Help on Essay about Alexander the Great?! (1 Viewer)

[GolfGirl97]

Ok, so this essay is due on Tuesday and I've tried and tried and tried but I just cannot write anything. I don't know where to start. I've already planned out the structure of it and the question is "Alexander the Great: Hero or Villain?" So basically it's an expository essay and I will be arguing that he is a hero. I've written the introduction but im stuck on the first paragraph of the body -.- the point im going to be talking about in the first paragraph is that he was a magnificent military leader. Im not quite sure what to put into it. I'm really stuck. Do I need to include quotes from sources that show he was a magnificent military leader? If so how many should I put in each paragraph? am i meant to discuss some of his battles that show he was a great military leader? i seem to have writers block because usually I can do this stuff really easily. The other 2 paragraphs are going to be about him being well educated and willing to learn of the cultures of the people he conquered and in the last paragraph of the body i will be writing about how he managed to conquer numerous countries and rule the largest empire in the world, all by age 32. ahhh im so stuck! plus im under pressure to make it really really good because the last essay i did for this subject i got full marks. its for elective history btw and im in year 10. its worth 20% of my marks for my RoSA so i need to make it good.
are the points i have listed to discuss in my essay any good? I honestly cannot think of any better ones because she gave us this essay without having taught us anything on Alexander the Great. Instead she gave us a booklet with a little information on him and thats all. i had basically no knowledge on him before reading some of this information, and even now, after researching him extensively on the internet, im not so sure what to write please help and if you can, can you please give me any advice on how to write a really good expository essay? thanks so much in advance. sorry if this doesnt make much sense, my mind is in a total mess right now :S

 

[Kittikhun]

Yes, quotes are good.

It depends, but don't make the whole paragraph full of quotes because that's simply going to be you copying and pasting quotes. You need to analyse and make/argue your own point; only use quotes to support a point that you're making.

Describe only one of his battles to prove your point that he was a great military leader but don't go in depth about it. The Battle of Issus in where his army routed the Persian Army that outnumbered them two to one would be good. Write: 'Alexander the Great was known to be a very accomplished military commander and exceptional leader who led and won many battles against superior forces on many occasions. One of the battles that demonstrates his abilities as a gifted military commander and leader is the Battle of Issus. This battle...' I also remember reading how he voluntarily poured a whole cup full of water down on the ground when offered one after a long march in which all of his men were very thirsty and knackered in order to let his men know that he understood and was willing to share the same pain that they were going through. That's leadership.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great

If you're stuck on what to write for your other paragraphs base them on the subheadings in that article under legacy.

Yes, they are good. However, the last paragraph about him being a hero because he conquered so many people at a young age kind of makes him look like a narcissistic villain. You need to mention the good he did in creating such a vast empire, e.g. the spreading of Greek culture to all of the 'known world' at that time.

There should be a thread on here in the Modern History section giving you some very good tips on how to write a good essay.