Iliad by Homer

Summary: First of all, Achaeans (Trojans) led by Agamemnon sacks the town Chryse (allied with Troy).
During the battle, they capture 2 women, Chryseis and Briseis, Agamemnon takes Chryseis, and Achilles
(Agamemnons best warrior) takes Briseis. Chryses whos the father of Chryseis and priest of God Apollo,
offers ransom for Chryseis return but Agamemnon refuses.
When many of the Achaeans have died, Agamemnon was like wut? So he asked the prophet
Calchas who said the cause of the plague was Chryseis. He returned Chryseis but Agamemnon took
Briseis from Achilles, which pissed him off. Achilles then got the help of his mom, the sea nymph Thetis
to enlist Zeus (god of gods) to help him take out Achaeans. The Achaean vs Trojan were at a pause there,
but with the help of Zeus, the Trojans attacked Achaeans.
With Zeus helping Trojans, Achaeans were getting their ass kicked, Paris vs Menelaus because
Paris took Menelauss girl. Even Diomedes (another Achaean great warrior) sucked. The Trojans pushed
the Achaeans back, eventually causing them to hide behind the rampart that protects their ship. The
Achaeans tried to do some recon with Diomedes and Odysseus which gives them good info on the
Trojan plan, however they are destroyed the next day. Trojans broke through the ramparts and did
damage to their ships, and since their ships were getting destroyeddefeat was imminent.
Achilles was concerned for his allies, but was still too proud to actually attempt to go into battle.
So he devised a plan to send Patroklus (Achilles friend) wearing Achilles armor into battle to motivate
the Achaeans and push back the Trojans. Apollo knocks down Patroklus new armor and Hektor kills him.
Once Hektor kills him, he steals his armor. Word of this goes back to Achilles who decides to join the
fight. Thetis asks Hephaestus to make Achilles armor which becomes Achilles Shield.
Achilles scares the crap out of the Trojans who were told to protect Troy from outside the
barriers by Hektor. They retreated back into Troy. Achilles was pissed off, he even fought the water god
Xanthus because Xanthus had been QQing about the bodies falling in his river. Hektor sees Achilles and
runs so much around Troy (3 times). But, with the help of goddess Athena, he is tricked to fighting
Achilles (Athena takes Hektors brothers form and tells him to fight). He loses. Achilles drags Hektors
body around Patroklus body each day for 9 days. The Achaeans have games to celebrate Patroklus
funeral. Zeus sends Hermes to escort King Priam to retrieve his son, Hektors body. Priam begs Achilles
to return it, bringing up his own father, and Achilles returns the body for a proper burial.

Themes:
Glory of War, characters try to start fights in order to get out of the mundane normal deeds.

Wrath of Achilles: Even stated in the first sentence of the book, Homer always mentions his wrath.
Love: Achilles changes his mind about war so fast for love.

Motifs : recurring structures, contrasts, and literary devices that help advance the story.
Armor/ Auras: Armors (achilles armor for example) can have a huge impact on the advancement of
stories. Achilles also scared the crap out of the Trojan army because of his Aura.

Aura from Glory: Achilles got his aura from glorious victories

Honor, even after death: Patroklus got a ceremonious funeral, because he did a lot for the cause.

Symbols: objects or such that have a significant secondary image
Achilles shield.

Symposium by Plato

Summary: Apollodorus tells the story of a drinking party or symposium that occurs long time ago.
Socrates and Aristodemus go to the party. The men decide they should all give a speech about the god
of Love.
Phaedrus brings up how love envokes courage in men who go to war together (bringing up
Achilles). Pausanias talks about how developing personalities are necessary for love. The boy is socially
discouraged to fall in love, rather lust. Eryximachus (doctor) suggests love needs moderation and
orderliness. Aristophanes says that we were all twice what we are now, since we threatened the gods,
Zeus cut us in half and were always looking for our other halves. Agathon says love is a young beautiful
sensitive and wise thing. Socrates cuts in he thinks that Agathon is speaking about the object love, not
love itself. Intervening he says he was told a story by Diotima, a woman who claims love is a spirit that
meditates between people and the objects of desire. Love expresses itself through pregnancy and
reproduction. And she has knowledge in the sense of beauty that we strive to attain.

