Having completed the lecture and the readings for this week, select a literary work (a poem, short story, novel,
or film) that resonates with epic themes and compose an essay that includes the following information:
1. Give a brief (one paragraph) summary of your literary work or film.
2. Is your protagonist a hero or an antihero?
3. How does your protagonist relate to society?
4. In what ways is your literary work or film Greek?
5. What epic qualities are evident in your work?
6. What is the theme of your selection?
7. Is your chosen work universal? In what ways?
8. What is the aesthetic value of your chosen work?
9. Rate the literary value of your selection, and give reasons for your rating.
Use only the lecture, your textbook, and your brain. You do not need to conduct any outside research and you
should not. Take your cue from Sir Philip Sidney, “‘Fool!’ said my muse to me, ‘Look in thy heart, and write!’”
The intent of this assignment is to engage you in an original contemplation of epic, the Greeks, and literature or
films that emanate from Greek foundations of literature. You do not need to find ideas on the Internet. You are
encouraged to create, invent, and originate a point of view.
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