IT’S TIME FOR A LITTLE NOTE-TAKING: *Please take out a piece of notebook paper *Title your paper “Epics, Epic Heroes, and Archetypes”

Epics, Epic Heroes, and Archetypes

Why I Teach (and Read, and Love) Literature!

We’ll start the year by reading Beowulf, a poem from over 1,000 years ago, written in Old English.

Why bother reading something so extremely OLD?

Good literature has at its core, some insight into what it means to be a human being. What does it mean to be a leader? To be brave? How and why do we grieve for people we have lost? What does it take to be a true friend? What are the costs of betrayal?

As you read this year, look for universal ideas. Ask yourself: What does this book/play/poem, say about the human

condition?

Why I Teach (and Read, and Love) Literature!

Hero Analysis

Our first reading for the year, Beowulf tells the story of an epic hero from the misty reaches of the British past.

Take out your poster of your modern day epic hero. Turn to a neighbor and describe your hero, responding to the following: What sort of evil or oppression does the hero

face? Why does he or she confront evil? What is his/her

motivation? What virtues does the hero represent?

(def: virtue-good character trait)

What is an Epic?

An epic is a long narrative poem that tells of the great deeds of a larger-than-life hero who embodies the values of a particular society.

Examples: Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey Beowulf and Milton’s Paradise Lost

Epics often follow conventions or formulas that helped the oral poets remember and retell the stories

The Epic Hero (8 traits)

1. The central character in a long narrative (an epic) that reflects the values and ideals of a particular society

Frodo: The Lord of the Rings Luke Skywalker Harry Potter?

How does Harry Potter embody the values of his culture?

The Epic Hero

2. Goes on a quest Faces great dangers,

villains, and/or supernatural beings

Goes to supernatural places or to the underworld

3. Risks death for the glory or greater good of society

4. Is glorified/praised for the good he has done

What quest did Frodo go on? Why?

The Epic Hero’s Personality

5. Is ethical6. Is a strong and

responsible leader7. Performs brave

deeds

8. Has superior or superhuman abilities:

STRENGTH

INTELLIGENCECOURAGE

The Hero’s Journey: An Epic

Convention

Helpers

Early on, the hero will often receive help from a supernatural figure, such as a wizard or fairy godmother

During trials, the hero is accompanied by a loyal companion.

Archetypes

The epic heroand hero’s journey are archetypes

An archetype (“ark-uh-type”) is a pattern that appears in literature across cultures and is repeated through the ages. Includes: Character Plot or action Image Symbol

Character Archetypes

The loyal companionThe wise and brave

leaderThe villain who plots

the downfall of others

Plot Archetypes

The hero’s journeyMonster-slaying

storiesA young person seeks

to become an adult

What common plots are you familiar with from books, movies, or TV?

Image and Symbol Archetypes

Paradise as a gardenDarkness as death, hell, evilDoves for peace

All about Kennings

(from the Vikings to the present day)

Kennings

are a special form of compounding words that are metaphoric in meaning.

Examples of Kennings in Beowulf:

Gold-shining hall (Herot)

Strong-hearted wakeful sleeper (Beowulf)

Cave-guard (Dragon)

Kennings = two words fused together with a hyphen to make a new noun.

The two words can be noun/noun (swan-road = river) or noun/verb (skull-splitter = axe) and can be used to make a list describing an object, emotion, quality or animal, in any combination.

Kennings

An example of this kind of simple kenning is:Round-facerNo-smiler

Still-standerTwo-hander

Night-friendlyHeart-beaterTime-keeper

Sudden-shrieker

What am I?

An alarm clock

Kenning Riddle ActivityYou and your group will be creating a riddle

using kennings. It must have:1. A title2. The definition of kenning3. 5 kennings as hints4. The answer written in pencil on the back

along with the names of the groupAny extra decoration that adds intrigue to

the riddle will earn extra credit

Riddle Competition

You will have 5 minutes to solve as many of the kenning riddles as you can. The winner will receive a prize. The group with the best riddle will also receive a prize.

To prepare you will need:1.A pen2.A paper numbered to 10