Themes:
Love lol. Objectifying? Or is it a spiritual thing.

Motifs: Text, and thoughts; were putting all our information together to come up with an idea.

Symbols: Love?

Genesis

Themes: The problem of evil, if god is good and all powerful, why doesnt he eliminate evil from the
world?
God talks about retribution, and being just. However the whole idea of redemption contradicts this.
Faith? God says you have to be faithful even unseen. However, during the Exodus from Egypt, god
shows his methods and is still not believed in.

Motifs: Doubles and opposites: At the beginning of Genesis, god creates the world by dividing it into a
system of doubles, sun and moon, dark light, land sea, man woman. Opposite forces, good bad.

Symbols: The ark of covenant, is israels chief symbol of god. It provides manna and religious laws.
When it falls into bad hands, bad shit happens to those guys.

Aeneid

Summary: Aenaes escapes from Troy (destroyed by greeks) to land in Rome, Aenaes and Trojans are
welcomed in by Dido, and Aenaes tells Dido the stories of his travels.
Aeneas says greeks tricked Trojans into letting them into troy by hiding inside a wooden horse.
After that, he escaped with his dad Anchises and son Ascanius and tried to rebuild but they couldnt due
to omens and plagues. They were fended off by harpies and stuff, and after Anchises died, they made it
to Carthage. Dido marries aenaes and they live together until Aenaes is reminded of his duty to build a
new city. Aenaes leaves, Dido commits suicide with sword aenaes left behind. A draft sends Trojans to
Sicily, women try to burn down ship cuz theyre tired of travels but water takes it out. Aenaes goes to
underworld guided by Sybil to see his father. Aenaes returns, they go to Italy and are brought into the
city by the king so that aenaes can marry his daughter or w.e. But his wife wants his daughter to marry
Turnus. Turnus starts a war. Aenaes asks river god tiberinus for support, his mom Venus brings down
weapons for Aenaes to use. Turnus loses eventually, Aenaes wanted to spare him but changes his mind
and decides to kill him.

Themes: Anger, Is love worth killing for?
Cuz Dido kills herself when aenaes leaves. And Turnus starts a war just to marry the kings daughter.
Fate, and duty.
Motifs: Prophecies and visionsdreams aenaes meets up with his father, the gods and everything.
Symbols: Water and weather used to express gods feelings.

Metamorphesis by Ovid

Summary: Metamorpheses is described to be a book which the narrator claims he will write a
continuous poem which starts from the beginning of time to his present day. And describes the creation
of the world, he says that primordial chaos is made orderly with the creation of humans, who then begin
to act inappropriately right away. Book 1, Apollo tries to rape Daphne who escapes when her father
turns her into a tree, and Jupiter rapes lo callisto and Europa. In Book 3, the narrator talks about
Cadmus foundings of Thebes. In books 4 and 5, ovid talks about perseuss victory over atlas, his rescue
and marriage of Andromeda, and battle with phineus. In book 10 and 11, Orpheus sings about the tales
of Pygmallion, Myrrha, Hippomenes, and Atalanta. In book 12, the Trojan war is approaching and he
talks about Achilles battles, and Aenaes battles. Achilles chokes Cycnus.

Themes: The power of art: how art explains so many things all at once while describing human nature.
Eternity, and human nature: Why are humans so destructive and garbage?
Motifs: Storytelling cuz stories are being told and expressed in a manner which suits the writer. Also
karma, every action has a reciprocal act to suit it.
Symbols: Speech : it is indirectly treated as a method of expressing oneself and making a dent in reality.

Gospel of Mark
Pretty much a book that talks about Jesus, and Marks portrayal of his life. It is a mosaic that leads to
jesus crucifixion. Jesus is revealed as the son of god, and in his death, and achieves true salvation for his
new community of people. Mark wants his readers to understand Jesus plans and who he is.

