Essays and Research Papers on Greek & Roman Literature

This 4 page report discusses the ancient Greek comedy “Lysistrata” and how it serves as an example of how, throughout Greek drama, civil unrest is often defined and framed in terms of gender and sexual conflict. For example, female choruses, the Furies, male supremacy, female protest and incest have all been used as dramatic vehicles to convey a variety of issues, ...

A 6 page essay that argues that while in Greek tragedy, fate and prophecy play pivotal roles in all the plays, the ancient Greek playwrights did not simply portray people as being puppets manipulated by the gods towards meeting a horrendous end. Rather, these ancient writers pictured individuals as being active in creating the ...

A 5 page essay on how the characters of Clytemnestra, Jocasta, Antigone and Medea from ancient Greek plays demonstrate certain aspects of how ancient Greeks viewed the role of women in society and women in general. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 7 page paper which examines the ancient ideal warrior as seen in Odysseus from Homer’s The Odyssey and Aeneas in Virgil’s The Aeneid. The paper also examines other ancient warriors. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 10 page research paper that examines the heroines of several ancient Greek plays. Modern students of ancient Greek culture tend to see the reality of women's lives during this period as being one of suppression and patriarchal domination. Interestingly, however, this perspective differs considerably from the viewpoint expressed by ancient Greek playwrights such as ...

A 5 page essay that argues that interpretations of Oedipus Rex, particularly Freudian interpretations, overlook the context of Greek culture and values. Since the time of Freud, when he pioneered the field of psychoanalysis, interpretations of the ancient Greek play Oedipus the King by Sophocles have frequently focused on the incestuous aspects of the plot. ...

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 6 page essay that examines what Homer's Iliad tells the modern reader about ancient Greek culture. In many ways, ancient sagas are like windows on another time as they reflect the mores, customs, traditions, beliefs and lifestyles that were prevalent in societies that existed in past millennia. An examination of Homer's Iliad in this ...

A short essay examining how the writers and philosophers of Classic Greece criticized Athenian politics/the Athenian polis in their works. Mentioned are Aeschylus, Aristophanes, Euripedes, and Socrates. No Bibliography.

A 3 page essay that offers a character sketch of Chaereas, the young male protagonist of the ancient Greek saga "Chaereas and Callirhoe," which is a tale of love and adventure. The writer argues that this is also a tale that encompasses the Greek emphasis on the dangers of pride. Chaereas, a bold and ...

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.

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 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 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 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.

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 ...

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 ...

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 7 page paper looking at this rather surprising theme in Aeschylus' tragedy. The paper suggests that in the conflict between Agamemnon and Clytemnestra over the sacrifice of their daughter, Aeschylus captured a significant moment in Greek religious history -- the point when the value of human life began to supersede the rights of the ...

A 5 page paper comparing the significance of the gods' intervention in human affairs in the works of these two Greek authors. Specific works discussed are the 'Odyssey,' the 'Iliad,' 'Oedipus Rex,' with one additional passage from Thucydides' 'History.' No additional sources.

A 5 page research paper that compares the use of irony in Shakespeare's 'Othello' and Sophocles' 'Oedipus Rex.' Both Othello and Oedipus, two of history's greatest tragedies, have irony as a key ingredient to their make-up. In each case, pride overcomes other human emotions and this quality, even more then jealousy in the case of ...

A 4 page essay on the underlying struggle between heart and mind in Greek mythology. The writer makes comparisons between this theme's existence in 'Prometheus Bound' and in the play 'Hippolytus.' It is noted that Prometheus and Phaedre are both prisoners and that it is their own human condition that causes them to suffer such ...

This 5 page report discusses and compares the similarities and differences between historical and literary heroes such as King Arthur and heroes such as Aeneas, Hector, and Achilles. The heroic tradition implies a pattern of story telling that begins with a hero in unusual circumstances, the search or quest, the transformation of the hero and a resolution. Bibliography lists 4 sources. ...

A 5 page research paper that offers a study guide and suggestions on how to understand and approach the task of essay writing on 2 plays: Oedipus the King by Sophocles and The Darker Face of the Earth by Rita Dove. To repeat this, this paper is not an essay but it rather suggestions and ...