Schedule (Summer I 2005) ~ IDST 2305: In Quest of the Heroic ~ Magoulick
Note:
All readings are to be completed before the beginning of class on the day they
are due. You should be prepared to answer questions, understand lectures, or
participate in discussions based on these readings.
DATE TOPIC ASSIGNMENTS
UNIT I: Western Civilization’s Heroes – Quests & Trials / Suffering / Transformations
Wk 1 - June 2 Overview & intro to hero Handouts on various scholars ideas of Heroes
Watch Joseph Campbell Excerpt
Wk 2 - June 6 Gilgamesh (Sumerian) Read: Norton 13-42
June 7 Art from the ancient world (slides) Journal Essay 1: Early thoughts: What is a hero?
June 8 Job & Christ (Hebrew) Read: Norton: 71-82 & 709-722
June 9 Film: The Last Temptation of
Christ Essay 2: Christ as Hero or
Creative Interpretation
Wk 3 - June 13 Oedipus the King (Greek) Read: Norton: 392-433.
June 14 Music Beethoven’s 3rd – Eroica (Europe)
June 15 Film: Hamlet Read: Norton: Shakespeare, Hamlet: 1671-1684
(Act III, Scenes 1, 2) & 1709-1716 (Act V, Scene I)
Journal Essay 3: Who is the Greatest Western Hero?
UNIT II: The Hero from Other Lands and Hero / Villain as
OTHER
June 16 Art & Religion in India: Rāmāyaņa Read: Norton 581-612
Wk 4 -June 20 The Bhagavad-Gītā Read: Norton 616-624
Excerpt from Bollywood Film
June 21 Popul Vuh (Quiché Mayan) Read: Norton: 1746-1759
& Pre-Columbian Art
June 22 Film Crouching Tiger; Hidden Dragon Essay
4: Comparing & contrasting other culture’s heroes
UNIT
III: The ANTI-HERO & Questioning the Heroic
June 23 Chinua
Acheba (African)
Read:Things Fall Apart Norton: 2936-2994 (part 1)
Wk 5 - June 27 Chinua Acheba (cont.) Read:Things Fall Apart Norton: 2995-3030 (parts 2, 3)
Essay 5: How does the anti-hero challenge our notion of the heroic? Is this a good thing?
June 28 The Thousand & One Nights (Arabic) Read: Norton: 926-937
June 29 Marie de France (Europe); images of Read: Norton: 998-1010
Joan of Arc; music of H. von Bingen Essay 6: Does gender influence heroism?
June 30
In-class Final Exam (no make-ups)