Features of a Classic Epic and the Epic Hero

1. Features of a Classic Epic and the Epic Hero

2. Classic Epics The epic poem was first introduced during the classic period of Western Literature -- from approximately 750 B.C. to 200 A.D. • Epics written during this time period are long, multi-layered adventure stories • A classic epic is told in narrative poetry format (not prose) • It was often sung by one performer or story teller. • The events in an epic are usually proclaimed to be true or divinely inspired • The characters and story often come from the myths, legends, and religions familiar to the story’s audience

3. Features of Epics from the Classic Period • formal elegance – the vocabulary and phrasing used in an epic were considered more formal and grand than the way ordinary people spoke • balance – strict rules of composition were applied – such as a specific number of syllables per line • simplicity of plot – although an epic is long the plot is simple and does not contain sub plots or unexpected twists. • Epithets are repeatedly used to help the audience visualize and connect characters to a particular trait

4. More Features of Epics from the Classic Period • The epic’s narrator is generally objective and does not judge the characters for their faults or weaknesses • The epic story often begins ‘in medias res’ which is a Latin term meaning ‘in the middle of things’ – In other words the story begins when the action has been happening for some time already • Many lines, events and phrases are repeated throughout the epic • Similes are frequently used as a descriptive technique

5. The Epic Hero The most important element of the epic is the hero. The hero of an epic is a human being with characteristics a society admiresand often wishes to emulate. The hero is male, attractive, and unusually strong and able. He is a trained soldier or warrior and believes in and follows a code of honor for which he is willing to sacrifice his life. He fights for the noble cause: those who cannot defend themselves, usually women and children, the preservation of a society, honor and the noble way of life. The hero is considered better in most respects than the common man.

6. More About the Epic Hero However, the hero is also in many ways the same as the ordinary man. He has the same longings and desires as any man might have: the desire to be beloved and respected by his own, the desire for some degree of wealth or material comfort, the desire for a family, the desire to stand out above his fellow human beings in some way, the desire not to bring shame to himself or his family in any way. The hero also hopes that the divine will favor him and his cause.

7. The Epic Hero’s Fate • The hero becomes tragic when some error or fault, often inborn, or of his own making, brings about his own death. • The hero is mortal and vulnerable. • Often the hero has insight and realizes before anyone else what his fate will be. However, for reasons of his own, he forges ahead.

8. Resources Notes and information in this presentation have been compiled from the following text and website. MacMillan Literature Series, World Literature, 1991. The Iliad a Practical Approach, Phyllis Taylor, http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1984/2/84.02.09.x.html