ENLT 127: Myth of the Hero
This course is offered periodically, depending on department needs. Readings and assignments may vary by section.
Description
This course explores the figure of the hero, both in its mythological origins and its recurrences throughout human history and culture. Informed by cultural critics’ analyses of the hero, we will examine a variety of heroic figures in an attempt to understand what, exactly, defines heroism. We will delve deeply into the lives and afterlives of Homer’s cunning Greek king Odysseus (AKA Ulysses) and the formidable Scandinavian warrior Beowulf, tracking their stories through their first recorded poetic texts and later reimaginings in literature and comics. Our discussions of these ancient European heroes will help us approach mythological heroes from the Americas, Asia, Africa, the Pacific Islands, and other regions of the world across cultures and time periods. Whether such heroic figures are glory-seeking or altruistic, reluctant or self-sacrificing, they illuminate for us the myriad ways in which a person can rise to greatness.