Confessions by Augustine
Summary: This book pretty much is a blend of autobiography, philosophy and theology. Every single
event mentioned has a religious or philosophical interpretation behind it. Born and raised in Thagaste,
which was part of the roman empire in Algeria. He talks about how the social world is sinful to the point
of utter folly. In grade school, they are taught to transient, material pursuits rather than to god. As a
student in thagaste, then carthage, he has many adventures, and sexual ones too, which he considers
his primary lesson in how being obsessed with materialism is its own punishment of grief, confusion,
disorder.
Augustine is catches a passion for truth, manicheism (spiritual rather than materialism),
skepticism and neoplatonism (philosophy). Moving back and forth from Thagaste to Carthage, he
wrestles his doubts about his knowledge, and his budding interest in catholocism, his mothers religion.
He also pursues his career of teaching rhetoric (a career he later says takes advantage of the sale of false
words), and his habits involve him indulging in sensual pleasures. Eventually, in Milan, he decides
Catholocism is the one true truth.

Theme: Religion vs materialism, why search for a spiritual answer? Who cares?
Motifs: Religion, sensual pleasures
Symbols: Words

The Quran , Thunder, Mary, Joseph, The Feast

Shakespeare, Othello; Borges, Labyrinths

Lais by Marie de France
Summary: This book consists of twelve poems which are written in a Lays format, and Marie de France
hopes that the audience can actually enjoy it. The main theme in each of the poems is love and
courtliness, and accordingly so, the characters are usually knights and aristocratic ladies.

Guigemar is the story of a knight who is cursed by a magical deer. The deer states the Guigemar will
never be healed from his damage unless he finds his true love. Guigemar finds a magic boat which takes
him across to sea where he finds the woman of his dreams. Shes married to an oppressive lord, whom
upon seeing their love for one another, banishes guigemar from the land. They were left heart broken,
and the lord held her captive. She takes the magic boat to Guigemar who rescues her.

Equitan tells the tale of a seneschals wife and a king. The wife was having an affair with the king, and
they plotted to kill the seneschal. However, the seneschal found them together, their plot was gone and
they were killed by the seneschal lolol.

Themes: Love, and justice
Motifs: Good always prevails
Symbols: Magic Boat; represents both freedom and imprisonment.

Dantes Inferno
Summary: Good Friday 1300. Dante climbs up mountain and finds three beasts guarding it, a leopard
lion and shewolf. Ghost of Virgil, the great roman poet, finds Dante in the dark wood. He tells dante he
will travel through hell to get to heaven where his wife Beatrice is waiting for him. Beatrice and 2 holy
women actually sent Virgil. Virgil travels through the 9 circles of hell, meeting up with several poets and
stuff along the way, and eventually gets to Lucifer. Lucifer is portrayed as a 3 headed giant, with his body
piercing the center of the earth. Where he fell when god threw him down from heaven. Each of Lucifers
mouths chews one of historys greatest sinner, Judas who betrayed Christ, Cassius and Brutus, the
betrayers of Julius Caesar. Virgil leads Dante down Lucifers giant form, holding onto his frozen hair, and
reach the Lathe, river of forgetfulness which they take back to Earth.

Themes: Betrayal of gods will is the definition of Evil (murder is in the sixth circle, whereas accepting a
bribe is classified as 8
th
circle of hell worthy). This follows the Catholic principles. The perfection of gods
justice. There is a connection between the sins of souls on earth and their judgement in hell. The sullen
choke on mud, the wrathful fight to death, and gluttons are forced to eat excrements.

Motifs: Classical writers and myths. Ovid, Homer, Virgil are all found on Dantes journey. There are many
mythical beasts such as centaurs and minos in the story.

Symbols: So manymaybe Lucifers three heads? With the 3 greatest sinners Judas, Brutus and Cassius?
Boccaccios Decameron
Summary: Ten young Florentines (7 women 3 men) escape black death and stay at a hotel. They decide
to tell stories every day one person tells a story for ten days. 100 tales.
Theme: Every day has a different theme, day 1 is for the sake of telling stories; open theme. Day 2 the
theme was a restriction. Day 3 theme was knowing or unknowing information being shared willingly or
unwillingly. Day 6 was the replenishment of a lack of a certain thing. Day 9 was of relationships. Day 10
was of love, and community.

