Myth and Hero introduces students to mythic stories and heroes from around the world and investigates the underlying psychological need—both culturally and personally—to construct these tales. After a short introduction to mythic and heroic structure, the course examines different heroes from various cultures, drawing connections and shared needs between different peoples and time. More modern works will then be considered with an emphasis on the psychological aspects of heroic tales to understand the overall shift from epic to tragic, perfect to flawed, divine to sublime, and archetypal to individual in the heroic tradition.