05 - A New Direction
You would be right to ask, why are we jumping from Greek Myth to British Literature of the Romantic Period? It is a good question. There's a good chance that by the end of this course you will not necessarily be an expert in any of the cultures or time periods presented in this class. The pathway set up here is strung together by common themes and allusions. We started with the earliest writings of humans to the stories of the Greeks which have influenced so much of the Western world (in which you are most likely living if you are taking this class).
Anyway, some of those themes from Greek myth have been reconsidered by the authors and artists of the Romantic period and bring new insight into the characters and philosophies of the Ancient Greeks. The writers of this period likely had a lot to add to the stories of their youth to provide more insight into the emotions and thoughts of these larger than life figures.
We actually see this kind of thing all of the time. Look at how many little kids wear Batman stuff. Everyone knows he’s a hero without even reading any comics about him. We see stories about him retold in movies constantly. We would also probably not allow those same little kids to witness the brutality of his parents’ murder, or the acts of which his enemies are capable. Telling a small child that the Joker is a mass murdering psychopath isn’t appropriate, but you can buy silly toys with his face on them at any Target. (Does anyone see anything wrong with letting little kids play with toys of serial killers?) Where was I? Oh yeah, writers of the Romantic period...
By retelling ancient stories these writers are updating the stories for a more modern and educated audience.
Remember Prometheus? We're not done with him yet.
You may find some of your own connections between the materials covered in this course. That's what humans are good at; finding patterns even where none exists. There are some here though!
This course was designed with the end in mind and worked its way back through history based on the connections drawn from one source to another. By the time you reach the end you will be able to trace all of the elements back to each other and maybe even think of a few other things that should have been included.
These may require further investigation on your own, so pay close attention!