ENGLISH 2800
GREAT WORKS OF LITERATURE I
Final Essay –– Draft due 11/26,
Revision due 12/15
Write an analytical essay of from 6 to 8 pages in which you compare at least two works from the
syllabus based on a common theme.
Themes you might consider are:
 the terms and expressions of male comradeship in the Epic of Gilgamesh (between
Gilgamesh and Enkidu), Homer's Iliad (between Achilles and Patroclus), and/or Beowulf
(between Beowulf and Hrothgar);
 the force of the will of the gods in the Hebrew Bible, Gilgamesh, the Iliad, and the New
Testament;
 the nature of warfare and military honor in Homer's Iliad, or the The Bhagavad-Gītā;
 the role of women in family and social structures, women in positions of power, or
women as counselors and helpmates in any two of our readings.
Alternatively, think about other themes––domesticity, parent/child relations, hospitality, death
and dying, homosociality, etc.––that you might use as a basis for comparison of any two works
from the syllabus.
Advice
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Make sure you use appropriate quotes and paraphrases from the texts to support and illustrate
your comparisons.
Use a minimum of summary. Assume your audience is familiar with the story and only
summarize what you need to contextualize your analysis.
I encourage you to use your blog posts (or ideas for future blog posts) as drafts for your
paper, with appropriate revision.
You may also draw on discussion questions from class for topic ideas.
In addition to describing the differences and similarities between the way your theme is
handled in the two texts, make sure you offer some analysis of why they are structured the
way they are in these two literary/social contexts.
Miller
Fall 2014