The Literary Epic Definition Intended to be sung or recited, and the result of the oral tradition, the epic is a long, narrative poem detailing the adventure or journey of an epic hero. Early epics poet(s) are often unknown.

Epic Hero Definition The epic hero is larger than life, even though he possesses normal human characteristics. His personality and abilities, however, are more super than those of everyday man.

Epic Hero Definition Cont’d The epic hero is "often of divine descent who is endowed with great strength or ability". It is also no mistake that the hero is referred to as "he" because epic heroes are the central male character in the epic itself. ("Hero" Merriam Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature. Merriam Webster's, Inc NA. Academic OneFile. Thomson Gale.).

But the Epic Hero IS Flawed! Often the epic hero has excessive pride (or "hubris"). Singing his own praises, the hero seeks to enhance his own reputation through foolish, dangerous exploits In doing so he endangers others. (Landow, George. "Notes on Heroic Poetry." ).

Epic Hero Characteristics 1 Unusual circumstances of birth; sometimes in danger or born into royalty 2 An event, sometimes traumatic, leads to adventure or quest 3 Hero has supernatural help 4 The Hero must prove himself many times while on adventure 5 When the hero dies, he is rewarded spiritually

Invocation – The poem begins with calling on a muse or god to inspire divine intervention while telling the tale. In the invocation, the subject and the epic question are introduced. “Sing, O goddess, the anger of Achilles son of Peleus, that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans.”-Homer Epic Design:

"In media res" translates to the poem beginning"in the midst of action". The audience learns background information and details as the epic progresses.

Language- The epic's language is literary and elevated. The language is used by all in the poem, from king to servant (even though epics rarely detail lives or actions of the servants). The Epithet-Whatever virtues his race most prizes, these the epic hero as a cultural exemplar possesses in abundance. His key quality is often emphasized by his stock epithet: "Resourceful Odysseus," "swift- footed Achilles," "pious AEneas." Epic Design Cont’d :

The Epic or Homeric simile -The simile is much like the literary simile using "like" or "as"; however, the epic simile is full of description and helps to move the action along and to build suspense: “As when the shudder of the west wind suddenly rising scatters across the water, and the water darkens beneath it, so darkening were settled the ranks of Achaians and Trojans in the plain.” Epic Design Cont’d:

The Confrontation- a hero gains honour by challenging superhuman adversaries; the hero and his antagonist, meet at the climax, which must be delayed as long as possible to sustain maximum interest. Epic Design Cont’d:

In the book, How to Read Literature like a Professor, Thomas Foster gives five elements of the journey that readers can analyze. The five elements are: 1 the quester himself, 2 a place to go, 3 a stated reason to go there, 4. challenges or trials en route during the journey, 5. the real reason a quester goes on the journey

Gilgamesh Mesopotamian Mythology

Mesopotamian Societies Sumerians first major civilization (3000 BCE) non-Semitic people /language Uruk (and other cities) cuneiform writing elaborate mythology and cult- based mythic poems Babylonians / Akkadians later (c BCE) Semitic people.language myth based on Sumerian myth

Mesopotamian Societies Both societies share: social/political hierarchy with kings as head of state priestly class who also teach/write/preserve literature tradition of sacred writings associated with actual rituals high level of “civilization” (i.e. social structure & material wealth) irrigation-based agriculture, water resources organized by government cuneiform writing

Gods and Goddesses Sin (the moon), had a higher place in the pantheon than his children: Shamash (the sun), who becomes important as a deity of all-seeing justice, and Ishtar (the morning star), whose multifaceted nature includes goddess of sexual love, of justice and warfare, of communal prosperity...

Gods and Goddesses Tammuz (Dumuzi) was Ishtar’s husband – a god like Attis (with Cybele) who died and was reborn every year. Ereshkigal was the goddess of the Underworld (Kurnugi). Ea was the god of fresh water, thus a fertility god; he is often a protective figure (asin the flood myth in Gilgamesh). Belili, Dumuzi’s sister – parallel to Geshtinanna in the Sumerian story, who takes her brother’s place in the underworld.

Gilgamesh Gilgamesh is on the Sumerian king-list as one of Uruk’s earliest kings – in the realm of myth. He features in several Sumerian myths (such as the one with Inanna’s hulupu tree), and in one long poem, the “Epic” of Gilgamesh. This poem is the most popular pieceof literature in Mesopotamia, found in many different languages and versions across 2500 years. We discovered it in about There are two major versions: we are reading an adaptation of the Nineveh version, compiled by a priest in about BCE.

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