An epic is one of the earliest forms of literature. It is a
long narrative poem that recounts the adventures of a legendary
hero in pursuit of a goal of national importance. The heros
accomplishments usually reflect the values of his culture and
usually figure prominently in the history of his people.
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Epic Hero Quest Valorous Deeds Divine Intervention Great
Events
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Epic Hero: The central character of an epic A larger-than-life
figure, typically of noble or semi-divine birth, who pits his
courage, skill, and virtue against opposing, often evil, forces In
the early English epic Beowulf, for example, the hero Beowulf is a
young warrior of high standing who battles a brutal and
bloodthirsty monster.
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Quest: A long, dangerous journey or mission undertaken by the
epic hero. The quest is the heros opportunity to prove his heroism
and win honor and underlying renown. Beowulf embarks on a quest to
aid a neighboring kingdom by defeating the hideous monster
Grendel.
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Valorous deeds: These actions demonstrate the heros courage,
strength, or virtue and make up most of the action in the
narrative. For example, Beowulfs superhuman strength is shown when
he fights the savage Grendel with his bare handsand wins!
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Divine intervention: In many epics, the hero receives help from
a god or another supernatural force who takes an interest in his
quest.
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Great events: Important events from the history or mythology of
a nation or culture often provide the backdrop for the epic
narrative.
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Folk Epics Literary Epics
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Folk Epics: In ancient times, stories about heroes were recited
or sung as entertainment and passed down orally from one generation
to the next. These stories were eventually unified into folk epics
and written down long after they were first composed. Examples
include: Beowulf (Anglo-Saxon); Gilgamesh (Sumerian); Mahabharata
(Indian); Sundiata (West African).
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Literary Epics: Written by individual authors, drawing on the
style and conventions of the folk epic Examples include: Iliad or
Odyssey by Homer; Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri; Aeneid by
Virgil; Paradise Lost by John Milton
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Epic conventions are: certain literary or formal
characteristics that most epics share. Setting: vast in scope,
often involving multiple nations Plot: complicated by supernatural
beings or events and may involve a long and dangerous journey
through foreign lands Theme: reflects timeless values such as
courage and honor, and encompasses universal ideas, such as good
and evil or life and death
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An epic opens by stating the subject or purpose The plot begins
in medias resLatin for in the middle of things. In other words, the
reader joins the story in the thick of action. Most epics are
serious in tone and lofty in style, a technique meant to convey the
importance of the events. Dialogue includes long speeches by the
characters suggest an impressive formality, as do the lists of
battles, weapons, and royal gifts.
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Stock Epithets Kennings Alliteration Caesura
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Stock Epithets: Adjectives that point out special traits of
particular persons or things Often compound adjectives, such as
swift-footed Achilles Kennings: Poetic synonyms found in Germanic
poetry Descriptive phrase or compound word that substitutes for a
noun In Beowulf, the Almightys enemy and sin-stained demon are two
kennings used in the place of Grendels name
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Alliteration: The repetition of consonant sounds at the
beginning of words Example: So mankinds enemy continued his crimes
Caesura: A pause dividing each line, with each part having TWO
accented syllables Helps maintain the rhythm of the line See
example on pg. 37