Epic heroes are drawn from ancient mythology and similar long narratives and epic poems. The term is variously used to refer to any celebrated figure in ancient legends. The heroes belong to a princely stature that is usually born to royalty, gods and special circumstances. These heroes are usually set apart from the ordinary people that lived then. They accomplish extra ordinary things and exceed the abilities of normal humans. They exhibit extra ordinary courage. The hero is the protagonist in these accounts (Encyclopedia Britannica). Epic Heroes share some common traits in the various stories. The stories contain similar elements. Some of the most common characteristics include being called to adventure (the hero either accepts or rejects), a complex and unpredictable journey to an unknown place, supernatural assistance, temptations and challenges, bravery, a resolution from a hero's past, a blessing or major achievement, belief in supernatural power, courage extra-ordinary physical…...

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Works Cited

Encyclopedia Britannica. Hero: Literary and Cultural Figure. 2016.   Accessed 28 September 2016https://www.britannica.com/art/hero-literary-and-cultural-figure .

E-Notes. Epic Poems. 2016.   Accessed 28 September 2016http://www.enotes.com/search?q=epic+poems .

Sanderson. Epic Hero. 2016. Accessed 28 September 2016http://sandersonhs.org/jbennett/resources/Epic_Hero.pdf.

However, because of Gilgamesh's thought that he may be invincible, he is actually putting his friend's life at risk by going on his adventure. In his attempt to prove that he is brave and that he would rather die for a cause, he actually indirectly causes the death of Enkidu, who shows that he was the stronger of the two.
5) Defining Honor

Honor is a characteristic that few individuals posses. It is a special type of distinguishing factor, that although many attempt to have, very few actually embrace it to its full meaning. Honor entails pride and personal excellence. It is fully believing in an action or an entity that represents something very important to the self and to those around. To me, honor is being able to stand up for your beliefs despite the opinion of others.

Honor in society can actually be viewed in two ways, depending on your…...

Epic of Gilgamesh
In a time when natural disasters were the whims of the Gods, when hunger, disease, and death stalked ones life as surely as the wild beasts of the land, the epic poem of Gilgamesh found its way across the ancient landscape. It was unearthed as part of a library collected thousands of years before our time, yet "reflects an ancient range of human experience and emotion not so far removed from our own" (Jackson, xi). In a cultural context of nomadic life and city-states, ancient Iraqis worshipped numerous gods. Every aspect of their life depended upon the favor their gods bestowed. The Epic of Gilgamesh illustrates an understanding of the human spirit unbent by fickle gods and powerful kings. This is a story of human growth and acceptance for a difficult life and violent time in human history.

The ancient Iraqi society was "mostly illiterate," passing on history…...

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Works Cited

 

He is not afraid to battle Grendel and his mother; in fact, he seems to welcome the challenge. This is important to the story because it helps back up the poet's tales of bravery and courage, and helps show that Beowulf is indeed an epic hero. A hero has to be brave in battle, and understanding off the battlefield, and Beowulf is both. He is not afraid to rise to Unferth's challenge because he is sure of himself, and this is a characteristic of a hero as well.
This challenge also helps the reader understand the characters even more. Beowulf shows not only that he is heroic, but also that he can argue and persuade with the best of them, when he takes Unferth's challenge and explains what really happened in the seas. He says, "I had greater strength at sea, withstood in the waves more woes than any man.…...

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References

Readable Beowulf: The Old English Epic. Trans. Stanley B. Greenfield. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press, 1982.

However, neither is invincible. Beowulf meets a heroic demise when he fights the final dragon at the end of the epic. His death in no way diminishes the grandeur of his heroism. Another feature of the classic hero is their tendency to embark on lengthy journeys and quests to prove their merits, and Beowulf is no exception.
Similarly, Gilgamesh does not completely succeed in his quest for immortality. Gilgamesh does help kill beasts with the help of Enkidu. Enkidu also fits the archetype of the male hero: he is a powerful, seemingly super-human beast who dies before the epic is over. Yet his death does not spell his failure any more than Gilgamesh's mortality minimizes his great successes. Gilgamesh proves his heroism also by demonstrating the lessons he learned through the course of his adventures: coming to terms with mortality and finding love in his heart. Through loving Enkidu, Gilgamesh…...

