Epic/Epic Hero Notes

Epic

An epic is a long narrative poem that retaliates the great deeds of a larger than life hero who embodies the values of a particular society.

-Concern eternal human problems such as the conflict between good and evil.

-Written or told on a grand scale and often is ceremonial style.

Folk Epic

Oral compositions passed on from storyteller to storyteller and has changed over time. Ex.-Beowulf, the Iliad and the Odyssey.

Literary Epic

Written compositions that are unchanged over time. Ex-Aeneid and Paradise Lost

Epic Characteristic #1

The hero is a great leader who is identified strongly with a particular people or society.

Epic Characteristic #2

The setting is broad and often includes supernatural realms, especially the land of the dead.

Epic Characteristic #3

The hero does great deeds in battle or undertake an extraordinary journey or quest.

Epic Characteristic #4

Sometimes gods or supernatural or fantastic beings take pat in the action.

Epic Characteristic #5

The story is told in heightened language.

Epic Conventions

Shared characteristics of epic writers drew upon to establish the epic quality of their poems.

Epic Convention #1

There is an invocation or formal plea for aid/help. This plea is usually to a deity or some other spiritual power.

Epic Convention #2

The action begins IN MEDIA RES, literally meaning “in the middle of things”

Epic Convention #3

The epic begins in media res and then flashes back to events that took place before the narrator’s current time setting.

Epic Convention #4

Epic Similes or Homeric similes-elaborately extended comparisons relating heroic events to simple, everyday events using like, as, so, and just as.

Epic Convention #5

Epithet:a descriptive phrase that presents a particular trait of a person or thing. It can be a quick aid to characterization. Ex: Odysseus is a “raider of cities.” Odysseus is a “a man skilled in all ways of contending.”

Epic Hero

A “larger than life person” who embodies the highest ideals of his culture.

-Usually undertakes a quest/journey to achieve something of great value to themselves or society.

-“Live on after death” meaning they are forever remembered by those’d who live after them…achieving a type of immortality.

-A regular human whose aspirations and accomplishments set him/her apart.

-Overcomes great obstacles but maintains their humanity.

-Experiences typical human emotions and feelings, yet is able to master and control these human traits to a greater degree than a typical person.

Folktale

An anonymous story passed down by word of mouth from one generation to the next. With everyday language, folk tales express the beliefs & values of the cultures that create them, and they typically present simple characters and far-fetched situations.

Myth

Is a fictional that explains the actions of gods or cause of natural phenomenons. A myth involves supernatural elements and has little historical truth to it. Among the most famous are those of the ancient Greeks, and Romans.

-Serve as cultural history, explaining natural phenomena such as oceans and mountains.

-They reinforce a cultures values.

-They are a source of entertainment.

Themes for The Odyssey

-The power of mind over muscle.

-The pitfalls of temptation

-Respect for the gods

-Loyalty

-The importance of leadership and justice

-Fate