7
Beowulf—A Hero with Hidden Depths
Lecture no. 7 from the course: Heroes and Legends: The Most Influential Characters of Literature
Taught by Professor Thomas A. Shippey | 31 min | Categories: The Great Courses Plus Online Literature & Language Courses
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.
24 Lectures
1
Frodo Baggins—A Reluctant Hero
0 of 33 min
2
Odysseus—The Trickster Hero
0 of 31 min
3
Aeneas—The Straight Arrow
0 of 31 min
4
Guinevere—A Heroine with Many Faces
0 of 30 min
5
The Wife of Bath—An Independent Woman
0 of 29 min
6
Cressida—A Love Betrayed
0 of 31 min
7
Beowulf—A Hero with Hidden Depths
0 of 31 min
8
Thor—A Very Human God
0 of 31 min
9
Robin Hood—The Outlaw Hero
0 of 29 min
10
Don Quixote—The First of the Wannabes
0 of 30 min
11
Robinson Crusoe—A Lone Survivor
0 of 30 min
12
Elizabeth Bennet—A Proper Pride
0 of 31 min
13
Natty Bumppo and Woodrow Call—Frontier Heroes
0 of 32 min
14
Uncle Tom—The Hero as Martyr
0 of 31 min
15
Huckleberry Finn—Free Spirit of America
0 of 29 min
16
Sherlock Holmes—The First Great Detective
0 of 31 min
17
Dracula—The Allure of the Monster
0 of 32 min
18
Mowgli—The Wolf Child
0 of 29 min
19
Celie—A Woman Who Wins Through
0 of 31 min
20
Winston Smith—The Hero We Never Want to Be
0 of 31 min
21
James Bond—A Dangerous Protector
0 of 30 min
22
Fairy-Tale Heroines—New-Style Princesses
0 of 32 min
23
Lisbeth Salander—Avenging Female Fury
0 of 32 min
24
Harry Potter—Whistle-Blower Hero
0 of 34 min
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