Revenge, too, is prominent in all of these works: Beowulf must destroy the monster our of revenge for the havoc on the Kingdom; the Greeks must avenge the kidnapping of Helen and the slights against their lands; the Knight, the Miller and the ife of Bath all must seek revenge for perceived wrongs. Poems like Canterbury Tales, Beowulf, and the Iliad and Odyssey, especially as oral tradition, frame the journey of the hero through trials and tribulations to, eventually success. The saving of society, though, is often met with grave personal sacrifice, sometimes of tangible wealth, more often of loved ones, or, in the case of Beowulf, the ultimate sacrifice -- giving up one's own life in the service of society.

Yet in each of the tales there is at least one, and frankly many more, characters that have a fatal personality flaw that causes not only consternation, but increases the…...

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Works Cited

Bittarello, M.B. "Recrafiting the Past: The Complex Relationship Between Myth and Ritual." Pomegranate: The International Journal of Pagan Studies 10.2 (2008): 214-19.

Cambpell, J. The Hero With a Thousand Faces. New York: New World Library, 2008.

Campbell, J. And B. Moyers. The Power of Myth. New York: Anchor Books, 1991.

Voytilla, S. Myth and the Movies. New York: Michael Wiese Productions, 1999.

Your answer should be at least five sentences long.
The Legend of Arthur

Lesson 1 Journal Entry # 9 of 16

Journal Exercise 1.7A: Honor and Loyalty

1. Consider how Arthur's actions and personality agree with or challenge your definition of honor. Write a few sentences comparing your definition (from Journal 1.6A) with Arthur's actions and personality.

2. Write a brief paragraph explaining the importance or unimportance of loyalty in being honorable.

Lesson 1 Journal Entry # 10 of 16

Journal Exercise 1.7B: Combining Sentences

Complete the Practice Activity on page 202 of your text. After completing this activity, read over your Essay Assessment or another journal activity you've completed.

* Identify three passages that could be improved by combining two or more sentences with coordinating or subordinating conjunctions. Below the practice activity in your journal, write the original passages and the revised sentences you've created.

* Be sure to indicate which journal or writing assignment they came from.

The…...

Those with issues to overcome are always more heroic. Hector also becomes a hero when, after at first running from Achilles, he eventually stands up to him and dies a heroic death.
The Iliad is primarily a war epic. In your opinion, is the Iliad condemnation of the it could easily be argued that the Illiad glorifies war, as much of the poem is spent portraying the warriors as brave and courageous, even as they go on killing rampages. Warriors are describes as "masters of the battle cry" and "warlike" in glowing epithets. When Achilles originally refused to fight, he is roundly condemned for it by all of the other Greek characters. Even the weapons of war, such as Achilles impenetrable shield, are glorified. But homer is more complicated than simple -- war also brings death, which he describes in great detail. Hector's death is perhaps the most graphic of…...

Odyssey
Homer's Odyssey is a classic epic poem, demonstrating all the hallmarks of epic poem structure and the epic journey cycle. The narrative of the Odyssey follows the return on Odysseus from Troy, a journey that takes ten years and spans many locations and setbacks, until he finally reaches his home in Ithaca. Even then, Homer must deal with one final setback before being successfully reunited with his family. This paper will focus on three central themes that define the epic poetry genre -- an epic hero

There are several elements of an epic poem. An epic poem should have an epic hero and in this case that is Odysseus. He is the focal point of the action (no author, 2012). His journey is entirely about him, to the point where his actions dictate the fate of all those around him. The key supporting characters are in his and his wife. Odysseus…...