Motif: Because of the time, the transition was from middle ages to renaissance.

Symbols: Tenth story of ninth day, the gossip dude had to change his wife into a mare. He couldnt finish
the deed and pin a tail on her.

Thousand and One nights

Summary: Shahrayar, was betrayed by his first wife who slept with a kitchen boy and that pissed him
off. He became notorious for killing women he marries after one night because he was wronged by his
wife. Shahrazad married him one night and then started telling him stories. The first story of the first
night was the merchant and the demon. (A merchant came along and was throwing date pits onto the
ground. The demon comes out and hes like yo, you killed my son with one of those date pits, now I must
kill you. The merchant pleads and he was like yo common bro I killed ur son by accident, please forgive
me. The demon was like naw yo blood for blood.) then shahrazad stopped telling the story. She pleaded
that shahrayar keep her alive until the next night and shell continue with a better story. This happened
for 1001 nights, and shahrayar decided to keep her as his wife

Theme: The power of storytelling and curiosity, Shahrazad kept telling stories which invoked Shahrayars
curiosity which made him overlook his rule and keep her alive. Eventually he changed his mind because
story was powerful.

Motifs: Mirror world: The story shahrazad was telling shahrayar was mirroring Shahrayars actions, and
eventually lead him into leaving her alive.

Symbols: The demon is Shahrayar.

Montaignes Essays

Summary: Montaigne wrote several essays each covering his view on different topics such as death,
fear, cannibalism. He described man with brutal honesty, and covered every single topic. He explains
variety and breaking of human nature to be the basic feature. Humans are fragile.

Theme: The fragility of humans, how weak we are, and how easy it is to bend us from constraints.

Motifs: Montaigne wrote in a rhetoric which invoked the readers curiosity and got us to keep reading.

Symbols: Essai is French for trial or attempt. He attempted to explore his thoughts, writing style and life
in written form to his comrades.

Goethes Faust
Summary: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael Mephistopheles are conversing with the Lord. They are praising
gods creations. Michael praises the fury of creation, Gabriel praises the earths splendor, Raphael
praises the sun. Mephistopheles on the other hand doesnt decide to praise anything. He tells God that
man would have been a lot better off if it hasnt seen the celestial side. God says yo common bro why u
gotta be so cold. Then Mephistopheles is like yo common man I know shits gonna happen. Faust serves
the God is particular ways. Faust wasnt a dedicated servant yet, but god and Mephistopheles makes a
bet with the lord saying that in his search, he will lose his mind and himself. Mephistopheles tells Faust
he can have everything, money, women, honor if he sells his soul to him, and he did it. So mephi/the
devil won the bet.

Themes: Loyalty to god. Will evil prevail or will human nature lead people to seeking the true lord?
Humanness of god?
This story contrasts that of Gods wager with Lucifer. Lucifer states that he can make gods servant
become evil. His servant was named Job. Lucifer destroyed everything in his life but he was still good.

Motifs: Humanity will get in the way of religion, greed too.

Symbol: The entire story is an allegory for political greed.

Labyrinths by Borges

Summary: Borges is known for his intelligent, mathematical thinking. His story Garden of forking paths:
Yu Tsun is a german spy. His cover was blown in London and he escapes from Captain Richard Madden.
He told his boss, the Chief that he would send his message from the city of Albert. So he escapes and
goes to Stephen alberts house. Stephen albert told him all about his grandpa, Tsui Pen, who was a
former governor who ditched his job to write an eternal maze. This eternal maze was actually a book he
wrote called the book of forking paths. In normal books, you come to a forked road and you have to
choose a path, however in the Garden of Forking Paths, every single path is taken, all possibilities are
explored. Yu Tsun thanks Stephen albert, calls him his friend then kills him. The chief got his message
and bombed the city where Stephen albert was killed. Yu Tsun regretted his decision.

