Medieval Characteristics

ENG/106
Survey of Literary Masterpieces

March 25, 2013

Comparison and Contrast Paper: Medieval Characteristics
Heroes
The early epic poem may have served to reinforce shared cultural values within a nation and provide a mythic history for a people. Ancient classical epics contain references to gods and magic and often feature a hero beset by mystical forces. Many later epics imitate these earlier works and may use similar literary conventions, depending on the culture. Early poems based on oral traditions are often called primary epics, while the later works are called secondary or literary epics. (The longman anthology of world literature: Compact edition, 2008). The ancient peoples of Mesopotamia, Greece and India produced several important epics that have continued to influence the development and study of literature for thousands of years. The ancient epic poem first emerged as an oral tradition to be re-told by storytellers throughout a culture. The development of writing in these areas allowed these stories to be written down and preserved for later generations. The Iliad and The Odyssey are early examples of the epic poem. Later Roman and other civilizations continued this literary tradition through the rest of the classical era. (http://ancienthistory.about.com)
Pre-classical or ancient period hero; “The Aeneid is epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Romans under whose name Aeneas and his Trojan followers are destined to be subsumed”. (The longman anthology of world literature: Compact edition, 2008).
“The hero Aeneas was already known to Greco-Roman legend and myth, having been a character in the Iliad, composed in the 8th century BC. Virgil took the disconnected tales of Aeneas'