The EPIC worksheet….It is of EPIC proportions!
1. Define epic thoroughly yet accurately in ONE sentence only.
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2. Epics often concern eternal human problems such as the __________ between
__________ and evil. Epics are written or told on a _______________ and often in a
ceremonial style(which epic characteristic is this representative of:
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3. What type of epic is Gilgamesh and why? ____________________. &. ______________
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4. What type of epic is The Odyssey and why? _______________________. &. _________
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5. What are the five characteristics of the epic:
1). ____________________________________________________________________
2). ____________________________________________________________________
3). ____________________________________________________________________
4). ____________________________________________________________________
5). ____________________________________________________________________
6. Most of you have read The Odyssey. Using that work(from memory or looking it up), please
relate each of the five characteristics to Homer’s great epic. You can bullet this if you like or
write five separate sentences/paragraphs.
7. Epic conventions are devices authors use in epics to create meaning, relate characteristics,
etc…. For each of the following please give the definition.
o Invocation:
o Flashback:
o In Media Res:
o Epic simile
o Epithet
8. Create an epithet with your name. ______________________________________________
9. What is an epic hero?
And last but certainly not least……wait for it…..wait for it….What are the SEVEN characteristics
of an epic hero?
 1).
 2).
 3).
 4).
 5).
 6).
 7).
Which three do you think are the most important and why?
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Our next class together we will work with archetype. Do you remember what an archetype is
based on our conversation last time?