INQ-270 | Classical Heroes and Heroines

Full Title: Ancient and Classical Heroes and Heroines

Topic Description:

Achilles’ heel, Trojan horse, Oedipal complex, Lysistrata Project—figures from ancient and classical literature continue to play an important role in our lives. Through reading original tales of Mesopotamian, Greek, and Roman heroes and heroines together with considering more modern treatments in film and literature, we will explore types of heroism, the relationship of heroes and heroines to their societies, the personal costs of heroism, and the reasons women so rarely were portrayed heroically. Who were these heroes? What did they represent? Why were they admired by their producing cultures? How do they compare to our modern ideas about heroes and heroines? How and why do they constitute such a significant role in human cultures—including our own? And why do their stories continue to engage, entertain, and even shock us?

Counts as Global? No

Topic Approved: April 2010