The Epic Hero

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The Epic
Its Big

• The Epic Hero
• Characteristics of the Epic
• The Heros Journey
• Mrs.Durham rules!!!!!!! Not!!!!!!! ?

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Define an epic

• A long narrative poem that traces the adventures
  of a hero. Told by a narrator.

Setting

• setting is huge, and may involve a good deal of
  travel

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The main character

• Capable of being a hero

The action includes

• Extraordinary deeds.

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The purpose
Who else is involved?

• Gods and supernatural beings are involved in the
  action.

• To entertain and to inspire with examples of how
  individuals overcome great odds.

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How does an epic usually start or open?

• It opens with the poet making an invocation, or
  prayer, for inspiration from the muse of epic
  poetry.

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The beginning of the tale

• Told in media res (in the middle of things)

The narrative includes

• Speeches by main characters including gods and
  antagonists of the epic hero which reveal their
  personalities.

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What is the mood of the epic?

• Serious, language is elevated (formal).

What else?

• The use of figurative language (like
  personification and similes) makes the narrative
  vivid and exciting.

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The Epic Hero

• Label the characteristics
• on Harry the Hero.

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Epic Hero Harry the Hero(Label ALL
characteristics on your notes, even though your
hero looks different.)
 
Crafty
Faces his enemies
Questions his own capabilities
Has a mentor/guide
Innate sense of justice (right and wrong)
Emotional
Outside mainstream world or culture
Journey
Flawed Has a weakness in character or
personality
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The Epic Hero
Arete The striving for excellence both
physically and mentally. Strength and
intelligence who could ask for more? Hubris
excessive pride or arrogance a sin to the gods.
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Elements of the Heros Journey
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Add notes to your page as you read through each
step.
The Return
The Separation
The Heros Journey
The Quest
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The Separation

• The Call to Adventure
• Everything is about to change A traumatic event
  occurs that leads to the hero wanting or needing
  to leave home.
• When the a hero is called to leave home, he or
  she may refuse to leave at first, only to be
  convinced, tricked, or forced into leaving later.
  In other cases, the hero leaves willingly or
  begins the journey on accident.

http//www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/inte
ractives/herosjourney/
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The Separation

• The Meeting of Mentors
• Helpers/Supernatural Aid for the hero as he
  experiences the adventures and setbacks of his
  quest.

• Crossing the Threshold
• At some point, the hero leaves the familiar, safe
  world of home and enters fully into the new world
  of the journey.

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The Quest

• The Challenges
• The hero faces trials and enemies while
  struggling on an epic journey.
• Each successful test further proves the hero's
  ability and advances the journey toward its
  climax

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The Quest

• The Transformation
• A part of the hero must die so that a new part
  can be reborn - Fear must die to make way for
  courage, Ignorance for enlightenment, dependency
  for independence.
• Part of the Transformation is a Revelation, a
  sudden, dramatic change in the way the hero
  thinks or views life.
• This change makes him truly a different person.
•  After the Transformation the hero achieves
  Atonement, meaning that is he is at one with his
  new self He is reborn.

http//www.pschulze.com/Forms20of20Fiction/The2
0Heros20Journey.pps
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The Return

• After the final task is successfully
  accomplished, the hero returns home, a leader of
  his people. . . the hero!

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The Heros Journey
The Separation
The Return
The Quest
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Timeline(Fill in as we read.)
K-C-A-B-H-S-A-L-F
Start here
The Trojan War Covered in The Iliad
Odysseus tries to get home Covered in The Odyssey