Characteristics of An Epic

Characteristics of an epic:
The hero, generally male, is of noble birth

or high position
The hero’s character traits reflect important
ideals of his society
The hero performs courageous deeds that
reflect the values of the times
His actions determine the fate of many
Characteristics of an epic continued:
The setting is vast
Written in formal diction with a serious tone
Characters have long, formal speeches
Hero’s journey (slides to follow)
Poem reflects timeless values (courage, etc)
Treats universal themes (good vs. evil, etc.)
Beowulf
Key Elements and
Hero’s Journey
• The plot is complicated by

supernatural beings or events.
• The actions of the hero
often determine the fate of a
nation or group of people
• The poem reflects values
such as courage and honor.
The hero takes a
journey to foreign
lands.
3 phases of the hero
journey:
•Separation – a break
away from local social order,
the beginning of a quest.
•Initiation – a long deep

retreat inward with a series of
chaotic encounters which
provide new insight.
•Return – reintegration
into society, coming back as
as a more evolved person.
The general points of the cycle include:
•a test (to test worthiness to complete said quest)
•a main antagonist, often supernatural
•a magical/unreal world, unable to be visited by a
normal human, that the hero visits (e.g. the
underworld or the world of the gods)
•a resurrection
(either from being dead or from a dead-like state
of mind, or a hero who was thought to be dead
who was rediscovered)
While the poem is Old
English, it focuses on the
Geats (a people who lived in
the southern part of
Sweden) and Danes.
The action of Beowulf is not
straightforward.
The narrator foreshadows actions
that will occur later, talking about
events that are yet to come.
Characters talk about things that
have already happened in the poem
and recall incidents and characters
outside the poem's main narrative.
Themes
& Look for the struggles of …
Conflict •good against evil
•strength against weakness
•light against dark
Identify a
hero or
heroine from
a film or
story and
explain how
their journey
fits the three
phases – be
sure to give
examples.
Read pages 27 – 31 and in full sentences answer
the following.
1. When was Beowulf written?
2. What is a hero? Explain your definition and give examples.
3. What is courage? How would most people today define
courage?
4. What is an epic?
5. Define and give an example of a kenning. Write an original
kenning about someone you know.
6. In today’s society we have our own monsters, who or what are
they and what do they represent?
7. List three modern fictional heroes and explain how their
journeys fit the epic hero cycle. How are they separated?
What is their initiation? How have they been changed?
Read through the descriptions of the hero and
villain archetypes.
1. Decide on five of the archetypes that fit your
personality best and draw and label a pie chart
representing these archetypes proportionately.
2. Write in paragraph format about how the

three most dominant archetypes show up in
your personality. Be specific by giving multiple
examples.
Mythological Analysis
•A student of Freud who differed in views of human nature.

•Jung believed that human nature was more than a collection
of repressed desires and fears.
•He was influenced by religion, art and mythology.
•Jung divided the mind into the ego, the personal unconscious
and the collective unconscious.
is the reservoir of all human

experience. According to
Jung all people were
connected at this level .
Mythological Analysis
• Archetypes comes from the Greek word archetypos,

meaning “first of its kind.”
• They are universal images/concepts/ ideas that come from
shared common experiences, which transcend time, place
and culture.
• The value in using archetypal characters in fiction derives
from the fact that we unconsciously already recognize the
archetype, and thus the motivations, behind the character's
behavior.
examples

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Characteristics of an epic:

The hero, generally male, is of noble birth

• The plot is complicated by

•Initiation – a long deep

2. Write in paragraph format about how the

•A student of Freud who differed in views of human nature.

is the reservoir of all human

• Archetypes comes from the Greek word archetypos,

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