Essays and Research Papers on Ancient Literature

A 3 page essay that discusses this passage from the classic Greek drama Oedipus the King by Sophocles, which hinges on the prediction of the Oracle that he will murder his father and marry his mother. The audience knows the ending, knows that Oedipus' fate is inevitable, therefore, the task before Sophocles, as a playwright, ...

A 3 page paper which examines Chaucer’s view of the clergy as reflected in the work. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 4 page essay that employs Aristotle's definition of tragedy to discuss the elements of Oedipus Rex. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 3 page paper which compares and contrasts the character of Achilles from Homer's The Iliad and Aeneas from Virgil's The Aeneid. No additional sources cited.

A 4 page paper which examines the character of Enkidu from the Epic of Gilgamesh. No additional sources cited.

A 4 page paper which examines if Chaucer's Canterbury Tales are Feminist or Antifeminist. No additional sources cited.

A 5 page essay that examines the Iliad from the perspective of how, while the gods set the parameters in which free will was allowed to operate, it was ultimately the action of the individual that propelled him towards his destiny. Examination of Homer's Iliad shows that the actions of Achilles substantiate this perspective. No ...

A 4 page paper which examines whether Antigone is the tragic hero(ine) of the Sophocles’ story. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 3 page essay that discusses how the story of Tristan's parents foreshadows the tale of love between Tristan and Isolde. In relating this tale, Gottfried Von Strassburg does not begin with the elicit affair of Tristan and Isolde, but rather starts by relating the love story of Rivalin and Blanchelor, Tristan's parents, whose tale ...

A 3 page paper which examines the relationship between Gilgamesh, Enkidu and the gods in “The Epic of Gilgamesh.” No additional sources cited.

A 6 page research paper that discusses the ordering of Chaucer's medieval masterpiece. The writer discusses what is known as the "b" group order and how it differs from the ordering of the tales in the Ellesmere manuscript. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

This 3 page paper discusses the Inferno and asks where Kurt Cobain, Adolf Hitler and Saddam Hussein would end up, and what their punishments would be, if they were condemned to Dante's Hell. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 9 research paper that investigates this question. Numerous erotic frescoes, which have been buried under volcanic ash for the last 2000 years, have been unearthed by archeologists in ancient Roman city of Pompeii. Seven erotic frescoes, depicting a great deal of sexual activity involving numerous partners (which includes perhaps the only lesbian scene in ...

A 7 page paper which examines divine intervention in Homer’s “The Odyssey,” Sophocles’ “Oedipus the King,” and Virgil’s “Aeneid.” No additional sources cited.

This 8 page paper examines the way in which Levi Strauss utilizes Ferdinand de Saussure's structural linguistics to analyse myth. The paper considers the way this is approached in modern society with a range of ideas and alternative approaches and demonstrates how Levi-Strauss used the example of Oedipus to present his analysis method. The bibliography ...

This 7 page paper highlights the theme of justice and claims that the theme of vengeance is secondary. Some quotes are included. No additional sources cited.

4 pages in length. Throughout history, women have had one – and only one – trump card to play in an otherwise patriarchal society. The female gender has routinely been oppressed, degraded and made to feel less than a human being all in keeping with the heavy-handed tactics of a male-oriented existence. ...

3 pages in length. The writer briefly discusses the spiritual and psychological impact of Gilgamesh's failure. No additional sources cited.

A 4 page paper which examines the similarities between Gilgamesh and Achilles as it involves changing. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 3 page paper which examines the murder of Agamemnon in Aeschylus’ work. No additional sources cited.

A 12 page paper which examines the themes of vengeance and injustice in Euripides’ “Electra” and Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.” Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 3 page essay that examines both plays. In both Oedipus the King and Antigone, the ancient Greek playwright Sophocles addresses issues of social responsibility. In both tragedies, the protagonists exhibit socially responsible behavior. Oedipus, as a good ruler, diligently searches for the reasons why the gods are displeased with his city and his people, ...

A 4 page essay that addresses Homer's ancient Greek epic, the Odyssey, and recounts the adventures of Odysseus who spends ten years trying to reach his home after the victory of the Greeks in the Trojan War. However, this epic does not begin directly with the hero, but rather with Zeus recounting the tale of ...

A 5 page essay that analyzes several works from the ancient world. Throughout the history of humanity, various societies and civilizations have formulated religions and cultural mores to guide human behavior. The literature of past civilizations offers glimpses into the ways in which these people thought and felt and what they valued. This brief survey ...

This 5 page paper is a detailed examination of the scene between Argos and Odysseus in "The Odyssey." Bibliography lists 1 source.