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Rated 2 out of 5 by Jonathan Baron from A Medievalist and Tolkien Scholar Out of His Depth Tom Shippey is an accomplished scholar and a peerless expert on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. He’s also a respected translator of Beowulf. But I did not enjoy this course. His focus on how literature reflects changing moral and ethical values misplaced the timely amidst the timeless, leaving out key features of the writing itself that made it important. Most infuriating is his failure to grasp the meaning and importance of Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote to such a degree that it feels intentional. Tolkien was both inventing and attempting to revive an ancient mythological ethos. Cervantes was brilliantly satirizing such myths. But more on that later. Professor Shippey is a marvelous storyteller. He’s immensely likable and easy to listen to. This, even though he awkwardly presents his lectures, pacing to the left four steps, and to the right four steps with his hands arranged as if he’s carrying two invisible balls. His knowledge of early Medieval literature and languages is extensive, and he brings his linguistic expertise to bear to great effect when discussing the early mythology of northern Europe. My problem was when he switched from the noted scholar, Tom Shippey, to Citizen Shippey. The title, Citizen, was used in France during the French Revolution. People who were cited as “enemies of liberty” lost their citizenship by guillotine. Today people don’t lose their heads for failing to follow the current social doctrine. Instead, they lose their jobs, all honors previously bestowed on them, along with their reputations. Thus, Robinson Crusoe – a shipwrecked man on a desert island - becomes an example of a colonialist. The Wife of Bath in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales becomes an early model of the independent woman. When discussing Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove, Shippey says that the Comanches were “culturally superior to Europeans” in the early stages of the settlement of what we now call Texas because they were militarily superior. He glosses over the Comanche culture’s fascination with horrific ritual physical torture. As noted earlier, this reached an exasperating level with Shippey’s treatment of Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote. Suddenly, all that feigned cultural sensitivity and careful pronunciation of old English and Norse words yields to a brutally anglicized pronunciation of Quixote. It comes out sounding like the material to fill gaps in gypsum board construction, Quick-Set. How you get Quick-Set from Quixote is beyond me. But that’s a small point compared to his interpretation of not only an important work, but the first modern Western novel. In calling Don Quixote “a wannabe hero” and Sancho Panza “the first anti-hero,” he fails to grasp either the meaning or the significance of a novel far more important and influential than anything J.R.R. Tolkien wrote. In his embrace of nature as a spiritual, magical ideal while vilifying industry as a source of evil, it is Tolkien who is tilting at windmills yet doing so to great acclaim. Don Quixote is not about a man living out a fantasy life. It’s a penetrating satire, lampooning the silly and preposterous Chivalric mythology Shippey knows all too well. The novel questions our concepts of truth and reality and the very human vulnerability to delusion. To be fair, many readers of Don Quixote see only his madness. They would agree with Shippey’s assertion that the people who play online computer fantasy roleplaying games are trying to live fantasy lives like Don Quixote. Having created a few of these video games myself, I strongly disagree. Players of MMOs are more likely to discover aspects of their true selves than of any fantasy but I must confess a bias here. Nonetheless, his judgment falls outside the realm of his expertise and understanding. From there, Shippey’s lectures take on the feel of former journalist turned documentary series creator, James Burke’s Connections series. Very popular in its time, many of Burke’s so-called connections of events leading to noted moments in history ranged from interesting to flimsy. So too are many of the connections Shippey makes. James Fenimore Cooper’s Hawkeye is not Robin Hood. Steven Maturin, in Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey/Maturin historical novels is not Jack Aubrey’s Sancho Panza. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is not a retelling of The Odyssey, but his analysis of the work and related works by Twain is insightful. So too is his analysis of the vampire genre and Bram Stoker’s original work. Shippey delivers fair and penetrating insight into Kipling’s Jungle Book series. He nonetheless must add that Kipling was an Imperialist and that Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan was racist. The need to insert statements like these puzzles me. Bigotry and prejudice are horrors we all oppose. I’ve been the victim of both. But colonialism was not an abject wrong, nor is it wrong to hold one culture in greater esteem than another. The concept of race is a provably false idea. Yet we keep using it in ways that feel inappropriate and insincere when judging work created in the past by the moral standards of the present day. Although it’s fair to note that moral standards and sensibilities have changed, passing judgement on the past is anything but fair. It’s false virtue and dilatory. Despite my disappointment, I and I’m sure many people will enjoy this course. Yes, he may be embracing current moral fashions but there’s no edge of resentment to Tom Shippey’s interpretations. At bottom, though, Tom Shippey is not the unbiased scholar of heroic mythology that Joseph Campbell was. He fails to penetrate the message of myths at the heart of important literature. Myths are metaphors for the deep, psychological, and universal truths of human experience regardless of the time or place the stories are set. One reason we continue to venerate and reference Greek mythology is that it managed to map the human psyche thousands of years ago. That effort continues with fresh heroes and metaphors and innovative literary styles despite telling essentially the same story. We may one day regard capitalism as vile, but calling Robinson Crusoe a capitalist, as Shippey does, doesn’t get us anywhere.

