Essays and Research Papers on Ancient Literature

This 4 page paper examines this sympathetic character and argues that even murderers possess admirable traits. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

In three pages, this paper examines the hero’s journey or quest to awaken self knowledge and inner strength resulting from self realization experiences as represented in these classic works of literature. Five sources are cited in the bibliography.

A 5 page paper which analyzes Hansel and Gretel by Brothers Grimm. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

In four pages this paper compares and contrasts the friendships of Gilgamesh and Enkidu in The Epic of Gilgamesh and Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar in the 1992 film Wayne’s World. Two sources are listed in the bibliography.

This 6 page paper considers whether and to what extent Petronius’s work “The Satyricon” is an accurate representation of Roman beliefs and thinking, and whether it should be considered as mere entertainment or something more substantial. Bibliography lists 10 sources.

This 4 page paper discusses the role of the gods in Euripides' classic tragedy "Medea," and argues that they act as judges to illustrate one of the major themes of the play, that deception and betrayal are worse than murder. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 4 page essay that contrasts and compares these two tales. The Middle Ages are generally not associated with humor, as the medieval era brings to mind in the public consciousness, the terror of the Black Plague, the Inquisition, and incessant warfare. However, two tales from the late thirteenth century, "Sir Gawain and the ...

A 3 page essay that examines Geoffrey Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde, which can be regarded as a study on the nature of courtly love. Having set up the narrative of the two lovers as a prime example of courtly love in books 1 through 3, the betrayal of Troilus, a Trojan prince, by ...

A 3 page paper which examines the roles of women in David Ferry’s Gilgamesh. No additional sources cited.

In four pages this comparative analysis examines how the character of Orlando in Ludovico Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso parodies the ideal knight embodied by Roland in the French poem Song of Roland. Three sources are listed in the bibliography.

A 5 page essay that contrasts the “Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale” and “The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell,” which is “one of the most popular stories of late medieval England” (Hahn). Both tales concern a “loathly lady” who transforms into a beautiful, young woman when her husband grants her sovereignty over ...

In three pages this paper examines how the ways in which an individual handles situations of perceived injustice influences the conduct of that person’s life, affects those around him or her, and can have social consequences. References made to Tablet II of The Epic of Gilgamesh and an incident in Essie Mae’s life described ...

In three pages this paper considers the forms of desire Ovid depicted in Metamorphoses and explores if love is simple or complex for Ovid and his characters. A customer-supplied source is used and therefore bibliographic citation information is incomplete.

A 4 page research paper/essay that examines the way in which Ovid considered the topic of art, artists and poets in his epic poem Metamorphoses. The writer argues that Ovid's overall thematic approach subtly suggests that it is only through art that humanity can transcend the suffering that is an inherent part of life. ...

A 7 page paper which examines the meaning of the play Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus. No additional sources cited.

This 3 page paper compares and contrasts Hamlet and Oedipus in their roles as sons of dead kings who vow to find the truth and dispense justice. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 3 page paper considers the punishment given to Oedipus the King, and argues that whether or not he receives justice depends in large part on how the reader defines the concept, but that the punishment seems excessive and unfair. Bibliography lists 1 source.

This 3 page paper discusses Homer’s use of similes in his extended description of violence in “The Iliad.” Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 3 page paper which examines the differences between Upper and Lower Hell in Dante’s Inferno. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 3 page report and review of Two Sides of the Coin by Geraldine McCaughrean and Jan Mark. No additional sources cited.

This 7 page paper discusses the characters of the Miller, the Wife of Bath and the Pardoner, and the tales they tell. It also tells what these stories tell us of life in 1340, and how they mesh together. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

A 4 page paper which examines imagery and language in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. No additional sources cited.

A 3 page character analysis of the tragic hero, Oedipus and Antigone from the Oedipus Trilogy. No additional sources cited.

This 3 page paper is a reaction to some of the readings in a semester, including Homer (“The Odyssey”); Ovid (“Metamorphoses”) and Sophocles (“Oedipus the King”). Bibliography lists 3 sources.

7 pages in length. Although widely accepted in ancient Athens, same-sex behavior and pederastic relationships were not altogether accepted or highly regarded by period authors. In fact, while some acknowledged the prevalence of such interaction by way of their literary works, others made a blatant point of demonstrating their distaste by pointing out ...