THE EPIC HERO

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THE EPIC HERO ENGLISH 10 DAVIDSON/BRYANT
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WHAT IS A HERO?
1. In mythology and legend, a man, often of
divine ancestry, who is endowed with great
courage and strength, celebrated for his bold
exploits, and favored by the gods. 2. A person
noted for feats of courage or nobility of
purpose, especially one who has risked or
sacrificed his or her life 3. A person noted for
special achievement in a particular field 4. The
principal character in a novel, poem, or dramatic
presentation.
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WHAT DO HEROES TEACH US?

• The heros quest helps us understand our own
  journey through life.
• The hero is a social icon that represents the
  values important to a society.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF A HERO

• Imposing in stature (physical or social)
• Their style is grand, yet simple
  (humble/humility)
• The setting of their story is vast (more than 1
  setting/nation)
• Super-human courage and strength
• Faces supernatural forces

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THE HEROS JOURNEY

• BIRTH The hero comes from humble origins or a
  disadvantaged situation.
• INITIATION The hero discovers that he has a
  special calling.

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THE HEROS JOURNEY

• THE QUEST The hero sets out on a journey which
  is both physical and spiritual. The hero will
  face temptation, and have obstacles to overcome
  and a foe to vanquish. A mentor may help them
  achieve their goals.

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THE HEROS JOURNEY

• ROMANCE The hero will often meet a romantic
  counterpart that aids or challenges him further.
• THE JOURNEY HOME The hero achieves his goal,
  then returns home where his exploits are
  celebrated.

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LEARN MORE ABOUT EPIC HEROES
These links will take you to websites where you
can learn more about heroes, and get examples of
heroes from different time periods http//teache
rweb.com/VA/HeritageHS/KarenEDiGiorgio/h3.stm http
//www.folkstory.com/articles/petersburg.html http
//www.pantheon.org/areas/heroes/articles.html htt
p//www.towson.edu/flynn/heroes.html Source htt
p//students.educ.drake.edu/jasonsnow/webquest/we
bquest.htm
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YOUR TASK

• Now that youve learned the characteristics of an
  epic hero, you will use your knowledge to
  identify how Beowulf fits this category, as well
  as how future characters we will encounter from
  our readings fit the bill.