Essays and Research Papers on Medieval Literature

A 5 page essay that summarizes and analyzes Plato's The Apology of Socrates. The writer argues that it is part of human nature that politicians and leaders love to be grandiose about themselves and their nation, or, as in the case of ancient Greece, their city. This factor of human behavior is still quite evident ...

This 3 page paper discusses the way Aristophanes uses the story of Lysistrata to discuss gender relations, women’s rights, and war in ancient Greece. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

In eight pages this paper examines how Sophocles utilizes Antigone’s twin sister Ismene as his tragedy’s foil in order to emphasize the gender distinctions in the politics and society of ancient Greece. Four sources are cited in the bibliography.

A seven page paper looking at this play of ancient Greece. The paper contends that Aeschylus' major conflict is between the old, matriarchal form of justice, represented by the Furies, and the new patriarchy represented by Athena and Apollo. No additional sources.

A 7 page research paper that, first of all, examines the role that Charicleia play sin Helodorus' An Ethiopian Romance, an ancient Greek novel, and then compares this portrayal with that of other ancient heroines. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

This is a 3 page paper on qualities of Greek civilization which are revealed in Homer’s “The Odyssey”. Homer’s “The Odyssey” was written around the year 750 B.C. and in addition to providing a great tale about the adventures of the king Odysseus, it also reveals aspects and qualities of the ancient civilization in Greece ...

A 6 page research paper that discusses the political positions of various authors from the ancient world. The writer asserts that the ancient world shares many similarities with the current era, as Western thought, philosophy, social system and religion find their deepest roots in the ancient history of the Mediterranean world. Examination of the ...

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, ...

This 9 page paper examines the deep and constant relationship peoples of ancient civilizations had with their gods. The countries of the ancient world used to make this point are Sumer and Egypt. A small religious statue of the god Abu of Sumer, The Prince of Lagash is compared with the intimate nineteenth dynasty Egyptian statue, Nedjem. ...

A 6 page discussion of the need for caution when using ancient literary texts to interpret history. The author of this paper points out that the modern historian needs to consider such factors as authorship, language, structure and form, sources, and literary meaning in undertaking historical research. Even more important, however, is reviewing a ...

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 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 ...

This is a 5 page paper that provides an overview of kingship in ancient Mesopotamia. Art such as the Epic of Gilgamesh is examined for its insights into cultural truths. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

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 ...

This 6 page report discusses the ways in which “The Epic of Gilgamesh” serves to offer some measure of understanding into a culture’s ideals, philosophies, and belief systems. Gilgamesh is the oldest written epic known to exist in world history. It should be seen as both a great poetic creation, as well as a documentation of ancient humanity. Modern ...

A 7 page essay that examines the stagecraft employed in these two works. While the art of playwriting has evolved and changed over the course of Western civilization, playwrights whether ancient or modern had to accomplish similar tasks in the storytelling and dramatization. The audience, in both cases, has to be informed about the background ...

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 3 page paper which compares Kurtz, from the film “Heart of Darkness” based on Conrad’s novel of the same name, and the ancient character of Gilgamesh. Bibliography lists 1 source.

This 6 page report discusses the 1972 movie “The Godfather” and the ways in which the movies of Francis Ford Coppola’s “Godfather” epic serve as an example of the ways in which the style and form of a movie often follows the most basic of classic storylines. In them, modern audiences experiences the journey of ...

In three pages this paper examines the heroic qualities of this ancient hero, explains the values connected with these qualities, and speculates on why this culture needed these kinds of heroic values. One source is cited in the bibliography.

A five page paper looking at these frequently recurring motifs in this ancient Greek drama. The paper shows how even today, we associate light and seeing with understanding, and darkness and blindness with the opposite, and this makes it very easy to appreciate Sophocles' use of these devices in his play. Bibliography lists three sources. ...

A 5 page paper which examines Herodotus' conclusions, based on his research for his nine-volume work, "Histories" (also referred to as "The History of Herodotus"). No additional sources are used.