Problem

1. In an answer of at least 300 words, compare and contrast a major character from the first unit (Achilles, Oedipus, Penelope, Hector, Creon, Priam, etc.) with any of the characters from The Thousand and One Nights (Shahrazad, Shahrayar, Dunyazad, Shahzaman, etc.). A full credit answer will include some mention of what you believe to be the essential character traits of the characters that you contrast (for example, Achilles is known for his rage; Odysseus is known for his guile, Priam for his humility, etc.). What does a study of characters from two different cultures teach you about those cultures? Or put another way, which characters seem most similar to the characters of our novels, our films and our television shows in the United States in the 21st century? A full credit answer will quote specific passages for support (in other words, if you say that Achilles is a model Greek hero, then you need to quote a passage that shows this idea).

2. Which text--Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, Dante's Inferno, Marie de France's "The Werewolf" from Lais--seemed most relevant to you, a reader in the 21st century and why?

Another way to formulate a response is to ask yourself which of these 3 texts you would keep if two had to be cut from the reading list and why?