Myth in Greek Tragedy with Paul Drew -The Odyssey
In advance of the release of Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster movie of The Odyssey, we will join the Greek hero Odysseus on his decade-long journey home from Troy in Homer’s famous epic. In a work that has influenced and inspired many different genres through the ages, including science fiction, fantasy, and even travel literature, we will perhaps find the origin of the maxim that ‘the journey is so much more interesting than the destination’. We will meet, goddesses, witches, one-eyed giants and man-eating monsters, as we embark on a voyage through Daniel Mendelsohn’s celebrated 2024 translation of the poem.
Set text: The Odyssey: A New Translation by Daniel Mendelsohn, Penguin Classics
Event Information
Price: £165
Course Weeks: 11
Room: Brunt Room
Campaign: Summer Term 2026
Customer Information: Pen, Paper, Device
Your Tutor
Name: Paul Drew
Bio: Paul Drew has a degree in English & Media, a first-class degree in Classical Studies, and is a member of both the Roman Society and the Hellenic Society. As Managing Director of an award-winning production company, he has travelled the world producing content for international brands. He has helped bring Classics to a wider audience by making short films with, amongst others, the Faculty of Classics at the University of Cambridge and with the UK’s foremost Hellenist, Professor Edith Hall. His enthusiasm for Classics is rooted in how our ancient cultures continue to resonate, and his approach is to explode the myth that the subject is either high-brow or elitist by demonstrating how accessible and relatable it is to us all today.
Department: Humanities