One of the primary themes we’ve addressed this semester is the notion of “excellence” in the hero – an example to others, that which his or her culture values seemingly above all else, variously described and defined throughout the years and across cultures. Trace, examine, and elucidate the various conceptions of “excellence” in the literature we have read (each culture will have its own words and criteria for “excellence,” which I basically take from the Greek arete).
Who are its examples? Who is valued and why? How is such a “title” achieved or bestowed? What are the particular struggles of the “excellent” hero? Who are their adversaries, and what might such a struggle suggest or symbolize? How has such cultural valuation evolved from book to book and over the centuries?
You do not need to address each of these questions in your essay. Use them to get you thinking about the topic and craft an essay with a thesis, argument, and evidence. Feel free to refer to any of the texts we have read to support your thesis. You can do a “deep dive” with one hero or culture, or you can compare two or three. Avoid more than that — you only have 3-4 pages to work with and you would run the risk of not analyzing enough if you tired to cover more. You are required to utilize one of the following primary sources: the Iliad, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, The Bhagavad Gita, and/cixor the Epic of Gilgamesh
Last Completed Projects
| topic title | academic level | Writer | delivered |
|---|