Good and Evil Unit Overview How do we define good and evil? How can literature help us define good and evil?

Literal Definitions Good—(noun) something conforming to the moral order of the universe Evil—(noun) a cosmic force; something that brings sorrow, distress or calamity Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary 11 th edition 2004

Why does evil exist? The evil that is in the world almost always comes of ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence if they lack understanding. Albert Camus All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. Edward Burke There is nothing evil save that which perverts the mind and shackles the conscience. Saint Ambrose Brainyquote.com

Is there a struggle between good and evil? There is no good or evil: only power and those too weak to seek it. J. K. Rowling The line between good and evil is permeable and almost anyone can be induced to cross it when pressured by situational forces. Philip Zimbardo Brainyquote.com

Literature in this Unit “The Lamb” & “The Tyger” by William Blake Paradise Lost by John Milton Beowulf by Anglo-Saxon poet Gilgamesh: A Verse Narrative by Mesopotamian poet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson “The Mark of the Beast” by Rudyard Kipling “My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning “No Witchcraft for Sale” by Doris Lessing “Never Shall I Forget” by Elie Wiesel “The Second Coming” by Wiliam Butler Yeats Various pieces of non-fiction

Literary Terms to Know Style—the unique manner in which writers use language to express their ideas Diction—author’s word choice Syntax—the way the author constructs sentences

Literary Terms to Know Literary epic—the product of the imagination of an individual writer Oral or primary epic—performed by generations of anonymous storytellers and modified slightly with each retelling Epic hero—the central figure in a long narrative that reflects the values and heroic ideals of a particular society

Literary Terms to Know Epic Simile—elaborately extended comparisons relating heroic events to simple, everyday events Blank verse—poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter Iambic pentameter—a line of poetry made up of five iambs. Iamb—a metrical foot, or unit of measure, consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable

Literary Terms to Know Symbol—a person, place, animal, thing, or event that stands for both itself and something more than itself. Allusion—a reference to a statement, person, place, event or thing that is known from literature, history, religion, mythology, politics, sports, science, or popular culture.

Literary Terms to Know Archetype—a pattern that appears in literature across cultures and is repeated through the ages. It can be a character, a plot, an image, or a setting. Foil—a character who sets off the other character through strong contrast Theme—the central idea or insight about human experience revealed in a work of literature

Literary Terms to Know Conflict—a struggle or clash between opposing characters, forces, or emotions. –Internal conflict—a stuggle between opposing needs, responsibilities, desires, or emotions within a character (man vs. himself) –External conflict—a struggle against an outside character, group, or force (man vs. man; man vs. nature; man vs. society)

Literary Terms to Know Point of view—The vantage point form which a writer tells a story. –First-person p.o.v.—narrator is in the story –Limited-third-person p.o.v.—the narrator is outside of the story but tells the story form the vantage point of only one character –Omniscient p.o.v—the person telling the story knows everything that’s going on in the story from Handbook or Literary and Historical Terms Elements of Literature Holt, Rinehart and Winston 2007