Date published: 2025-10-27

Rated 5 out of 5 by jbg132 from Interesting lectures, good insights Very much enjoyed listening to Prof. Shippey. His ability to give the basis for the inclusion if then various characters in the series combined with the context he provides were strong, and insightful. Although knowing the characters in question can be valuable, it’s not required to appreciate the lectures. It’s not surprising that people will argue over who should/shouldn’t have been included, but also fair to suggest it’s unlikely any two people would agree on the same list of 24. Rather more importantly, Prof. Shippey provides an overview of a wide breadth of hero archetypes that encourage and allow the listener to apply to additional heroes.

Date published: 2024-01-04

Rated 1 out of 5 by Lizbee from Heroes and legends I still have not been able to access this on line. I have written to you but no one replied. So what is happening?

Date published: 2022-11-18

Rated 3 out of 5 by kalb from not what i had hoped the Prof is an excellent presenter, but the material & depth of same just wasn't better than ok. Some of his choices - such as lecture #1 (Frodo) (& arguably selected only because the author was the Prof's "neighbor"), #19 (Celie) - were rather poor choices. & why no Paul Bunyan, or (even though perhaps not of literature) Joan D'Arc? Sometimes i got the impression he just liked to hear himself talk.

Date published: 2022-10-26

Rated 5 out of 5 by clancy1 from Heroes and Legends I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the lectures of Heroes and Legends: The Most Influential Character of Literature by Thomas A. Shippey. PhD. His presentations and knowledge of each character were illuminating and attention-holding. I am not familiar with all the characters discussed, but found myself using his lectures as a launching pad to find out more. Dr. Shippey is very well-spoken and displays great enthusiasm. I would highly recommend this course. I wish that Dr. Shippey would present other courses. I wish Dr Shippey could do an entire course concerning J.J.R Tolkien's works---especially The Lord of the Rings and the Silmarillion. A+A+A+A In The Lord of the Ring, I feel Frodo and Sam were both heroes. Frodo was the "appointed" hero. Sam, on the other hand, was the true hero who voluntarily offered himself to the quest. Sam went far and above what was expected of him. If it hadn't have been for Sam, Frodo could not have completed his mission. .

Date published: 2022-10-25

Rated 5 out of 5 by alexander29 from Fun and thought provoking Shippey's course has a good mix of classic heroes such as Odysseus and modern ones such as James Bond or Harry Potter, explaining the timeless and the universal in human storytelling. Not only does he identify what makes each character a hero or heroine in very different times and settings, he uses insight and a sense of humor to reflect on our world: changing gender roles, for example, or how modern heroes are often battling the overpowering state of the 20th and 21st Centuries. The course focuses on Western stories, and Shippey's British background and American job help give him a transatlantic view. He has a number of female heroes and discusses feminist viewpoints, for example in modern rewrites of fairy tales. There is no need to have read the works being discussed. Enjoyable.

Date published: 2022-10-09

Rated 5 out of 5 by MariaP from A New Way of Thinking about Heroes and Literature This was an interesting and insightful look at literature I had studied previously as a literature major. It provided fresh perspectives on heroic figures

Date published: 2022-04-13

Rated 5 out of 5 by Castanea from Excellent course- well conceived and executed This is a very well thought out course, which has educational value both for history and literature classes. The instructor is superb, highly intelligent, very knowledgeable, and discusses each of these heroes/legends in the appropriate literary, cultural and historical context. Great Courses has some superb professors, but Dr Shippey stands out even in this group.

Date published: 2022-03-19

Heroes and Legends: The Most Influential Characters of Literature

Trailer

01: Frodo Baggins-A Reluctant Hero

What makes certain characters successful? Begin your study with a look at Frodo Baggins, the hobbit-hero from The Lord of the Rings trilogy. In considering what makes him a hero-and how he runs counter to our notions of the traditional hero-you'll see how changing cultural values connect to heroism.

34 min

02: Odysseus-The Trickster Hero

Go back to the beginning of world literature to explore what made Homer's traveling hero such a powerful figure. Odysseus's story set the model for countless road narratives, but his character, which is surprisingly sly and resourceful, is unique. Here, follow him on some of his many adventures.

31 min

03: Aeneas-The Straight Arrow

Turn now to the Roman straight arrow. Aeneas's story takes him from the Trojan War to the courtship of Queen Dido and on to the founding of Rome. In writing this epic, Virgil helped shape the Roman Empire's sense of self. It also shows how old legends provide the inspiration for new tales.

