Transcript the epic hero cycle!

Journal
• Imagine you live 2500 years ago. There are no
phones, no TV, and no Internet. Most people
do not know how to read or write, and even if
they did, paper is too expensive.
• How do you think people kept themselves
informed (news)?
• How do you think people kept themselves
entertained?
Define this word.
What does it mean?
• Epics are long narrative poems that tell of the
adventures of heroes who in some way
embody the values of their civilization.
• Epics use elevated language and a serious
tone and often include elements of myth,
legend, folk tale, and history.
What do these two dudes have in
common?
Tell me more…
• Epics and other tales were told by wandering
storytellers and singers called RHAPSODES.
• Rhapsodes were the historians, entertainers,
and mythmakers of their time. They were
responsible for spreading news about recent
events or the doings of heroes, gods, and
goddesses. This was a serious, professional
career!
• Stories were sung aloud, often improvised and
summarized.
Epics tend to follow a pattern…
Archetype (n.): An original model on which something is patterned
The Epic Hero is what we call an
Archetype (n.): An original model on which
something is patterned.
The main character is a hero, who often possesses
supernatural abilities or qualities. Often, they have
an unusual background story, or are special from
the beginning.
The hero is charged with a quest.
The hero is tested, often to
prove the worthiness of himself
and his quest.
The Hero meets numerous mythical
beings, magical and helpful animals, and
human helpers and companions.
The hero’s travels take him to a
supernatural world, often one that normal
human beings are barred from entering.
The cycle must reach a low point
where the hero nearly gives up his
quest or appears defeated.
Then, there is a resurrection of some sort.
Finally, there is restitution. Often
this takes the form of the hero
regaining his rightful place on the
throne.
What do these two dudes have in
common?
Homer
No one knows for sure who Homer was.
• Lived in Greece, somewhere around 800-500
years BC.
• Later Greeks believed he was a blind minstrel,
or singer, from the island of Chios.
• One scholar suggests Homer was a woman
because home and hearth played such an
important role in his stories.
• Some scholars think there were two Homers.
Some think he was just a legend.
Whoever he was, he was a big deal.
All epic poems in the western world owe something to the
basic patterns established in Homer’s epics.
•The Iliad is the primary model for an epic of war.
•The Odyssey is the model for an epic of the long journey.
EPIC SIMILES
• Also known as HOMERIC Similes
• Heroic events are compared to everyday events that
are easier to understand or imagine.
Ex: The geyser
forcefully spat out
water like a bottle
of soda that had a
Mentos dropped
into it.
Okay, so back to The Iliad
• The “prequel” to The Odyssey
• Tells the tale of a ten-year war fought outside
the walls of Troy.
• Why is this war happening, you ask?
Seriously?
• The Trojans are fighting an
alliance of Greek kings
because the world’s most
beautiful woman, Helen,
abandoned her husband,
Menelaus (a Greek king) and
ran off with Paris, a prince of
Troy.
Long story short…
• The Greeks win.
• How did they win,
you ask?
The Trojan Horse
…and now, what you’ve all been
waiting for…
The Odyssey
• Follows Odysseus, a Greek King
from Ithaca.
• Odysseus has a beautiful and
faithful wife, Penelope, and a son,
Telemachus.
• Odysseus left for war right after
his son was born. He hasn’t been
home in 20 years.
• He is a great warrior and leader.
• Came up with the Trojan Horse.
• Odysseus has one big flaw
though…
• Hubris means extreme pride or arrogance.
The Plot Thickens…
• Since Odysseus has been gone
for so long, rich powerful men
are trying to marry Penelope,
so they can become King of
Ithaca.
• Greek tradition says you MUST
offer guests food and housing.
• Penelope still loves her
husband and believes he will
return.
• Telemachus is losing his
inheritance (he wants his dad
back too… but still)!
Relationships with Gods
In Homer’s stories, a god can be an alter ego—a
reflection of a hero’s best or worst qualities.
• Odysseus is known for his mental
abilities, so he receives aid from Athena,
the goddess of wisdom.
• Odysseus can also be cruel and violent.
Odysseus’s nemesis is Poseidon, the god
of the sea, who is known for arrogance
and brutishness.
• Remember, the gods control EVERYTHING!