epic elements of the epic
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Epic elements of the epic. English 12 . Epic. Long narrative poem that tells of the adventures of a legendary hero in pursuit of a nationally important goal The hero’s accomplishments reflect the values of his culture - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
EPIC ELEMENTS OF THE EPIC
English 12
Epic Long narrative poem that tells of the
adventures of a legendary hero in pursuit of a nationally important goal
The hero’s accomplishments reflect the values of his culture
The hero’s accomplishments are usually found in history or mythology of his people
Epic Hero Central character of an epic Larger than life with a noble or semi-
divine birth (Percy Jackson, Harry Potter)
Fights evil and forces that threaten the world’s order (battles the false accusation of Zeus, battles “he who must not be named”
Epic Hero Significant birth Goes on a quest Has superhuman abilities or strength Decent into underworld/darkness Rebirth Upholds the values of his culture-
loyalty, bravery, honor
Batman Born to a Doctor who inherited the Wayne
family fortune Goes on many quests to make Gotham
safe (battles Penguin, Joker, Scarecrow…) Superhuman training, bravery, and
technology Falls in a well with bats, comes out
stronger Self-sacrificing, never kills, protects the
citizens even if they don’t like him or support his cause (soldiers)
Archetype Typical character, action, or situation that
represents a universal pattern A pattern to follow
The hero The mother figure The journey The fall
Quest Long, adventurous journey/mission
undertaken by the hero Proves the hero’s heroism Brings the hero honor and fame
Beowulf saves a neighboring kingdom by slaying Grendel
Valorous Deeds Actions to demonstrate the hero’s
courage, strength, or virtue Makes up most of the action in the
narrative Beowulf battles Grendel bare handed
Divine Intervention Help from a god or supernatural
force who finds interest in the hero’s quest Poseidon helps Percy Jackson
Great Events
Important events from history of mythology of a nation or culture often provide the theme or backdrop for the epic The Iliad takes place during the Trojan
War
Essential vs. Often All epics have
Epic hero Quest Valorous deeds
Many epic have Divine intervention Great events
Folk vs. Literary A folk epic is an ancient story about
a hero told or sung as entertainment and passed down orally through the generations. These stories were unified into folk epics and written down long after they were first composed.
A literary epic is written by an individual in the style and convention of the folk epic.
Epic Conventions Epic open with by stating a subject
or purpose then ask a muse to help tell the story
The plot begins in medias res “in the middle” of the story
Serious in tone and lofty in style
Mead
Mead Hall
Mead Hall
Loyalty to king and kin Kin means family King is generous providing gifts and
protection for the tribe (remember, there is no unity on the island at this time)
The king’s men battle for him and only him
The pagan custom for the death of a kinsman was to kill the offending member or family member which led to the practice of wergild
Wergild In an attempt to lessen revenge killings,
the wergild is an amount of money that could be paid instead of murder. In The Lord of the Rings, Isildur takes the one
ring in payment for the death of his father and brother
In Beowulf, Grendel refuses to pay a wergild for the men he murders
Boasting It was expected and honorable to boast
(just make sure you can back it up!)