HUMN 111, Fall 2015Professor Dragan Ilic

Midterm Essay Topics:

1. Friendship in the Epic of Gilgamesh

2. Death and Immortality in the Epic of Gilgamesh

3. Civilization and Nature in the Epic of Gilgamesh

4. Knowledge and Wisdom in the Epic of Gilgamesh

5. Female Characters in the Epic of Gilgamesh

6. Ishtar

7. Rage in the Iliad

8. The Concept of Honor in the Iliad

9. Homeric Gods and the Iliad

10. Achilles

11. Female Characters in the Iliad

12. Shame and Guilt in the Iliad

13. Helen

14. Persuasion in the Iliad

15. The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Iliad: Similarities and Differences

16. What Does It Mean To Be a Hero?: Gilgamesh and Achilles

Midterm Essay Requirements: 4 pages (approximately 1400-1500 words), font size 11, double-spaced format. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WRITE MORE THAN WHAT YOU ARE REQUIRED! QUANTITY DOES NOT MEAN QUALITY!

Guidance: Choose ONLY one topic from the list and address it as concretely and thoughtfully as possible. DO NOT SUMMARIZE! DO NOT MAKE UNSUPPORTED GENERAL CLAIMS! Engage with the selected topic as critically and analytically as possible, and support each and every claim you make with textual evidence.

Midterm Essay Deadline: essays are due as hard copies (printouts) in class on Wednesday, November 25 (section 023), and on Thursday, November 26 (sections 008, 025, 027). NO EXTENSIONS! I WILL NOT be accepting midterm essays after the deadline.

Write and Enjoy!