Charlemagne, “General Capitulary on the Missi” • Lambert of Ardres, The History of the Counts of Guines and Lords of Ardres • Thomas of Monmouth, The Life and Passion of St. William of Norwich

HST 211, Medieval & Renaissance Europe | 2019

Source Analysis

Due: Friday 3.8 by 5.00 PM (turn in on Blackboard)

General instructions

Write an essay about one of the sources listed below, in which you make an argument that explains what we can discover about specific aspects of the past by reading this text critically. The essay should address the source’s particular strengths and limitations. To make a good argument, you need to know your source well. This means that you must analyze it thoroughly before you can develop your argument.

What is an argument? An argument explains something using logic and evidence. In doing so, it also answers

questions. In this case, the questions are: what do we need to know about this particular text before we draw any conclusions from it; if we analyze the text carefully, what do we discover about the past and why is this discovery important?

Arguments are not the same as summaries, descriptions, lists, or opinions. Summaries, descriptions, and lists do not explain anything. Opinions need not be supported by evidence; they can be irrational. Arguments, by contrast, must explain something; they must be logical and they must be proven with evidence.

What goes into an argument?

Your argument should consist of several related points. These points must fit together logically so that the explanation makes sense.

The essay must prove the argument with specific evidence. Evidence consists of reliable facts, not opinion or speculation. These facts must come from the assigned readings or from lecture, but remember that the strongest evidence comes from primary sources. No outside material is to be used. If you do not have facts to prove a point in your argument, then you need to rethink that point.

All evidence must be cited. Lack of adequate citation will lower the grade. How should the argument be presented?

Good organization is key. Your essay needs an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. The introduction sets out the argument. Get right to the matter at hand and avoid introductions that encompass all of human history. The body of the essay makes the case in a series of paragraphs.

Every paragraph should present one (and only one) point of the argument. It should state that point in the topic sentence and then prove it with specific evidence. Those points should follow one another logically to make the case, point by point.

The first paragraph should set out the argument clearly. By the end of this paragraph your reader needs to know exactly what the argument is that the rest of the paper will prove.

The following paragraphs prove the argument, point by point, using evidence from the primary source.

The conclusion does not just sum up the argument, but also states its significance. What makes for a good argument?

A strong argument is clear, specific, and original. It offers your original explanation of what a source can teach us. It presents your ideas clearly and explains them fully. The more specific an argument is, the stronger it will be. Broad generalizations do not explain much.

Arguments need good writing and organization. To be persuasive, ideas need to be explained in clear and correct writing. Pay attention to grammar and spelling. Choose words with care; use a dictionary whenever necessary. Aim for well organized paragraphs. If you find writing difficult or could benefit from a review, visit the Writing Center.

How should I develop my argument?

Before you can figure out your argument, you must analyze the document you choose very carefully. Your analysis should consider all the questions raised by Kathryn Walbert in the reading assigned for the first section. However, your essay must do more than simply answer the questions Walbert raised. In other words, just answering those questions is not itself an argument about the source’s value – it just prepares you to make an original argument. Your finished essay should:

– be about 5 pages long (double-spaced, 12 point font) – have a title that reflects the argument (not Essay 1 or Source Analysis) – have your name and the course name/number on every page (as a header) – have numbered pages – cite all evidence in footnotes. The footnotes must make clear where in the source that

evidence is located.1

Sources • Charlemagne, “General Capitulary on the Missi” • Lambert of Ardres, The History of the Counts of Guines and Lords of Ardres • Thomas of Monmouth, The Life and Passion of St. William of Norwich

1 Footnotes should include: author, title of chapter (where applicable), title of work, chapter number (where applicable), page number (from pdf).

Examples: Eusebius of Caesarea, “The Conversion of Constantine,” Life of Constantine, chapter 28; Procopius, “The Reconquest of Africa (534),” On the Wars, IV.9, page 2; Lambert of Ardres, “How Arnold the Old married Gertrude,” The History of the Counts of Guines and Lords of Ardres, chapter 123, page 156; Prof. Samantha Herrick, “After Charlemagne,” HST 211: Medieval and Renaissance Europe (class lecture, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, February 19, 2018).