Epic Genre PPT .pptx

Epic Genre Meaning of genre: The meaning of genre: A class or type of the written work. ‘ It is related to the content. A category of literature. What the written work is about. Classic Genres: Judged over a period of time to be of the highest quality and outstanding of its kind....

Epic Genre Meaning of genre: The meaning of genre: A class or type of the written work. ‘ It is related to the content. A category of literature. What the written work is about. Classic Genres: Judged over a period of time to be of the highest quality and outstanding of its kind. A work of art of recognized and established value. Belonging to the highest rank or class. A work recognized as definitive in its field. Epic: Definition of Epic according to the dictionary: adjective noting or pertaining to a long poetic composition, usually centered upon a hero, in which a series of great achievements or events is narrated in elevated style: Home r's Iliad is an epic poem. heroic; majestic; impressively great: the epic events of the war. of unusually great size or extent: a crime wave of epic proportion s. An Epic in literature: An epic poem is a long, narrative poem that is usually about heroic deeds and events that are significant to the culture of the poet. Many ancient writers used epic poetry to tell tales of intense adventures and heroic feats.  What is the definition of a hero? It 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 b rave deeds and noble qualities. 2.person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal: He was a local hero when he saved the drowning child. 3.the principal male character in a story, play, film, etc. 4. (in the Homeric period) a warrior of special strength, coura ge, or ability, an immortal being. “Epics are stories told on a grand scale, with armies, heroes, gods, and the brutal forces of nature depicted over long character arcs and sweeping landscapes. Protagonists meet with obstacles and disaster, action and triumph.” What is the meaning of ‘hero’? A person who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. (In mythology and folklore) a person of superhuman qualities and often semi- divine origin, in particular one whose exploits were the subject of ancient Greek myths. The Epic Hero Noun. a brave and noble character in an epic poem, admired for great achievements or affected by grand events. Epic heroes are often born to gods, to royalty, or in some other kind of special circumstances. They are unique somehow - set apart from other people.  The epic hero is in a different class of men based on his "skill, strength, and courage".It is also no mistake that the hero is referred to as "he" because epic heroes are the central male character in the epic itself. ("Hero" Merriam Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature. Merriam Webster's, Inc. 1995 NA. Academic OneFile. Thomson  Epic heroes share certain traits and their stories often contain the same elements. These include: A call to adventure (which the hero must accept) Some kind of supernatural aid A dangerous journey to an unknown place Challenges and temptations A big achievement or blessing A return to where the hero came from  A man of great strength and courage, favored by the gods and in part descended from them, often regarded as a half-god and worshiped after his death. The principal character in a novel, poem, or dramatic presentation. The main protagonist in a work of fiction. Epic: An epic in literature is a poem that tells the story of a heroic person or a society. Originating in Greece, Epic is a genre of classical poetry. However, the word Epic in literature can have several meanings: 1- It is a long narrative about a serious or worthy traditional subject. 2- The action contains superhuman feats of strength or military skills. 3- Gods or supernatural beings frequently take part in the action to affect the outcome The epic contains long catalogs of heroes or important characters, focusing on highborn kings and great warriors rather than peasants  There are several characteristics of an epic , which distinguishes it from other forms of poetry. They are discussed below: The first and foremost characteristic of an epic is its bulky size. An epic is an extensive and prolonged narrative in verse. Usually, every single epic has been broken down in to multiple books. For example, Homer’s epics are divided into twenty four books.Similarly, John Milton’s Paradise Lost has been divided into twelve books. Another essential feature of an epic is the fact that it dwells upon the achievements of a historical or traditional hero, or a person of national or international significance. Every epic extolls the valour, deeds, bravery, character and personality of a person, who is having incredible physical and mental traits.  