Epic Poetry Characteristics and Gilgamesh

• Epic is a genre.
• A genre is class or type of written work and is related to the content.
• Classic genres are judged to be of the highest quality, outstanding, recognized for established value and definitive in their field.

Epic Definition

• An adjective noting a long poetic composition, usually about a hero with great achievements or events narrated in elevated style.
• Example: Homer's Iliad.
• Heroic, majestic and impressively great.
• Of great size or extent.
• In literature, an epic poem is a long poem about heroic deeds and events significant to the poet's culture, conveying tales of intense adventure and achievements.

Definition of A Hero

• A hero is subjective.
• A person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.
• A man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.
• In the opinion of others, heroes have heroic qualities, perform heroic acts and are regarded as a role model or ideal.
• The principal male character in a film, story, or play.
• In the Homeric period a warrior of special strength, courage, or ability, an immortal being.

Epic Traits

• Epics are stories told on a grand scale, with armies, heroes, gods, and the forces of nature.
• These are depicted within lengthy character arcs and sweeping landscapes.
• Protagonists face obstacles, disaster, action, and triumph.
• A hero is admired for their courage, achievements, and noble qualities.
• In mythology and folklore, a hero is one whose exploits are the subject of ancient Greek myths with superhuman qualities & semi-divine origins.
• An epic hero is a brave, noble character in an epic poem, and is admired for great achievements.
• Epic heroes are often born of gods, royalty, or in special circumstances.
• They are somehow unique and set apart from other people.
• Epic heroes are in a different class because of their skill, courage and strength.
• Epic heroes are referred to as "he" as they are usually the central male character in the epic.
• Epic tales share traits like a call to adventure (which the hero must accept), some kind of supernatural aid, a journey to an unknown place, various challenges and temptations, a big achievement or blessing and a return from where the hero came from.
• A man of great strength and courage is favored by the gods, often descended from and regarded as a half-god, even worshiped after death.
• The protagonist in verse is a hero or demigod.
• The epic genre focuses on the conquests of an epic hero or demigod.
• This character represents the cultural principles and beliefs of a religious group, nation, or race, success is essential as the fate of their whole nation depends on them.

Epic Poems

• An epic poem tells the story of a heroic person or society.
• Originating in Greece, epic is a genre of classical poetry that can have a long narrative about a worthy/serious subject.
• It contains supernatural feats of military skill or strength.
• Gods or supernatural beings frequently take part in the action to affect the outcome, focusing on high born kings and great warriors rather than peasants.
• Epics are distinguished by using hyperbole and exaggeration, a bulky size and an extensive, prolonged narrative in verse.
• Homer's epics are divided into twenty-four books, and Milton's Paradise Lost is divided into twelve books.
• The poem dwells upon achievements of a historical or traditional hero, of national or international significance, extolling the valor, deeds, bravery, character, personality, and physical and mental traits of a hero.
• Supernaturalism needs to be a feature since it produces a sense of wonder.
• Gods, demons, angels, fairies and supernatural forces give use to natural catastrophes in every epic poems such as Milton's Paradise Lost, Homer's Iliad, Beowulf and Spenser's Faerie Queen.
• Diction is often lofty, making use of elegant language, no trivial, common or colloquial terms.
• These are traditional, worthy, serious subjects in the form of narrative.
• The oldest known epic poems are The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Iliad & the Odyssey.
• Homer lived around 3000 years ago.

"Epic of Gilgamesh"

• Is called "Epic" because it tells the story of a demigod (part god and part man).
• The hero has supernatural powers, encounters supernatural circumstances, and also includes great adventure.
• Gilgamesh, the semi-mythic King of Uruk in Mesopotamia, is in The Epic of Gilgamesh (written c. 2150 - 1400 BCE).
• The Sumerian/Babylonian poetic work predates Homer's writing by 1500 years, standing as the oldest piece of epic world literature.
• The Epic of Gilgamesh existed in oral form before it was written down.
• Approximately two-thirds of a longer, twelve-tablet version have been recovered.
• The Epic of Gilgamesh is known as the oldest poem in human history.
• Gilgamesh was godlike in body and mind, but a cruel depot.
• The gods decided to create Enkidu to keep Gilgamesh in check because of his cruelty.
• Enkidu became his great friend, and Gilgamesh's heart shattered when Enkidu died of an illness inflicted by the gods.
• Gilgamesh then traveled to the edge of the world and learned about the days before the deluge and other secrets of the gods, and he recorded them on stone tablets.
• Gilgamesh is widely accepted as the historical 5th king of Uruk, whose influence was so profound that myths developed of his divine status

Homer's "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey"

• Iliad and the Odyssey are the two oldest surviving examples of Greek literature.
• The Epic Poems describe the Trojan War, a conflict between the Greeks and the city of Troy which the epics claim was fought almost 1200 years before the Common Era.
• The Trojan War was fought over Helen, the beautiful daughter of Zeus and wife of the king of Sparta.
• The war began after the abduction of Helen by Paris, who was a Trojan prince.
• The Odyssey says the Trojan War ended when the Greeks pretended to give up their quest for Helen leaving the Trojan Horse.
• The joyous Trojans partied that night, while the Greek soldiers emerged from inside the horse.
• The Iliad tells the story of the Greek's struggle to rescue Helen from her Trojan captors and Odyssey takes the fall of the city of Troy as its starting point.
• The poems describe the Trojan War between Greece and Troy where the hero in the poems, Odysseus, has many adventures on his way back from the war (a journey that has lasted ten years).
• During the journey, he and his shipmates are captured and imprisoned in a cave by Polyphemus a one eyed giant.
• This giant eats one of the captives when he is hungry.
• Odysseus gets Polyphemus drunk and stabs his single eye.
• Some of the main characteristics include: an outstanding hero, a large setting, action made of valor, supernatural forces and is in verse (opposed to prose) and the poet tries to remain objective.

Test your knowledge of epic poetry, including characteristics, heroes, plots, and language. Explore the significance of exaggeration and the role of supernatural elements, with a focus on 'The Epic of Gilgamesh.'