This exam focuses on the material covered since the midterm. Both portions of the exam
are open book and untimed.
For this exam, you need to write an analytical essay that is 3-4 pages in length and
answers one of the following questions. (I do not care about the actual number of pages,
but two to three pages should be sufficient.) The purpose of this essay is not to write a
summary of the relevant textbook chapter, but to think about the questions and choose
important information from the text to construct a logical, well-argued response to one of
the prompts below. This essay is worth 160 points.
Once again, you should approach this assignment a bit like you would if you were a
lawyer preparing a court case. What evidence is important? What are the alternative
answers to the questions posed or other possible interpretations of the key evidence? Why
is your thesis preferable to other reasonable arguments?
These essays should have a brief introduction, a body and a conclusion.
Make sure you have a strong thesis statement in your first paragraph and
a clear topic sentence in subsequent paragraphs. If a sentence or
paragraph does not in any way develop your answer to one of the
questions in the prompt, it does not belong in the paper. You need to use
footnotes to identify any sources you use. If you do not know how to use
them, please feel free to ask me for help. You may use the following page
to help you with basic formatting questions: http://www.bridgew.edu/library/turabian.cfm
It is very important that you proofread this essay carefully before submitting it. If you
use sources that you do not acknowledge, you will fail this assignment.
Please don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions. Effectively using evidence from
the primary sources will improve your grade.
For the remaining 20% of the exam, you need to answer the 4 short answer questions.
You should use your books and not the Internet to answer these questions.
ESSAY QUESTIONS:
For this section of the exam, worth 160 points, you need to answer one of the two
following questions:
2.) From the emergence of Western Civilization to its “renaissance” in the fourteenth
century, Europeans came in contact with numerous other cultures. The influence of the
West on the rest of the world, especially later in history, is well known. What people
often discuss less, however, is how the West was shaped by its contacts with other
cultures. What were some of the important changes that occurred in Western Europe as a
result of its expansion during this period? What contact do you think affected it the most
and why? During this period, did the West have a greater influence on the rest of the
world or vice versa? Explain.
SHORT
ANSWER
QUESTIONS:
You must answer each of the following questions for 40 possible points. Each answer
should be 1 or 2 paragraphs long.
1.) Briefly explain three important ways Christianity, Islam and Judaism were similar
during this period and three ways they were different. (When contrasting them, you may
compare any two you wish.)
2.) Briefly explain three important ways that European thought and art changed during
the Renaissance. Why did the Renaissance occur when and where it did?
3.) Briefly explain three important consequences of the Plague. (Lots of people dying is a
bit too obvious a response to count!)
4.) Briefly explain three ways the High Middle Ages were different from the Early
Middle Ages. What led to these changes?