32 min

04: Guinevere-A Heroine with Many Faces

Trace Guinevere's adulterous affair with Lancelot and consider what effects it had on cultural values and Western history. As a powerful woman in the heart of King Arthur's court, Guinevere is an intriguing heroine-passionate, strong-willed, and complex in a way that still captures our imagination today.

31 min

05: The Wife of Bath-An Independent Woman

Chaucer worked harder on the Wife of Bath than on any other character in The Canterbury Tales, leaving us not one but four separate perspectives on one of literature's most memorable female characters. Discover what Chaucer reveals about her, the time she lives in, and the surprising complexity of her character.

30 min

06: Cressida-A Love Betrayed

Cressida is an archetypal femme fatale, embroiled in a love triangle between her true love, Troilus, and the bad boy, Diomedes. Through the lens of Chaucer, Shakespeare, and the Scottish poet Robert Henryson, discover what makes Cressida tick-why does she send Troilus a “Dear John” letter? What doesn't she understand about love?

31 min

07: Beowulf-A Hero with Hidden Depths

Beowulf is not an easy poem to understand, but Beowulf is not an easy character to understand. Here, analyze how this classic male hero-a big, strong, monster killer-may have a hidden vulnerability. Then, look at what insights Beowulf's story offers about life and death, the limits of self-reliance, and the path to achieving wisdom.

32 min

08: Thor-A Very Human God

Thor may seem like another classic male hero-the god of thunder in Norse mythology and a superhero today-yet the Icelandic poems and stories from the 13th century undercut the image of Thor as a straightforward hero. These amusing tales will give you a new window into a character you thought you knew.

31 min

09: Robin Hood-The Outlaw Hero

Who was Robin Hood? He's an anomaly in this course because his story cannot be traced to a single work or figure. Perhaps because of these gaps in the story, he seems to be a bundle of contradictions. Delve into the politics, religion, and society of Robin Hood's origins to understand his character and lasting appeal.

29 min

10: Don Quixote-The First of the Wannabes

Turn next to Don Quixote, a wannabe knight-errant whose infamous exploits mark a pivotal moment in the history of literature. Explore his fantastic adventures and meet Sancho Panza, who is perhaps literature's first antihero. See why this novel is so innovative and how it has influenced writers in the centuries since its publication.

31 min

11: Robinson Crusoe-A Lone Survivor

Robinson Crusoe might be the most flawed hero in the course-a colonizer and a slave-owning capitalist. Why, then, is he such an enduring character? Is it the desert-island story? Or is there something inherent in Crusoe's character, beyond the flaws, that has helped him stand the test of time?

30 min

12: Elizabeth Bennet-A Proper Pride

Meet the charming heroine from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. The story of her complicated relationship with Mr. Darcy is a realistic Cinderella story and has lent itself to numerous adaptations, including Bridget Jones's Diary. Consider the integral role that money and social class play in this classic tale of love and romance.

31 min

13: Natty Bumppo and Woodrow Call-Frontier Heroes

Shift your attention to two very American heroes: Natty Bumppo from James Fenimore Cooper's Last of the Mohicans and Woodrow Call from Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove series. These frontier heroes bring to life the conflict between Anglo- and Native American cultures-and capture a reality often glossed over by the romance of the Wild West.

32 min

14: Uncle Tom-The Hero as Martyr

The name “Uncle Tom” has complex associations today, but Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel had a truly powerful impact when it was published in 1852. Explore the historical circumstances of slavery that inspired Stowe's novel, and then consider the fortitude that makes this meek, long-suffering character a hero.

32 min

15: Huckleberry Finn-Free Spirit of America

Join Huck Finn on his American odyssey down the Mississippi River. Although the story at first seems to be the fun adventure of a free-spirited hero, you'll explore the moral complexities of 19th-century America as Huck struggles with the tension between his conscience and the social circumstances in which he grew up.

30 min

16: Sherlock Holmes-The First Great Detective

We are familiar with Sherlock Holmes's methodology-using clues, facts, evidence, and reason to solve the case. Here, go inside the world of the 19th century and see what circumstances paved the way for such a hero. Then, turn to some of Sherlock's most exciting cases.

31 min

17: Dracula-The Allure of the Monster

The 19th century produced a radically different kind of hero: the spooky and fantastical Dracula. After observing the structural complexity of this novel, you'll examine the hidden fears and repressed sensuality that led Bram Stoker to create this vampire and his seductive brides. Then ponder Dracula's lasting effect on world literature.

