Epic

an extended narrative poem recounting actions, travels,

adventures, and heroic episodes written in a high style (with

ennobled diction, for example).

An epic hero is a larger than life figure from a history or legend, usually favored by or even partially descended from deities, but aligned more closely with mortal figures in popular portrayals. The hero participates in a cyclical journey or quest, faces adversaries that try to defeat him in his journey, gathers allies along his journey, and returns home to impart his wisdom upon his land.

Literary Terms for The Odyssey Flashback - scene in a movie, play, short story, novel, or narrative poem that interrupts the present action of the plot to “flash” backward and tell what happened in an earlier time. Foreshadowing - the use of clues to hint at events that will occur later in the plot Personification - giving nonliving things human characteristics Poetry - type of rhythmic, compressed language that uses figures of speech and imagery to appeal to the readers’ emotions and imagination En medias res - when a piece of literature begins in the middle of the action

Characteristics of an Epic

1) The main character/protagonist is larger than life, the subject of legend or a national hero.

2)The deeds of the hero reveal his failings as well as his virtues

3)The action, often in battle, reveal the hero’s more-than-human strength

4)The setting covers several nations, the world or the universe.

More Characteristics of an Epic

5) The episodes, though they may be fictional, provide an explanation of some of the circumstances or events in the history of a nation or a people6) The gods and lesser divinities play an active role in outcome of actions7) Each event relates in some way to the central theme

Typical in epics is a set of conventions (or epic machinery)

• Poem begins with a statement of the theme ("Arms and the man I sing")

• Invocation to the muse or other deity ("Sing, goddess, of the wrath of Achilles")

• Story begins in medias res (in the middle of things)

• Catalogs (of participants on each side, ships, sacrifices)

• Histories and descriptions of significant items (who made a sword or shield, how it was decorated, who owned it from generation to generation)

• Epic simile (a long simile where the image becomes an object of art in its own right as well as serving to clarify the subject).

• Frequent use of epithets ("Aeneas the true"; "rosy-fingered Dawn"; "tall-masted ship")

• Use of patronymics (calling son by father's name): "Anchises' son"

• Long, formal speeches by important characters

• Journey to the underworld • Use of the number three (attempts are made

three times, etc.) • Previous episodes in the story are later

recounted

The Oral Tradition of Myths and Legends

• For entertainment

• To teach religious and societal lessons

• In them humans showed ideal human qualities

Themes in The Odyssey

• Loyalty, devotion and fortitude• The Greek ideal of strong body, strong intellect• Wandering hero• Triumph of Good over Evil• Fate vs Free Will• Obedience to the laws of the gods• homecoming

The perspective is “ant hill”

Time period is polytheistic

Always begins with invoking the Muse

God and Goddesses

• Powerful and magical• Have human characteristics and

emotions such as anger, jealousy, love

• Meddled in the affairs of men• Athena was Odysseus patron. She

helped him.