Several major cultural shifts occurred as Europe moved from the ancient and the classical periods to the medieval. Chief among them were changes in belief systems, the nature of the hero, and the relationship of the individual to society.

Select one of these themes: belief systems, heroes, or individual and society.

Write a 1,050- to 1,750-word paper comparing one medieval example to two earlier examples-one from the classical period and one from the pre-classical or ancient period. You could compare, for example, the hero of Gawain to the heroes in Virgil's Aeneid and Homer's Iliad, humanity's relationship to the divine as portrayed in Dante's works to those relationships evoked in the works of Sophocles and Hesiod, or the society described in Beowulf to the societies implied by Plato and Homer.

Compare the three examples with not only a reasoned argument about the similarities and differences, but also the meaning of those similarities and differences. Your paper must be specific; it must focus on your chosen theme as it is illustrated in your selected works, and specific examples must be given to support all claims. All outside sources used must be cited according to APA citation format, and the entire paper must follow APA format.