This course will introduce students to the Sanskrit epics. Students familiar with Western epics such as The Iliad and The Odyssey will find interesting similarities between these epics and the ones written in ancient India. . The students will also be introduced to classical Indian drama and Indian aesthetics. In addition, they will study a selection of stories from the Arabic Thousand and One Nights and the Persian Shahnama. These literary works have had a far-reaching impact on the literary culture of both the East and the West.
