An Introduction to Western Literature (Week one-Orientation)

What is it? What is it for? Why should we care?

What is it?

Definition of literature

- Literature can be categorized as fiction or non-fiction, poetry or prose; it can also be distinguished according to its major forms such as novel, poem, short story, and novella

-Literature also have variety of definitions during different period of time

• Fourteenth century: literature is defined as polite learning through reading
• Eighteenth century: literature is defined as practice and profession of writing
• nineteenth century: literature is defined as the high skill of writing in a special context of high imagination

What is the goal of this course?

-The course is designed so that by the end of this course we will be able to read, understand, and appreciate Western Literature

Sappho of Lesbos

Sappho

-born on an island call Lesbo

-first lesbian to be recorded

-a Greek lytic poet

 

Helen of Tory(2003) the film

Helen of Tory(2003) the film is a 2003 television miniseries based upon Homer's story of Trojan War as

recounted in the epic poem, Iliad. this TV miniseries also shares the name with a 1956 movie starring

Stanley Baker. It stars Sienna Guillory as Helen, Mathew Marrsden as Paris, Rufus Sewell as Agamemnon,

James Callis as Menelaus, John Rhys-Davies as Priam, Maryam d'Abo as Hecuba, as well as Stellan

SkarsGard as Theseus. The series was entirely shot on location in the islands of Malta

Roman numeral

1=I            20=XX

2=II          30=XXX

3=III         40=XL

4=IV         50=L

5=V          60=LX

6=VI         70=LXX

7=VII        80=LXXX

8=VIII       90=XC

9=IX         100=C

10=X