Essays and Research Papers on Greek & Roman Literature

A 4 page paper on theme of hospitality in Homer's epic. It contrasts the hospitality shown Telemachus by Melenaus and Odysseus by King Alkinoos and the swineherd Eumaios with the abominable behavior of the suitors.

A 5 page paper analyzing the way this theme is treated in Homer's epic. The paper concludes that Homer viewed sacrifice as a way to return everything to its status quo, and as such, it was a function of duty and justice. Bibliography lists one source besides primary book.

A 5 page essay on Homer's The Odyssey, and particularly why Odysseus would refuse to become immortal. The thesis posits that Odysseus chose the experience of living life over the sterile existence of the gods. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 5 page paper on the character of Odysseus, his heroic qualities, and how his actions represent the classic struggle for survival. The writer argues that Odysseus' actions were justifiable under the circumstances and with respect to the era during which his character was created by Homer. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 5 page essay on the importance of pain and suffering in helping to define Odysseus as a true "epic hero." The writer covers various instances of trouble and hardship endured by Odysseus throughout his journey and finds that what he went through represented but a part of the "human experience."

In 5 pages the author discusses Homer's conception of afterlife in Odyssey, comparing it to other views of the afterlife. Bibliography lists 2 additional sources.

A 3 page look at the portrayal of women in Homer's 'Odyssey.' Mostly focused upon is Penelope -- who, although strong-willed in resisting the suitors was still ultimately powerless when it came to getting rid of all the men who daunted her. She is stereotypically depicted as a woman whose main answer to her troubles ...

A 2 page look at the delaying strategies these heroines use in order to stall what otherwise seems like an inevitable fate. Homer's Odyssey and the anonymous Arabic tale The Thousand and One Nights are referred to but not cited. No additional sources cited.

A 2 page look at the differences in conception of the underworld between these three works. The paper notes that Dante's is the only one of the three works in which the Underworld is clearly punitive; in the Odyssey, it was simply sad, and in Gilgamesh, empty. No additional sources cited.

A 5 page exploration of this theme in Homer's Odyssey and Dante's Inferno. The paper asserts that the underlying precept behind both these stories is that the seeker in all of us has to wander forth from his or her home and expand his or her horizons in order to grow and mature. Bibliography lists ...

Honor is at stake and for honor men will die. This 5 page critical review of the classic story of the battle of Troy introduces the idea that there are three threads of interest in the Iliad. The first is the war between the Achaeans and Trojans. This is the setting and the motivation for ...

A 5 page paper examining the degree of influence gods were considered to have over mortals in Homeric culture. The paper concludes that the Greeks believed that people really do not have much control over their own destinies at all, and thus transferred this control onto the gods. Bibliography lists one source.

8 pages in length. Homer's Iliad is a classic example of how violence has been glorified - while not necessarily justifiably so - since the beginning of civilization. There is an inherent desire for men to thrust their outer manhood into their enemy's faces in order to assert their inner strength. The ...

A 5 page look at these two heroes of Homer's Iliad and Vergil's Aeneid, respectively, in terms of the cultures that created them. The paper asserts that these heroes are very different because their respective cultures valued different traits. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 4 page comparison of the classic heroes Hektor and Achilles as presented by Homer in 'The Iliad.' It is proposed that while Achilles transcends the politics of his day and fights for his own cause, Hektor's tragedy is actually synonymous with the tragedy of Troy itself. No Bibliography.

A 6 page essay examining the various ways Homer made use of gods and goddesses; how they intervened in the lives of the mortals.

The significance of Achilles' shield, as it appears in Homer's Iliad is discussed in this 5 page paper.

This 5 page research paper examines the importance of Achilles' armor in Homer's epic masterpiece, "The Iliad." The impact of the armor upon Hector, Patroclus, and Achilles (when he receives the new armor) is discussed. The paper also considers how each of the heroes act when wearing the armor, what happens to ...

5 pages in length. Who was the greatest hero between Achilles and Hector in Homer's The Iliad? When posing this question, one must also consider the various definitions of the word hero. A hero can be of the heart or of the mind, but most likely he is one of the body. ...

A 5 page paper comparing and contrasting the characters of Achilles and Roland in these two classic epics of war. The paper observes that the differences in these two heroes has less to do with their authors' attempts at characterization than with the difference in their society's expectations of what a warrior -- and ...

A 4 page, comparative discussion of heroism in the 'journeys' of Aeneas in 'The Aeneid' and Odysseus in the 'Odyssey.' No bibliography.

Similar to Aensod1.wps (some parts are identical), this 3 page essay emphasizes the marked difference between Odysseus and Aeneas; stressing the latter character's more human-like qualities. No bibliography.

4 page essay discussing the actions of Odysseus in 'The Odyssey' and briefly mentioning those of Aeneas in 'The Aeneid.' Stressed is whether or not their behaviors were 'necessary' and 'acceptable' with regard to their respective situations.

A thoughtful 3 page essay comparing the character of Desdemona in Shakespeare's Othello with Penelope in Homer's Odyssey. Desdemona is regarded as being more of a simple person-- madly in love and fairly ignorant to the world around her. Penelope, however, was able to become a strong and triumphant woman..exhibiting more savvy and self-will. ...

6 pages in length. A comparison between Shakespeare's 'Othello' and Sophocles 'Oedipus Trilogy' in which the writer interprets themes from both stories and finds reason to assert that Othello and Antigone were both very much alike in that they were essentially outsiders, -- alienated from a group. Both characters endured grave emotional drama and sought ...