Exaggeration is also an important part of an epic. The poet uses hyperbole to reveal the prowess of a hero. He doesn’t think twice to use exaggeration to make an impression on the audience. Supernaturalism is a must-have feature of every epic. Without having to use supernatural elements, no epic would certainly produce awe and wonder. There are certainly gods, demons, angels, fairies, and use of supernatural forces like natural catastrophes in every epic. Milton’s Paradise Lost, Homer’s Iliad, Beowulf and Spenser’s Faerie Queen are replete with supernatural elements. The diction of every epic is lofty, grand and elegant. No trivial, common or colloquial language is used in epic. The poet tries to use sublime words to describe the events.  A traditional, worthy, serious subject that can be in the form of a long narrative. This genre focuses on the conquests of an epic hero or demigod: (a mythological being who is partly divine and partly human; an inferior deity), this character usually represents the cultural principles and beliefs of a religious group, nation, or race. At times, the fate of the people and the entire nation always depends on the success or failure of the epic hero. The epic hero’s actions always determine whether the nation will survive or perish. The oldest known epic poems are The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Iliad & the Odyssey, by a Greek author known as Homer around 3000 years ago. The Epic of Gilgamesh Why is it called “Epic”? It tells the story of a demigod (part man part god). It is about the adventures the hero endeavours. The hero has supernatural powers and faces supernatural circumstances.  Gilgamesh is the semi-mythic King of Uruk in Mesopotamia best known from The Epic of Gilgamesh (written c. 2150 - 1400 BCE) the great Sumerian/Babylonian poetic work which pre-dates Homer's writing by 1500 years and, therefore, stands as the oldest piece of epic world literature.  The Epic of Gilgamesh existed in oral form long before it was written down. Approximately two thirds of a longer, twelve-tablet version have been recovered. The Epic of Gilgamesh is famously known for being the oldest poem in human history. “Gilgamesh king of Uruk, although Gilgamesh was godlike in body and mind, he began his kingship as a cruel despot. He lorded over his subjects, raping any woman who struck his fancy. He accomplished his building projects with forced labor, and his exhausted subjects groaned under his oppression. The gods heard his subjects’ pleas and decided to keep Gilgamesh in check by creating a wild man named Enkidu, who was as magnificent as Gilgamesh. Enkidu became Gilgamesh’s great friend, and Gilgamesh’s heart was 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 The two oldest surviving examples of Greek literature are Iliad and the Odyssey, epic poems that describe the Trojan War, a conflict between the Greeks and the city of Troy that the epics say was fought almost 1200 years before the Common Era. The Trojan War was fought over Helen, who according to legend was the beautiful daughter of Zeus and the wife of the king of the Greek polis of Sparta. The war began after a Trojan prince named Paris kidnapped Helen. According to the Odyssey, the Trojan War ended when the Greeks pretended to give up their quest for Helen. The Greeks left a huge wooden horse as a peace offering to the Trojans. The Greek navy pretended to sail away, but they only sailed out to a hidden location. The joyous Trojans opened the city gates and pulled in the giant statue. After a great victory celebration of their defeat of the Greek army, the people of Troy slept for the night. As the Trojans slept, Greek soldiers emerged from their hiding  The Iliad tells the story of the Greek struggle to rescue Helen, a Greek queen, from her Trojan captors. The Odyssey takes the fall of the city of Troy as its starting point and crafts a new epic around the struggle of one of those Greek warriors, the hero Odysseus. The two oldest surviving examples of Greek literature are the Iliad and the Odyssey, epic poems that describe the Trojan War, a conflict between the Greeks and the city of Troy that the epics say was fought almost 1200 years before the Common Era.  The poems are about a long war between two great powers, Greece and Troy. There was such a war – archaeology has established it. The hero in the poems, Odysseus, has many adventures on his way back from the war (a journey that has taken him ten years). In one of them he and his shipmates are captured and imprisoned in a cave by a one eyed giant called Polyphemus. This monster’s single eye is in the middle of his forehead. When he feels hungry, he eats one of the captives in his cave. Odysseus, the most cunning of the group, gets Polyphemus drunk and stabs him in his eye, blinding him, so that he and his crew can escape. Main characteristics: The hero is outstanding. They might be important, and historically or legendarily significant. The setting is large. It covers many nations, or the known world. The action is made of deeds of great valour or requiring superhuman courage. Supernatural forces—gods, angels, demons —insert themselves in the action. It is written in a very special style (verse as opposed to prose). The poet tries to remain objective.