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Works Cited:

Downes, J. (2005). Epic, epic formula, epic smile. Auburn University. Retrieved February 15, 2012 from  http://www.auburn.edu/~downejm/epicbasics.html 

No author. (2012). A story of epic proportions: What makes a poem an epic? National Endowment for the Humanities. Retrieved February 15, 2012 from  http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/story-epic-proportions-what-makes-poem-epic

It is his own acknowledgment of his glory and honor that allows him to stand as an example to future generations. Folk epics are not meant only to recall historical details, but also to inspire modern heroes; the world of Beowulf and the world for which it was written both required strong heroes who knew the honor and righteousness of their actions.
Beowulf is more than the story of a hero's life, journey and adventures, and death. It is the story of a type of person and a people that the author and original readers of Beowulf felt an intimate longing for. As a folk epic, the tale of Beowulf is meant to draw people together in a common history, and to inspire them to the same types of glory that the heroes of the past achieved. Its purpose is to achieve solidarity in the admiration of a common hero,…...

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Work Cited

Beowulf. Accessed 26 May 2009.  http://www.humanities.mcmaster.ca/~beowulf/main.html 

Basic organizational plan: Introduce concept f epic, then folk epic, then explain enerally how Beowulf fits the description. The main body of the essay will explicate some brief apssags, explaining how this fits into the general framework.

Dante, Sophocles, Gilgamesh REVISED
The Epic of Gilgamesh, Dante's Inferno and Sophocles Oedipus the King are all classic and foundational estern texts which depict, en passant, the importance of humankind's demand to know, to explore and penetrate the unknown, to arrive at ultimate truths about existence and its mysteries, and to find meaning or value therein. I hope to demonstrate with reference to specific episodes -- that of Utnapishtim in Gilgamesh, of the episode of Ulysses in Dante's Inferno, and in the great address to the protagonist hymned by the chorus of Sophocles' tragedy of Oedipus -- this complicated depiction of human intellectual overreach.

Dante provides us with the basic topos of this kind of overreach as a sort of failed heroism, or heroism that breaks forth the bounds of Aristotelian temperance (or sophrosyne) and becomes, paradoxically, a vice. (The Aristotelian definition of sin is central to Dante, since his theology is…...

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Works Cited

Alighieri, Dante. The Divine Comedy: Inferno. Translated with an introduction by John Ciardi. New York: Modern Library, 1996.

Kovacs, Maureen Gallery [Translator]. The Epic of Gilgamesh. Electronic edition by Wolf Carnahan, 1998. Accessed 3 March 2011 at:  http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/mesopotamian/gilgamesh/ 

Sophocles. The Three Theban Plays. Translated with an introduction by Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin, 2000.

Madam Eglantyne the Nun, is also an ironic charater. She eats in a very refined manner and attempts other fine characteristics such as speaking French, although she fares poorly at this. Ironically, not all her language is pure, as she swears cosntantly by "St. Loy," a saint renowned for not swearing. Unlike the general conception of the Nun, she is very concerned with outward appearances and did not much care for human beings. Indeed, she cared much more for her three dogs than the human beings around her. Another irony is that she has a coral trinket to fight worldly temptations, which is clearly failing badly.

A second character is the Friar, Hubert. While he is jolly, merry, and festive, his actions are nevertheless evil and cunning. He impregnates girls, for example, and marries them off. He deceived the faithful by hearing confessions for a fee, and even begged from poor…...

Camera angles that focus on wretched faces, of young boys in red coated uniforms begging for mercy, and of the arrogance of the British officer corps, not just towards Americans, but towards their own enlisted men, are shown with filming skill. As might be expected for this type of film, John Williams' score was masterful and very much in line with the generation of epics from the 1950s and 1960s -- painting a realistic picture of the film without dialog. Similarly, the audience is set up between the idyllic farm and hard work of a widower in the opening scene to the juxtaposition and hoped for return to normalcy in the final moments -- however, knowing that things will never be as they were (See: http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=336714&contentTypeId=130&category=trailer). The scene, however, that most stays with the audience is not one of the grander battles, but a one-on-one battle between Benjamin and…...

