Essays and Research Papers on Medieval Literature

A 5 page paper which examines the theme of pride in the Reeve’s Tale in “The Canterbury Tales.” No additional sources cited.

A 10 page paper which compares stories concerning the passing of King Arthur. The texts examined are Tennyson’s “Idylls of the King” and Malory’s “Le Morte Darthur.” Bibliography lists 3 additional sources.

A 2 1/2 page paper which examines how Lucifer is portrayed in Dante’s Inferno in Canto 34. No additional sources cited.

A 4 page paper which examines Apuleius’ “The Golden Ass” in relationship to its historical presentation of Roman culture. Bibliography lists 2 additional sources.

This 5 page paper considers the way in which four characters; Pericles, The Old Oligarch, Job and Euripides many all interpret and relate to the statement made by Chief of Staff of the Army, General Senecki regarding the Vision for the army’s future. The bibliography cites 4 sources.

A 4 page paper which compares and contrasts two famous literary regal protagonists. No additional sources are used.

A 6 page essay that answers four specific questions. Topics include: 3 adventures from the Odyssey that address character development for Odysseus; the gods' relationship to humanity in the Iliad; the character of Joseph, and the nature of exile for Joseph, Job and Adam and Eve. No additional sources cited.

A 2.5 page paper which draws conclusions about the place of women in the ancient societies featured in these epics, specifically considers why there are so few women mentioned in “Beowulf,” examines the significance of Princess Nana Triban’s role in “Sundiata” and considers the possibility of feminine heroism in these societies. No additional sources ...

This is a 4 page critical analysis of Chaucer’s “The Wife of Bath’s Tale”. Geoffrey Chaucer’s “The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale” reveals a 14th century character and tale of a woman considered as one of the first feminists. The Wife of Bath is portrayed as an independent woman who, having been widowed five ...

A 4 page paper which compares and contrast the heroes from each epic work. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A paper which considers the differences between the lifestyles and human societies described in Beowulf and Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, with particular reference to the importance of community structure in the former and the greater social diversity in the latter. Bibliography lists 2 sources

A 4 page paper which examines the impact of the encounter with Utnapishtim on King Gilgamesh of Uruk. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 2 1/2 page paper which examines the manners of the High Renaissance period as seen in Castiglione’s “The Perfect Courtier” and Vasari’s “Life of Giotto.” Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 4 page paper which examines how women are presented in Dante’s “Divine Comedy” and then compares and contrasts that to “The Scarlet Letter,” “Hamlet,” and the “Odyssey.” No additional sources cited.

This 7 page paper traces the changes and influences on the English language from the late 1300’s to 1755 when Samuel Johnson printed the definitive dictionary. The paper induces the factors such as the influence of French, the regional dialects, the great vowel shift and the impact of the printing press as well as ...

A 10 page essay that compares Dante's Inferno with Homer's Odyssey. The writer argues that analogous comparisons can be made between Dante's work and his illustrious predecessors. An examination the "Inferno" and Homer's "Odyssey" demonstrates how in both works the "journeys" that these works describe concern how the protagonist works out a relationship between himself ...

This 8 page paper discusses these two Cantos from Dante's Paradiso, one of the trilogy contained in the Divine Comedy. In these Cantos, Dante brings St. Thomas Aquinas into the dialog to discuss St. Francis of Assisi and St. Bonaventure to discuss St. Dominic. These verses find the same kinds of imagery, metaphors and opposites ...

A 4 page discussion of the manner our definition of the term hero has evolved over time. While the ancient Greeks recognized that heroes were human and as such they had many qualities, some positive and some not, existing in an intricate balance with the characteristics that made them a hero; our modern definition ...

A 7 page paper which examines the theme of romance and love in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. No additional sources cited.

A 4 page research paper that examines the Mesopotamian epic of Gilgamesh in terms of what it implies regarding the role of women in that society. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 3 page paper which offers a semiological analysis of Hesiod’s work “Theogony.” No additional sources cited.

A 7 page paper which examines how Sir Gawain better exemplifies righteous living through good deeds and altruism, as opposed to Gilgamesh, who values only himself and is concerned only with self-reward. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 6 page which examines the theme of Christianity in Aphra Behn’s “Oroonoko.” Bibliography lists 7 additional sources.

A 3 page paper which examines what the Wife of Bath, in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, thinks women want. The paper also examines this from a modern day perspective as well. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 3 page essay that explores the ramifications of the ceremony that makes the young Lancelot into a full knight. Because the ceremony is performed by two different people -- Guenevere and Arthur -- the writer argues that this divides Lancelot's allegiance and makes the subsequent events of the saga more consistent with the image ...