epic elements of the epic

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EPIC ELEMENTS OF THE EPIC English 12

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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 Presentation

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Page 1: Epic elements of  the epic

EPIC ELEMENTS OF THE EPIC

English 12

Page 2: Epic elements of  the epic

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

Page 3: Epic elements of  the epic

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”

Page 4: Epic elements of  the epic

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

Page 5: Epic elements of  the epic

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)

Page 6: Epic elements of  the epic

Archetype Typical character, action, or situation that

represents a universal pattern A pattern to follow

The hero The mother figure The journey The fall

Page 7: Epic elements of  the epic

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

Page 8: Epic elements of  the epic

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

Page 9: Epic elements of  the epic

Divine Intervention Help from a god or supernatural

force who finds interest in the hero’s quest Poseidon helps Percy Jackson

Page 10: Epic elements of  the epic

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

Page 11: Epic elements of  the epic

Essential vs. Often All epics have

Epic hero Quest Valorous deeds

Many epic have Divine intervention Great events

Page 12: Epic elements of  the epic

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.

Page 13: Epic elements of  the 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

Page 14: Epic elements of  the epic

Mead

Page 15: Epic elements of  the epic

Mead Hall

Page 16: Epic elements of  the epic

Mead Hall

Page 17: Epic elements of  the epic

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

Page 18: Epic elements of  the epic

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

Page 19: Epic elements of  the epic

Boasting It was expected and honorable to boast

(just make sure you can back it up!)