Ancient Greek Literature Essays Examples For College & High School Students in PDF

2035 total results

The Heroic Qualities of the Protagonist in The Odyssey, a Major Ancient Greek Epic Poem by Homer (1051 words, 3 pages)

A True HeroEveryone has their own opinion on what qualities they would associate with a hero. The dictionary defines a hero as a brave and noble person, especially a man. Personally, I see a hero as someone whose actions are selfless, and helps someone other than himself. Homer conveys a ... Read More

The Theme of Not Having a Choice in One’s Fate in Oedipus Rex by Sophocles (1684 words, 5 pages)

Sometimes no matter how hard you try, things do not work out in your favor. This statement is the unfortunate truth for several characters in the play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. Oedipus lives most of his life oblivious to the horrible things hes done, and the shocking truth thrusts Oedipus ... Read More

Oedipus Rex by Sophocles: The Character of Oedipus (424 words, 2 pages)

Journal 1- Oedipus Rex (through Ode II)Oedipus Rex begins with the priest, Teiresias, accusing Oedipus of the murder of the king Laos but Oedipus quickly shoves the blame onto Creon, revealing Oedipus character. Although the city was in turmoil and Oedipus did not believe that he himself had committed the ... Read More

Sophocles’s Oedipus and Euripides’ Medea: Gods in Greek Tragedy (1076 words, 4 pages)

Perhaps one of the most intriguing aspects of ancient Greek culture was Greek mythology. Greeks attributed most every event to the gods. The gods were highly revered and respected. Two of the most infamous Greek tragedies highlighted how the gods were viewed and addressed during certain situations. Oedipus and Medea ... Read More

The Loss and Guilt of Medea From the Play Medea by Euripides (374 words, 1 pages)

After reading the play, Medea, I must side with Medea. Of course this must come as a shock as she is a child killer, however, I do believe she is the person who lost the most which may be why she reacted so erratically. In Medeas defense, she gave up ... Read More

A Short Summary and Review of The Eunuch, a Comedy by Terence (1246 words, 4 pages)

The Eunuch by TerenceThe Eunuch, by Terence, is about a story about a young Athenian, Phaedria, who is in love with the courtesan that lives next door to him, Thais. However, when Phaedria is rejected by Thais, she suggests that it is because a warrior, Thraso, brings her a slave ... Read More

The Negative Portrayal of Women in The Odyssey by Homer and Trojan Women by Euripides (556 words, 2 pages)

Its All Her Fault The Portrayal of Women in The Odyssey and Trojan WomenOriginal Thesis Statement Women are not always reliable when Circe and Calypso are looked at, but Penelope and Athena are, showing how Agamemnons advice was about the wrong woman in Odysseus life.Thesis to Include Second Text Agamemnons ... Read More

Circe as a Representation of Women’s Distrust in the Odyssey by Homer and Trojan Women by Euripides (2071 words, 6 pages)

Goddesses and witches alike lure Odysseus into their dwellings, and he is too oblivious to fully understand what is happening to him because they are able to keep him captive, making it so he cannot escape, and making him fall in love, tricking him into staying for an extended period ... Read More

Dramatic Irony in Oedipus the King by Sophocles (1249 words, 4 pages)

Oedipus the King is one of the most ironic plays ever written. Sophocles, the author, is a famous philosopher of the ancient times The Play is about Oedipus, the king of Thebes, who kills his father and marries his mother. An oracle warned Laius, the king of Thebes prior to ... Read More

Fate and Pride in Oedipus Rex by Sophocles (1004 words, 3 pages)

I can control my destiny but not my fate. Destiny means there are opportunities to turn right or left, fate is a one way street. I believe we all have a choice whether or not to fulfil our destiny but our fate is sealed (Paulo Coelho). Oedipus in Oedipus Rex ... Read More

Oedipus Rex by Sophocles: The Theme of Truth (514 words, 2 pages)

But I say that you, with both your eyes, are blindYou cannot see the wretchedness of your life,Nor in whose house you live, no, nor with whom.Teiresias- p.322 lines 399-401The truth is somethings conformity with fact or reality. It is often easier for one to reject the truth than to ... Read More

The Battle Between Eteocles and Polynices in Sophocles’ Antigone as an Example of the Irrationality of War (650 words, 2 pages)

Humanity has always been a violent race, relying on conflict and war to solve problems. Using war as a resolution is irrational, however, as war leads to disastrous consequences that create more problems than they solve. An excellent example of the irrationality of war is the battle between the brothers ... Read More

Character Analysis of Achilles Using the Philosophy of Plato (1816 words, 6 pages)

Socrates vs. AchillesMany of the citizens, especially the younger men, always looked up to Achilles as a role model. They admired his courage and bravery on the battlefield and longed to be like him. Socrates seems to side with Achilless admirers at first, however, things take a turn when he ... Read More

An Analysis of Creon as a Tragic Hero in Antigone, an Ancient Greek Play by Sophocles (1521 words, 4 pages)

A Tragic Hero in AntigoneAncient people once wondered why the season turned cold and dark, and farming failed during parts of the year, and in an attempt to rationalize an explanation, myths would come about. One of many stories that were created came from Greek mythology, which claimed it was ... Read More

The Effects of Culture in the Character’s Actions in the Iliad and Beowulf (1101 words, 5 pages)

Culture Explains EverythingIn epics such as the Iliad, translated by Robert Fagles, and Beowulf, translated by Burton Raffel, the main character is a paragon of a hero that holds an important position in the culture of the epic. As such, the culture affects its epic, even as the epic affects ... Read More