Themes: All of Borges stories have metaphoric labyrinths in which a character has to make a decision
which he doesnt want to. Time is a huge allegory in Labyrinths. Betrayal is a huge theme. Yu Tsun
betrays his friend.

Motifs: Time, and mazes/puzzles.

Symbols: The book represented time, and time wasnt really linear, it was rather an infinite puzzle.

Shakespeares Othello

Summary: Roderigo, who is a rich man was trying to get Iago to marry Desdemona. However, word was
that Desdemona already married Othello! Othello was a general, and Iago served under him. He was
furious at this. He was also mad that Iago was passed over the lieutenant position for a unexperienced
Michael Cassio. Roderigo and Iago go QQ to Brobanzio, and tells him that his daughter was stolen by
Othello. Not wanting his treachery to be known, Iago hurries back to Othello. Michael tells Othello the
duke needs him at Cyprus due to a Turkish invasion. Brobanzio goes to Othello shortly after and tells him
yo man u stole my daughta through witchcraft. Brobanzio tries to tell the duke and senate his opinion,
but Othello tells em that he won Desdemonas heart through his stories and stuff. The Duke then sides
with him, and sends him to Cyprus to fight Turkish. Desdemona leaves with em.
Othello meets up with Iago, his wife Emilia, Desdemona. Cassio greets them by holding
desdemonas hand and Iago gets an idea . Eliminating Cassio was the first step. He got Cassio drunk at
the feast when they celebrated holding off the Turkish. He got Roderigo to start a fight with Cassio, and
Cassio stabs Governor Montano. Roderigo sounds the alarm, and Othello strips Cassio of his rank. Iago
tells Cassio he can get back on Othellos good side if he uses Desdemona as an intermediary. Iago was
trying to frame them as lovers. Cassio goes at night to send musicians to Othellos house to play music
but Othello sends his jesters to send em away. Cassio gets one of the jesters to get a message to
Desdemona and plead for forgiveness, and Desdemona is like aite. Just as Cassio is leaving, Iago and
Othello come by, but Cassio walks away without talking to Othello feeling uneasy. Iago starts to start a
jealous flame in Othellos mind.
Iago suggests to Othello that they may be cheating, and Othello demands proof or he wont do
anything. Desdemona brings up giving Cassio his rank back which further brings up his jealousy. Othello
felt sad, and Desdemona tried to offer him a handkerchief but he said it was too little and dropped it on
the ground. Later Emilia picked it up and gave it to Iago cuz Iago said he always wanted Desdemonas
handkerchief. Iago says to Othello that he has seen Cassio wipe his beard with Desdemonas
handkerchief. Othello later asks Desdemona for her handkerchief and she says she doesnt have it, and
she brings up Cassio again which infuriates him. Cassio goes to a prostitute who he asks to copy its
embroidery, her name is Bianca. Iago set all the works in place and let Othello find the planted proof and
he strikes Desdemona. Emilia says shes innocent but Othello ignores it.
Othello tells Iago to kill Cassio. Iago tells Roderigo to do it, roderigo fails and is wounded, Iago
sneaks in and stabs Cassio. Iago claims that roderigo did it and kills him. Later that night Othello
smothers Desdemona even though she pleads that he doesnt do it. He kills her, Desdemona claims she
has suicide to protect Othello and right away Emilia comes and shes like wtf? Montano, Graziano and
Iago come into the room. Iago tries to silence Emilia, and Othello says that Iago provided proof with the
handkerchief that Cassio and Desdemona were cheating together. Emilia told Othello how she got the
handkerchief for Iago. Othello is crushed and tries to kill Iago, but he was unarmed so he failed. Iago kills
Emilia and tries to run but is caught. Othello is ordered to venice to be tried, but he kills himself and asks
to be remembered.

Themes: Love, the danger of isolation, the incompatibility of military and love. Othello is a dumbass.
Motif: Sight and Blindness, deception.
Symbols: The handkerchief, it represents marriage fidelity. He gave it to Desdemona the first day in
order to assure her faith.