Heroes and Legends: The Most Influential Characters of Literature

What makes certain characters successful; Frodo Baggins, the hobbit-hero from "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy; how he runs counter to notions of the traditional hero; how changing cultural values connect to heroism.

The beginning of the world literature; what makes Homer's traveling hero such a powerful figure; the impact of Odysseus on countless road narratives; his surprisingly sly and resourceful character; his many adventures.

The Roman straight arrow; Aeneas's story takes him from the Trojan War to the courtship of Queen Dido and on to the founding of Rome; Virgil helps shape the Roman Empire's sense of self; how old legends provide the inspiration for new tales.

Guinevere's adulterous affair with Lancelot; its effects on cultural values and Western history; Guinevere is an intriguing heroine; her passion, will and complexity still captures people's imagination today.

Chaucer works harder on the Wife of Bath than on any other character in "The Canterbury Tales"; four separate perspectives on one of literature's most memorable female characters; what Chaucer reveals about her and the time she lives in.

Cressida is an archetypal femme fatale, who finds herself in the middle of a love triangle between her true love, Troilus, and the bad boy, Diomedes; Chaucer and Shakespeare's perspective on Cressida; what she does not understand about love.

Beowulf is not an easy poem to understand; Beowulf is not an easy character to understand; analyzing how the classic male hero may have a hidden vulnerability; what insights Beowulf's story offers about life and the limits of self-reliance.

Thor may seem like another classic male hero yet the Icelandic poems and stories from the 13th century undercut the image of Thor as a straightforward hero; these amusing tales provide a new window into a memorable character.

Robin Hood; how his story cannot be traced to a single work or figure; he is a bundle of contradictions; delving into the politics, religion, and society of Robin Hood's origins to understand his character and lasting appeal.

Don Quixote's infamous exploits mark a pivotal moment in the history of literature; exploring his adventures; Sancho Panza is literature's first antihero; how the novel has influenced writers in the centuries since its publication.

Robinson Crusoe may be the most flawed hero as a colonizer and a slave; why he is an enduring character; the inherent features in Crusoe's character that help him stand the test of time.

Meeting the charming heroine from Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice"; the story of her complicated relationship with Mr. Darcy; adaptations of the story such as "Bridget Jones's Diary"; the integral role that money and social class play.

Natty Bumppo from James Fenimore Cooper's "Last of the Mohicans" and Woodrow Call from Larry McMurtry's "Lonesome Dove" series are two very American heroes; these frontier heroes bring to life the conflict between Anglo and Native American cultures.

The complex associations with the name Uncle Tom; the impact of Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel; exploring the historical circumstances of slavery that inspired Stowe's novel; considering the fortitude that makes this meek character a hero.

Huck Finn and his American odyssey down the Mississippi River; although the story seems to be a fun adventure, Huck struggles with the tension between his conscience and the social circumstances in which he grew up.

Sherlock Holmes's methodology of using clues, facts, evidence and reason to solve the case; how circumstances pave the way for such a hero in the 19th century; some of Sherlock's most exciting cases.

The 19th century produces a radically different kind of hero such as Dracula; observing the structural complexity of this novel; examining the fears that led Bram Stoker to create this vampire and his seductive brides; Dracula's impact on literature.

The familiar story of a boy in the woods raised by wolves and living by the law of the jungle; Rudyard Kipling's classic stories and the later Disney film; what the stories imply about humanity, morality, imperialism, and political responsibility.

Heroes do not always have to be gods or queens or the social elite; Celie, the heroine from Alice Walker's "The Color Purple", is at the bottom of the social totem pole; she exhibits remarkable heroism by overcoming hurdles.

Winston Smith, the central figure in George Orwell's nightmare scenario, "1984", is fearful, undernourished, and oppressed by the state; diving into the dystopia of Big Brother and Ingsoc; what makes Winston worthy of being called a hero.

Thanks to novels, movies and an array of charismatic actors, nearly everyone in the developed world knows about James Bond; learning who is Bond and what makes him tick; beyond the girls, gadgets and glamour; the secret to the James Bond franchise.

Many fairy-tale heroines are imbued in one's cultural consciousness; knowing what lessons they teach and whether these lessons align with one's current values; the composite fairy-tale heroine, both in the classic fairy tales and in modern revisions.

Lisbeth Salander, the heroine from the popular "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" series, seems to be an original character well suited to one's times; her character also has echoes of ancient myths, from the Greek Furies to the Scandinavian Valkyries.

One of the most unexpected hits of our time; learning what the surprising success of Harry Potter teaches one about successful heroes; what do his battles against Lord Voldemort tell about the world today; the need for love, faith and inner heroism.