When John Keats first read Chapman's translation of the epics of “deep-brow'd Homer,” he was so overwhelmed, so overcome with the joy of discovery, that he compared his experience to finding “a new planet.” This course will help you come to understand what enthralled Keats and has gripped so many readers of Homer. From the wrath of Achilles to the machinations of Agamemnon that led to the fall of Troy, the Iliad is one of the most compelling meditations on the human condition ever written. Take an in-depth look at Homer's epic Greek poem in The Iliad of Homer and realize why this literary masterpiece is held in such high regard. Alongside award-winning Professor Elizabeth Vandiver, examine the most important episodes in the Iliad and the universal human issues that Homer's poem addresses, including the limits of our freedom, the forces that shape our actions, and the fine line between justice and revenge. Her compelling look at this epic masterpiece - whether it is the work of many or indeed the “vision” of a blind poet who nevertheless saw more deeply into the human heart than almost anyone before or since - demonstrates why she is held in such immense regard.
