Epic Hero Notes

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Epic Hero Notes

• First we need to know what an epic is!
• Epic a lengthy narrative poem in elevated
  language celebrating the adventures and
  achievements of a legendary or traditional hero
  (ex. Homer's Odyssey)

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• Epics are originally sung, often with a harp, so
  they were different each time
• Passed down orally through generations until they
  were eventually written down
• Reveal about the culture of the time religion,
  beliefs, families, homes, what was valued in the
  community, moral standards, war, etc
• Often used epics to explain what could not be
  easily understood (earthquakes, love,
  thunderstorms, the afterlife, death, etc)

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Characteristics of Epic Poetry

• This doesnt mean that it rhymes. The lines have
  beats and are not fluid like a paragraph, but
  chopped up like a poem.
• Epic poetry often begins with an invocation,
  which is when the narrator calls on creative help
  to tell the story.
• Epic poems often begin in media res, which is
  Latin for in the middle of the action (story).
  This means a good part of the story has already
  happened and the narrator begins the poem by
  catching the reader up on whats happened.

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The Epic Hero

• A larger-than-life hero that participates in a
  journey or quest, faces adversaries that try to
  defeat him in his journey, and returns home
  significantly transformed.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EPIC HERO

• a great leader who reflects the values of a
  particular society
• Takes on a quest to achieve something of great
  value (Heros Journey)
• Very strong and intelligent, but the hero is a
  regular person. They dont have any magical
  powers, and they often struggle with very basic
  human emotions on their journey.
• Often interacts with supernatural characters and
  events throughout the story. This could include
  gods or goddesses as well as creatures like
  dragons, monsters, the underworld, etc.
• Overcome huge obstacles while maintaining their
  humanity
• They are forever remembered for their heroism and
  because of this are able to live on after death

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Examples of Epic Heroes
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The Hero's
Journey
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How is this different than the plot chart we
learned?

• It doesnt exist in every story ever written like
  the plot chart does
• It is more specific and has the focus on a
  particular heroic character

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The Heros Journey

• 1.) The Known
• Normal life for the hero
• He is happy (most of the time), at peace,
  communing with family and friends, doesnt know
  life any other way

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The Known
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The Heros Journey

• 2.) The Call to Adventure
• The hero (often unwillingly) is thrown into an
  adventure by The Gatekeeper
• The adventure is often a destiny that the hero
  cannot change (Youre a wizard, Harry)
• Sometimes is a refusal in the initial call to
  adventure because the hero doesnt feel that he
  is capable to complete the task but a tragedy or
  other significant event will push the hero into
  his calling.

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Gatekeepers
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The Heros Journey

• 3.) The Threshold
• Normal life for the hero is over. He has to
  take the jump into the adventure.
• There will come a point where there is no turning
  back. The hero must cross this obstacle to
  really begin his adventure
• Sometimes writers will use literal doors that the
  character walks though to symbolize the
  threshold.

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The Threshold
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The Heros Journey

• 4.) Challenges and Trials
• The hero faces physical and mental challenges
• Threshold Guardians often guarding a new place
  / stage in the heros adventure. They must be
  defeated or outsmarted in order for the hero to
  continue.
• Women are often used as temptresses to distract
  the hero from his task
• Strengths and weaknesses of our hero are revealed

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Challenges and Tasks Continued

• Friends are provided to aid the hero in his quest
  (The Allies)
• The hero has to battle The Shadow. The Shadow
  is often a character who has many similarities to
  the hero, but has taken their journey in a
  different direction.
• The hero has a guide ( also called The Sage)
  who will teach him about his inner strength. The
  Sage will not be with the hero along the entire
  journey.

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The Shadow / The Rival
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The Allies
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The Sage
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The Heros Journey

• 5.) The Abyss
• Represents the heros greatest challenge.
• It is impossible to return from The Abyss
  unchanged and the hero has to fight in The
  Abyss alone. The Allies cant help him past a
  certain point.
• There is usually a confrontation with The
  Shadow in the Abyss and the physical location is
  often depicted as very dark and scary.
• The Shadow has to be defeated before the hero
  can complete his journey

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The Heros Journey

• 5.) The Decision
• A decision is made in The Abyss where the hero
  has to choose between power/wealth/life etc. and
  the success of the quest.
• Many times The Shadow tries to influence the
  decision of the hero.
• In most cases, the hero makes the right choice
  and saves the day. While many allies, sages or
  magical circumstances might have influenced his
  journey, it is what inside the hero all along
  that allows him to succeed.

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The Heros Journey

• 7.) The Resolution
• The hero returns home and is reunited with his
  loved ones. Often times the allies leave the
  hero at this point, feeling confident that the
  journey is complete.
• The hero has been changed by his or her adventure
  and looks at the world in a new way. Due to
  these changes, he is not always recognizable by
  family and friends.
• Sometimes he has to prove his loyalty to his
  family or his people to be restored to power (We
  will see this in The Odyssey) He might also have
  to fix some problems or corruption that have
  occurred since he has been away.

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