What is an Epic?
(We should be able to apply these all to Beowulf, The Ramayana, The Iliad, and others.)
1. A long ______poem.
2. An epic has a character called the ______.
3. The epic is the story of the hero's ______.
4. As the epic hero travels, he ______with monsters, gods, and bad guys
5. An epic is written in the ______person narrative voice.
6. In most cultures, epics were originally ______.
7. Epics contain information about the ______that created them: religion, dress & ornaments, homes, weapons and war, roles of men and women, values, moral standards.
8. Epics often contain clues to what the people who created them ______or did not ______: natural disasters, natural features (like boiling springs and water red with rust), death, the heavens, storms.
Traits of an Epic Hero
1. The epic hero has "larger than life" ______.
2. The epic hero is a natural ______of others. Has elevated ______in the community/is of ______birth.
3. The epic hero is not emotionally connected to his/her ______, even though they die for him and he fights for them.
4. The epic hero is appealing to the opposite ______but rarely has an extended ______.
5. The epic hero ______monsters and/or fights gods (or very bad guys).
6. The epic hero has "______" on his/her side.
7. The epic hero is associated with "______" and strength and values.
8. The epic hero often stands alone in ______.
9. The epic hero is ______than everyone else, generally; is a problem-solver.
10. The epic hero has a ______that often destroys him/her or leads to ______(or almost to death).
11. The epic hero is on the move - travels to find ______.
12. The epic hero is a skilled ______.
Design Your Epic Hero
Name of Your Epic Hero: ______
Where is the hero from? What foreign land does your hero embark upon his or her epic journey?
What larger than life qualities does your hero possess?
Appearance
Superpower/s
Equipment
Values
An Epic hero has at least one weakness. Describe your hero’s weakness/es.
What is your hero’s origin--how did s/he become him- or herself? What unusual circumstances surround his/her birth?
With whom does your hero fight? What trials and enemies does your hero face while struggling on an epic journey?
Whom does your hero lead? Remember that the epic hero is a natural leader of others.
Things to keep in mind:· at the end of the journey, the hero must complete a final task alone
· after the final task is successfully accomplished, the hero returns home, a leader of his or her people
· an epic begins in in medias res, “in the middle of things” so you don’t have to create a first episode, as it were, if you don’t want to—but you do have to create a birth story in which unusual circumstances surround the hero’s birth