The Hope Diamond Curse

The Hope Diamond Curse From: http://www.weird- encyclopedia.com/hope-diamond-curse.php According to legend, the fabulous jewel now known as the Hope diamond once decorated the forehead of an Indian idol, from whence it was stolen by a Hindu priest. The poor priest, so the story goes, was captured and tortured for his troubles.

The remarkable gem, said to carry a deadly curse, first surfaced in Europe in 1642, in the possession of the French trader and smuggler Jean Babtiste Tefernier. He reaped a sizeable profit from its sale, but allowed his wastrel son to squander much of the money. Travelling to Indian to recoup his fortune, Tefernier was attacked by a pack of rabid dogs and torn to pieces. (Ouch.)

The gem passed next to France's King Louis XIV, who reduced its staggering size from 112.5 carats to 67.5. This reduction, however, did not affect the curse. After Nicholas Fouquet, a government official who was known for his poker faced expression and wayward personality, borrowed the diamond for a state ball, he was convicted of embezzlement and sentence to life in prison, where he died. Princess de Lambelle, who wore the diamond regularly, was beaten to death by a Parisian mob. The king himself died broke and scorned, his empire in ruins. Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette died beneath the blade of the guillotine.

In 1830, the now historic treasure was purchased by London banker Henry Thomas Hope for $150,000. It proved a mixed blessing. Family fortunes declined rapidly, and one grandson died penniless before another heir finally sold the tainted stone. Over the next 16 years, the Hope diamond went from owner to owner, including Frenchman Jacques Colet, who committed suicide, and Russian Prince Ivan Kannitovitsky, a murder victim. In 1908, Turkish Sultan Abdul Hamid paid $400,000 for the diamond and promptly bestowed in on his favorite concubine, Surbaya. But within a year Hamid had stabbed Subaya to death and had been dethroned himself. Simon Montharides had it next until one evening his carriage overturned, killing him, along with his wife and infant daughter.

Diamond and accompanying curse next made their way to American financial tycoon Ned McLean, who paid the bargain price of $154,000. Vincent, his son, soon succumbed in a car crash, and a daughter died from a drug overdoes. McLean's wife became addicted to morphine, and Mclean himself died in an insane asylum. Mrs. McLean passed away in 1947, leaving the hazardous heritage to six grandchildren.

Two years later, the McLean family sold the diamond to Harry Winston, a dealer in precious stones. Winston, in turn, deeded it to the Smithsonian Institution, where it now remains. Perhaps the curse can't work its misery on institutions the way it did on individuals; or perhaps the terrible disenchantment finally died with Evalyn McLean, one of the six McLean grandchildren, found dead of unapparent cause in her Dallas apartment on December 13, 1967, at the age of twenty-five.

Name ______period _____ date ______Hope Diamond Assignment

Read the 2 articles “The Hope Diamond Curse” & “Curses Debunked”. Write an essay comparing the articles, and decide which one is more convincing. Use evidence from the articles to back up your position. Be sure to acknowledge competing views, & address the credibility of the articles. (How trustworthy is each article?) On this first page give 3 examples from each article that supports the article. Your essay will not be graded if this page is not completed. These points should guide your essay. Your essay should have an introductory paragraph, which outlines your point of view. It should have body paragraphs that support your point of view, and a conclusion paragraph that sums up your essay. The essay can be typed for a 1 point bonus but it needs to be attached to this paper.

Evidence from the Curse article:

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_____Evidence from the debunked article

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Hope diamond Argumentative essay scoring rubric

Development o Thoroughly o Mostly o Mostly o Attempts to o Does not addresses the addresses the addresses the address the address the prompt prompt prompt prompt prompt o Clear central o Has a central o Somewhat o Weak central o No central claim claim weak central claim claim o Strong o Good claim o Irrelevant or o Little or no supporting supporting o Some unconvincing evidence evidence evidence supporting evidence o No o One or more o One or more evidence o One weak counterclaim good counter claims o One weak counterclaim Pts. ______counterclaim counterclaim 5 points 4 points 3 points 2 points 0 points Organization o Well-developed o Well-developed o Intro, body, o Missing intro, o No intro, body, introduction, introduction, conclusion not body, or or conclusion body, body, fully developed conclusion o Few or no conclusion conclusion o More o Lacks transitions o Many o Some transitions transitions o Ideas not appropriate appropriate needed o Progression of logical transitions transitions o Progression of ideas often not o Logical o Progression of ideas somewhat logical progression of ideas mostly logical ideas logical Pts. ______5 points 4 points 3 points 2 points 0 points Textual o Specific fats o General facts o Some facts o Few facts o No facts from the support the support main support main support main Evidence sources support main idea idea idea idea the main idea o Text evidence o Text evidence o Text evidence o Text evidence o Text evidence is mostly is somewhat is irrelevant or is missing is relevant an relevant and irrelevant or unconvincing convincing convincing unconvincing Pts. ______10 points 8 points 6 points 3 points 0 points Language and o Word choice is o Word choice is o Word choice is o Word choice o Word choice is precise mostly precise sometimes not not precise not precise Style o Descriptive o Descriptive precise o Descriptive o Descriptive words an words an o Descriptive words not used words are language used language used words an effectively missing effectively somewhat language used o Style is o Style is o Appropriate effectively could be used sometimes not inappropriate style for the o Style is mostly more appropriate for for the purpose purpose appropriate for effectively the purpose the purpose o Style is Pts. ______sometimes not appropriate for the purpose 5 point 4 points 3 points 2 points 0 points Conventions, o Use of proper o Writing mostly o Inconsistent use o Little proper o No proper English and demonstrates of proper English or English or grammar, grammar usage proper English English & grammar grammar spelling, o Few or no and grammar grammar o Consistent o Consistent punctuation errors in usage o Multiple errors errors in errors in spelling or o Few distracting in spelling and spelling & spelling and punctuation errors in punctuation punctuation punctuation o Meaning is spelling or o Meaning is o Meaning is o Meaning is clear punctuation occasionally often unclear unclear o Meaning is unclear Pts. ______clear 5 points 4 points 3 points 2 points 0 points Total ______