EPIC HERO ESSAY HOW DOES ODYSSEUS FIT THE MOLD OF AN EPIC HERO? A FIVE PARAGRAPH ESSAY

Transcription

1 EPIC HERO ESSAY HOW DOES ODYSSEUS FIT THE MOLD OF AN EPIC HERO? A FIVE PARAGRAPH ESSAY

2 ESSAY STRUCTURE INTRODUCTION FIRST BODY PARAGRAPH -- ONE REASON WHY ODYSSEUS IS AN EPIC HERO. PARAGRAPH MUST USE EXAMPLES AND EVIDENCE FROM THE TEXT TO SUPPORT. SECOND BODY PARAGRAPH -- ANOTHER REASON WHY ODYSSEUS IS AN EPIC HERO. PARAGRAPH MUST USE EXAMPLES AND EVIDENCE FROM THE TEXT TO SUPPORT. THIRD BODY PARAGRAPH -- A FINAL REASON WHY ODYSSEUS IS AN EPIC HERO. PARAGRAPH MUST USE EXAMPLES AND EVIDENCE FROM THE TEXT TO SUPPORT. CONCLUSION

3 INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION SHOULD FOLLOW THIS STRUCTURE: 1. TOPIC SENTENCE/HOOK - ANECDOTE (a brief story/situation that relates to the main topic of the essay) 2. TRANSITION INTO DEFINITION OF AN EPIC HERO 3. INTRODUCE THE TITLE AND AUTHOR WITH A BRIEF SUMMARY OF STORY 4. INSERT THESIS WITH THREE POINTS OF PROOF (THESIS SHOULD ANSWER THE QUESTION: HOW DOES ODYSSEUS FIT THE MOLD OF AN EPIC HERO?

4 SAMPLE INTRODUCTION A teenage boy jumps into a freezing river to save the little boy next door. A doctor moves to a third world country to provide free health care to the needy. These two peoples are examples of heroes. A hero is someone of distinguished courage or ability who is admired for his or her brave deeds and noble qualities. But, there is a specific type of hero that is depicted in an epic poem; the epic hero. An epic hero is a larger than life hero who embodies the values of a particular society. Commonly epic heroes have superior strength, have strong love for their people, are fearless of death, and are very ethical people. The Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the oldest works of literature, describes Gilgamesh, the historical king of Uruk in Babylonia. He was physically beautiful, immensely strong, and very wise. He set out on a quest to find life fulfillment and eternal life. The hero, Gilgamesh, is a seemingly invincible person with all the extraordinary traits required of an epic hero. He is able to use his super-human physical strength and courage to put his people before himself. Gilgamesh is a perfect example of an epic hero because of his super-human strength, his noble standing in society and his use of guile and skill.

5 BODY FORMAT Topic sentence should include transition - (One reason, Another example, etc) Give an example from the text Insert quote that further supports the example Explain HOW quote supports example

6 SAMPLE BODY One reason why Gilgamesh can be considered an epic hero is because he exhibits superhuman strength and courage. Throughout the entire epic Gilgamesh shows outrageous skill as a warrior and leader. In Tablet I it is said that, Gilgamesh is strong to perfection. (p. 2). Also, he is described as an awesome beast with unmatched strength and a chant that fosters armies (Pg. 3). He leads his tribe into battle fearlessly and defeats everyone they come into battle with. Additionally, Gilgamesh reveals his strength during his journey to Utnapishtim when he climbs the double cliff up Mt. Mashu. When he reaches the top the poison scorpion guard said to him, No mortal man has ever come to know what you seek here. Not one of your kind has come so far, (Pg.61). Clearly, Gilgamesh is superhuman since no mortal man could ever climb the mountain.

7 CONCLUSION Topic sentence should restate thesis Summarize main points End with final statement about topic -- heroes/epic heroes

8 SAMPLE CONCLUSION It is clearly apparent that Gilgamesh holds all of the characteristics of an epic hero. He is skilled as a warrior, has superhuman strength and courage and is a noble and an intelligent leader. He gives credit to others for his great accomplishments and shows a fearless respect for death. Gilgamesh has proved to be that hero as he shows all the characteristics and meets the Heroic Code.