Name: _______________________________
Epic & Literary Terms
Directions: Use the textbook (beginning on pg.1194) and your Chromebooks to define the following terms as they relate to The Odyssey and literary epics. To apply your new understanding and help embed these terms in your memory, provide a brief example either from the text or from a book/movie/tv show with which you are familiar.
Epic- A long narrative poem that recounts the adventures of an epic hero. An example of an epic is the Odyssey because it is a long poem and has an epic hero.
Epic Hero- A larger than life characters that possess superhuman strength, craftiness and confidence. The hero embodies ideals and values that a culture considers admirable and emerges victorious from perilous situations. An example …show more content…
An example of an epic simile in the Odyssey is in Book 20 “ He himself rocked, rolling from side to side, as a cook turns a sausage, big with blood and fat, at a scorching blaze, without a pause, to broil it quick.”
Primary subject (in a simile)
Secondary subject (in a simile)
Epithet- A brief descriptive phrase used to characterize a particular person or phrase. An example of this in the Odyssey is in book 9 when he is introducing himself to the people of King Alcinous's island. he says “ I am Odysseus, son of King Laertes.” Son of king Laertes would be the epithet in this example.
In Media Res (In the Middle of)- A story that beings in the middle. For example, In the Odyssey, The book starts out with Odysseus on calypso’s island and washing up on the king’s island. Then he goes back in a flashback to explain what happened before the was stranded by himself.
Hamartia (Epic Flaw)- A tragic flaw leading to the downfall of a hero. An example of this is in the Iliad when Achilles gets shot in his heel. This is a tragic end to one of greece’s greatest fighters and warriors of all
Epic & Literary Terms
Directions: Use the textbook (beginning on pg.1194) and your Chromebooks to define the following terms as they relate to The Odyssey and literary epics. To apply your new understanding and help embed these terms in your memory, provide a brief example either from the text or from a book/movie/tv show with which you are familiar.
Epic- A long narrative poem that recounts the adventures of an epic hero. An example of an epic is the Odyssey because it is a long poem and has an epic hero.
Epic Hero- A larger than life characters that possess superhuman strength, craftiness and confidence. The hero embodies ideals and values that a culture considers admirable and emerges victorious from perilous situations. An example …show more content…
An example of an epic simile in the Odyssey is in Book 20 “ He himself rocked, rolling from side to side, as a cook turns a sausage, big with blood and fat, at a scorching blaze, without a pause, to broil it quick.”
Primary subject (in a simile)
Secondary subject (in a simile)
Epithet- A brief descriptive phrase used to characterize a particular person or phrase. An example of this in the Odyssey is in book 9 when he is introducing himself to the people of King Alcinous's island. he says “ I am Odysseus, son of King Laertes.” Son of king Laertes would be the epithet in this example.
In Media Res (In the Middle of)- A story that beings in the middle. For example, In the Odyssey, The book starts out with Odysseus on calypso’s island and washing up on the king’s island. Then he goes back in a flashback to explain what happened before the was stranded by himself.
Hamartia (Epic Flaw)- A tragic flaw leading to the downfall of a hero. An example of this is in the Iliad when Achilles gets shot in his heel. This is a tragic end to one of greece’s greatest fighters and warriors of all