A Comparison of the Similarities and Differences in the Hero’s Journey in The Odyssey and O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2194 words, 8 pages)

In the Land of Heroes A Comparison of Greek and American MythologyThroughout every generation in every culture there is an apparent connection that continues to tie the human race together. From the beginning of time story telling has been a way for humanity to explain different subject matters, metaphors, events, ... Read More

The Battle Between the Trojans and Achaeans Throughout the Sixth Book of the Iliad by Homer (580 words, 2 pages)

Throughout the sixth book of The Iliad, the battle between the Achaeans and the Trojans continues. Great Ajax, the strongest of the Achaeans, and Diomedes, one of the most skilled warriors of the Achaeans, kill several Trojans. Menelaus, King of Mycenaean, almost allows the Trojan warrior to live in exchange ... Read More

The Rage and Love of Achilles in The Iliad, a Poem by Homer (2274 words, 7 pages)

Achilles Balancing Rage and LoveThe first book in any epic sets the tone for the remainder of the telling, and Fagles The Iliad is no exception. Book One, entitled The Rage of Achilles, makes it clear that Achilles wrath will have a great influence throughout the course of the story. ... Read More

The Divine Intervention of Athena in The Odyssey, a Poem by Homer (1373 words, 4 pages)

In Greek myth, the gods often interfere with human lives. They have many reasons for doing so, and Fagles translation of The Odyssey highlights Athenas reasons for involving herself in the lives of mortals, specifically Odysseus and his family. Odysseus, Telemachus, and Penelope all prove themselves to be intelligent, and ... Read More

An Analysis of the Principles in Aristotle’s Tragic Poems in the Epic of Gilgamesh (1720 words, 5 pages)

Aristotles rules have paved the road for many poets who write tragedy. However, when it comes to epic poetry, Aristotles principles become irrelevant due to epics not qualifying as a tragic poem and play. Even though epics are not in the same category as tragic poems, the two types of ... Read More

Comparing the Similarities and Differences Between the Heroes Perseus and Oedipus (1489 words, 3 pages)

Greek heroes are considered important portion of Greek Mythology besides gods. There are many epics, oral tales, and tragedies about Greek heroes, along with cult shrines and festivals dedicated to them. In order to study Greek heroes, scholars provided different method to analyze Greek heroes, some of the ideas are ... Read More

The Applications of Aristotle’s Rhetoric in Everyday Life (1495 words, 6 pages)

Application of Aristotles RhetoricIn Rhetoric, Aristotle states, It is not enough to know what we ought to say we must also say it as we ought (Aristotle 119), which can be interpreted as one of the bases of persuasion. Upon reading Rhetoric, it is easy to get a sense on ... Read More

The Lessons of Hubris Given through Examples of Myths in Ovid’s Metamorphoses (1524 words, 5 pages)

Ovids Metamorphoses is full of several myths that suggest answers to things previously unknown to us, myths that serve to provide moral lessons, and myths that establish what we would call normal human behavior. Of the myths that serve to teach lessons in morality, many of these teach the lesson ... Read More

The Significance of the Ragged Costume of Menelaus in Helen of Troy (1559 words, 5 pages)

Costumes play a huge role in developing a character in a play. Aristophanes points out a common trend in Euripides plays he tends to dress his kings and heroes in rags. This could be to emphasize their suffering, or it could exist to serve a much greater purpose. I believe ... Read More

The Unjust Limitations for Women in the Ancient Greek Society in the Play Medea by Euripides (1525 words, 5 pages)

In Euripides play Medea, the protagonist is a women in Ancient Greece who seeks vengeance after she is wronged by her husband. Euripides portrays Medea and other women as the most unfortunate creatures, which highlights the unequal rights in 5th century Greece (Euripides line 241). In society, women were subservient ... Read More

The Use of Imagery, Dialogue, and Similes in The Iliad, an Epic Poem By Homer (454 words, 2 pages)

Iliad revised essayWar is most commonly thought of as a bloody and depressing state. However, in Homers The Iliad war is used by the warriors of it, searching for their own glory in these gruesome battles. Homer displays this quest for glory through heavy use of imagery, dialogue, and similes ... Read More

The Value of Life Through the Eyes of Epicurus (1255 words, 4 pages)

In my opinion, the philosopher who I believe has the best theory regarding the meaning of life is Epicurus. To start off, I totally see eye to eye with Epicurus' method on identifying good with pleasure and evil with pain, which is also referred to as hedonism. For me, unlike ... Read More

The Theme of Rebirth in Phaedo and The Aeneid (999 words, 4 pages)

Reading these texts The Aeneid and Phaedo, consecutively, one comes across a surprising amount of similarities though the texts are vastly different in tone and ideology, both authors have some sense that the concept of rebirth is a present force in the universe. The theme of rebirth, or life after ... Read More

Oedipus the King as the Standard for Aristotle’s Definition of the Perfect Tragedy (968 words, 3 pages)

The Golden Standard of Tragedies Oedipus the King Aristotle was a Greek philosopher, a former student of Plato, and teacher in philosophy. As an important Western philosopher, he influenced many scholars and philosophers work. Aristotle wrote The Poetics in 350 B.C., which lists and explains the requirements for a good ... Read More

The Burning Rage of Achilles in the Iliad, a Poem by Homer (1308 words, 6 pages)

Achilles and the Iliad Throughout the Iliad, the theme is rage. Specifically, the Iliad isabout the rage of Achilles, the almost-invincible hero of the Achaeans. Theplot of the story follows Achilles' decisions, as he is one of the centralcharacters and responsible for pretty much everything that happens in thestory. From ... Read More

Ancient Greek Literature Essay Examples