Defending Marco Polo: The Truth About China
Defending Marco Polo: The Truth About China
Assignments to hand in: Topical Net for Letter in Defense of Marco Polo & Letter to Editor in Defense of Marco Polo
Step 1: Introduction:
Marco Polo, a thirteenth century Italian from the city of
Venice, was one of the first Europeans after the fall of the Roman Empire to
journey across Asia to China. Beginning in 1271, Marco accompanied his father
and uncle, diamond merchants who had traveled to China before, on a three-year
trip from Palestine to Shang Du in China.
In China, Marco Polo found a civilization more advanced than in Europe. At one
of the large cities, Marco discovered that there were 300 baths for public use,
with hot and cold water. He saw grand palaces, tree-shaded highways, paved
roads, parks, and fine bridges. Impressed with Marco's integrity and
intelligence, Kublai Khan, who had befriended Marco's father and uncle on their
first journey to China, appointed Marco as commissioner to the imperial council
in 1277. Later Marco was appointed governor of the Chinese city of Hangzhou.
These positions allowed him to travel to such a faraway places as Tibet, India,
Burma, and eastern China, where he saw other wondrous sights, such as cloth that
would not burn (asbestos), black stones that would burn (coal), and paper money.
Step 2: Setting the Scene: Look at the transparencies and read the corresponding text.
This transparency shows Marco Polo dictating the story of his
travels to Rushichello of Pisa in a Genoa prison cell.
Homesick, Marco Polo returned to Venice in 1295 and found the city at war with Genoa. Polo acted as the commander of a Venetian galley until he was captured by the Genoese and put in prison. There among the prisoners, jailers, and visitors he found an audience for his stories of fantastic travels. One of the inmates, Rustichello of Pisa, copied the narrative from Marco's dictation. When the resulting book, A Description of the World (now called The Travels of Marco Polo), was completed in 1298, most people refused to believe it was all true. Marco received the nickname "Il Milione," or "Marco Millions," because people thought his claims about Asia - its size, its wealth, its population - were exaggerated. On his deathbed in 1324, a priest begged Marco to admit that much of A Description of the World was false; otherwise he would die a liar. Marco allegedly replied, "I never told half of what I saw!" It was not unit the twentieth century scholars confirmed much of what appeared in his book that it was recognized that Polo had accurately described the culture of Yuan China.
Step 3: Perspective - You will write a letter to the editor from the following role:
You are a fifteenth century Italian trader from Venice who has traveled extensively in China. You are familiar with the life of Marco Polo and are outraged that his reports on China were considered by many as lies because you, too, have seen the wonders of China. Pained to see an innocent man wrongly accused - and unable to defend himself some 200 years after his death - you plan to write a richly detailed letter to the editor of a Venitian newspaper explaining what you have seen in China to validate Marco Polo's claims. You hope to convince the citizens of Venice that their misrepresented son was not a liar.
Step 4: Brainstorming - Complete the handout: Topical Net for Letter in Defense of Marco Polo
Step 5: Writing the Letter in Defense of Marco Polo - Handout: Directions for Writing a Letter in Defense of Marco Polo