Spring 2024 First-Year Seminar BC1731 section 001

From Epic Hero To Superhero

FROM EPIC HERO TO SUPERHE

Call Number 00172
Day & Time
Location
TR 8:40am-9:55am
403 Barnard Hall
Points 3
Grading Mode Pass/Fail
Approvals Required None
Instructor Benjamin M Breyer
Type SEMINAR
Course Description

 

The enormous box office success of recent moves like Avengers: Endgame, Wonder Woman and the Batman franchise attests to our present societal fascination with heroes. Yet this fascination is a millennia-old phenomena. Gilgamesh, one of the oldest surviving literary works in the world, tells the story of a great hero and his accomplishments. What accounts for the enduring appeal of heroes throughout history, across cultures and in different forms of media? What connects ancient epic heroes like Gilgamesh to modern superheroes like Batman? This seminar will seek answers to these questions by comparatively studying a range of artistic texts depicting heroes. Course readings will include Gilgamesh, Beowulf, Gladiator, The Dark Knight Returns, as well as studies by Marco Arnaudo, Joseph Campbell and Grant Morrison, among others. 

Web Site Vergil
Department First-Year Seminar Program @Barnard
Enrollment 16 students (16 max) as of 9:06AM Saturday, December 14, 2024
Status Full
Subject First-Year Seminar
Number BC1731
Section 001
Division Barnard College
Note Barnard 1st Year Students Only
Section key 20241FYSB1731X001