1. EPICS AND EPIC HEROES

2. Characteristics of EPICS
Dignified style; formal, stately language
Draws upon many sources: myths, legends,
folk tales, historical events
Characters experience universal emotions;
actions are extraordinary
Hero often a demigod

3. Characteristics of EPICS
May be part of a cycle of poems developed around a hero or event
Supernatural forces interest themselves in the action and occasionally intervene
Often begin “in media res”
Reflect values of society from which it originates

4. EPIC HEROES Struggle to attain an ideal Represent a whole culture
Are cast in unique settings and circumstances
Proclaim character through actions
Reveal universal aspects of the human condition through responses to circumstances
Embody qualities of human greatness, but weaknesses lead to tragedy

5. Extraordinary elements of EPIC HEROES’ Lives
Origins
Youth – some potential heroism shown
Strength and/or intelligence
Courage
Adversaries/Obstacles
Helpers/assets/sidekicks

6. Extraordinary elements of EPIC HEROES’ Lives
Adventures/tests/quests
Appearance/disguises
Luck/favored by gods
Weakness/mortality (this is what they risk)
Successes
Outcomes/end destiny

7. Archetype
An archetype is from the Greek word arkhetupos meaning “exemplary.” It is an image, story-pattern, or character type that recurs frequently and evokes strong, often unconscious, associations in the reader.

8. Archetypes The Hero The Outcast The Devil Personified The Scapegoat
Star-Crossed Lovers
Earth Mother
Temptress
The Sage

9. Literary Elements
Internal Conflict- Struggle that takes place within the mind of a character who is torn between opposing feelings and desires
External Conflict- When a character struggles against some outside force… Person, nature, society, or fate.

10. Epic of Gilgamesh 2500 BC 11 Clay Tablets (story)
12th Tells of his ruling the netherworld
Most important epic poem in human history
Various adventures of hero-king searching for immortality
An account of the flood
Characters
Gilgamesh (2/3 god & 1/3 human)
Enkidu (wild man)
The Epic of Gilgamesh 
Gilgamesh is one of the oldest recorded stories in the world. It tells the story of an ancient King of Uruk, Gilgamesh, who may have actually existed, and whose name is on the Sumerian King List. The story of Gilgamesh, in various Sumerian versions, was originally widely known in the third millennium B.C. After a long history of retellings, this story was recorded, in a standardized Akkadian version, in the seventh century B.C., and stored in the famous library of King Assurbanipal.
Later, the story of Gilgamesh was lost to human memory, except for occasional fragments. The story was rediscovered in the mid-nineteenth century A.D., and made available in translation to German by the beginning of the twentieth century. People were especially amazed when they read this most ancient of stories, and realized that the flood story in Gilgamesh was a close analogue of the flood story in the Hebrew Bible.
The story of Gilgamesh was first discovered in the library of King Assurbanipal of Nineveh, written on twelve tablets. "Gilgamesh's life and his adventures during his unsuccessful quest for immortality are told on eleven of the twelve tablets." The twelfth tablet is "a description of the nether world, in which Gilgamesh rules after his death as divine judge over the shades, guiding and advising them
The Epic of Gilgamesh is a fascinating tale of great historical importance. Composed 1500 years before Homer's epics, the story is one that modern man can readily understand and appreciate. Gilgamesh was the more than capable ruler of the ancient town of Uruk; his strength and physical beauty were unmatched by any in the land, and his subjects adored him. Although he possessed so much, Gilgamesh wanted desperately to live forever like a god. He was two-thirds god and one-third human, but he refused to accept his destiny to die. If it were his lot to die, he wanted to perform great deeds so that his name would never be forgotten.

11. Heroes
Journal Entry: Make a chart like the one below and fill it in with examples from today’s heroes.
Heroic
Deeds
Enemies
Powers/
Abilities
Virtues