Essays and Research Papers on (All) Literature

This 6 page report discusses the ways in which “The Epic of Gilgamesh” serves to offer some measure of understanding into a culture’s ideals, philosophies, and belief systems. Gilgamesh is the oldest written epic known to exist in world history. It should be seen as both a great poetic creation, as well as a documentation of ancient humanity. Modern ...

The classical hero was one who was brave, honest, pious and was usually either in the favor of the Gods or was descended from the Gods. There is an aspect of the supernatural to all heroes and the ancient heroes were the example for all heroes to come after. If they could not ...

A 5 page paper on the role of the Chorus in this ancient Greek play by Sophocles. The paper concludes that the Chorus represents the point of view of the average person in the audience. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 3 page paper which compares Kurtz, from the film “Heart of Darkness” based on Conrad’s novel of the same name, and the ancient character of Gilgamesh. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 7 page essay that examines the stagecraft employed in these two works. While the art of playwriting has evolved and changed over the course of Western civilization, playwrights whether ancient or modern had to accomplish similar tasks in the storytelling and dramatization. The audience, in both cases, has to be informed about the background ...

A 3 page essay that discusses Jean-Paul Sartre's play "The Flies" draws upon the ancient Greek legend of Orestes, as told by Aeschylus in his classic play of the same name. However, Sartre changes the focus of the ancient story in order to stress thematic points that are drawn from his existentialist philosophy. Examination of ...

A 3 page essay that addresses the revenge motif in Euripides' Medea. In ancient Greek society, honor was a paramount virtue that determined, along with one's duty--to the gods and society, much of what was considered to be moral conduct. In Medea, Euripides makes it clear that Jason does not act honorably, but is, rather, ...

A 5 page essay that discusses the ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus' trilogy Oresteia, which is comprised of Agamemnon, Libation Bearers, and Eumenides. The writer specifically targets Aeschylus' use of animal imagery and argues that animal imagery is utilized to represent human acts of revenge. No additional sources cited.

A 5 page essay that examines these three ancient epics as a basis for discussing the relationship that they illustrate between their various cultures and the divine will. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 3 page research paper/essay that examines role of women in Greek society as depicted in the ancient Greek play by Sophocles, Antigone. The write argues that while Antigone defies male authority, this action should be viewed in light of how she perceived defiance of Creon as her religious duty. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 5 page paper that analyzes the use of allusion in Albee's play, especially as it relates to the character of Nick, and the connection to ancient literature and history. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

The life and works of this important early Roman dramatist are discussed in a 7 page paper. Compared are the author's life challenges to those of the characters in his plays, citing examples from works such as The Girl From Andros, The Eunuch, and The Brothers. Historical facts about Ancient Rome are noted in ...

A 15 page review of the 1974 book by Robert Persig. Explores the concept of perception and how it relates to the ancient philosophy of Zen. Illuminates Persig's concern with the decline in American values and in systems such as our educational system. No additional sources are listed.

The ancient Roman work is analyzed in historical perspective. This 6 page analysis examines Nero's reign, the Emperor who ruled during the time period in which the piece was written. The paper goes back further to Caesar's era in order to provide a further understanding of early Roman history. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

A 5 page paper discussing the last chapter of Homer's The Iliad. This is the last book of this ancient literary work. This section of the story begins with Achilles still angry and distraught over the death of his friend and as the story ends we see Achilles having moved beyond his grief a bit ...

This 5 page paper discusses the idea of female inequality as illustrated in stories from ancient China. Bibliography lists 9 sources.

In three pages this paper examines the heroic qualities of this ancient hero, explains the values connected with these qualities, and speculates on why this culture needed these kinds of heroic values. One source is cited in the bibliography.

A 5 page, analytical discussion of how the themes into literary landmarks -- from two different cultures -- (Spanish and Ancient Greek) have withstood the 'tests of time' and still maintain an appeal for contemporary audiences. The two works discussed are Euripides' 'Medea' and Garcia Lorca's 'Blood Wedding' -- two thematically similar tales. No Bibliography.

A 5 page paper which discusses four separate political portrayals of ancient times. The portrayals are Hesiod's fable of the Hawk and the Nightingale, particular dealings in the Iliad, Athens in the 6th century B.C., and Prometheus and democracy. No additional sources cited.

A five page paper looking at these frequently recurring motifs in this ancient Greek drama. The paper shows how even today, we associate light and seeing with understanding, and darkness and blindness with the opposite, and this makes it very easy to appreciate Sophocles' use of these devices in his play. Bibliography lists three sources. ...

This 3 page paper discusses the historical discoveries Plunkett makes in the poem "Omeros," and how they relate to a sense of homecoming. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 3 page paper provides an overview of the context in which William Bradford wrote his Of Plymouth Plantation. This paper looks at the history, philosophy and literary perspectives that underscored this authorship. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 5 page paper examines the book A Short History of Progress by Ronald White and uses it as a springboard to argue that modern civilization is badly out of step with nature, and will fall into the “technology trap” and eventually perish. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 3 page analysis of True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 4 page analysis of Mark Twain’s memorable short story. This paper laments the lack of leadership that could have turned Twain’s group into an effective military unit. Bibliography lists 4 sources.