Now reread the section of Roosevelt's speech that alludes to the Roman gladiators of ancient times.
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.
Write a short essay exploring Roosevelt's comparison of the ideal citizen to a Roman gladiator. Why do you think Roosevelt chose this particular allusion to make his point about the way people should conduct their lives and participate in a democracy? Was his comparison an effective one? Why or why not? (You may want to use your notes about Roosevelt's life to help you write your essay.)
When you have completed your essay, submit it to your teacher. The assignment is worth 18 points and will be graded based on the following rubric.
| Exemplary | Proficient | Unsatisfactory | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comprehension | You clearly understand the speech and you accurately respond to the prompt. | You seem to understand some parts of the speech and you sufficiently respond to the prompt. | You do not seem to understand and effectively express parts of the speech and you do not sufficiently respond to the prompt. |
| Analysis | You demonstrate great insight in describing several dominant devices used by the speaker and you thoughtfully relate how these tools are used to reinforce the message, meaning, or mood of the speech. | You describe some dominant elements or devices used by the speaker, but you had difficulty describing how these relate to the meaning of the speech. | You seemed to have trouble identifying the dominant elements and devices used in the speech or describing how these relate to the meaning of the speech. |
| Interpretation | You clearly and eloquently argued for your interpretation of the speech's gladiator allusion and your assessment of its effectiveness. | You clearly stated your interpretation of the speech's meaning and your assessment of its effectiveness. | You did not provide a clear statement of your interpretation in response to the prompt. |
| Writing Skills & Mechanics | Your essay included no obvious errors in grammar, mechanics, sentence structure, or spelling. | Your essay included several minor errors in grammar, sentence structure or spelling. | Mechanical and/or grammatical errors strongly affect the readability of your essay. |
