Heroes and Legends: The Most Influential Characters of Literature

Broaden your understanding of the concept of the hero in this course that examines these characters in the greater context of world history and culture.

• By This Professor
• 01: Frodo Baggins-A Reluctant Hero
• 02: Odysseus-The Trickster Hero
• 03: Aeneas-The Straight Arrow
• 04: Guinevere-A Heroine with Many Faces
• 05: The Wife of Bath-An Independent Woman
• 06: Cressida-A Love Betrayed
• 07: Beowulf-A Hero with Hidden Depths
• 08: Thor-A Very Human God
• 09: Robin Hood-The Outlaw Hero
• 10: Don Quixote-The First of the Wannabes
• 11: Robinson Crusoe-A Lone Survivor
• 12: Elizabeth Bennet-A Proper Pride
• 13: Natty Bumppo and Woodrow Call-Frontier Heroes
• 14: Uncle Tom-The Hero as Martyr
• 15: Huckleberry Finn-Free Spirit of America
• 16: Sherlock Holmes-The First Great Detective
• 17: Dracula-The Allure of the Monster
• 18: Mowgli-The Wolf Child
• 19: Celie-A Woman Who Wins Through
• 20: Winston Smith-The Hero We Never Want to Be
• 21: James Bond-A Dangerous Protector
• 22: Fairy-Tale Heroines-New-Style Princesses
• 23: Lisbeth Salander-Avenging Female Fury
• 24: Harry Potter-Whistle-Blower Hero