ATS3914 Dark heroes, dark realms: Supernatural fantasy before 1900
Faculty of Arts
ATS3914 Dark heroes, dark realms: Supernatural fantasy before 1900 is a level 3, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Arts, offered in 2026 in Semester 1 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 1
- Clayton
- Assessment
- No exam
- 3 tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before ATS3914
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After ATS3914
No unit lists ATS3914 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.
Enrolment rules
Prohibition: ATS2914
Pre-requisite: 12 credit points of Level 2 Arts units
Overview
In this unit you will be introduced to the origins of the dark heroes and dark realms of supernatural fantasy via a range of major English texts, in verse and in prose, from the early-Modern to the late-Modern period. Depending on staff availability, this unit will primarily focus on either the dark realms of fairy and folk tale, myth and legend, the supernatural, Gothic, uncanny and marvellous, or it will focus on the dark, Satanic and Byronic heroes, anti-heroes and appealing villains, who populate such works of literature.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- Analytical exerciseExercise30%
- Essay topic choice and annotated bibliographyWritten10%
- EssayWritten60%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
identify key characteristics of supernatural fantasy or of the Dark Hero, and describe their historical development;
- 2
identify key critical debates concerning a range of supernatural fantasy works or a range of Dark Heroes, and explain their relevance to course texts;
- 3
Design and conduct a research project on a specific topic related to supernatural fantasy or the Dark Hero in literature;
- 4
apply close textual analysis and interpretation to a range of literary texts;
- 5
communicate arguments clearly and persuasively in oral and written form.
Workload and teaching
- Lectures12 hours
- Tutorials24 hours
- Teaching approachProblem-based learning
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.
This unit includes problem-based learning approaches, where you engage in research, integrate theory and practice and apply knowledge and skills to develop viable solutions in response to a problem or set of problems.
Where it fits
ATS3914 is part of 2 areas of study in the 2026 handbook.
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Dr Patrick Spedding
- Unit Coordinators
- Dr Patrick Spedding
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for ATS3914?
ATS3914 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is ATS3914 offered?
In 2026, ATS3914 runs in Semester 1 at Clayton.
How much work is ATS3914?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does ATS3914 have an exam?
No. ATS3914 has 3 assessment tasks and no exam.
Which majors and minors include ATS3914?
ATS3914 is part of Literary studies.