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Apr 20, 2026
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CNX 182 - Gods, Monsters & (Super)heroes
Description
Cartoon depictions of Zeus. Hordes of zombies. Friendly (and not-so-friendly) dragons. Heroic supersoldiers. Gods, monsters, and heroes have ancient origins, and they still hold a tremendous amount of popularity today. This course will examine some of those origins, and modern-day versions of gods, monsters, and heroes, by examining texts, images, and material objects. We will consider how these three types of figures interact by reading excerpts of the Iliad, one Greek play, and sections of Norse mythology, by examining artistic depictions of the divine, the monstrous, and the heroic, and by looking at material objects, such as reproductions of recovered artifacts of ancient cultures. We will also think about the ways that these figures have retained traction in modern culture by reading John Gardner’s account of the famous monster Grendel, Max Brooks’s novel World War Z, and looking at film, television, and comic book versions of gods, monsters, and heroes. At its heart, this course examines the cultural history of these three categories and, in doing so, considers how these ancient figures are understood in the past and the present. We will explore these issues by way of practicing deep reading, analytical and argumentative writing, critical thinking, and thoughtful dialogue that are essential to the work - academic and otherwise - that students will engage in at a liberal arts institution.
Credits: 1
Course Attribute(s):
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