What meaning or ideas does this comparison suggest about the religious attitudes of the Hebrews and Greeks? (Pay particular attention to the long interview between Odysseus and Athena in Odyssey XIII.) What does this comparison reveal about the meaning of a hero's relationship to his community?Ĭompare the relationship of Odysseus and Athena with that of Job and God. Compare the figure of Achilles with either Odysseus or Gilgamesh in light of this statement. Compare the nature and extent of the hospitality displayed in two of the following texts: Iliad, Odyssey, and Aeneid.Īristotle said that the man who is incapable of working in common, or who in his self-sufficiency has no need of others, is no part of the community, like a beast or a god. Hospitality is one of the chief virtues of ancient and heroic cultures. Examine the role that storytelling in two works and compare and contrast the roles this storytelling plays and what significance it has to the culture of the time, the works the stories occur in, and/or to the progression of liturature as a whole. Storytelling occurs in many of the works that we read in this course. Whichever topic you choose, make sure to establish a thesis in which you assert the overall argument that you will make in your essay. ĬHOOSE FROM THE FOLLOWING RESEARCH TOPICS: Some of these topics focus in particular on texts that we have read some will require you to delve into texts that go beyond our reading assignments. Successfully removing the boots that were squeezing his legs, Estragon tells Vladimir that they Estragon and VladimirĪre discussing the thief who was saved in the Bible when Christ was crucified. In Beckett (6),Įstragon and Vladimir are at a roadside beside a tree waiting for Godot. Seems to be a god or supernatural being since meeting Godot will mean that the lives of VladimirĪnd Estragon are saved while failing to meet Godot will lead to their death. The Godot the two friends are waiting for Instead, it can be mental for the case of Estragon and Vladimir, who depend onĮstragon and Vladimir are slaves of Godot. From slaveryĪcts in the play, it is evident that slavery does not have to be physical, like in the case of PozzoĪnd Lucky. He is whipped, mocked, and abused by Pozzo. Vladimir and Estragon value the opinion of Godot, and that is why they are yet to commit If Godot fails to appear, they are going to hang themselves in the Their life has become hard, and theyĭepend on Godot to save them. Vladimir andĮstragon have been friends for more than fifty years. Samuel Beckett's play, Waiting for Godot, explores the lives of two characters, EstragonĪnd Vladimir, who interact with the boy, Lucky and Pozzo as they await Godot. The theme of slavery in Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett

Waiting for godot theme