The Knight’s Tale was written in the 1400s by Geoffrey Chaucer. The Illiad was written nearly 1400 years before the later work. Both of the works tell the tale of a hero on a journey that takes them to the far reaches of the earth. Even though the time periods...

Classical plays, for Aristotle, are subject to the three unities: plot, place, and time. In order for a play to be an effective drama, Aristotle believed that these three unities must first be followed so that the play was succinct and perfect in form. The three unities also involve the...

Reminiscent of the classic epic poems of Greece and ancient Mesopotamia, Beowulf contains all the elements of a tale that echoes through generations and ages. Its hero, after whom the poem is named, joins Homer and Gilgamesh in the hall of protagonist infamy. Beowulf is also much like the superheroes...

Sophocles’ Electra is a play that is full of complex characters. The most complex amongst them is Electra herself, and her mother Clytemnestra. When first introduced to Electra, she is a state of mourning of her late father, whom as is revealed, has been murdered by his own wife, and...

Destiny and fate play a critical role in shaping the life of ancient heroes such as Oedipus in “Oedipus the King” and Aeneas in "The Aeneid." Thus, both Sophocles and Virgil put a particular emphasis on the determinative power of Gods' will that is indulged to assist the heroes in...