Assignment

Comparing Ancient Male Rulers

Write a three to four page paper (750-1,000 words) that follows instructions and covers each part of the topic.

Comparing Ancient Male Rulers. Take any two of these rulers and write an essay comparing them: Ramses II, Shihuangdi, Constantine, Ashoka, Pericles, or Charlemagne. Select rulers from different cultures. You may also propose (for approval or not) a ruler not listed. Avoid lengthy quoting or lengthy close paraphrasing from biographical sources. Make it YOUR comparative analysis. Your paper should:

• Compare the two rulers in terms of their situation and methods of rule and their apparent ideals and practices, noting similarities and differences. Use specific examples.

• Consider what your study suggests about the cultures over which they ruled, identifying any similarities and differences between the cultures.

• From this comparison, suggest lessons about different types of effective leadership in the world of modern business and / or modern politics.

Establish a clear thesis about your topic as part of the introductory paragraph (often the thesis is the last thing one determines after doing the basic research and outline; however it will be placed in the first paragraph of your paper).

This is a comparative essay. Comparison approached properly will require some critical thinking on your part. Use a point-by-point approach for the essay. That means, if comparing subject A with subject B, don't do the first half of the essay on subject A and then the second half on subject B--that will seem like two separate essays and comparisons will tend to get lost. Instead, you should be mentioning both subjects in most of your paragraphs as you compare them throughout the essay. Comparisons will identify similarities as well as contrasts.

Do not try to do everything on your two subjects. You should end up narrowing your focus to a few insights and issues about the subjects being compared. And, from those fairly specific points of comparison, you will develop a thesis and glean some lessons.

Follow closely the instructions below for your specific topic.

Include a concluding paragraph at the end. This paragraph will, in some way, refer back to the thesis established in your first paragraph, since now you have demonstrated and supported it. It may be here that you also include your observations relating your study to the modern workplace or society (see your topic). Try to finish with flair!

• Use at least three good quality academic sources