Essays and Research Papers on Classic Literature

A 5 page paper showing how the title character in Chretien de Troyes' medieval romance learns to appreciate the value of love. The paper concludes that in the Middle Ages a successful man's life was supposed to be carefully calibrated to include both love and adventure -- a public life and a private -- and ...

In this 3 page essay, the writer discusses such things as the importance of nobility in Knighthood, chivalry, and the 'human side' of Knights as evidenced by the character of Yvain. This is contrasted with Nobles- who were not treated as heroes in this genre of literature. Specific examples from the story are provided. Bibliography ...

A 2 page look at the anonymous French chanson de geste, The Song of Roland. It analyzes why Roland takes such a long time to blow his horn to summon aid, and determines that it was initially pride, but then sound military strategy. Bibliography lists 1 source.

Some say that courage is danger, difficulty, or pain without fear. It contains elements of will power and self-sacrifice. Courage will inspire men to hold their ground when every instinct calls upon them to run away. In The Song of Roland bravery and courage are the main themes. Three of the main characters reflect concepts ...

5 page discussion of dreams and open dream interpretation in the epic 'Gilgamesh.' No Bibliography.

A 2 page essay demonstrating how the character of Gilgamesh does indeed fall under the classic and definitive explanation of a 'hero' as well as how the elements of his story comprise that which genuinely defines an 'epic.' Bibliography lists 2 sources.

In this 6 page essay, the writer argues that Odysseus (from 'The Odyssey') and Gilgamesh (from 'The Epic of Gilgamesh') were both heroes in the classic, definitive sense. It is reasoned that their violent tempers and mood swings actually had some 'redeeming value.'-- Excellent comparisons are made between the two characters. No Bibliography.

A 4 page paper comparing and contrasting views on immortality and the afterlife in these two ancient texts. The paper concludes that their two conceptions of the afterlife closely resemble the main alternatives of belief -- heaven versus nonexistence -- held by people in our own day. Bibliography lists two sources (the books).

In 6 pages the author discusses the medieval scholar and compares him to other medieval people. There were many types of people that existed in medieval times, from peasant, to scholar, to nobleman. The scholar was a very dedicated person that was also called an intellectual, a historian, and a cleric in medieval times. ...

A six page look at these two ancient stories in terms of their philosophy toward the continuity of life. The paper suggests that the Sumerians, in fact, felt that since death was the end of everything, humans’ responsibility is to live vigorously and well; the Hebrews, on the other hand, found their own “salvation” in ...

A 5 page paper contrasting these two classical heroes of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey respectively. The paper observes that the Iliad, through its characterization of the volatile and later chastened Achilles, shows the tempering and maturing effects of war, and the Odyssey, through its depiction of the strategic and noble Odysseus, is more reflective of ...

A 6 page paper identifying the single most important issue in Sophocles’ classic play, and determining how they apply to the modern world. The paper argues that through Antigone’s handling of an impossible decision, we learn what real character means.

An 8 page paper looking at Geoffrey Chaucer’s most famous work in terms of its treatment of morality. The paper concludes that although many of the tales are wholesome and many are bawdy, the most inherently immoral are those, told by representatives of the Church, which are hurtful to one’s fellow human beings. Specific tales ...

A 5 page paper looking at Vergil’s Aeneid in terms of the many unpleasant tasks Aeneas had to perform during the course of this epic. The paper argues that the effect of all this suffering was to imbue Aeneas with a sense of mission toward fulfilling the prophecies concerning the founding of the city of ...

A 6 page paper analyzing the personality of the Monk in this excerpt from The Canterbury Tales. The paper concludes that to Chaucer, the sin which the Monk commits by breaking his religious vows is somewhat mediated by the fact that the dogma on which the vows were based was flawed to begin with. Bibliography ...

An eight page paper looking at the medieval work “The Book of Margery Kempe” in terms of the personality, and possibly the psychosis, of its marvelously entertaining narrator. The paper concludes that although Margery is completely unlike the image we normally have of a saint, her self-appointed vocation was in fact the only role other ...

A five page paper analyzing the significance of these motifs in “The Odyssey,” “The Inferno,” and “Don Quixote.” The paper concludes that each hero, through his quest, has brought back to his society a dose of precisely the medicine it needs. Bibliography lists two sources.

A five page paper analyzing Chaucer’s use of the Knight’s Tale to illustrate the courtly love genre so popular in the era immediately preceding his own. The paper defines courtly love and shows how it is manifested in Chaucer’s story. Bibliography lists five sources.

An eight page paper looking at the English dramatist Christopher Marlowe in terms of the ways he influenced the development of Elizabethan drama. The paper concludes that Marlowe had a pivotal role in the development of both the Elizabethan blank verse drama and the “play of ideas” -- both specialties Shakespeare would make his own. ...

A six page paper looking at three of the stories in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales: The Shipman’s Tale, The Cook’s Tale, and The Miller’s Tale. Each story is shown to be a ribald story which is told at the expense of a lower-class tradesperson or rural bumpkin from an implicitly upper-class, educated point of view. Bibliography ...

A five page paper looking at Cantos XXXII, XXXIII, and XXXIV of Dante’s classic work in terms of the way the poet uses symbolism and imagery to heighten our understanding of the poem’s meaning. Special attention is paid to the significance of ice, which contrasts with our expectation that Hell is a lake of fire. ...

A five-page paper looking at Christopher Marlowe’s sixteenth century play in terms of its relevance today. The paper argues that much the same theme is echoed in films such as “Frankenstein,” and in the debate over cloning. Bibliography lists four sources.

A four-page paper looking at these two works from the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries, respectively. The paper shows that while both works deal with the city as a central motif, and both present cities which are imaginary and ideal, the intentions of the authors in writing their works make their presentations very different. Bibliography lists ...

A five page paper looking at the degree to which Grendel can be attributed human motivations and personal characteristics. The paper asserts that he cannot; he simply represents that which is dark and bestial in us all. No other sources.

This six-page-paper presents a discussion on the play The Good Woman of Setzuan. Bibliography lists one source.