Epic and Epic Hero

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Epic and Epic Hero

• The Odyssey

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Warm up

• What qualities make someone a hero? Can you think
  of any modern-day heroes?

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Learning Objective

• SWBAT
• Write a haiku illustrating the definition/traits
  of an epic hero.

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• Epic Archetype An epic hero is a hero who serves
  as a representative of qualities a culture
  appreciates most.

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Epic Literature
Epics are long narratives told in elevated
language, often relating the adventures of
larger-than-life heroes.
In some way, epic heroes embody the values of
their civilizations.
For example, a hero may demonstrate values of
strength, bravery, or intelligence.
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Elements of Epics
Epics are found in many cultures and share the
following characteristics

• a physically impressive hero of national or
  historical importance
• a vast setting
• a quest or journey in search of something of
  value
• the involvement of supernatural forces
• a basis in a specific culture or society
• characters struggling against fate

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Epic Characters
The epic hero, who represents the values of a
society, is at the center of every epic.
Epic heroes are exceptional people who undertake
difficult quests or journeys.
Through the journey, heroes aim to achieve
something of value to themselves or their people.
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Epic Characters
Epic heroes may experience many obstacles, or
conflicts, along the way.
These conflicts are sometimes external, created
by forces of nature or, as in many epics and
myths, the gods.
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Epic Characters
Epic heroes also experience internal conflict.
Faced with an internal conflict, the heroes
struggle to overcome their own fears or doubts.
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Character Foils
Most epic heroes have a foil.
A foil is a character that stands in stark
contrast to another character.
For example, Supermans foil is Lex Luthor, a
villain whose evil contrasts with Supermans
goodness.
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An Epic and Its Historical Period
We can look at an epic as an encyclopedia of the
manners, customs, and values that bind a
civilization together.
Like myths, epics offer people a vision of where
they came from, what their laws and values are,
and their destiny.
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• Goes through the Epic Hero Cycle Epic heroes
  also all follow the same storyline. They go
  through the same cycle.
• They are special, or supernatural, from birth.
• They are charged with a quest.
• They go through trials and challenges designed to
  test their strength and intelligence.
• Epic heroes go to unnatural worlds that others
  may not enter.
• Epic heroes get help from companions.
• Even when they hit a low point, epic heroes
  always come back fighting. They have a
  resurrection and then they are restored to their
  rightful place.

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Shrek as an epic hero

• Shrek is, of course, an ogre. This is pretty
  supernatural. He is very different from the other
  creatures in the fairytale world. He is so
  different that he is often threatened by
  villagers with pitchforks and torches.
• Shrek is also charged with a quest. He must save
  his house, and the homes of the other fairytale
  creatures, from the King's expansion project.
• In trying to do this, Shrek goes through trials
  and challenges. He has to fight a dragon, save a
  princess, and even deal with the mouth of his
  special companion, Donkey.
• Shrek also hits a low point - he pushes away
  Donkey when it looks like things get to hard. He
  also pushes away the Princess Fiona, knowing that
  he was going to have to give her up anyway.
  However, Shrek makes a comeback, fighting to get
  back his friends and the love of his ogrish life.

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Other epic heroes you may know of
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How to write a haiku

• A haiku is a Japanese patterned three-lined poem.
• Line 1 5 syllables
• Line 2 7 syllables
• Line 3 5 syllables
• Example
• Poems have a purpose
• Express ideas and feelings
• Creativity

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Assessment

• Create a haiku for what an epic is and what an
  epic hero is.
• Example of haiku
• Poems have a purpose
• Express ideas and feelings
• Creativity