In literature, an epic is a long narrative poem about an epic hero and the hero’s journey.

• Physically impressive hero of national importance.
• Huge setting involving much of the known world, and possibly the land of the dead.
• A quest taken in search of something of value.
• Evidence of supernatural forces (the gods) at work.
• Glorification of the hero at the end (he wins, always!!!)

• Someone who has superhuman strength and confidence.
• Emerge victorious from very difficult and scary situations.
• Usually embody the ideals of a culture that are admirable.

• Setting= where a story takes place…epic setting…
• Epic setting is where the journey takes place, usually more than one place for example:
– Fantastic exotic lands
– Involves more than one nation, or country

• Plot- events in a story…so epic plot is…
• Events that involve a long journey full of complications for example:
– Strange creatures
– Large scale events
– Treacherous land
– Divine intervention

• Theme= message of the story, so epic theme is…
• Reflects a universal concern for example:
– Courage
– Fate of a nation
– Homecoming
– Beauty
– Loyalty
– Life and death

• This is a character, situation, or image that is very recognizable in our culture.
MENTOR— teacher or counselor to the initiate; often are father or mother figures to the hero or heroine.
• THE HERO—mother is sometimes a virgin, circumstances of birth are unusual, some attempt is made at birth to kill him; raised by foster parents, returns to his kingdom to right wrongs, marries a princess, becomes king
THE INITIATE— young heroes or heroines who go through training; usually innocent and wear white

• DEVIL FIGURE —evil incarnate; offers worldly goods, fame, or knowledge to the hero in exchange for possession of the soul
• HUNTING GROUP OF COMPANIONS — loyal companions willing to face any number of dangers to be together
• LOYAL RETAINERS —somewhat like servants to the hero who are heroic themselves; their duty is to protect the hero and reflect the nobility of the hero; they are expendable
• OUTCAST —figure banished from a social group for some crime against his fellow man (could be falsely accused of a crime or could choose to banish himself from guilt)
• TEMPTRESS —sensuous beauty; brings about the hero’s downfall because he is physically attracted to her

• THE TASK —to save the kingdom, to win the fair lady, to identify himself so that he may assume his rightful position, the hero must perform some nearly superhuman deed.
• BATTLE BETWEEN GOOD AND
EVIL —Obviously the battle between two primal forces. Mankind shows eternal optimism in the continual portrayal of good triumphing over evil despite great odds.

• An epithet is a small descriptive phrase used to characterize a person or thing.
• For example, an epithet for the singer Prince would be “the author formally known as prince”
• What kind of epithet could we write for
Shrek?

• Epic simile is a comparison using the words like or as but it goes on for several lines in literature. It could go on for as long as 20 lines.

• It is a reference to a famous person, place, thing, or event.
• This is a reference to something that you
(should) already know.
• AKA – inside jokes for educated people.
• Shrek is full of them…can you find at least 2 in the first 3 minutes of the movie?

• Story that uses fantasy to express ideas about life that cannot be expressed in realistic terms.
• Myths focus on the relationship between humans and the unknown or spiritual realm.

• The story was passed down by word of mouth. The author, Homer, collected and organized the stories into the famous epic of the Illiad and the
Odyssey , which we are about to start.
• Homer lived in 800 B.C. and was probably blind.

• The Trojan War has been over for ten years.
• Odysseus is being held on an island by
Calypso.
• Telemachus, Odysseus ’ son, is at home in
Ithaca, in Greece, trying to fend off men who want to marry his mother, and rob him of his inheritance.
• Odysseus is searching for balance, for inner peace.