you come to class and refer to the lecture notes and readings, you will have no trouble in completing this assignment in short order. If you do not wish to believe what I just said, and prefer to use additional sources, you MUST include a page at the end of your essay called Works Cited. This is not a bibliography of all books out there on this topic, but a list of only the books or internet sources you actually used. Within the body of your essay, please use "In-Text Citations." If you do not know what that is, go online and find out. As for the list of Works Cited, an easy way to create this is by visiting and use the free MLA (Modern Language Association) style. Address all of these: feudalism, chivalry, Erec, Minnesongs Sometimes people forget to write about both Erec and the Minnesongs. I don't know why, but they do. So make sure you answer all aspects of the essay question. You must use quotes from Erec and the Minnesongs if you wish to earn an A. But pages and pages of quotes alone do not constitute an essay. Do not stray from the essay topic Your essay will be graded according to how well you answer the essay question, and only the essay question; so stick to answering the essay question. Although you may be tempted to include some rambling thoughts about whether chivarly still exists today, please do not do that. It adds nothing to your answer to the essay question, and distracts from your answer. Spelling Before you hand in your essay, make sure you check for typos and spelling mistakes. Click on Review > select Spelling and Grammar (Note that this is never 100% accurate, so you still need to read and re-read your essay before handing it in, especially for grammar errors.)

7 Johann Doe German 2710 Essay Prof. Mark Ferguson Winter 2013 If your essay does not look like this, you have not formatted it properly. Please number and staple your 5 pages. German 2710 Essay Question No. 1 xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz (once inch margins, 12 point font size, Times New Roman) xyzxyzxyzxyzxyzxyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz (no extra spacing between paragraphs!) xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz: xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz (quotes longer than 4 lines should be indented) xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz (Source, Page Number) xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz