Epic Notes

• EpicEpic: A long narrative poem about a national or legendary hero– Iliad: Fall of Troy– Odyssey: Odysseus’ trip home

• HomerHomer: Blind poet, lived between 900 and 700 BCE

…but there’s no TV!!

• RhapsodesRhapsodes: Traveling poets– Part memory– Part improvised

• MusesMuses: 9 goddesses who preside over song and literature. Called upon for inspiration

The Odyssey

• Odyssey: 24 books long; 3 main plot strands

1. Ithaca without Odysseus2. Odysseus’ travels following the war3. Odysseus returns home to family

Epic Conventions

• Epic conventions: qualities, traits and common devices of a traditional epic

1. Epic Hero: person of national or international importance and/or legendary significance.1. No super powers; must rely on intelligence2. Faithful to family, country, and god/gods3. Feels fear, but overcomes it to defeat evil

Epic Conventions cont…

2. Intervention of superhuman forces (ie: gods, angels, demons, etc.)

3. Opens “in media res” (in the middle of things) filling in necessary information later

4. Lengthy speeches by main characters

5. Epic similes: elaborate, extended simile which runs for several lines

Epic Conventions cont…

6. Epithets: a word or phrase used to characterize a person or thing

7. Repetition of passages (a memorization aid)

8. Digressions: a temporary deviation from the plot (helps to fill in prior story line)

The Odyssey as Myth

• Mythos– Greek for plot, story, or legend

• Myth does NOT mean an untrue story!

• Has serious moral implications• Captures the human experience• Culture building stories

The Hero’s Journey

• Joseph Campbell• Exemplifies life

– Collective Unconscious– Comparing Religions– Looking at Literature Throughout History

• Archetypes: the quintessential– The Wise Old Man– The Innocent Youth– The Hero

Between the Known and the Unknown

Literature in Cycles

• Northrop Frye • A cycle of five:

– Mythos– Romantic– High Mimetic– Low Mimetic– Irony

The Common Human Experience and Literature