Write an essay on Iliad or sakuntala
• Making a Hero: In our discussion of these works, we have talked a bit about how they all reflect elements of their cultures, particularly through the way that heroes are depicted. Choose 1 story (The Iliad OR The Sakuntala) and make a claim about what this tale shows us about heroes in this culture. Discuss no more than 2 characters from your chosen story in order to support your claim.
• Duty in Different Cultures: our readings in Weeks 2 and 3 show a concern for duty and responsibility. Choose one character from The Iliad OR a character from The Sakuntala that was not discussed on the forum, and make a claim about how duty affects that character in the text. Be sure to explain the cultural expectations shown by the text in regards to that character's duty, and analyze how that character does or does not fulfill those expectations.
• The Role of the Supernatural: The works that we read in these three weeks have elements that take us beyond realism; in The Iliad, there is the intervention of the gods, and in The Sakuntala, a number of supernatural elements, from curses to flights to the heavens, feature in the story. Discuss either The Iliad or The Sakuntala and analyze the role of supernatural elements in the events of the story. How important a part of the plot are the supernatural elements? How would the story's use of various themes change (or not) without those supernatural elements?