Epic- a long narrative poem that celebrates a hero's deeds. The earliest epics survived as oral tradition before they were written down.
Characteristics of an epic:
*The hero, generally male,is of noble birth, high position, or legendary importance.
*The hero's character traits reflect important ideals of his society.
*The hero performs courageous (superhuman) deeds
*The actions of the hero often determine the fate of a nation or group of people
*The setting is vast, often involving more than 1 nation
*The major characters deliver long, formal, speeches.
*The plot is complicated by supernatural beings and involve long dangerous journeys into foreign lands
*The poem reflects timeless values (courage, honor)
*The poem portrays universal themes (good/evil, life/death)
Beowulf--unknown poet (pages 31-37).
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