Essays and Research Papers on (All) Literature

A 5 page paper looking at the motifs of 'seeing' and feeling 'at sea' in Sophocles' play. The paper argues that Sophocles uses the images of being storm-tossed or lost at sea to denote spiritual chaos, and images involving vision and light to represent spiritual insight. No additional sources.

A 3 page research paper which examines the similarities and differences between Sophocles' play, Oedipus the King and Arthur Miller's play, Death of a Salesman to determine whether or not each could be considered a definitive tragedy. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 5 page paper which discusses Roman Polanski's 1974 film, Chinatown, and Sophocles' 429 B.C. (?) play, Oedipus the King. Specifically examined are the meaning of Chinatown, why the movie is called Chinatown, how it resembles evil, and the significance of Oedipus the King, and finally, comparing and contrasting the two works. Bibliography ...

A 5 page look at the changes the genre of dramatic tragedy has undergone between the days of the ancient Greeks and our own era. Examples are provided from Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, Shakespeare's Measure for Measure, and Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

An 8 page paper which compares and contrasts King Oedipus in Sophocles' Oedipus the King and Shakespeare's prince, Hamlet. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

A 5 page comparison of "Hamlet," "King Lear," and "Oedipus Rex." The writer argues that while the three plays are, of course, totally different as to plot and characterization, they also have points of similarity. While such things as deception, murder and revenge create the prime motivating factors for tragedy, when these factors combine ...

An 8 page paper which compares and contrasts Hamlet and The Odyssey. These two classic tales were written in completely different times in history, as well as completely different regions of the world, and as such they are incredibly different in almost all aspects of consideration. Some of the aspects of the tales that are ...

A short, 4 page overview of themes in The Oedipus Trilogy-- emphasizing in particular that the downfall of Oedipus represented the "spiritual bankruptcy" of the state. The role of the chorus, portrayal of women, and the influence of various characters are touched upon as well. No Bibliography.

A 3 page paper that considers the importance of the character of Creon in Sophocles' "Oedipus Tyrannus." This paper contends that it is the one-dimensional characterization of Creon and his messages that most significantly impact the outcome of the tragedy. The primary source is cited.

A 5 page summation and analysis of the second play in the Oedipus Trilogy which reveals Oedipus' fate after being blinded and exiled at the end of Oedipus the King. The writer demonstrates how this play reveals the changes which have occurred in Oedipus' character during his twenty years in exile. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 5 page research paper and analysis that demonstrates how irony is an overriding characteristic of the play. The writer discusses several Freudian interpretations of the meaning behind the irony in the play and argues that Green (1993) has the most logical interpretation. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 5 page essay positing that symbolism and irony used by Sophocles to 'resolve' the mystery of birth for Oedipus is based on a moral principle--quest for atonement. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 5 page paper comparing and contrasting the two plays which focuses on the relationship between fathers and sons and the forces of Good and Evil as instruments of either destruction or reward. No additional sources cited.

A 5 page paper discussing a common theme in literature -- our very human difficulty in distinguishing between what seems to be and what actually is. This theme is discussed in terms of Sophocles' Oedipus the King and Shakespeare's Othello. No additional sources cited.

A 5 page paper discussing Lear and Oedipus as tragic heroes, as defined by Aristotle. Cites characteristics of each figure, discussing each man's basic goodness and his sense of right and wrong and how each deals with violations of his own conscience. Bibliography lists 1 source.

In this 5 page paper, the writer compares Jesus Christ, Antigone, and Socrates - as individuals who each suffered fates for their challenging of authority in favor of Revolutionist ideals. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 4 page paper examining the nature of public life versus private life in these three classical works. The write concludes that Homer and Virgil are more concerned with the community and state, and less with the individual; Aeschylus alone champions the individual's separate existence. No additional sources cited.

A 7 page paper that compares two main characters in Sophocles' Antigone and Homer's Odyssey: Antigone and Penelope. These two women share a number of common characteristics and make similar determinations in regards to morality and family duty. Though the outcomes are significantly different, the inherent qualities of these two women are considerable. ...

A 4 page paper comparing the actions of Theseus, from the Greek play Phaedra, with Queen Elizabeth II, reigning monarch of England, through difficult family situations. The writer presents the notion that each of these monarchs had to react to their own troubles as they related to family, the monarchy, and their societies. No ...

In this 5 page essay, comparisons are made between the role of love in 'Prometheus Bound' and 'Hippolytus.' The writer argues that just as Phaedra was made to suffer as the result of her own love, Prometheus was similarly made to struggle as the result of his love for mankind-- which motivated him to give ...

A 5 page paper analyzing whether the title character in Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound was in any way responsible for his predicament. The paper asserts that indeed he was, because he deliberately subverted the status quo and had to accept the consequences. No additional sources cited.

A 5 page analytical discussion of love & relationships in Greek classics such as "The Odyssey," "Antigone," and "Lysistrata." No Bibliography.

In 5 pages, the author discusses how Roman mythology began and its purpose. Roman mythology is much like Greek mythology. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

25 pages worth of extensively detailed discussion relevant to how the stars and constellations derived their name from Greek mythology/stories. Bibliography lists 11 sources.

A 6 page paper on Homer's classic work. The paper demonstrates that the Homeric idea of justice is very different from our own; it suggests that whereas our sense of justice is founded upon morality, justice in Homer's time centered around the maintenance of the status quo. Bibliography lists three sources besides book.