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REFERENCES and WORKS CONSULTED

Bittarello, M.B. (2008). "Re-Crafting the Past: The Complex Relationship

Between Myth and Ritual." Pomegranate: The International Journal of Pagan Studies. 10(2): 214.

TRAILERS and PREVIEWS

Brown, Todd. (2007). "Footage from Taras Bulba." Twitch. Cited in:

They also encounter a large religious group coming through the forest to be baptized at a river, sirens who supposedly "lure" Pete into lustful relations and turn him into a toad, and many other characters. They consistently have to stay one step ahead of the sheriff and his bloodhounds, and still must find a way to be pardoned at the end, or they will go back to prison. They steal cars; meet a guitar player who believes he can play the guitar because he sold his soul to the devil, and some hospitable people who help them along their journey. Most of the film involves their travels, trials, and tribulations, and it often seems as if they will never attain their goal, which is another element of an epic journey.
The search does indeed illustrate Ulysses' (and many others) social and religious values. Ulysses is not particularly religious, but his…...

He is a full grown hero who only needs a goal to set him on his journey. Gilgamesh is young and inexperienced, and he needs help to grow and mature throughout his journey, which he obtains from his dear friend Enkidu. Gilgamesh has many lessons to learn, and Odysseus learns too, but he is farther on the road to maturity, and so his journey leads him somewhere he already knows and is comfortable with, while Gilgamesh's journey takes him on uncharted territory, and he learns more about himself and the people around him on his journey.
In conclusion, these men are both heroic, but they show it in different ways and they have different heroic ideals. They are real heroes to be sure, but they are also real men, with the faults that only real men seem to have. Gilgamesh can be a violent boor with little regard for women…...

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References

The Epic of Gilgamesh. Trans. Kovacs, Maureen Gallery. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1989.

Homer. Odyssey. Trans. Lombardo, Stanley. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 2000.

Leed, Eric J. The Mind of the Traveler: From Gilgamesh to Global Tourism. New York: Basic Books, 1991.

Oinas, Felix J., ed. An Introduction to the World's Great Folk Epics. Bloomington, in: Indiana University Press, 1978.

In comparing and contrasting the epic hero Beowulf with modern day heroes, it becomes evident that while both display exceptional courage, strength, and a willingness to sacrifice for the greater good, there are distinct differences in their motivations, values, and the context in which they operate, ultimately shaping their impact on society and the expectations placed upon them as heroes. One way to shape your thesis statement into a clear argument is to highlight the specific motivations, values, and contexts that differentiate Beowulf from modern day heroes. By focusing on these key aspects, you can develop a more nuanced analysis of....

1. Gilgamesh and Odysseus: Examining Heroic Journeys Through the Lens of Ancient Epics

2. The Heroic Quests of Gilgamesh and Odysseus: A Comparative Analysis

3. The Journey of the Soul: Exploring the Spiritual Transformation of Gilgamesh and Odysseus

4. Epic Heroes in Contrast: Gilgamesh and Odysseus as Archetypal Figures

5. Gilgamesh and Odysseus: Lessons in Leadership and Heroism

6. The Role of Women in Gilgamesh and The Odyssey: A Comparative Study of Ishtar and Penelope

7. Gilgamesh and Odysseus: The Pursuit of Immortality and its Consequences

8. The Human Condition in Ancient Epics: Gilgamesh and Odysseus' Search for Meaning

9. The Representation of Gods and Goddesses in Gilgamesh....

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3. Mythical Gods and Goddesses: A Comparison of Greek and Hindu Pantheons
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5. Creation Myths in Greek and Hindu Mythologies: A Comparative Perspective
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