Classics Enrichment Essay

Last year’s Year 10s took part in a GHS Classics Essay Competition over the summer holiday. The whole year group was invited to write essays in response to the following question: ‘Are depictions of punishments in the Underworld in Art and Literature intended to educate or entertain their audience?’

Along with the question, pupils were sent a selection of extracts about the Underworld from a range of poetic, philosophical and comedic texts as well as a number of images of artworks which depict scenes from the underworld. Sources dated from Ancient, Medieval and Modern eras.

The essays received were all of exceptional quality; well done to everyone who took part!

We celebrated their achievements this first half term, with prizes including an English translation of one of the texts which they wrote about in their essay, with the winner receiving a hard back copy of the Odyssey in the original Ancient Greek, and a ‘party’ held for all of participants where all members of the Classics department were present. The essays have also been ‘immortalized’ in the Library, contributing to intellectual life at GHS.