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Epics, Epic Heroes, and Archetypes

Epics, Epic Heroes, and Archetypes. IT’S TIME FOR A LITTLE NOTE-TAKING: *Please take out a piece of notebook paper *Title your paper “Epics, Epic Heroes, and Archetypes”. Why I Teach (and Read, and Love) Literature!.

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Epics, Epic Heroes, and Archetypes

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  1. Epics, Epic Heroes, and Archetypes IT’S TIME FOR A LITTLE NOTE-TAKING: *Please take out a piece of notebook paper *Title your paper “Epics, Epic Heroes, and Archetypes”

  2. Why I Teach (and Read, and Love) Literature! • We’ll start the year by reading Beowulf, a poem from over 1,000 years ago, written in Old English. • Why bother reading something so extremely OLD?

  3. Why I Teach (and Read, and Love) Literature! • Good literature has at its core, some insight into what it means to be a human being. • What does it mean to be a leader? To be brave? • How and why do we grieve for people we have lost? • What does it take to be a true friend? • What are the costs of betrayal? • As you read this year, look for universal ideas. Ask yourself: • What does this book/play/poem, say about the human condition?

  4. Hero Analysis • Our first reading for the year, Beowulf tells the story of an epic hero from the misty reaches of the British past. • Take out your poster of your modern day epic hero. Turn to a neighbor and describe your hero, responding to the following: • What sort of evil or oppression does the hero face? • Why does he or she confront evil? What is his/her motivation? • What virtues does the hero represent? (def: virtue-good character trait)

  5. What is an Epic? • An epic is a long narrative poem that tells of the great deeds of a larger-than-life hero who embodies the values of a particular society. • Examples: • Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey • Beowulf and Milton’s Paradise Lost • Epics often follow conventions or formulas that helped the oral poets remember and retell the stories

  6. The Epic Hero (8 traits) • The central character in a long narrative (an epic) that reflects the values and ideals of a particular society • Frodo: The Lord of the Rings • Luke Skywalker • Harry Potter? • How does Harry Potter embody the values of his culture?

  7. The Epic Hero • Goes on a quest • Faces great dangers, villains, and/or supernatural beings • Goes to supernatural places or to the underworld • Risks death for the glory or greater good of society • Is glorified/praised for the good he has done • What quest did Frodo go on? Why?

  8. The Epic Hero’s Personality • Is ethical • Is a strong and responsible leader • Performs brave deeds • Has superior or superhuman abilities: Strength Courage Intelligence

  9. The Hero’s Journey: An Epic Convention

  10. Helpers • Early on, the hero will often receive help from a supernatural figure, such as a wizard or fairy godmother • During trials, the hero is accompanied by a loyal companion.

  11. Archetypes • The epic heroand hero’s journey are archetypes • An archetype (“ark-uh-type”) is a pattern that appears in literature across cultures and is repeated through the ages. Includes: • Character • Plot or action • Image • Symbol

  12. Character Archetypes • The loyal companion • The wise and brave leader • The villain who plots the downfall of others

  13. Plot Archetypes • The hero’s journey • Monster-slaying stories • A young person seeks to become an adult • What common plots are you familiar with from books, movies, or TV?

  14. Image and Symbol Archetypes • Paradise as a garden • Darkness as death, hell, evil • Doves for peace

  15. All about Kennings (from the Vikings to the present day)

  16. are a special form of compounding words that are metaphoric in meaning. Examples of Kennings in Beowulf: Gold-shining hall (Herot) Strong-hearted wakeful sleeper (Beowulf) Cave-guard (Dragon) Kennings

  17. Kennings Kennings = two words fused together with a hyphen to make a new noun. The two words can be noun/noun (swan-road = river) or noun/verb (skull-splitter = axe) and can be used to make a list describing an object, emotion, quality or animal, in any combination.

  18. An example of this kind of simple kenning is: Round-facer No-smiler Still-stander Two-hander Night-friendly Heart-beater Time-keeper Sudden-shrieker What am I? An alarm clock

  19. Kenning Riddle Activity You and your group will be creating a riddle using kennings. It must have: • A title • The definition of kenning • 5 kennings as hints • The answer written in pencil on the back along with the names of the group Any extra decoration that adds intrigue to the riddle will earn extra credit

  20. Riddle Competition You will have 5 minutes to solve as many of the kenning riddles as you can. The winner will receive a prize. The group with the best riddle will also receive a prize. To prepare you will need: • A pen • A paper numbered to 10

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