ENG: 1Q-LT

Ancient/Classical (3000 BCE - 500 CE)

Era of foundational texts like Gilgamesh and Greek epics

Medieval (500-1500 CE)

Dominated by religious texts and chivalric romances

Renaissance (1500-1800)

Rebirth of classical ideas; flowering of drama and humanism

Enlightenment (1700-1800)

Age of reason and scientific inquiry in literature

Modern (1800-1945)

Industrial-era works exploring realism and psychological depth

Contemporary (1945-present)

Diverse global voices addressing modern complexities

Literature

Creative works using imaginative language to portray human experiences

Belles-lettres

French term meaning "beautiful writings"; early definition of literature

Litera

Latin root meaning "acquaintance with letters"

Literary Standards

Criteria to evaluate artistic value (Universality, Artistry, etc.)

Universality

Quality of appealing across cultures/time periods

Artistry

Creative use of language and structure

Intellectual Value

Capacity to provoke critical thought

Cultural Model

Literary analysis focusing on societal context

Nine Circles

Hierarchical levels of Hell in Dante's Inferno

Contrapasso

Punishments mirroring sins (e.g., gluttons wallow in filth)

Limbo (1st Circle)

Virtuous pagans in peaceful but hopeless longing

Lust (2nd Circle)

Souls tossed by eternal storms like their passions

Treachery (9th Circle)

Traitors frozen in ice; Lucifer devours Judas/Brutus/Cassius

Lucifer

Three-headed beast trapped in ice; symbolizes ultimate betrayal

Virgil

Guide representing human reason; cannot enter Heaven

Mortality Quest

Gilgamesh's journey to overcome death after Enkidu's passing

Civilization vs. Nature

Enkidu's transformation from wild man to companion

Divine Wrath

Gods punish hubris (e.g., Enkidu's death for killing Humbaba)

Legacy

Gilgamesh accepts immortality through his city's walls and story

Rhetoric

Art of persuasive communication (originated in Ancient Greece)

Ethos

Appeal to speaker's credibility

Logos

Logical arguments/facts in speech

Pathos

Emotional connection with audience

Speech Structure

Introduction-Body-Conclusion (pioneered by Corax)

Fiction

Imaginative prose (novels, short stories)

Non-Fiction

Fact-based writing (biographies, essays)

Poetry

Concise language using imagery/rhythm/figures of speech

Drama

Performative literature with dialogue/action

Gilgamesh

Arrogant king transformed by grief and quest for immortality

Enkidu

Wild man created to challenge Gilgamesh; dies as divine punishment

Utnapishtim

Flood survivor who reveals mortality's inevitability

Beatrice

Dante's symbol of divine love; replaces Virgil in Paradise

Francesca da Rimini

Lustful soul in Inferno whose tragic love moves Dante

"Betrayal is the coldest sin"

Dante's view in 9th Circle (treachery = ice)

"Legacy outlasts life"

Gilgamesh's realization after failing immortality quest

"Reason guides, but faith saves"

Virgil's role vs. Beatrice's in Divine Comedy

Epic of Gilgamesh (2100 BCE)

Mesopotamian epic exploring mortality and legacy

Homer's Iliad (8th BCE)

Greek epic of the Trojan War and heroic ideals

Virgil's Aeneid (1st BCE)

Roman epic modeling Dante's Inferno structure

Dante's Inferno (1320)

First part of Divine Comedy mapping moral punishment

Chaucer's Tales (1387)

Framed stories reflecting medieval English society

Shakespeare's Plays (1590-1613)

Dramas blending classical and innovative forms

Magical Realism (1950s)

Blends fantastical elements with reality (e.g., García Márquez)

Postcolonial Lit (1980s)

Examines cultural identity after colonial rule

Ancient Greek Rhetoric (5th BCE)

Developed by Aristotle/Corax; basis of Western speech

Roman Oratory (1st BCE)

Cicero's structured persuasive techniques