UNIT 1:

Monomyth: The Heros Journey

UNIT OVERVIEW
Primary Assessment:

In a minimum of 750 words, analyze and evaluate the form and function of epic poems (i.e. The Epic of
Gilgamesh, The Iliad, The Odyssey, Beowulf) and evaluate how they parallel with Campbells monomyth?

Essential Questions for Class Discussion:

1.

What is an epic? What are the conventions of an epic? What are the literary devices of epic literature?

2.

What is an epic hero? How does the heroes of antiquity follow Campbells theory of the monomyth? What are the implications?

3.

How does the epic serve as a narrative form of a national identity? How does the hero serve as model of the ideal citizen?

4.

Consider the mode of the epic hero, contrasted in this story with the everyday life of the anonymous citizen. What does the
story say about fame and immortality, vs. a quiet family life? What do you say? Where is the good, and what are the implications?

5.

What evidence is there that the polytheistic pagan stories of Gilgamesh and Beowulf may have influencedor been influenced by
monotheistic Christianity?

6.

How do modern theories on myth apply to the epic poems of antiquity?

7.

a.

Do you see Frazerian anxiety over natural forces, and a primitive effort to understand and manipulate them?

b.

Do you see a Freudian unconscious psyche at work, in the play of Oedipal tensions?

c.

Where are Durkheims social values? How is this conveyed?

d.

Where are Jungs archetypes at work? Which are more predominate throughout the various epics?

e.

What are the gender dynamics in the epics, in the construction of maleness and femaleness, among and between genders?

What are the origins of the English language? How has it come to dominate the global landscape?

Unit Literature
Year

Author

Text

Genre

Pages

1987

Joseph Campbell

The Heros Adventure

Non-Fiction: Modern Theory

1909

Otto Rank

The Myth of the Birth of the Hero

Non-Fiction: Modern Theory

1934

C. G. Jung

The Archetypes of the Collective Unconscious

Non-Fiction: Modern Theory

1.5

c. 2100-1300 BCE

anonymous

The Epic of Gilgamesh

Epic Poetry

c. 800 BCE

Homer

The Iliad

Epic Poetry

10

c. 800 BCE

Homer

The Odyssey

Epic Poetry

18

c. 500-1000

anonymous

Beowulf

Epic Poetry

16

World Literature with Mr. Brennan: Unit 1

LITERARY TERMS
EPIC is a long narrative poem that deals with a heros adventure
and/or significant historical events to a culture or nation, often
containing insights into the ideals, values, and beliefs of the culture
that created them.
AN

EPIC CONVENTIONS
PROTAGONIST:
* a hero of great national importance; the ideal man of culture
* often superhuman, possessing divine traits
* stronger and greater in all ways than the common man
* whose actions determine the fate of a nation, or all humankind
* participates in the monomyth, or heros journey
* while extraordinary, not perfect; often having a human flaw
SETTING:

Alliterationa repetition of initial consonant sounds, especially the

beginning of words (e.g. Bob bought balloons)
Allusiona reference designed to call something to mind without
mentioning it explicitly
Antagonistany force that is in opposition to the main character, or
protagonist. (e.g. Tybalt is antagonist to Romeo in Romeo and Juliet)
AppositiveNoun or pronoun used to clarify or explain other nouns
or pronouns already introduced (e.g. Im Juan, a TBA student.)
Archetyperecurrent patterns of action, character types, themes or
images which are identifiable in a wide range of literature; for
instance, the female character who is responsible for the downfall
of a significant male character.
Conventionsa widely used and accepted technique in literature,
film, drama, etc.
Genrea type or class of literature such as epic (e.g. Beowulf) or
narrative (e.g. Of Mice and Men) or poetry (e.g. A Dream Deferred).

* set in a distant and glorious past

* majestic and grand in scale,
* covering the natural and supernatural world

Hubrisexcessive pride, especially toward or defiance of the gods.

* spans vast distances, other worlds, and various time periods

Metaphorone thing pictured as if it were something else, suggesting

a likeness or analogy between them. It is an comparison or
identification of one thing with another unlike itself without the
use of a verbal signal such as like or as. (e.g. Juliet is the sun.)

PLOT:
* the heros action consists of deeds of bravery and courage
* there is often divine intervention on human affairs
* the supernatural often becomes part of the action.

Protagonistthe main character in a work, who may or may not be

heroic. (e.g. Macbeth in Macbeth)
Symbolisma person, place, thing, event, or pattern in a literary
work that figuratively represents or stands for something else.

THEME:
* Western epics often glorify the quest for honor
* acknowledges the power of fate, or destiny
* identifies the flaws of the human condition

Variationrestatement of a concept or term using different words or

phrases to stress importance or to provide additional perspective.
(e.g. The nobleman's son then passed the steep rocky cliffs, the
narrow path, the narrow single-file path, an unknown way)

* addresses the thematic archetype of good versus evil.

ACADEMIC DISCIPLINES and CRITICAL THEORY
STYLE:
* writing is elevated, even ceremonial
* narrative typically begins in media res (in the middle of things)
* narrative usually with the hero at his lowest point; flashbacks used
* repetition and stock phrases make poem easier to memorize
* frequent use of epic simile, similes that extends over several lines
* epic catalogues are given consisting of long, detailed lists to place
the finite action of the epic into a broader context
* epithets, or added attributes/descriptors, accompany or occur in
place of a name and has entered common usage
(e.g. the swift Achilles, Hector the breaker of horses)
* patronomics, or the referral to family lineage, are used to stress
the importance of family reputation, and honor

Psychoanalytic literary criticism, argues that literary texts, like

dreams, express the secret unconscious desires and anxieties
of the author, and manifest the author's own neuroses.
Freud believed the psyche consisted of the:
* superego: which reflects the internalization of cultural rules
* ego: which mediates between the id and superego
* id: which is driven by instinctive (often sexual) impulses
Marxist literary criticism, analyzing the role of class, class
relations, as well as social conflict, and oppression
Feminist literary criticism, exposes how literature reflects
masculine ideology; examines gender politics and traces the
subtle construction of masculinity and femininity, and their
relative status, positionings, and marginalizations.
Archetypal literary criticism, argues that archetypes determine
the form and function of literary works, that a text's meaning
is shaped by cultural and psychological myths.

(e.g. Achilles, son of Peleus)

World Literature with Mr. Brennan: Unit 1