33 min

18: Mowgli-The Wolf Child

A boy in the woods, raised by wolves and living by the law of the jungle: This story is familiar to us, thanks to Rudyard Kipling's classic stories and the later Disney film. Revisit the original stories to see what they tell us about humanity, morality, imperialism, and political responsibility.

30 min

19: Celie-A Woman Who Wins Through

We've seen that heroes don't always have to be gods or queens or the social elite. Dirt poor in Georgia in the 1930s, Celie-the heroine from Alice Walker's The Color Purple-is at the bottom of the social totem pole, yet she exhibits remarkable heroism in the way she overcomes the forces pressing against her.

31 min

20: Winston Smith-The Hero We Never Want to Be

Winston Smith, the central figure in George Orwell's nightmare scenario, 1984, is fearful, undernourished, and oppressed by the state-not exactly the image we conjure up when we think of the word “hero.” Dive into the dystopia of Big Brother and Ingsoc and find out what makes Winston worthy of being called a hero.

32 min

21: James Bond-A Dangerous Protector

Thanks to novels, movies, and an array of charismatic actors, nearly everyone in the developed world knows about James Bond and how he drinks his martini- “shaken, not stirred.” But who is Bond? What makes him tick? Look beyond the girls, gadgets, and glamour and discover the secret to the James Bond franchise.

30 min

22: Fairy-Tale Heroines-New-Style Princesses

Cinderella. Snow White. Rapunzel. These fairy-tale heroines are imbued in our cultural consciousness. What lessons are they meant to teach? And do these lessons align with our current cultural values? Study the composite fairy-tale heroine, both in the classic fairy tales and in modern revisions from authors such as Angela Carter and Margaret Atwood.

33 min

23: Lisbeth Salander-Avenging Female Fury

Lisbeth Salander, the heroine from the popular Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series, seems to be an original character well suited to our times-hip, ingenious, computer savvy. But as you'll discover in this lecture, her character also has echoes of ancient myths, from the Greek Furies to the Scandinavian Valkyries.

32 min

24: Harry Potter-Whistle-Blower Hero

Finish your course with one of the most unexpected hits of our time-and a smash hit at that. What can the surprising success of Harry Potter teach us about successful heroes? And what do his battles against Lord Voldemort tell us about our world today and the need for love, faith, and inner heroism?

34 min

Overview Course No. 2192

Odysseus. Robinson Crusoe. Harry Potter. What do these memorable characters have in common? Why do we turn to certain stories again and again? And what impact have they made on world history? These 24 eye-opening lectures give fresh insight into some of the greatest heroes in world literature, from warriors such as Beowulf and Odysseus to unexpected heroes such as Uncle Tom and Sancho Panza. Professor Shippey gives you an inside glimpse into the writer's process. Learn how authors “write into the gap” to flesh out-or, in some cases, reimagine altogether-old stories, making them new for new readerships with different values. By examining what makes these heroes such compelling characters, you'll see how they provide a window to better understand ourselves. From the beginnings of world literature through today's bestsellers, look at what makes characters successful-and how they reflect our changing cultural mores. For instance, after the horrors of global war in the 20th century, the world was waiting for a hero like Frodo Baggins, J.R.R. Tolkien's meek hobbit hero, someone called to duty rather than born strong and fearless. You'll also examine ways that great heroes have changed the course of history, defining nations and redefining our sense of self and our relationships. From the mythical journey of Aeneas to Jane Austen's country dances, you'll survey a wealth of memorable stories and consider why such heroes were necessary-and how they continue to influence our lives today.

About

Thomas A. Shippey

There's nothing to beat a new idea, a new angle, a new response-except a new idea that people have been waiting for without knowing it; a new idea that responds to an existing new situation.

ALMA MATER

University of Cambridge

INSTITUTION

St. Louis University

Dr. Thomas A. Shippey is Professor Emeritus at Saint Louis University, where he held the Walter J. Ong, S.J., Chair of Humanities. He holds a B.A., an M.A., and a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge.\r\nProfessor Shippey has published more than 100 articles, mostly in the fields of Old and Middle English language and literature, and he has a long-standing interest in modern fantasy and science fiction. He is a regular reviewer for The Wall Street Journal on both medieval and modern topics, and he also writes for The Times Literary Supplement and the London Review of Books, among other journals. His books include The Road to Middle-earth: How J.R.R. Tolkien Created a New Mythology; Beowulf: The Critical Heritage (with Andreas Haarder); J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century; and his edited collection The Shadow-Walkers: Jacob Grimm’s Mythology of the Monstrous.\r\nHe has given invited lectures and keynote speeches at conferences in at least 25 states and more than 10 European countries. He appeared on an often-replayed television program, The Story of English, hosted by Robert McCrum and Robert MacNeil, and he was an adviser on pronunciation for Peter Jackson’s three Lord of the Rings movies.