LLT 180: The Heroic Quest
LLT 180: The Heroic Quest (Missouri State University). Instructor: Dr. Joseph Hughes. Human societies have long used the theme of the quest for self-knowledge as a vehicle to assess their own cultures and
to explore ethical situations arising in civic life. This course examines texts from diverse cultural traditions in which protagonists confront their inherited identity of culture and language, providing a broader perspective
on self-discovery in our own society.
The literary pattern of the "The Heroic Quest," in which a protagonist journeys to far-off lands in pursuit of an important goal, is literally the oldest story known to humankind, dating back to the Gilgamesh Epic of 2500 BCE.
Beginning from a scarcely literate world with no mass media, stories about the "heroic quest" have instructed individuals and civilizations alike for millennia upon important topics such as cultural awareness, the boundaries of
ethical conduct, and the necessity for leading a good life. Stories about the "heroic quest" continue to entertain and inform down to our own times. Through close study of the context and content of several such "heroic quest"
stories, selected from a wide range of civilizations and time periods, students will develop an awareness of their own inherited identity of culture and language, and to address the challenge of leading an ethical and civically engaged life.
(from courses.missouristate.edu)
| Lecture 03 - Gilgamesh II |
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