In this course we will be reading a selection of works
indicative of the major periods of literature in English, focusing on the
representation of the “hero” as a way to examine the shifting attitudes and
historical contexts inherent in these forms of storytelling. Beginning with Beowulf, considered the oldest surviving
epic poem in English, we will move through the significant eras, including the
Middle English Period (“Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”) and the English
Renaissance (I Henry IV), ending with
Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe. Using
these primary texts, we will apply some of the foundational ideas concerning
the “hero” figure, from Plato’s idea of the tragic hero, to the post-modern
notion of the anti-hero, to Joseph Campbell’s interpretation of the heroic
journey, and the more current iteration of the modern superhero
archetype.
Texts (list subject to revision)
·
Beowulf
·
Sir Gawain
and the Green Night
·
The
Canterbury Tales – Geoffrey Chaucer
·
I Henry IV
– William Shakespeare
·
The Faerie
Queen – Edmund Spenser
·
Paradise
Lost – John Milton
·
Robinson
Crusoe – Daniel Defoe
Assignments:
·
Four short essays – 2 pages (double spaced)
·
One Midterm essay – 4-5 pages (double spaced)
·
One Final essay – 4-5 pages (double spaced)
·
Homework
·
Reading Quizzes
Attendance is mandatory. Unexcused absences beyond the
designated number will affect the final grade.